Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

The seventh bloodsucker after beastly Nero, was Decius the Emperor, who proclaimed most horrible edicts against the faithful: in his time was S. Laurence a deacon of the Church, broiled upon a gridiron, and the renowned virgin Apollonia for her profession, did leap into the fire alive. Licinius Valerianus, was as cruel as the rest in executing the eighth persecution against the faithful professors of Christ and his Gospel. In that broil were slain many millions of Christians, and especially S. Cornelius and Cyprian, the most excellent doctors in all the world. Val. Aurelianus did rather purpose than put in execution the ninth persecution. For a thunder rushed before him to the great terror of them that were about him, and shortly after he was slain as he journeyed, and so his tyranny by his death was ended. But C. Aurel. Val. Diocletianus, Maximianus, Maxentius, and Marcus, Julius Licinius, being nothing terrified with this horrible example, did raise the tenth persecution against the church of Christ, which enduring by the space of ten whole years, brought to destruction an infinite number of Christians in every province and quarter of •he world. This broil doth Eusebius Cęsariensis, passingly paint to the eyes of the reader: for he himself was an eye witness and looker on, of many a bloody pageant and triumphant victory of the martyrs, which he rehearseth in the eight book of his Ecclesiastical history. In that slaughter ¹were killed the first Apostles of our Tigurine Church, both martyrs of Christ, and professors of his Gospel, S. Felix and his sister Regula.

The seuenth bloudsucker after beastly Nero, was Decius the Emperour, who proclaymed most horrible edictes against the faithfull: in his time was S. Laurence a deacon of the Church, broyled vpon a grateyron, and the renowmed virgin Apollonia for her profession, did leape into the fire aliue. Licinius Valerianus, was as cruell as the rest in executing the eighth persecution against the faithfull professours of Christ and his Gospel. In that broile were slaine many myllions of Christians, and especially S. Cornelius and Cyprian, the most excellent doctours in all the world. Val. Aurelianus did rather purpose than put in execution the ninth persecution. For a thunder rushed before him to ye great terrour of them that were about him, and shortly after he was slaine as hée iourneyed, and so his tyrannie by his death was ended. But C. Aurel. Val. Diocletianꝰ, Maximianus, Maxentius, and Marcus, Iulius Licinius, being nothing terrified with this horrible example, did raise the tenth persecution against the church of Christ, which enduring by the space of tenne whole yeares, brought to destruction an infinite number of Christians in euerie prouince and quarter of he world. This broile doth Eusebius Cęsariensis, passingly painte to the eyes of the reader: for hée himselfe was an eye witnesse and looker on, of many a bloudie pageant and triumphant victorie of the martyrs, which hee rehearseth in the eight booke of his Ecclesiastical historie. In that slaughter