Pneumatou diakonia, or, Gospel-churches a standing ordinance of Jesus Christ to continue to his…

17.5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Preaching at Barea, the Jews from Thessalonica come thither also, and stir up the People against them, v. 13. At Corinth, the Jews, with one accord, make insurrection against Paul, bring him to the Judgment-Seat, Act. 18.12. At Ephesus, by Demetrius a great tumult is raised also, v. 24. to 35. At Jerusalem, the Jews which are of Asia, stir up the People against him, and lay hands on him, Chap. 21.27. who would have killed him immediately, ver. 31. Of his afflictions in Asia, Paul himself speaks, 2 Cor. 1.8. in Judea, Heb. 10.32, 33, 34. About the Seventeenth Year of Nero (that Monster) A.D. 63. James the Brother of our Lord (with others) is slain, Euseb. l. 2. c. 23. Josephus, l. 20. Antiq. c. 8. At Alexandria, Mark the Evangelist (it's said). was put to death. This Nero Fires the City of Rome, lays it upon the Christians; and from hence takes occasion, by public Edict, to raise persecution against them; He was the first of the Emperors that did so, Tertull. in Apologet. which continued to the end of his Reign: Peter, and Paul (it's said) were slain by him; with others innumerable. How the hand of the Lord wrought him, is known; condemned he was by the Senate, to be punished More majorum, i. e. to be whipped to death; to prevent which, he slew himself with this exprobration of his own sordid villainy, Turpiter vixi, turpius morior; I have lived filthily, I die more dishonourably, Sueton. in Nero. Domitian about A.D. 97. by his Edicts, raises another dreadful persecution against the Christians: Banishes John into the Isle of ⟨image 4⟩Patmos, Euseb. l.3. c. 18.19. Eutropius, l.9. Timothy, Onesimus, and Dionysius the Areopagite were put to death, Niceph. l.3. c. 11. with an innumerable company of the faithful beside: The Wrath of God pursues him, and he is murdered in his own house by his own Servants, Sueton. in Domit. Under Trajan, a great persecution was raised against the Lamb's followers, about A.D. 100. Multitudes of them are destroyed; some mentioned by name, viz. Simeon the Son of Cleophas; Clemens, Alexander, Quirinus, and his Daughter Balbilia, Sulpitius, and Servilianus, Nereus, and Achilleus, Phocas, a Bishop in Pontus, Ignatius. This Storm continued fourteen Years. In fine, by a resolution of his joints, nummedness of body, and a choking Water, Trajan miserably perished, Dion. Cassius de Traj. Under Hadrian, about A.D. 120.