of the first yeare of Decius. At what tyme he being brought from Hierusalem to Cesarea into the iudgement place, after a constant and euident confession of his fayth made before the Iudge, was committed vnto prison, and there finished his lyfe, as testifieth Dionysius Alexandrinus in the sixt booke of Eusebius.MarginaliaEx Euseb. Lib. 6. cap. 41. After whome succeeded in that seate Mezabanes the xxxvj. Bishop of that Citie, after Iames the Apostle.

Mention was made also before of Asclepiades Bishop of Antioch, who succeeded after Serapion, and in the persecution of Seuerus did likewise perseuer a constant confessor, and as Vincentius testifieth in his xj. booke suffered Martyrdome at last vnder this Decius. MarginaliaAsclepiades Byshop of Antioche Martyr. Ex specu. Vincent. Lib. 11. ca. 52. But this computation of Vincentius can in no wise agree with the truth of tyme, for as much as by probable writers, as Zonaras, Nicephorus and other, the sayd Asclepiades after Serapion, entred the bishops seate of Antioch, an. 214. and sate vij. yeares before the tyme of Gordianus. MarginaliaA place of Vincentius reproued. After whom succeeded Philetus, an. 221. gouerning the function xij. yeares. And after him Zebinus followed, an. 232. and so after him Babylas, which Babylas if he dyed in this persecution of Decius, then could not Asclepiades also suffer in the same tyme, who dyed so long before him, as is declared.

Of this Babylas bishop of Antioche, Eusebus and Zonaras record, that vnder Decius he dyed in prison, as did Alexander bishop of Hierusalem aboue rehearsed.

We read in a certaine treatise of Chrysostome, intituled Contra Gentiles, a notable and a long history of one Babylas a martyr,MarginaliaBabylas Byshop of Antioche Martyr. Ex Chrisost. Lib. contra Gentiles. who about these times was put to death for resistyng a certaine Emperour, not suffring him to enter into the temple of the Christians, after a cruell murder cōmitted, the story of which murder is this:MarginaliaThe story of Babylas. There was a certaine Emperour, who vpon conclusiō of peace made with a certain nation, had receiued for hostage or suretie of peace the sonne of the king beyng of yong and tender age, with conditions vpon the same, that neither he should be molested of them, nor that they should euer be vexed of him. Vpon this the kings sonne was deliuered not without great care and feare of the father vnto the Emperour, whom the cruell Emperor, contrary to promise, caused in short tyme, without all iust cause to be slayne. This fact so horrible beyng committed, the tyrant with all hast would enter into the temple of the christians: Where Babylas beyng bishop or minister withstoode him that he should not into þ^t place approch. The Emperour therewith not a litle incensed, in great rage commaunded him forthwith to be laid in prison with as many irons as he could beare, & from thēce shortly after to be brought forth to death and execution. Babylas going constantly and boldly to his Martyrdome, desired after his death to be buried with his irons and bands, & so he was. The story proceedeth moreouer, and saith, that in continuaunce of tyme in the raigne of Constantinus, Gallus then made the ouersear of the East partes, caused his body to be translated into the suburbes of Antioch called Daphnes, where was a temple of Apollo, famous with diuelish Oracles & answers, geuen by that Idole, or by the deuill rather in that place. MarginaliaThe body of Babylas stoppeth the oracles of Idols. In the which temple after þ^e bringing of the body of Babylas, the idole ceased to geue any more Oracles, saying, that for the body of Babylas, he could geue no moe answers, but complaining that that place was woont to bee consecrated vnto him, but now it was full of dead mens bodies. And thus the Oracles there ceased for that tyme, till the comming of Iulianus: who inquiring out the cause why the Oracles ceased, caused the bones of the holy Martyr to be remooued agayne from thence by the christians, whom he then called Galileans. They commyng in a great multitude both men, maydens, and children, to the tombe of Babylas, transported his bones according to the commaundement of the emperour, singing by the way as they went, the verse of the Psalme in wordes as followeth: Confounded be all that worship Images and all that glory in Idoles, &c. which comming to the Emperours eares, set him in great rage against the Christians, stirring vp persecution against them. Albeit Zonaras declareth the cause something otherwise: saying, that so soone as the body of him and other Martyrs were remooued away, incontinēt the temple of the Idole with the Image, in the night was consumed with fire. For the which cause (sayth ZonarasMarginaliaEx Zonara Tom. 3. ) Iulian stirred vp with anger, persecuted the Christians, as shall be shewed (Christ willyng) in his order and place hereafter.

And thus much of Babylas, which whether it was the same Babylas Bishop then of Antioche, or an other of the same name, it appeareth not by Chrysostome: which neither maketh mention of the Emperours name, nor of the place where this Babylas was bishop. Agayne the stopping out of the Emperour out of the Church importeth as much asthat Emperour to haue bene a Christian. For otherwise if he had come in as an Heathen and as a persecutor, it was not then the maner of christian bishops violently to withstand the Emperours or to stop them out.MarginaliaEuseb. Lib. 6. cap. 39. Ouer and beside the testimony of Eusebius, Zonaras doth witnesse contrary in his vj. booke, that this Babylas which was then Bishop of Antioch after Zebinus, was not put to death by the tormentors, but died in prison. Wherfore it is not vnpossible, but this Babylas, and this Emperour which Chrysostome speaketh off, may be an other Babylas, then that which suffered vnder Decius. Nicephorus in his v. booke maketh mention of an other Babylas beside this that suffered vnder Decius, which was bishop of Nicomedia.MarginaliaNicepho. Lib. 5. cap. 25 Bab. Byshop of Nicomedia Martyr.

MarginaliaVincent. lib. 11. cap. 52. XL. Virgines Martyrs. In the forenamed Citie of Antioche, Vincentius, Lib. 11. speaketh of 40. virgines Martyrs, which suffered in this persecution of Decius.

MarginaliaPeter, of Phrigia Martyr. Andræas, Paulus, Nichomachus, Dionysia Virgine Martyrs. In the country of Phrigia, and in the toune of Lampsar, the same Vincentius also speaketh of one Peter, which there was apprehended, and suffered bitter tormentes for Christes name, vnder Optimus the Proconsul. And in Troada likewise of other Martyrs that there suffered, whose names were Andrew, Paule, Nicomachus, and Dionisia a virgin. Lib. 11 cap. 46.

MarginaliaMartyrs of Babilon. Also in Babylon (sayth he) diuers christian Confessours were found of Decius, which were led away into Spayne, there to be executed, Lib. eodem, cap. 43.

MarginaliaGermanus, Theophilus, Cæsarius, Vitalis, Polychronius, Nostor. > In the countrey of Cappadocea at the citie of Cesarea, in like maner of the sayde author is testified, of Germanus, Theophilus, Cesarius, and Vitalis, to suffer Martyrdom for Christ, eodē cap 52. And in þ^e same Booke mētion also is made of Polychronius Byshop of Babylon, cap. 89. And in Pamphilia of Nestor there Bishop, þ^t dyed Martyr, cap. 52.

MarginaliaOlympiades, Maximus, noble men. Anatolia virgine, Audax, Martyrs. At Perside in the Toune of Cardala, Olympiades and Maximus. In Tyrus also Anatolia Virgin, and Audax game theyr lyues likewyse to death, for the testimonie of Christes name.

Eusebius moreouer in his sixt booke, reciteth out of the Epistles of Dionysius Alexandrinus, diuers that suffred diuersly at Alexandria, the which places of Dionysius, as they be cited in Eusebius, I thought here good for the auncientnes of the author, to insert and notifie in his own wordes, and in our language, as he wrote them to Fabius bishop of Antioch, as followeth.MarginaliaEx Euseb. lib 6. cap. 40. 41. 42.

MarginaliaThe Epistle of Dionysius Byshop of Alexandria to Fabius. This persecution (saith he) began not with the proclamation set forth by the Emperor, but began a whole yeare before, by the occasion and meanes of a wicked person, a Southsayer, and a follower of wicked Artes: Who comming to our Citie here, stirred vp the multitude of þ^e Heathen agaynst vs,MarginaliaA commotion of the people of Alexandria agaynst the christians. and incited them to maintaine their own olde superstition and gentilitie of their countrey, whereby they beyng set a gog, and obtayning full power to prosecute their wicked purpose so thought & no lesse declared, all their pietie & religiō to consist only in the idolatrous worship of deuils, and in our destruction. And first flying vpon a certaine priest of ours named Metra,MarginaliaMetra, Martyr. apprehended him & brought him forth, to make him speake after theyr wicked blasphemy; which when he would not do, they layd vpon him with staues and clubs, and with sharp reedes pricked his face and eyes; and afterward bringing him out into the suburbes, there they stoned him to death. Then they tooke a faithfull womau called Quinta,MarginaliaQuinta a faithfull woeman and Martyr. and brought her to the temple of their Idols, to compell her to worship with them, Which whē she refused to do, and abhorred their Idoles, they bound her feete, and drew her through þ^e whole streete of the citie, vpon the hard stones, & so dashyng her against milstones, & scourging her with whippes brought her to the same place of the suburbes, as they did the other before, where she likewise ended her lyfe. This done, in a great outrage, & with a multitude running together, they brust into houses of the religious & godly christians, spoiling, sacking, and carying away all that they could finde of any price. The rest of things, such as were of lesse value & of wood, they brought into the open market, & set them on fire. MarginaliaPatience and ioy in affliction. The constancy of the Martyrs of Alexandria. In the meane time the brethren voyded aside, & withdrew themselues, taking patiently and no lesse ioyfully the spoyling of their goods, then did they of whome S. Paule doth testifie. Neither do I know any of them all (one only excepted) apprehended of them, which reuoltyng from his profession, denied the Lord yet to this present day.

MarginaliaApollonia a blessed virgine and Martyr. Among them rest that were taken, there was a certayne virgin wel striken in yeres, named Apollonia, whome they brought forth, & dashing out all her teeth out of her iawes, made a great fire before the citie, threatning to cast her into the same, vnlesse she would blaspheme with them and deny Christ. Whereat she staying a litle with her selfe, as one that would take a pause, sodenly leaped into the midst of the fire, and there was burned.