Church of God, but not fo as to hinder its growth in grace; and it might be perhaps for this caufe, that God fuffered other perfecutions to fall to try who were his, that when they were tried as filver in the furnace of afflictions, they might come out pure and undefiled.

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The fourth Perfecution, under Marcus Antoninus Verus, began Anno 162.

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ATAN's malice was not yet to ceafe, being continued as a trial of Chriftian patience, for another cloud, big with deftruction, was driving to break and fall upon the Church; for Marcus Antoninus Verus, fon to the aforegoing Emperor, coming to the throne, being deftitutue of his father's goodness, though he ftudied philofophy, which should have taught him humanity, began another fierce perfecution against the Christians; fo that they fuffered moft cruel torments and punishments, both in Afia and Europe, and particularly in France, of which number was Polycarp, the venerable Bishop of Smyrna, who, in the height of this violent perfecution, amongst many other conftant profeffors of the faith, became a Martyr, as in due place fhall be declared; for before it came to the turn of this holy man, many fell by the rage of the perfecutors, whofe cruelty was fuch, that the spectators often trembled with horror and aftonishment: Some were fcourged till their veins and finews lay bare, the bowels of others fell out, fome again were made to pass with their already wounded feet over sharp fhells, thorns and nails, with their points upwards, and

in a word, they were forced to undergo all the torments and tortures their enemies could devife, as is teftified by an epiftle from the congregation of Smyrna, to the congregation at Philomilium, and other congregations.

Whilft these things were doing, Germanicus, an eminent Christian, was taken and led to the flames, where he behaved himself with that courage and conftancy of mind, that he converted by his words and pious exhortations many of the fpectators to the faith of Chrift; which fo incenfed the idolatrous Priefts, that they cried out presently to deftroy him, and feek out Polycarp, who hearing they were in quest of him, like blood lrounds, to fatiate themselves with his life, was nothing daunted at the news, but betook him to his prayers to Almighty God for the welfare of the Church, and after dreamed that his bed taking fire under him, confumed in a moment, which he told when he waked, and concluded from thence, that he fhould expire in the flames for the name of Jefus Chrift, as it after fell out; for his enemies immediately came to apprehend him, whereupon he fled to another village; but being pursued and discovered at laft by the means of a child, he was fatisfied it was God's will he should feal the doctrine, he had fo often preached, with his blood; fo that when he might have escaped again, he refused to lay hold on the opportunity, and fubmitted to the Divine Will, only faying, the will of God be done, to thofe that perfuaded him to it. He came down to his purfuers, who stood amazed at his comely age, gravity, and conftant countenance; and when he had feafted them well, he defired an hour's time to pray in private, which being allowed; he prayed with fuch fervency, that many of them

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were astonished at it, and repented they had been inftrumental in apprehending fo holy a man, with an intent to bring him to destruction: However, he was carried before the Pro-conful, to whom he gave fuch an account of his doctrine, as might have convinced all gainfayers, and turned their hearts, had they not been obftinately bent on his death; to which being doomed, he went joyfully into the market-place, where the Jews, and others, brought wood out of their shops to make the fire; and when he was bound to the stake, he prayed thus:

"O Father of thy bleffed and well-beloved fon Jefus Chrift, by whom we have attained the knowledge of thee, the God of Angels and "powers, and of every creature, and of all juft "inen that live before thee; I give thee thanks "that it has pleased thee to vouchfafe me this

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day, that I may have my part amongst the num"ber of thy Martyrs in the cup of Chrift, unto "the refurrection of eternal life, both of body and foul, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, among whom I fhall this day be received into thy fight for an acceptable facrifice; and as "thou haft prepared and revealed the fame be"fore this time, so thou haft accomplished it; "wherefore I praise thee, bless thee, and glorify "thee, by our everlasting Bishop, Jesus Christ, to "whom be glory ever more.

Amen."

When this good Bishop had finished his prayer, the tormentors proceeded to kindle the fire; and as the flames grew vehement, they gave way on each fide, meeting on the top arch-wife, whilft the holy Martyr remained in the midft, finging. praises to God, and as it were untouched by the fire, which kept, as it were, at an awful distance

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from him, and at the fame time fo perfuming a fragrancy spread in the air, as if myrrh or frankincenfe had been caft into the flames; fo that his enemies, perceiving his body could not be confumed by the fire, no more than the three childrens in the fiery furnace, they thruft him through the body with a fword, and then fuch abundance of blood iffued at the wound that it extinguished the flames, which ftruck the multitude with admiration and astonishment; and left the Chriftians, as they vainly fancied, should worship at the fepulchre of this Martyr, if he was buried, the Jews and Pagans perfuaded the Pro-conful to caufe the body to be burnt to ashes after he was dead, which fcarcely with mighty piles of wood could be effected.

This great and good man had been a Difciple to St. John, and miniftered to other Apostles, having had the care of the Church upon him from his younger years, which he discharged with fuch care, integrity, and faithfulness, that he left a lafting memorial of his worth behind him to all fucceeding ages. Soon after twelve others, his intimates, that came from Philadelphia, took up their crowns of martyrdoms, and followed him through the flames to the bright celestial manfions of everlasting peace, who had continued in the miniftry eighty-fix years.

It would be in a manner endless to take particular notice of all the pious men and women, that in this perfecuting reign fuffered martyrdom: The most memorable however were Carpus, Papylus, Agathonica, Felicitas, with her feven children, Januarius, Falix, Philippus, Silvanus, Alexander, Vitalis, Martialis, and Juftin. This laft difputing with Crefcens the Philofopher, and overcoming

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him in his argument with divine truth, the en vious Philofopher, out of revenge for his being non plused and baffled, contrived all the ways he could to bring him to deftruction, and never gave it over till he had effected it, as the holy Martyr himself had foreseen and foretold in the manner it happened, in the year of our Lord one hundred and fifty-four.

Neither piety, charity, or good works, adorned with beauty and innocence, could prevail with thefe men to defend Praxedis, the daughter of a Roman Citizen, from perfecution, who obferving the harmless and innocent way the Chriftians lived, did not only herself relieve them, but perfuaded her fifter Potentiana to do fo too, giving all her time to fafting and prayer, and the burying the bodies of the Martyrs, which were caft out naked into the streets and fields. Yet God at length delivered her from their cruelty that fought her life, and he died in peace in the defarts whither she had retired to lead a folitary life. Under this tyrant likewife Ptolemy and Lucius fuffered at Alexandria in Egypt, for owning and profeffing the name of Chrift: And when it was told Lucius he was to fuffer martyrdom, he thanked them heartily, that they were fo kind to deliver him from a wicked Governor, and fend him unto his good and loving Father; and to the fame effect fpake another that fuffered with him.

Under this Emperor the perfecution spread not only in Afia and Africa, but into the furtheft parts of Europe, fo that in Britain fome hundreds fuffered martyrdom, where the light of the Gospel juft began to dawn: And the inhabitants of the cities of Vienna in Germany, and Lyons in France, fent a large epiftle of their grievous fufferings to

the