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Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome <br>

Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome <br>

B<small>UT</small> Nero now having the government firmly established under him, and henceforth plunging into nefarious projects, began to take up arms against that very religion which acknowledges the one Supreme God. To describe, indeed, the greatness of this man's wickedness, is not compatible with our present object ; and as there are many that have given his history in the most accurate narratives, every one may, at his pleasure, in these contemplate the grossness of his extraordinary madness. Under the influence of this, he did not proceed to destroy so many thousands with any calculation, but with such indiscriminate murder as not even to refrain from his nearest and dearest friends. His own mother and wife, with many others that were his near relatives, he killed like strangers and enemies, with various kinds of deaths. And, indeed, in addition to all his other crimes, this too was yet wanting to complete the catalogue, that he was the first of the emperors that displayed himself an enemy of piety towards the Deity. This fact is recorded by the Roman Tertullian, in language like the following ''':''' “ Examine your records. There you will find that Nero was the first that persecuted this doctrine, particularly then when, after subduing all the East, he exercised his cruelty against all at Rome. Such is the man of whom we boast, as the leader in our punishment. For he that knows who he was, may know also that there could scarcely be any thing but what was great and good, condemned by Nero.” Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on in his fury to slaughter the apostles. Paul is therefore said to have been beheaded at Rome, and '''Peter''' to have been crucified under him. And this account is confirmed by the fact, that the names of '''Peter''' and Paul still remain in the cemeteries of that city even to this day. But likewise, a certain ¹ <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ¹ Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (pp. 68-69)— <br> " ¹ <small>The term “ ecclesiastical ” is used in three senses. Sometimes it is taken for a Christian, and opposed to a heathen, or Gentile. So [[Jerome]] in his preface to his book, De Scriptor. Ecclesias. Sometimes it denotes a catholic, and is opposed to a heretic. So Jerome also, in his preface to St. Matthew, and on chap. xiii. Ezekiel. So [[Origen]] also, tome 6, Explanat. on St. John's Gospel. Lastly, sometimes it signifies a [[clergy]]man, and is opposed to a laic, or [[secular]] person. So Jerome again, in his Epistle to Pammachius, and in his 46th Epist. to Rusticus. I would rather take this word in the second sense here, both because that signification of this word is more frequent, and also in regard Eusebius, speaking here of Gaius's book against Proclus, fives each of them his proper epithet ; he styles Caius “ an ecclesiastical man,” and Proclus he calls “ the defender of the opinion of the [[Anabaptists|Cataphrygians]],” i. e. a [[Heresy|heretic]]. The [[sect]] of the Cataphrygians was divided into two parts ; the ringleader of the one party was Proclus ; of the other, Æschynes. So Tertullian, in his book De Prescript. Hæret.  Vales.</small></ref> ecclesiastical writer, Caius by name, who was born about the time of [[Pope Zephyrinus|Zephrynus, bishop of Rome]], disputing with Proclus, the leader of the Phrygian sect, gives the following statement respecting the places where the earthly tabernacles of the aforesaid apostles are laid. “ But I can show,” says he, “ the trophies of the apostles. For if you will go to the ² <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ² Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (p. 69)— <br> " ² <small>'''Peter''' was buried in the [[Vatican]] ; Paul in the Via Ostia. Vales. </small></ref> [[Vatican]], or to the Ostian road, you will find the trophies of those who have laid the foundation of this church. And that both suffered [[martyr]]dom about the same time, Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, bears the following testimony, in his discourse addressed to the Romans. ‘ Thus, likewise, you, by means of this admonition, have mingled the flourishing seed that had been planted by '''Peter''' and Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of these having planted us at [[Corinth]], likewise instructed us ; and having in like manner taught in [[Italy]], they suffered martyrdom ³ <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ³ Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (p. 69)— <br> " ³ <small>Dionysius does not expressly say that '''Peter''' and Paul suffered on the same day, but only at the same time; which may be so understood, as that there might be an interval of many days between their sufferings. Prudentius [''περί στεφάνων'') says they were both martyred on the same day, but not in the same year ; and that there was a year's space between their deaths. With Prudentius agrees [[Saint Augustine|Augustine]], in his 28th Sermon, De Sancta ; and Arator, lib. ii. Hist. Apost. But Simon Metaphrastes takes these words of Dionysius wo, as if he said that '''Peter''' and Paul were martyred on the same day together. His words are to be found in Comment. de Peregrinat. Pauli ac Petri, apud Surium, tome iii. Vales. </small></ref>about the same time.’ ” This testimony I have superadded, in order that the truth of the history might be still more confirmed. <br>  

B<small>UT</small> Nero now having the government firmly established under him, and henceforth plunging into nefarious projects, began to take up arms against that very religion which acknowledges the one Supreme God. To describe, indeed, the greatness of this man's wickedness, is not compatible with our present object ; and as there are many that have given his history in the most accurate narratives, every one may, at his pleasure, in these contemplate the grossness of his extraordinary madness. Under the influence of this, he did not proceed to destroy so many thousands with any calculation, but with such indiscriminate murder as not even to refrain from his nearest and dearest friends. His own mother and wife, with many others that were his near relatives, he killed like strangers and enemies, with various kinds of deaths. And, indeed, in addition to all his other crimes, this too was yet wanting to complete the catalogue, that he was the first of the emperors that displayed himself an enemy of piety towards the Deity. This fact is recorded by the Roman Tertullian, in language like the following ''':''' “ Examine your records. There you will find that Nero was the first that persecuted this doctrine, particularly then when, after subduing all the East, he exercised his cruelty against all at Rome. Such is the man of whom we boast, as the leader in our punishment. For he that knows who he was, may know also that there could scarcely be any thing but what was great and good, condemned by Nero.” Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on in his fury to slaughter the apostles. Paul is therefore said to have been beheaded at Rome, and '''Peter''' to have been crucified under him. And this account is confirmed by the fact, that the names of '''Peter''' and Paul still remain in the cemeteries of that city even to this day. But likewise, a certain ¹ <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ¹ Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (pp. 68-69)— <br> " ¹ <small>The term “ ecclesiastical ” is used in three senses. Sometimes it is taken for a Christian, and opposed to a heathen, or Gentile. So [[Jerome]] in his preface to his book, De Scriptor. Ecclesias. Sometimes it denotes a catholic, and is opposed to a heretic. So Jerome also, in his preface to St. Matthew, and on chap. xiii. Ezekiel. So [[Origen]] also, tome 6, Explanat. on St. John's Gospel. Lastly, sometimes it signifies a [[clergy]]man, and is opposed to a laic, or [[secular]] person. So Jerome again, in his Epistle to Pammachius, and in his 46th Epist. to Rusticus. I would rather take this word in the second sense here, both because that signification of this word is more frequent, and also in regard Eusebius, speaking here of Gaius's book against Proclus, fives each of them his proper epithet ; he styles Caius “ an ecclesiastical man,” and Proclus he calls “ the defender of the opinion of the [[Anabaptists|Cataphrygians]],” i. e. a [[Heresy|heretic]]. The [[sect]] of the Cataphrygians was divided into two parts ; the ringleader of the one party was Proclus ; of the other, Æschynes. So Tertullian, in his book De Prescript. Hæret.  Vales.</small></ref> ecclesiastical writer, Caius by name, who was born about the time of [[Pope Zephyrinus|Zephrynus, bishop of Rome]], disputing with Proclus, the leader of the Phrygian sect, gives the following statement respecting the places where the earthly tabernacles of the aforesaid apostles are laid. “ But I can show,” says he, “ the trophies of the apostles. For if you will go to the ² <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ² Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (p. 69)— <br> " ² <small>'''Peter''' was buried in the [[Vatican]] ; Paul in the Via Ostia. Vales. </small></ref> [[Vatican]], or to the Ostian road, you will find the trophies of those who have laid the foundation of this church. And that both suffered [[martyr]]dom about the same time, Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, bears the following testimony, in his discourse addressed to the Romans. ‘ Thus, likewise, you, by means of this admonition, have mingled the flourishing seed that had been planted by '''Peter''' and Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both of these having planted us at [[Corinth]], likewise instructed us ; and having in like manner taught in [[Italy]], they suffered martyrdom ³ <ref>Crusé, Valesius, ''footnote'' ³ Book II, Chapter XXV The Persecution Under Nero, in Which Paul and Peter Were Honoured with Martyrdom in the Cause of Religion at Rome (p. 69)— <br> " ³ <small>Dionysius does not expressly say that '''Peter''' and Paul suffered on the same day, but only at the same time; which may be so understood, as that there might be an interval of many days between their sufferings. Prudentius [''περί στεφάνων'') says they were both martyred on the same day, but not in the same year ; and that there was a year's space between their deaths. With Prudentius agrees [[Saint Augustine|Augustine]], in his 28th Sermon, De Sancta ; and Arator, lib. ii. Hist. Apost. But Simon Metaphrastes takes these words of Dionysius wo, as if he said that '''Peter''' and Paul were martyred on the same day together. His words are to be found in Comment. de Peregrinat. Pauli ac Petri, apud Surium, tome iii. Vales. </small></ref> about the same time.’ ” This testimony I have superadded, in order that the truth of the history might be still more confirmed. <br>  

Book III, Chapter III Of the Epistles of the Apostles (pp. 71-72) <br>

Book III, Chapter III Of the Epistles of the Apostles (pp. 71-72) <br>