Foxs Book of Martyrs | Page 7

with a spear.
XIV. Luke,
The evangelist, was the author of the gospel which goes under his name.
He travelled with Paul through various countries, and is supposed to
have been hanged on an olive tree, by the idolatrous priests of Greece.
XV. Simon,
Surnamed Zelotes, preached the gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even
in Britain, which latter country he was crucified, A. D. 74.

XVI. John,
The "beloved disciple," was brother to James the Great. The churches
of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira,
were founded by him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to
Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil.
He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished
him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation.
Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him. He was the only
apostle who escaped a violent death.
XVII. Barnabas,
Was of Cyprus, but of Jewish descent, his death is supposed to have
taken place about A. D. 73.
CHAPTER II.
THE TEN PRIMITIVE PERSECUTIONS.
The First Persecution under Nero, A. D. 67.
The first persecution of the church took place in the year 67, under
Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space
of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the
greatest extravagancy of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities.
Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should
be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and
servants. While the imperial city was in flames, he went up to the tower
of Macænas, played upon his harp, sung the song of the burning of
Troy, and openly declared, "That he wished the ruin of all things before
his death." Besides the noble pile, called the circus, many other palaces
and houses were consumed; several thousands perished in the flames,
were smothered in the smoke, or buried beneath the ruins.
This dreadful conflagration continued nine days; when Nero, finding
that his conduct was greatly blamed, and a severe odium cast upon him,
determined to lay the whole upon the christians, at once to excuse

himself, and have an opportunity of glutting his sight with new
cruelties. This was the occasion of the first persecution; and the
barbarities exercised on the christians were such as even excited the
commisseration of the Romans themselves. Nero even refined upon
cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the christians that
the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some
sewed up in the skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs till they
expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to
axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them.
This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman empire; but
it rather increased than diminished the spirit of christianity. In the
course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred.
To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth;
Aristarchus, the Macedonian; and Trophimus, an Ephesian, converted
by St. Paul, and fellow-labourer with him; Joseph, commonly called
Barsabas; and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the seventy.
The Second Persecution, under Domitian, A. D. 81.
The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew
his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the
christians. In his rage he put to death some of the Roman senators,
some through malice; and others to confiscate their estates. He then
commanded all the lineage of David to be put to death.
Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was
Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who
was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the
daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise banished to Pontus; and a
law was made, "That no christian, once brought before the tribunal,
should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion."
A variety of fabricated tales were, during this reign, composed in order
to injure the christians. Such was the infatuation of the pagans, that, if
famine, pestilence, or earthquakes afflicted any of the Roman provinces,
it was laid upon the christians. These persecutions among the christians
increased the number of informers and many, for the sake of gain,

swore away the lives of the innocent.
Another hardship was, that, when any christians were brought before
the magistrates, a test oath was proposed, when, if they refused to take
it, death was pronounced against them; and if they confessed
themselves christians, the sentence was the same.
The following were the most remarkable among the numerous martyrs
who suffered during this persecution.
Dionysius, the Areopagite, was an Athenian by birth, and educated in
all the useful and