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. XIX. The Persecution of the Church in Affrick, by the Arrian Vandales, Anno Christi 427.
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 | Brachy-Martyrologia |  |
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SECT. XIX. The Persecution of the Church in Affrick, by the Arrian Vandales, Anno Christi 427.
The Vandales, under Genserick's commandRemov'd their Quarters from th' Iberian land,
And march'd to Affrick: as along they went,
Cut down the shrubs, which yeilded aliment
To the dispersed Saints; what e're they found
Unruin'd, they laid level with the ground.
The Min'sters sinking underneath their loads,
Are pricked forward with sharp-pointed goads.
Some had (until they crack'd again) their legs
Wrested with bow-strings: grease and oily dregs,
Salt-water, stinking mire, and Vinegar,
Into the mouths of others forced are.
The Reverend gray hairs, from them obtain'd
No mercy: as for infants, they were brain'd,
Or torn in pieces from the fundament.
The Carthaginian Senators were sent
To wander in exile; without respect
To sex, or age, the Roman City's sack'd.
Upon Ascention-day, a Christian train
Meeting at Church, were by these her'ticks slain.
There was a Noble man, nam'd Saturus,
The Tyrant seeing him, bespake him thus:
Y'had best to execute my just commands,
Or you shall forfeit else, your house and lands;
Your wife shall marry one that drives the plow;
Your children shall be sold: nor did this bow
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Was to be marry'd to a scurvy groom,
Runs to her husband doth her fine clothes tear,
And rends from off her head her curious hair;
Her brood of children hanging at her heels,
A suckling in her arms then down she kneels,
And said (my dearest) Oh some pity take
On thy poor wife: O for the Lord Christ's sake
Let not thy bantlings under slav'ry tire,
Nor me be linked to a filthy Squire.
Be rul'd, sweet heart, if by constraint th' art brought
To act amiss, thine will not be the fault.
He thus; Thou speakest like a foolish wife,
Acting the Devils part; thy husbands life
If thou didst dearly tender, as thou shouldst,
Entice him so to sin, thou never wouldst;
Which will procure a second death to me,
Worse then the first; I am resolv'd to be
Obedient therefore to my Gods commands,
And quite forsake wife, children, house, and lands,
To b'his Disciple. Scarce these words were out,
He was despoil'd of all, and sent about
The Country begging. Genserick being dead,
Hunrick succeeded in his fathers stead.
Well nigh five thousand that did Christ profess,
He banished into the wilderness:
He made his Courtiers dig the earth for corn,
And brought the women into publick scorn.
Mothers their little children followed,
Right glad that Martyrs they had born and bred.
One leading by the hand her little Son,
Hasting t'oretake them, said, Run Sirrah, run;
Seest how the Saints do trudge along? how fast
They make unto their crown? hast, sirrah, hast.
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So speedy? woman, whither haste you so?
She thus reply'd; Good folks pray pray for me,
I go to exile with this child you see,
For fear the enemies corrupt his youth,
And so mislead him from the wayes of truth.
As the Saints went along to banishment,
Multitudes follow'd, and with one consent
Flinging their children down, did this express;
And must we then be wedded to distress?
While you haste to your crown, what will become
Of us (poor wretches as we are) at home?
VVhat Ministers have we (you gon) to feed
Our hungry souls with sacramental bread?
VVho shall baptize our infants? tell us who
Instruct us? w'have a greater minde to go
Then stay behinde: but Ah! our feeble strength
VVill not hold out so great a journeys length.
Now they that went, and could not mend their paces,
Were dragged by the Moors, through rugged places;
Their flesh all rent and torn; they that were stronger
Came to the wilderness, to kill their hunger,
And barely are allow'd; the Scorpions crawll
About them, but do them not hurt at all
VVith their lethif'rous stings: thus God did please
After affliction to send them ease.
Hunrick sends Mandates throughout Affrica,
That all the Bishops should by such a day
At Carthage meet, on purpose by dispute
To prop their faith; and if they could confute
The Arrian Bishops: now the time drew near,
And they according to command appear.
Dispute began; The Orthodox thought best
To cull out some, to answer for the rest.
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These stood o'th' ground, and said, Inequall ones
Are too unfit to hold an argument,
No, no, it is by general consent,
That Disputants the controversie rear
On equal termes, until the truth be clear.
An hundred strokes, on ev'ry one were laid
For this bold speech; whereat Eugenius said,
The Lord in mercy look upon our woes,
And mark our sufferings under raging foes.
The Arrian Bishops moved to propound
What they intended, at the first, gave ground,
Declining the dispute: the Orth'dox then
A Declaration of their faith, did pen,
And did it with this protestation show:
What our belief is, if you long to know,
Here 'tis: the Arrians stormed at this thing,
Gave them foul words, accus'd them to the King;
He all of them out of the City turn'd;
Who them reliev'd, must by his Law be burn'd.
The Bishops which i'th' open fields did ly,
Bespake the Tyrant as he passed by:
What evil have we done? we fain would know
The reason why we are afflicted so;
If we be called to dispute, we crave
Why are we thus despoil'd of all we have?
Why must we live on dunghils, in distress,
Afflicted, housless, cold, and comfortless?
He bids, and over them his horsmen ride;
Many are bruised sore, then they deny'd,
B'ing urg'd, unto an oath to put their hands;
And said, Our God contrarily commands:
Nor are we mad-men, or such fools, as that
We should subscribe, before we know to what.
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You all shall swear, that when the King is dead
Hildrick shall reign, and that no man shall send
Letters beyond the seas. The King your friend,
Upon your taking it, will you restore
Unto the Churches you were at before.
They that did not, and also they that did
Were all enslaved, and to preach forbid.
What doleful outcries! what heart-rending grones
Were throughout Affrick caus'd by bloody ones!
With cudgels, either sex and age was bang'd:
Here, some they burned; there they others hang'd.
Women, and naked gentlewomen were
Openly tortur'd, all their bodies bare.
Fair Dionysia bolder the rest,
Thus the conceptions of her mind exprest:
Afflict your fill, God's favour I have got;
Onely my woman-hood disclose you not.
These words scarce out, they more enraged strip'd her,
Expos'd her to all eyes, and soundly whip'd her,
Untill the blood flow'd down: that which you broach,
Satanick slaves (said she) for my reproach,
Is my best garland. Then she wisely chear'd
Her young and onely son, who persever'd
Patient in all his pains, till he disburst
His spirit unto him that gave it first.
Hunrick b'ing dead, succeeding Gundabund
Twice six years tyranniz'd: mild Thrasamund
And Ild'rick ruled well. But in conclusion,
Bell'zarius brought the Vandals to confusion,
After they ninety years had been a rod
To scourge the Saints and Israel of God.
| Brachy-Martyrologia | |