mouth. That is: Iupiter commaundeth the christians to be banished out of the Citie and suburbes of the same, as enemies vnto him. And the same sentence did the rest of the gouernors of the prouinces publish against the Christians, and thus at length persecution began to kindle against them. Maximinus appoynted and instituted high priestes and bishops in euery citie to offer sacrifice vnto Idoles, & inueigled all those that were in great offices vnder him, that they should not onely cease to pleasure them & to do for them, but also that they should with new deuised accusatiōs agaynst thē, at their pleasure, put as many to death as by any meanes they might.MarginaliaThe vayne practises of the Heathē agaynst Christ and his religion. They also did counterfet certaine practises of Pilate against our sauiour Christ full of blasphemie, and sent the same into all the Empire of Maximinus by their letters, commaunding that the same shoulde be published and set vp in euery citie and suburbes of the same, and that they should be deliuered to þ^e scholemaisters, to cause their scholers to learne by roate the same.

MarginaliaA deuised accusation agaynst the Christians by harlots. After that one named Præfectus castrorum, whome the Romaines do call captaine, allured certaine light womē, partly by feare, and partly by punishment, dwelling at Damascus in Phenicia, and taken out of the court wherein they were accused, that they shoulde openly say in wryting that they were once Christians, and that they knewe what wicked & lasciuious actes the Christians were wont to execute amongst themselues vpon the sondaies, & what other things they thought good to make more of their own head, to the slander of the Christians. The capitaine sheweth vnto the emperour theer words, as though it had bene so in dede, and the Emperour by and by commanded the same to be published throughout euery city. MarginaliaMaximi. recountermaund grauē in brasse. Furthermore, they did hange vp in the midst of euery Citie (which was neuer done before) the Emperours edicts against þ^e Christians, grauen in tables of brasse. And the children in the scholes with great noise and clapping of handes did euery day resound, the contumelious blasphemies of Pilate vnto Iesus, & what other things so euer were deuised of the magistrates, after most despitefull maner. Euseb. lib. 8, cap. 3.MarginaliaEuseb. Lib. 9. Cap. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. And this is the copie of the edict, which Maximinus caused to be fastened to pillers fraught, with all arrogant and insolent hate against God and Christ.

MarginaliaThe copy of the recountermaund made agaynst the Christians. The weake and imbecil rebellion of mans minde (all obscuritie and blindnesse of ignorance set aparte, which hetherto hath wrapped the mindes of impious and miserable men, in the pernitious darkenesse of ignoraunce) is now at the length able to discerne, that the same is gouerned, as also corroborated by the prouidence of the immortall gods the louers of vertue: which thing, how acceptable it is to vs, howe pleasant and gratefull, and howe much proofe the same hath declared of your wel disposed willing minds, is incredible to be tolde: Although this was not vnknown before with what diligence and deuotion yee serued the immortall Gods, whose wonderfull and constant faith is not knowen by bare and naked wordes, but by your worthy & notable deeds. Wherefore worthely is your Citie called the habitation and seate of the immortall Gods, and by many examples it appeareth that the same flourisheth, and prospereth by the presence of the celestiall Gods. For beholde, your Citie not regarding your priuate businesses, nor esteeming that which shoulde haue bene for the speciall commoditie thereof, when it perceaued that cursed vanitie to begin againe to creepe, and as a fire negligently quenched, when the dead brandes thereof began to kindle and make a great flame: by and by without delay ye hauing recourse vnto our pietie, as vnto the Metropolitan of all diuine worship and Religion,MarginaliaWicked blasphemy. craued remedie and helpe, which wholesome minde for your pieties sake, it is most manifest that the gods haue indued you with. Therefore hee, euen that most mightie Iupiter I say, which preserueth your most famous Citie: to that intent he might deliuer and make free your countrey Gods, your wiues and children, your housholde Gods and houses, from all detestable corruption, hath inspired you with this wholesome and willing minde, shewing & declaring howe worthy, notable, and healthfull a thing it is to worship & to sacrifice to the immortall Gods.MarginaliaThe workes of the liuing God falsly imputed to dead stockes and Idoles. For who is so void of reason & vnderstanding, that knoweth not that this thing happeneth vnto vs by the carefull studie of the goodnes of our gods, that the grounde denieth not to geue her timely increase, nor maketh frustrate the husband mans hope, nor that wicked warre dare shew her face vpon the earth, nor that the corruption of the aire is nowe cause of pestilence, neither that the sea swelleth with immoderate windes, neither that sodaine stormes are cause of hurtfull tempestes.MarginaliaHorrible blasphemy. To conclude, that the ground which is as the nurce and mother of all things, is not swallowed vp of her deepe chappes and gapings, by terrible earthquake, neither that the hils made leuell with the earth, are not with gaping cliftes deuoured, all which euils and greater then these, before this time to haue happened euery mā knoweth. And all these mischiefes came vpō vs for the pernitious errours sake of the extreeme follie of those wicked men the Christanis, when filthinesse it selfe (as I may callit) so occupied their mindes, and ouerranne the worlde. Let them beholde the fieldes nowe all about full of corne, and ouerflowen as it were with eares of corne. Let the vewe the pleasant meadowes clothed with flowers, and moistned with showers from heauen, and also the pleasant and temperate weather.MarginaliaThe lyke argument of wether & corne, & plenty, made the vnfaithfull Iewes, and also make now our faythlesse Papistes. Therefore let all men reioyce, that by your pietie, sacrifices, & worshipping, the maiestie of the most stearne God of battell Mars is appeased, & that therfore we enioy pleasant & firme peace. And how many so euer haue left that blind errour and straying of the Christians vnfainedly, and be of a better minde, let them specially reioyce, as men deliuered out of a sodaine great tempest, and from a greeuous disease, and haue afterward obtained a delectable and pleasant life. For doubtlesse, if they had remained in that execrable vanite, farre of had they bene chased from your Citie & suburbs of the same (according to your desire) that your Citie by that meanes, according to your commēdable diligence, clensed from all impuritie and impietie, may offer sacrifices according to the meaning of the same, with due reuerence of the immortall Gods. And that you may perceiue in how good part your supplication (yea vnasked and desired) we are most willing and ready to further your honest endeuours, and graunt vnto you for your deuotion, whatsoeuer you aske of our magnificence. And that thys thing may be accomplished, forthwith aske and haue. And thys thing with all speede, indeuour you to obtaine, which shall bee a perpetuall testimony of pietie exhibited of your Citie to the immortall Gods, and shalbe a president to your children and posteritie, and withall you shall obtaine of vs for this your willing desire of reformation, condygne and worthy rewardes. Eusebius. Lib 9. cap. 7.MarginaliaEuseb. lib. 9. cap. 7.

MarginaliaPersecution renued a fresh. Thus came it to passe that at the length persecutiō was as great as euer it was, and the magistrates of euery prouince were very disdainefull against the Christians which cōdemned some to death, and some to exile. MarginaliaSyluanus Byshop. Lucianus Elder, Petrus Byshop, Quirinus Byshop. Marcellus Byshop, Tymotheus Elder, Martyrs. The persecution of Maximinus the yonger. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 7. Niceph. lib. 7. cap 44. Ex facisculo temporum. Among whom they condemned three christians at Emisa, in Phenicia, w^t whom Siluanus the bishop a very old man, being 40. yeres in the ecclesiasticall function, was condemned to death. At Nicomedia, Lucianus the elder of Antioche, brought thether, after he had exhibited to the emperour his Apologie concerning the doctrin of the Christians, was cast in pryson, and after put to death. In Amasea a City of Capadocia, Bringes the lieftenaunt of Maximinus, had at that time, the executing of that persecution. At Alexandria, Petrus a most worthy byshop was beheaded with whome manye other Egiptian byshops also died. Euseb. Lib 9. cap. 7. Nicepho. Lib. 7. cap. 44. Quirinus the Byshop Scescanius hauing a hanmyll tyed about hys necke, was throwne headlong from the bridge, into the flood, and there a long while fleeted aboue the water, and when hee opened his mouth to speake to the lookers on that they shoulde not be dismaied with that his punishmēt, was with much a do drowned. Chron. Euseb. At Rome dyed Marcellus the bishop as sayeth Platina, also Timotheus the elder, with many other bishops & Priests were martyred. To cōclud many in sundry places euery where were martyred, whose name þ^e booke intituled Fasciculus temporum declareth, as Victorianus, Symphorianus, Castorius, with his wife, Castulus, Cesarius, Mennas, Nobilis, Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Petrus, and other innumerable martirs, MarginaliaCosmas, Damianus, Dorothea, with other martyrs. Erasmus, Bonifacius, Iuliana, Cosmas, Damianus, Basilinus with seuen others, Dorothea, Theophilus, Theodosia, Vitalis, Agricola, Acha, Philemon, Hireneus, Ianuarius, Festus, Desiderius, Gregorius, Spoletanus, Agapes, Chionia, Hierenea. Theodora, and 270 other Martyrs, Marginalia270. Martyrs. Florianus, Primus and Felicianus, Vitus and Modestus, Crescentia, Albinus, Rogatianus, Donatianus, Pancratius, Catharina, Margareta, Lucia, the virgin, and Antheus the king with many thousād martirs mo. Simplicius, Faustinus, Beatrix, Panthaleon, Georgius, Iustus, Leocandia, Anthonia, and other mo to an infinite number, suffered martirdome in this persecution, whose names God hath written in the booke of life. Also Felix Victor, with his parents Lucia the widow, Gemenianus, with 79 others,MarginaliaGemenianus with 79. Martyrs. Sabinus, Anastasia, Chrisogonus, Felix, and Audactus, Adrianus, Nathalia, Eugenia, Agnes, also when she was but 13 yeare old was martyred. Euseb. in his 8. booke and 15. chap. rehearseth these kinds of torments and punishmēts,MarginaliaSeuerall kindes of tormentes. Euseb. lib 8. cap. 15. that is to say, Fire, wilde beastes, the sword, crucifyinges, the bottome of the sea, the cutting and burning of mēbers, the thrusting out of eyes, dismembring of the whole body, hūger, imprisonment, & whatsoeuer other cruelty þ^e Magistrates coulde deuise. All which notwithstanding the godly ones, rather then that they woulde doe sacrifice as they were bid, māfully endured. Neither were the womē any thing at al behind thē. For they beyng intised to the filthy vse of their bodies, rather suffered banishmēt, or willingly killed themselues. Neither yet could the Christians liue safely in the wildernes, but were fetched euē frō thēce to death and tormentes, in so much that this was a more greeuous persecution vnder Maximianus, the tyraunt, then