A Metrical History of Christianity

Now in the nasty ------ Glory
The Glorious ------ of Heaven ------
In our Blessd King of Grace ------
A Sacrifice for Sin, a Price for those
That he Redeems, and shall to glory come
And for himself and Cause his Martyredome.

He having Pitcht and raist the Standard up
The thirty fift yeare fills this golden Cup
Handed down first by Jews, Jerusalem
To Deacon Stephen martyred first by them
Who mightily assisted by Christ['s] Spirit
Did them Confound hence must as Heir inherit
This Crown of Glory first: Hence on him fall
A Shoure of Stones they Cast at him to mall
His Brains out in a rage. Who as he dide
Begd Pardon for them: nay and testifide
He saw the Heaven open wide to stand
And Christ in Glory sit at Gods right hand,
And on that day another Deacon namde
Nicanor martyredom for Christ sustaind
And (as Dorotheus saith) two thousand more
Went off this stage then on the selfe same soore.

About the forty sixt yeare Christ out thrust
The golden Cup that James th'Apostle must
Drink of as he had promisde him before
He should drinke of. He drinks it up therefore
He's martyride now by Herods Sword Who when
He was Condemn'd, the man that led him then
Unto his bloody judge beholding all
Professt himself a Christian, Hence did fall
Under that Sentence, as its said, and so
Cravde Pardon now of James as he did go
To execution with him. Wherefore hee
After a pause upon't, Peace be to thee
Brother, said James and kisst him so in Love
They fell by Herods Sword: and went above.

Simon another of the Deacon lay
Burnt was at Bostrum in Arabia
Parmenas too another of them still
They on this Quarrell too his blood did spill
Th'Apostle Thomas after he had Taught
Medes, Persians, Parthians, Germans and had brought
Christ to the Bactrian Hircaconians and
The Magians till his grace they understand
The Wicked Jews did in Judea kill
At Calamina with a dart (oh! skill)
The Jews stone and behead Mathias, nay
Some say he died in Ethiopia

------ the Crown
------ glory ---nown
------ sparkling Pearles the head
Of James the Just Who with Celestiall Bread
Did Feed and Govern well Christs Holy Flock
In thee Jerusalem sacred: now they knock
Him headlong down off from the Temples roofe
And brain him with a Fullers Club for th'truth
And for this Fact Josephus thought Gods ire
Destroyd the City by the Roman fire.

The Jews thus driving Christ out of their Coast
Do strive and with their malice ferment most
Against him ery where and blow the fire
In other Quarters t'make this Cause expire.

Simon Zelotes having Preacht Christ name
In Affrica, also in Mauritaine
And Britane too was took and Crucifide
Thus wining of a Martyres Crown he dide.

Judas the brother too of James was slain
At Berito when he had spread Christs fame.

Matthew the Gospell wrote with Hebrew Tongue
And did it preach the Ethiops among,
Was slain amongst them by the Kings Command
Run through there with a Sword. Oh! wicked hand.

Bartholomew the Indians did respect
Preacht Christ to them, and in their Dialect
Turnd Mathews Gospell. In Armenia
Was beaten sore with Cudgells: and they say
Was Crucifide and fleyde alive, and then
Beheaded too. Oh! monstrous wicked men.

They of Hierapolis in Phrygia
Th'Apostle Philip who did Christ display
To Barbarous nations Crucifide, and stond
To death, and there lie his and Daughters bones.

Andrew th'Apostle preaching Christ unto
The Scythians, Sogdians, Saxons, and also
In Angust was by Egeas Crucifide
At Patris in Achaia. So he dide.

Antipas martyrde was at Pergamus
Where he as Christ declared hath to us
A holy martyre was. But how none shew.
Some think that Esculapi's gang him slew.

Nero that bloody man begins his reign
Who doth with martyres blood his life bestain.
Those persecution enter now wherein
(Jerom to Heliodor doth write the thing)
No day but January Calends in the year
More than five thousands martyres martyrde were.

This monster Nero having took offence
At Simon Peter, whom he saw dispense

Christs ------
Of Simon Magus and his ------ ery
Made Nero's Lifeguard, who when tha--- would
Not raise up Nero's Kinsman dead; behold
He raised was by Peter in Christs name
Hence Simons Deity attracting shame
He from the capitoll in open Sight
Betook himselfe unto his wings, and flight.
But Peters Prayers against his Witcheries
Him with a vengeance brought down from the Skies
That by the fall he brake his legs and dide.
Hence Peter is by Nero Crucifide,
And with his head down as unworthy so
To be as Christ. His wife was then also
About the Seventi'th yeare and now at Rome
Paul is beheaded too; at Nero's doom.

And by this Lions jaws were others Crusht
As Veticine, Vitalis Process just
Martinian, Gervas, Peotasius
Nazar, Porpetas Felix Torquatus
Celsus, Cecilius Euphrasius
Estius, Apuleius, and Marcellus
And Constance with these Virgins, Erasina
And Thecla too of whom strange things they tell.
And more than sum'd can be by Nero fell.

The second Persecuting Rage began
Domitian vile, a bloody monstrous man
Who would be deifide and worshipt would
His Image in the Capitoll of Gold
And Silver, slew all Judah's males for feare
Lest Davids Kingdom promisd up appeare
His Cruell rage against Christ sheep did smite
Down Dionass the Areopagite
In th'ninety sixt yeare. And about this time
At Ephesus they took first John th'Divine
And cast him in a Tun of boiling Oyle
Who coming thence without all harm did foile
Their skill of torture. Then to banishment
He into Patmos desert isle is sent.
And there the Revelations doth Receive
Which Christ by him doth with his Churches leave.
Nereus and Achilles now obtaind
A Crown of Martyredome for truth mentain'd

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