Christ our Savior, in the Gospel of St.
Matthew, hearing the confession of Simon Peter, who, first of
all other, openly acknowledged Him to be the Son of God, and perceiving
the secret hand of His Father therein, called him (alluding to
his name) a rock, upon which rock He would build His Church so
strong that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. In
which words three things are to be noted: First, that Christ will
have a Church in this world. Secondly, that the same Church should
mightily be impugned, not only by the world, but also by the uttermost
strength and powers of all hell. And, thirdly, that the same Church,
notwithstanding the uttermost of the devil and all his malice,
should continue.
Which prophecy of Christ we see wonderfully
to be verified, insomuch that the whole course of the Church to
this day may seem nothing else but a verifying of the said prophecy.
First, that Christ hath set up a Church, needeth no declaration.
Secondly, what force of princes, kings, monarchs, governors, and
rulers of this world, with their subjects, publicly and privately,
with all their strength and cunning, have bent themselves against
this Church! And, thirdly, how the said Church, all this notwithstanding,
hath yet endured and holden its own! What storms and tempests
it hath overpast, wondrous it is to behold: for the more evident
declaration whereof, I have addressed this present history, to
the end, first, that the wonderful works of God in His Church
might appear to His glory; also that, the continuance and proceedings
of the Church, from time to time, being set forth, more knowledge
and experience may redound thereby, to the profit of the reader
and edification of Christian faith.
As it is not our business to enlarge upon
our Savior’s history, either before or after His crucifixion,
we shall only find it necessary to remind our readers of the discomfiture
of the Jews by His subsequent resurrection. Although one apostle
had betrayed Him; although another had denied Him, under the solemn
sanction of an oath; and although the rest had forsaken Him, unless
we may except “the disciple who was known unto the high-priest”;
the history of His resurrection gave a new direction to all their
hearts, and, after the mission of the Holy Spirit, imparted new
confidence to their minds. The powers with which they were endued
emboldened them to proclaim His name, to the confusion of the
Jewish rulers, and the astonishment of Gentile proselytes.
St. Stephen suffered the next in order.
His death was occasioned by the faithful manner in which he preached
the Gospel to the betrayers and murderers of Christ. To such a
degree of madness were they excited, that they cast him out of
the city and stoned him to death. The time when he suffered is
generally supposed to have been at the Passover which succeeded
to that of our Lord’s crucifixion, and to the era of his
ascension, in the following spring.
Upon this a great persecution was raised
against all who professed their belief in Christ as the Messiah,
or as a prophet. We are immediately told by St. Luke, that “there
was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem;”
and that “they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions
of judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
About two thousand Christians, with Nicanor,
one of the seven deacons, suffered martyrdom during the “persecution
that arose about Stephen.”
The next martyr we meet with, according
to St. Luke, in the History of the Apostles’ Acts, was James
the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and a relative
of our Lord; for his mother Salome was cousin-german to the Virgin
Mary. It was not until ten years after the death of Stephen that
the second martyrdom took place; for no sooner had Herod Agrippa
been appointed governor of Judea, than, with a view to ingratiate
himself with them, he raised a sharp persecution against the Christians,
and determined to make an effectual blow, by striking at their
leaders. The account given us by an eminent primitive writer,
Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James
was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to
repent of his conduct by the apostle’s extraordinary courage
and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon,
professing himself a Christian, and resolving that James should
not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both
beheaded at the same time. Thus did the first apostolic martyr
cheerfully and resolutely receive that cup, which he had told
our Savior he was ready to drink. Timon and Parmenas suffered
martyrdom about the same time; the one at Philippi, and the other
in Macedonia. These events took place A. D. 44.
Philip was born at Bethsaida, in Galilee
and was first called by the name of “disciple.” He labored
diligently in Upper Asia, and suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis,
in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards
crucified, A. D. 54.
Matthew whose occupation was that of a toll-gatherer,
was born at Nazareth. He wrote his gospel in Hebrew, which was
afterwards translated into Greek by James the Less. The scene
of his labors was Parthia, and Ethiopia, in which latter country
he suffered martyrdom, being slain with a halberd in the city
of Nadabah, A.D. 60.
James the Less is supposed by some to have
been the brother of our Lord, by a former wife of Joseph. This
is very doubtful, and accords too much with the Catholic superstition,
that Mary never had any other children except our Savior. He was
elected to the oversight of the churches of Jerusalem; and was
the author of the Epistle ascribed to James in the sacred canon.
At the age of ninety-four he was beat and stoned by the Jews;
and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club.
Matthias of whom less is known than of most
of the other disciples, was elected to fill the vacant place of
Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.
Andrew was the brother of Peter. He preached
the gospel to many Asiatic nations; but on his arrival at Edessa
he was taken and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were
fixed transversely in the ground. Hence the derivation of the
term, St. Andrew’s Cross.
St. Mark was born of Jewish parents of the
tribe of Levi. He is supposed to have been converted to Christianity
by Peter, whom he served as an amanuensis, and under whose inspection
he wrote his Gospel in the Greek language. Mark was dragged to
pieces by the people of Alexandria, at the great solemnity of
Serapis their idol, ending his life under their merciless hands.
Peter among many other saints, the blessed
apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do
write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do
doubt thereof. Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against
Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they
entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter,
through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself
to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come
to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, “Lord, whither
dost Thou go?” To whom He answered and said, “I am come
again to be crucified.” By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering
to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he
was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself
so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified
after the same form and manner as the Lord was.
Paul, the apostle, who before was called
Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting
the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution
under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent
two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word
of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired
him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that
shortly after they should believe and be baptized at His sepulcher.
This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the
place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his
neck to the sword.
Jude, the brother of James, was commonly
called Thaddeus. He was crucified at Edessa, A. D. 72.
Bartholomew preached in several countries,
and having translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language
of India, he propagated it in that country. He was at length cruelly
beaten and then crucified by the impatient idolaters.
Thomas, called Didymus, preached the Gospel
in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests,
he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.
Luke, the evangelist, was the author of
the Gospel which goes under his name. He traveled with Paul through
various countries, and it supposed to have been hanged on an olive
tree, by the idolatrous priests of Greece.
Simon, surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel
in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, in which latter country
he was crucified, A. D. 74.
John, the “beloved disciple,”
was brother to James the Great. The churches of Smyrna, Pergamos,
Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, were founded by
him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome, where it
is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped
by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to
the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Nerva,
the successor of Domitian, recalled him. He was the only apostle
who escaped a violent death.
Barnabas was of Cyprus, but’ of Jewish
descent, his death is supposed to have taken place about A. D.
73.
And yet, notwithstanding all these continual persecutions and horrible punishments, the Church daily increased, deeply rooted in the doctrine of the apostles and of men apostolical, and watered plenteously with the blood of saints.
