more probable before the people, they bound their accusation with a great othe: One wishing to be destroied with fire if he sayd not true. The other to bee consumed with a grieuous sickenes. The third to loose both his eyes if they did lye. Narcissus although hauing his conscience cleare, yet not able beyng but one man to withstand their accusation bound with such othes gaue place, and remooued himselfe frrom the multitude, into a solitarie desert by himself, where he continued the space of many yeares. In the meane time to them which so willingly and wickedly forsweare themselues, this happened:Marginalia A terrible example of periury punished. the first by casualtie of one litle smal sparkle of fire, was burnt with his goods and all his familie. The second, was taken with a great sicknesse from the top to the toe, and deuoured with the same. The third, hearing and seyng the punishment of the other, confessed his fault; but through great repentance poured out such tears, that he lost both his eyes. And thus was their false periurie punished. Narcissus after long absence returning home agayne, was by this meanes both cleared of the facte, and receiued into his bishoprike agayne. To whom, as is said, for impotencie of his age, Alexander was ioined with him in execution of the function.Marginalia Narcissus and Alexander ioyned together in one Byshopricke. Euseb. Hist. Eccles. Lib. 6. cap. 10. Of this Alexander is recorded in the sayd Ecclesiasticall history, that after his agonies and constancie of his confessiō shewed in the persecution of Seuerus, he was admonished by a vision in the night season to make his iourney vp to Hierusalem & Palestina (for that place remained free from this persecution) to see there the congregation, & to pray. Thus he taking his iourney, and drawing nere to the city, a vision with playne wordes was geuen to certaine chiefe heads of Hierusalem, to go out of the gate of the city, there to receiue the Bishop appointed to them of God.Marginalia Alexander ordayned Byshop of Hierusalem by Gods miracle. Ex Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 11. And so was Alexander met and receiued, and ioyned partner with aged Narcissus, as is before expressed in the Citie of Hierusalem, where he continued bishop aboue 40. yeares, vntill the persecution of Decius, and there erected a famous Librarie, where Eusebius had his chiefest helpe in writing his Ecclesiasticall history. He wrote also diuers Epistles to diuers churches, and licensed Origene openly to teach in his Church. At length beyng very aged, was brought frō Ierusalem to Cesaria before the Iudge vnder Decius, where after his constant confession the second tyme, he was committed to prison, and there died.Marginalia The constācie & death of Alexander Byshop

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Besides these that suffred in this persecution of Seuerus recited of Eusebius, Vincentius also, Lib. 11. cap. 6. Ex Martyrol. speaketh of one Andoclus,Marginalia Andoclus, Martyr. whom Polycarpus before had sent into Fraunce: which Andoclus because he spread there the doctrine of Christ, was apprehended of Seuerus, and first beaten with staues and battes, after was beheaded.

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To these aboue named, may also be added Asclepiades;Marginalia Asclepiades Byshop of Antioche confessor. who although was not put to death in this persecution of Seuerus, yet constantly he did abide the trial of his confessiō & suffred much for the same, as Alexander did before mentioned. Wherfore afterward he was ordained bishop of Antioch, where he continued the space of vij. yeares of whom Alexander writeth to the Church of Antioche, out of prison, much reioysing and geuing thankes to God, to heare that he was their Bishop.

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About the same tyme during the raigne of Seuerus, died Irenæus,Marginalia Irenæus Byshop of Lyons, and Martyr. Henr. de Erfordia, Ado, and other Martyr-writers, do hold, that he was martyred with a great multitude of other moe, for the confession and doctrine of Christ, about the fourth or fift yeare of Seuerus. This Irenæus as he was a great writer, so was he greatly commended of Tertullian for his learning, whom he calleth omnium doctrinarum curiosissimum exploratorem:  

a great searcher of all kynde of learning. He was first scholer and hearer of Polycarpus, frō thence either was sent or came to Fraunce; and there by Photinus, and the rest of the Martyrs was instituted into the ministery, commended by their letter vnto Eleutherius, as is before premonished. At length after þ^e Martyrdom of Photinus, he was appointed bishop of Lions, where he cōtinued about the space of 23. yeres. In þ^e tyme of this Ireneus, the state of the Church was much troubled, not only for the outward persecution of the foraine enemy, but also for diuers sectes and errours then stirring; against which he diligently laboured, and wrote much, although but few of his bookes be now remayning. The nature of this man well agreeyng with his name, was such, that he euer loued peace, and sought to set agreement when any controuersie rose in the Church. And therfore, when the question of keeping the Easter day was renued to the Church, betwene Victor bishop of Rome, and the churches of Asia; and when Victor would haue excommunicated them as schismatkies, for disagreeyng from him therein: Irenæus with other brethren, of the French Church, sory to see such a contention among brethren for such a trifle, conuentedthemselues together in a common Councell, and directing their letter with their common consent subscribed, sent vnto Victor, intreating him to stay his purpose, & not to proceed in excommunicating his brethren for that matter. Althongh they themselues agreed with him in obseruing the Sonday Easter as he did: yet with great reasons and arguments exhorted him not to deale so rigorously with his other brethren, following the ancient custome of their coūtrey maner in that behalf. And beside this he wrote diuers other letters abroad concerning the same contentiō, declaring the excommunication of Victor to be of no force.

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Not long after Irenæus followed also TertullianMarginalia Tertullian Ecclesiasticall writer. about the tyme of this Seuerus, and Antoninus Caracalla his sonne, a man both in Greeke and Latin wel expert, hauing great gifts in disputing, and in writing eloquent, as his bookes declare, & as the commendation of al learned men doth testifie no lesse. To whom Vincentius Lirinensis geueth such prayse, that he calleth him the floure of all Latine writers; and of the eloquence of his stile so he writeth, that with the force of his reasons, he saith, whom he could not persuade, them he cōpelled to consent vnto him. How many words, so many sentences, and how many sentences, so many victories he had, &c.

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Such men of doing and writing, God raiseth vp from tyme to tyme, as pillers and stayes for his poore Church, as he did this Tertullian in these dangerous dayes of persecution. For whē the christians were vexed with wrongs, & falsly accused of the Gentils, Tertullian taking their cause in hand, defendeth them against the persecutors, & against their slaunderous accusations:Marginalia The Apology of Tertullian defending the Christians. First, that they neuer minded any styre or rebellion, either against the Empire or Emperors of Rome: forsomuch as the vse of Christians was to pray for the state of their Emperours and gouernours. And where as they were accused falsly to bee enemies to all mankind, how could that be (saith Tertullian to ScapulaMarginalia Tertullianus ad Scapulam.) seyng the proper office of the Christians is by their profession to pray for all men, to loue their enemies, neuer requiting euil for euil; when as all other do loue but onely their friends, and scarcely them? As touching the horrible slaunder of murdering infants, how can that be true in the Christians (saith he) whose order is to abstayne from all bloud, & strangled: in so much, that it is not lawful for thē to touch the bloud of any beast at their tables when they feede? From filthy copulation no sort more free then they: which are and euer hath ben the greatest obseruers of chastitie; of whom, such as may, liue in perpetuall Virginitie all their life; such as cannot, contract matrimony, for auoyding all whoredom and fornication. Neither can it be proued of the christians to worship the sunne, which false surmise, Tertulliā declareth to rise hereof, for that the maner of the Christians was to pray toward the East. Much lesse was there any of them so mad as to worship an Asses head whereof the occasion beyng taken onely of the Iewes, the slaunder therof therfore he prooueth to be falsly and wrōgfully laid to the charge of the Christians.Marginalia The occasion hereof, belike came of the Iewes worshipping the iawe of an Asse in the story of Sampson.

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And likewise against all other lies and slaunders, obiected of the Heathen against the Christians, the sayd Tertullian purgeth the Christians; declaring them falsly to be belied, & wrongfully persecuted, not for any desert of theirs but only for the hatred of their name. And yet notwithstāding by the same persecutions, he prooueth in the same Apologie, the religion of the christians nothing to be empaired, but rather encreased. The more (saith he) we are mowen doune of you, the moe rise vp.Marginalia Tertul. in Apologetico. The bloud of Christians is seede. For what man sayth he, in beholding the painfull torments, and the perfect patience of them, will not search and inquire what is in the cause? And when he hath found it out, who will not agree vnto it? And when he agreeth to it, who wil not desire to suffer for it? Thus (saith he) this sect will neuer die, which the more it is cut doune, the more it groweth. For euery man seing and wondring at the sufferance of the Saints, is mooued the more therby to search the cause: in searching, he findeth it; and in finding, he follweth it. Tertul in eodem Apolog.

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Thus Tertullian in this daungerous tyme of persecution, being stirred vp of God, defended the innocēcie of the Christians, against the blasphemy of the aduersaries; and moreouer for the instruction of the church compiled many fruitfull workes, wherof some are extant, some are not to be found. Notwithstanding the great learning & famous vertues of this worthy mā, certaine errors and blemishes are noted in his doctrine, as were before both of Origine, & Irenæus,Marginalia The errours and imperfections in learned men noted. and likewise of them were they neuer so excellent, that followed them. Which errors all here in order to note and comprehend, were too long a matter for this story to prosecute. This by the way shall be sufficient to admonish the Reader, neuer to looke for any such perfection of any

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