tayners of Iustice, louers of learning, but whether thei were so, their actes declared. As for him, neither for flattery nor fauour at their hands, he was cōstrained thus to write vnto them, but onely to sue vnto them and desire a serious and righteous kinde of dealynge in their iudgements and sentences. For it becōmeth princes to folowe vprightnes and pietye in their iudgementes, not tiranye and violence: and also in playne woordes chargeth as wel the Emperour as the Senate with manifest wrong. For that they did not graunt the christiās, that which is not denied to al other malefactors, iudging thē to death not cōuicted, but only for þ^e hatred of the name: Other men which be appeached (sayd he) in iudgement, are not condemned, before they are cōuicted. But on vs you take our name onely for the crime, whē as in dede you ought to see iustice done vpon our accusers. And againe (saith he) if a Christian being accused, onelye deny that name, him you release, being not able to charge him with any other offēce. But if he stand to his name, only for his cōfession you cast him, wher in dede it wer your dutye rather to examine their maner of life what thyng they confesse or deny, and according to their demerits se iustice done. And in the same further he saith, you examine not the causes, but incenced with rashe affections as with the spurre of furye, ye slay and murder them not conuicted, without anie respect of Iustice. MarginaliaThe Lord take away this spur of furie, condēning innocents before they be conuicted.And further he addeth. Som peraduenture will say certayne of them haue ben apprehended and taken in euyll doyngs: as though (sayth he) you vsed to enquire vppon them beinge brought afore you, and not commonlye to condemne them before due examinatiō of their offence for the cause aboue mentioned. Wher also in the end of the said Apologie after this maner he reprehendeth thē: You do degenerat (quoth he) from the goodnes of your Predecessors, whose example ye followe not: for your father Adrian of famous memorie, caused to be proclaimed that christians accused before the iudge, should not be condemned, vnlesse they wer found gilty of so notorious a crime. I finde that all his vehement and graue Apologye standeth vpon moste strong and firme probations: denieng that the christians ought by cōscience at the wyll and commaundemēt of the Emperor and Senate to do sacrifice to the Idols. For the which they being condemned, affirme that they suffer open wrong: approuing moreouer, that the true and onelie religion, is the religion of the christians: whose both doctrine and cōuersation hath no fault. Iustinus although with these and such like persuations dyd not so preuayle with the Emperor, to cause him to loue his religion and become a Christian (for that is not wrytten) yet thus muche he obtayned, that Antoninus wryting to his Officers in Asia in the behalfe of the Christians, required and commaunded them, that those Christians which onely were found giltye of anye trespasse, should suffer, and such as were not conuicted, shoulde not therefore onely for the name be punished, because they wer called christians. By these it is apparent with what zeal and faith this Iustinus did striue against þ^e persecutors, whiche (as he saide) could kil onely, but could not hurt.

This Iustinus by the meanes & malice of Crescence the Philosopher as is before declared, suffred martyrdome vnder Marcus Antonin⁹ Verus a litle after þ^t Policarpe was martyred in Asia, as witnesseth Eusebi⁹ lib. 4. MarginaliaEx Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 16.Here is to be gathered howe Epiphanius was deceyued in the tyme of his death, MarginaliaA place of Epiphanius found fauty.saying that he suffered vnder Rusticus the President, and Adrian the Emperour, beyng of xxx. yeares of age, which in deede agreeth not neither with Eusebius, nor Ierome, nor Swide, nor other moe, which manifestly declare & testifie how he exhibited his Apologie vnto Antoninus Pius, whiche came after Adrian. Thus haste thou good reader the life of this learned and blessed martyr although partly touched before, yet nowe more fully & amply discoursed for the bettercommendation of his excellent and notable vertues, of whose finall ende thus writethMarginaliaCum dignitate et lœtus pro Christo pertulit. Photius saying, that he suffring for Christ dyed cherefully and with honor.

MarginaliaThe singular modesti of the foresayde Martyrs declared.
Ex Euseb lib. 5. ca. 2Thus haue ye herd the whole discourse of Iustinus, and of the blessed saints of Fraunce, Vetius, Zacharias, Sanctus, Maturus, Attalus, Blandina, Alexander, Alcibiades, with other, recorded and set foorth by the writing of certayne christian brethren of the same churche and place of France. In the which forsayde writing of theirs moreouer appereth the great meekenes & modest cōstancy of the said Martyrs described in these woords: such folowers were they of Christ, who when he was in the forme of God, though it no robrie, to be equal with God, beinge in the same glorye with hym, that they not once nor twise, but oft times suffring Martyrdom, and taken agayne from the beasts, and bearyng woundes, tearynges and skars in their bodyes, yet neither would count themselues Martyrs, neither woulde suffer vs so to call them: but yf any of vs either by woorde or letter, would call them Martyrs, they dyd vehemently rebuke them: MarginaliaThe holye Martyrs refuse to bee called martyrs.saying that þ^e name of Martyrdom was to be geuen to Christ, the faithfull and true Martyre, the firste borne of the dead, and the captayne of lyfe, testifiyng moreouer that Martyrdome belongeth to such, who by their martyrdome were aleady passed out of thys lyfe, and whome as Christ by their worthye confession hath receiued vnto himselfe, and hath sealed vp their martyrdom by their end finished: As for them, which were not yet consummated, they (sayd they) wer not worthye the names of martyrs, but onely were humble and woorthy conffessors, desiring also their brethren with teares, to praye without ceasing for their confirmation. Thus they performing in deede that which belonged to trewe martyrs, in resistyng the heathen with much libertye, and great pacience, without all feare of man, being replenished with the feare of God, refused to be named of their brethren for martyrs. And after in þ^e sayd writinge it foloweth more: They humbled themselues vnder the mightye hand of god, by which they were greatly exalted. Then thei rendred to al men a reason of their faith, they accused no man, they loosed all, they bounde none. And for them which so euil did entreat thē, they praied, folowing þ^e example of Stephē þ^e perfect martyr, which said: O Lord impute not this for sinne to thē. And after againe: Neither did they proudly disdain against them, which fell: but of such as they had, they imparted to thē that lacked, bearyng toward them a motherly affectiō, shedding their plentyfull teares for them to God the father, and prayed for their lyfe and saluation, and as God gaue it them, they also dyd communicate to their neighbors. And thus they as conquerers of al things departed to God. They loued peace, and leauing the same to vs, they went to God, neither leauing any molestation to their mother, nor sedition or trouble to their brethren, but ioy, peace, concord, and loue to al.

Out of the same wryting moreouer concerning these martyrs of Fraunce afore mentioned, is reported also an other history, not vnworthy to be noted, taken oute of the same booke of Eusebius. cap. 3. MarginaliaEx Euseb. lib. 5. ca. 3.which histori is this.

Ther was among these constāt and blessed martirs, one Alsibiades, as is aboue specified: MarginaliaAlcibiades. The strayte fastyng of Alcibiades corrected by the holy ghost.which Alcibiades euer vsed a very straight diet, receuing for his foode and sustinaunce nothinge els, but onely bread and water: when this Alcibiades now being cast in prison, went about to accustome the same streightnes of diet, after his vsual maner before, it was reueled by God to Attalus afore mencioned, one of the sayd company, being also the same time imprisoned, after his first conflict vpon the scaffold, that Alcibiades did not well, in that he refused to vse and take the creatures of God: and also thereby ministred to other a pernicious occasion of offensiue example. Wherevpon Alcibiades being aduertised,