the brethren in Afia and Phrygia, fetting out at large the manner of torments ufed against them, and their own conftancy and faithfulness in fuffering the worst of evils for the fake of Chrift, and their holy profeffion; defiring to confirm and ftrengthen others by their examples, both men and women, young and old, recommending to all Christian meeknefs, modefty, and conftancy of fuch Martyrs as had fuffered in France, &c. for the fake of Christ.

When the people of God had thus long fuffered perfecution, in the moft grievous manner, and no likelihood, according to human apprehenfion, of stopping the stream of Christian blood, the cries, tears, and prayers of the fufferers came into remembrance with the Almighty, fo that compaffionating them, after a trial of their faith and patience, when they leaft expected it, the fury of the execution ceased; a brief account of the vifible caufe and manner of which take from, Eufebius, as follows:

When the northern nations were up in arms, the Emperor, to quell them, raised a huge army; but his enemies, the Quadi, Sarmates, Vandals, and Germans, when he was far advanced against them, inclofed the Emperor, and fhut him up with his whole army, infomuch that he was driven into great ftreights and diftrefs; his whole camp, befides the other difficulties it had to ftruggle with, wanting water for the fpace of five days, infomuch that the foldiers almost perished with thirst, cried out and complained they were brought thither on purpose to perifh, which made the Emperor almoft at his wit's end, as fearing they would defert, and himself be loft in the enterprise; when bethinking him he had a legion of Chriftians

in his army, and calling to mind what things he had heard, and what wonders the God of the Christians had wrought, he commanded them to call upon their God for fuccour in this time of need; whereupon they drew out by themselves, and proftrating themfelves, prayed to God to fend rain, which immediately fell in fuch abundance, that all the dykes and trenches were filled with water; and this was accompanied with fuch prodigious volleys of thunder and flashes of light'ning, which flashed in their enemies faces fo continually that it disheartened them, and abated their courage and ftrength, infomuch that the Romans, charging them at this difadvantage, eafily overcame and destroyed them, recovering all the revolted cities and towns; fo that ever after, that legion of Chriftians was called, The Thundering Legion; and of this the Emperor fent a large account to the Senate of Rome, in a long epiftle, in which, after he had declared the ftreight he was in, and the danger that threatened the lofs of himself and the whole army, he speaks favourably of the Chriftians, and among others, has thefe expreffions, viz.

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"When I faw myself not able to encounter with the enemies, I craved aid of our country gods; but at their hands finding no relief, and being cooped up by the enemy, I caufed those men, which we call Chriftians, to be fent for, who being muftered, I found a confiderable number of them, against whom I was more incenfed than I had juft caufe, as I found afterwards; "for by a marvellous power they forthwith used their endeavour, not with amunition, drums, and trumpets, abhorring fuch preparations and furniture, but only praying unto, and trusting

in their God, whom they carry about with them in their confciences. It is therefore to be believ"ed, although we call them wicked men, that they worship God in their hearts, for they falling proftrate on the ground, prayed, not only " for me, but for the army alfo which was with "me, beseeching God to help us in that our ex"tream want of victuals and fresh water, (for we "had been five days without water, and in our "enemies land, even in the midst of Germany) Į "fay, falling upon their faces, they prayed to a "God, unknown of me, and immediately there66 upon fell from Heaven a most pleasant and cold shower, but amongst our enemies great store of “hail, mixed with thunder and light'ning; so that we foon perceived the invincible aid of the "moft mighty God to be with us: Therefore we give thefe men leave to profefs Christianity, left by their prayers we be punished with the ❝ like, and thereby make myself the author of "all the evil that fhall accrue by the perfecution of the Chriftian Religion, &c. "

And thus by this miracle wrought, God stayed the fierceness of this perfecution; yet did it not fo altogether ceafe, but that much hurt was done to the Christians, by malicious and self-ended men, and the Emperor fometimes forgetting his promife, and the mercy received, hardening his heart, like Pharaoh, gave way to the deftruction of many, who fuffered martyrdom for the teftimony of a good confcience. But when he had reigned nineteen years he was cut off from the land of the living, and being fucceeded by Commodus, the Church had reft, and the Chriftian Religion' was established in Britain by King Lucius, the first Christiaṇ King that history makes mention of in the world.

This King, being deftitute of able guides for the Church he established, because they had been fwept away by the aforegoing perfecution, fent to Eleutherius, then Bishop of Rome, to receive further inftructions from him, as to the fettling the Christian religion, in his kingdom; who fent Fugatius and Damianus with a letter of direction in thefe words, which I fhall recite here, to shew how those Bishops of Rome differed from thofe that have fucceeded them, who now Lord it over Kings and Emperors, and claim an univerfal fupremacy, viz.

"You have received in the kingdom of Britain, by God's mercy, both the law and faith of Chrift; ye have both the Old and New Tefta"ment; out of the fame, through God's grace, by the advice of your realm, take a law, and by "the fame, through God's permiffion, rule your kingdom, for in it you are God's Vicar."

Upon the receipt of these inftructions, King Lucius altered the three Arch Flamens, and twentyeight other fubordinate Flamens, into fo many Arch-Bishopricks and Bishopricks. The ArchBishopricks, were London, York, and Gloucester; upon which the Idol Temples were destroyed, and privileges and means were granted for honouring of facred places, which were then erected ; but after the death of Commodus, who began his reign in the

year of our Lord, 182, and reigned thirteen. years, and also the reign of Helvetius Pertinax, who reigned not above eight months, and Didius Julianus, the 20th Emperor of Rome, who reigned but two months, fucceeded Septimius Severus, who, began and carried on the fifth perfecution in manner as hereafter.

The?

The fifth Perfecution against the Chriftians, under Septimius Severus the Emperor of Rome, Anno 195.

THE

HE beginning of this Emperor's reign was tolerably mild, and continued fo for the space of ten years, infomuch that the Chriftians having. enjoyed a long and uninterrupted tranquillity, began to conclude, that all the bloody ftorms of perfecution were blown over; but their hopes failed them, for Satan had not spent his rage To much, but that there remained many more behind to exercise their patience, and try their faith and contancy, to the end that when they were tried they might receive the bleffed reward promised to all the faithful in Chrift Jefus..

Anno 205, the peace of the church was again difturbed, through the finifter fuggeftions and malicious accufations of wicked men, who gaped after the eftates of the Chriftians, and who fo highly incenfed the Emperor against them, that he put forth his edict, commanding, that no Chriftian fhould be any more fuffered to make profeffion of his faith: whereupon great perfecutions arose every where against them. The chief accufations, though, altogether falfe and groundlefs, were, that they laboured to raife tumults and rebellion in the Empire: that they were a facrilegious fort of people, and used at their meetings to murder people, and make ufe of their limbs in their charms; that they eat raw flesh, and lived incestuously together: And indeed there was a certain fect, called Gnofticks, that were fhrewdly fufpected to be guilty of fome of thefe objected crimes; but the orthodox Chriftians disowned them as lewd and unchafte. They

were