Brachy-Martyrologia Or, A Brewery of all the greatest Persecutions Which have befallen the Saints and People of God From the Creation to our present Times: Paraphras'd, By Nicholas Billingsly |
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SECT. XVI. The Churches Persecution under Julian the Apostata, Anno Christi 365.
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 | Brachy-Martyrologia |  |
SECT. XVI. The Churches Persecution under Julian the Apostata, Anno Christi 365.
No sooner was Constantius deceas'd,
Julian his nephew, of the West and East
Is made sole Emperour: he from his youth
Was well instructed in religion's truth:
His good behaviour and ingenious parts,
Made him a Load-stone to attract all hearts.
In brief, he had (what's difficult to finde)
The rare endowments of a vertuous minde.
But he Apostatiz'd: Satan his tutor,
Learn'd him to be the Churches persecutor:
He op'd the Idol-Fanes, lock'd up before;
And when the Christian faith grew more and more
By torments, he was pityful and mild,
And by his gifts and flatteries beguil'd
The weaker sort, who avarous of gain,
VVere drawn aside: he also did ordain,
That none professing Christianitie,
Master of any Art should dare to be,
Or any Officer: he did suborn
Jesters, to load them with contempt and scorn:
Himself put none to death; yet did the crew
Of Heathenish Idolaters imbrew
Their hands in Christian gore, brain'd them with stones,
And tore the flesh from off their naked bones;
Drench'd some in scalding water; some were stripp'd
Stark naked; others had their bellies rip'd
And stuff'd with barly, for the greedy swine
To champ upon; while some with famine pine.
Some smear'd with honey up against the Sun,
In baskets hung, for VVasps to feed upon.
The children neither spar'd father nor mother,
Nor parents child'ren; no nor brother brother.
The flesh-deprived bones of some were mix'd
VVith asses bones: here hangs on crucifix'd,
And there's one drag'd about the streets; a third
Is taken captive like a twiglim'd bird.
Julian his nephew, of the West and East
Is made sole Emperour: he from his youth
Was well instructed in religion's truth:
His good behaviour and ingenious parts,
Made him a Load-stone to attract all hearts.
In brief, he had (what's difficult to finde)
The rare endowments of a vertuous minde.
But he Apostatiz'd: Satan his tutor,
Learn'd him to be the Churches persecutor:
He op'd the Idol-Fanes, lock'd up before;
And when the Christian faith grew more and more
By torments, he was pityful and mild,
And by his gifts and flatteries beguil'd
The weaker sort, who avarous of gain,
VVere drawn aside: he also did ordain,
That none professing Christianitie,
Master of any Art should dare to be,
Or any Officer: he did suborn
Jesters, to load them with contempt and scorn:
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Of Heathenish Idolaters imbrew
Their hands in Christian gore, brain'd them with stones,
And tore the flesh from off their naked bones;
Drench'd some in scalding water; some were stripp'd
Stark naked; others had their bellies rip'd
And stuff'd with barly, for the greedy swine
To champ upon; while some with famine pine.
Some smear'd with honey up against the Sun,
In baskets hung, for VVasps to feed upon.
The children neither spar'd father nor mother,
Nor parents child'ren; no nor brother brother.
The flesh-deprived bones of some were mix'd
VVith asses bones: here hangs on crucifix'd,
And there's one drag'd about the streets; a third
Is taken captive like a twiglim'd bird.
VVhen Julian sacrific'd to Fortune, one
Maris, Bishop of blind-ey'd Chaleedon,
Sharply rebuk'd him, call'd him impious man,
Apostate, Atheist: to whom Julian
Retorts, Blind fool, thy God of Galilee
VVill not restore thy fight, and make thee see.
Maris reply'd, I am not so unkinde,
As not to thank my God which made me blinde.
Lest that mine eyes, (turn'd from a better fight.)
Upon thy so ungracious face should light.
Cyrillus, Deacon in Hicrapolis,
Demolished the Gentiles Images;
He's took, his belly's rip'd, his liver drawn
Out of his body, with their teeth is gnawn.
A little tract of time b'ing wheel'd about,
Their tongues were rotted, and their teeth fell out
Of their loose sockets; their blind eyes no more
Beheld the objects they beheld before.
While of Apollo's Delphick Oracle
Julian enquir'd, a flash of lightning fell
From the collided clouds, which overturn'd
The Temple, and Apollo's Image burn'd.
The Christians made complaint to Julian, that
The fines were more then they were sessed at:
He scoff'd them thus; You ought to undergo
All wrongs: does not your God command you so?
Ath'nasius said, This persecution
Is but a little cloud, 'twill soon be gon.
Maris, Bishop of blind-ey'd Chaleedon,
Sharply rebuk'd him, call'd him impious man,
Apostate, Atheist: to whom Julian
Retorts, Blind fool, thy God of Galilee
VVill not restore thy fight, and make thee see.
Maris reply'd, I am not so unkinde,
As not to thank my God which made me blinde.
Lest that mine eyes, (turn'd from a better fight.)
Upon thy so ungracious face should light.
Cyrillus, Deacon in Hicrapolis,
Demolished the Gentiles Images;
He's took, his belly's rip'd, his liver drawn
Out of his body, with their teeth is gnawn.
A little tract of time b'ing wheel'd about,
Their tongues were rotted, and their teeth fell out
Of their loose sockets; their blind eyes no more
Beheld the objects they beheld before.
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Julian enquir'd, a flash of lightning fell
From the collided clouds, which overturn'd
The Temple, and Apollo's Image burn'd.
The Christians made complaint to Julian, that
The fines were more then they were sessed at:
He scoff'd them thus; You ought to undergo
All wrongs: does not your God command you so?
Ath'nasius said, This persecution
Is but a little cloud, 'twill soon be gon.
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