It is a most heart-breaking meditation to consider the ragings, madness and fury of the Heathens against the Christians in those times. Jerome in an Epistle to Cromatius, says, that there was no day in a whole year, unto which the number of five thousand Martyrs cannot be ascribed, except only the first day of January. Vincentius reports, that at Aquileia, the Emperor gave leave to every man that would, to kill the Christians; All the policy, wit, strength of ⟨p. 20⟩invention, of men and devils, were exercised and stretched out to the utmost, for devising the most miserable torments, and exquisite tortures; as plates of Iron burning hot, laid upon their naked flesh; pincers red hot, pulling off the flesh from the bones; bodkins, pricking and thrusting all over their bodies: casting into lime kilns, and into cauldrons of scalding lead: whippings until almost all the flesh was torn off their bodies, and their bones and bowels appeared, and then laid flat upon sharp shells and knives: their skins were flayed off alive, and then their raw flesh was rubbed with salt and vinegar: their bodies were beaten all over with clubs, until their bones and joints were beat asunder: they were laid upon gridirons, roasted, and basted with salt and vinegar: one member was pulled from another; by fastening them to the boughs of trees, they rent their bodies apieces: they were tossed upon the horns of Bulls, with their bowels hanging out; they were cast among dogs to be devoured; they were put under the Ice naked into Rivers; they were tortured on the rack, on the wheel, and on the gibbet, with flaming fire under them: they made it their sports, to see them devoured by wild beasts; and in the night, in stead of torches, they burnt the bodies of the Saints, to give them light for their pastimes.
It is a most heart-breaking meditation to consider the ragings, madness and fury of the Heathens against the Christians in those times. Ierome in an Epistle to Cromatius, says, that there was no day in a whole year, unto which the number of five thousand Martyrs cannot be ascribed, except onely the first day of Ianuary. Vincentius reports, that at Aquileia, the Emperor gave leave to every man that would, to kill the Christians; All the policy, wit, strength of ⟨p. 20⟩invention, of men and devils, were exercised and stretched out to the utmost, for devising the most miserable torments, and exquisite tortures; as plates of Iron burning hot, laid upon their naked flesh; pinsers red hot, pulling off the flesh from the bones; bodkins, pricking and thrusting all over their bodies: casting into lime kilns, and into caldrons of scalding lead: whippings until almost all the flesh was torn off their bodies, and their bones and bowels appeared, and then laid flat upon sharp shels and knives: their skins were flead off alive, and then their raw flesh was rubbed with salt and vineger: their bodies were beaten all over with clubs, until their bones and joynts were beat asunder: they were laid upon gridirons, rosted, and basted with salt and vineger: one member was pulled from another; by fastening them to the boughs of trees, they rent their bodies apieces: they were tossed upon the horns of Bulls, with their bowels hanging out; they were cast among dogs to be devoured; they were put under the Ice naked into Rivers; they were tortured on the rack, on the wheel, and on the gibbet, with flaming fire under them: they made it their sports, to see them devoured by wilde beasts; and in the night, in stead of torches, they burnt the bodies of the Saints, to give them light for their pastimes.
