History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity. A. D. 100-325

the times and followed them. The motto of his policy is well symbolized in his military standard

with the inscription: "Hoc signo vinces."

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8

What a contrast between Nero, the first imperial persecutor, riding in a chariot among

Christian martyrs as burning torches in his gardens, and Constantine, seated in the Council of Nicaea

among three hundred and eighteen bishops (some of whom—as the blinded Confessor Paphnutius,

Paul of Neocaesarea, and the ascetics from Upper Egypt clothed in wild raiment—wore the insignia

of torture on their maimed and crippled bodies), and giving the highest sanction of civil authority

to the decree of the eternal deity of the once crucified Jesus of Nazareth! Such a revolution the

world has never seen before or since, except the silent, spiritual, and moral reformation wrought

by Christianity itself at its introduction in the first, and at its revival in the sixteenth century.

§ 26. Christian Martyrdom.

I. Sources.

Ignatius: Epistolae. Martyrum Polycarpi. Tertullian: Ad Martyres. Origenes: Exhortatio ad martyrium

(

                        μ        .

) Cyprian: Ep. 11 ad mart. Prudentius: 

              

hymni XIV. Comp. Lit. § 12.

II. Works.

Sagittarius: De mart. cruciatibus, 1696.

H. Dodwell: De paucitate martyrum, in his Dissertationes Cyprianiae. Lond. 1684.

Ruinart (R.C.): Praefatio generalis in Acta Martyrum.

P. W. Gass: 

Das christl. Märtyrerthum in den ersten Jahrhunderten

, in Niedner’s "Zeitschrift f. Hist. Theol." 1859

and ’60.

E. de Pressensé: The Martyrs and Apologists. Translated from the French. London and N. Y. 1871.

(Ch. II. p. 67 sqq.).

Chateaubriand: 

Les martyrs ou le triomphe de la rel. chrét

. 2 vols. Paris 1809 and often (best Engl. trsl. by O

W. Wight, N. York, 1859.) Has no critical or historical value, but merely poetical.

Comp. in part Mrs. Jameson: Sacred and Legendary Art. Lond. 1848. 2 vols.

To these protracted and cruel persecutions the church opposed no revolutionary violence, no

carnal resistance, but the moral heroism of suffering and dying for the truth. But this very heroism

was her fairest ornament and staunchest weapon. In this very heroism she proved herself worthy

of her divine founder, who submitted to the death of the cross for the salvation of the world, and

even prayed that his murderers might be forgiven. The patriotic virtues of Greek and Roman antiquity

reproduced themselves here in exalted form, in self-denial for the sake of a heavenly country, and

for a crown that fadeth not away. Even boys and girls became heroes, and rushed with a holy

enthusiasm to death. In those hard times men had to make earnest of the words of the Lord:

"Whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." "He, that loveth

father and mother more than me, is not worthy of me." But then also the promise daily proved itself

true: "Blessed are they, who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven." "He, that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it." And it applied not only to the martyrs

themselves, who exchanged the troubled life of earth for the blessedness of heaven, but also to the

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For a fuller account of Constantine and his relation to the Church. see the next volume.

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Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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church as a whole, which came forth purer and stronger from every persecution, and thus attested

her indestructible vitality.

These suffering virtues are among the sweetest and noblest fruits of the Christian religion.

It is not so much the amount of suffering which challenges our admiration, although it was terrible

enough, as the spirit with which the early Christians bore it. Men and women of all classes, noble

senators and learned bishops, illiterate artisans and poor slaves, loving mothers and delicate virgins,

hoary-headed pastors and innocent children approached their tortures in no temper of unfeeling

indifference and obstinate defiance, but, like their divine Master, with calm self-possession, humble

resignation, gentle meekness, cheerful faith, triumphant hope, and forgiving charity. Such spectacles

must have often overcome even the inhuman murderer. "Go on," says Tertullian tauntingly to the

heathen governors, "rack, torture, grind us to powder: our numbers increase in proportion as ye

mow us down. The blood of Christians is their harvest seed. Your very obstinacy is a teacher. For

who is not incited by the contemplation of it to inquire what there is in the core of the matter? And

who, after having joined us, does not long to suffer?"

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Unquestionably there were also during this period, especially after considerable seasons of

quiet, many superficial or hypocritical Christians, who, the moment the storm of persecution broke

forth, flew like chaff from the wheat, and either offered incense to the gods (thurificati, sacrificati),

or procured false witness of their return to paganism (libellatici, from libellum), or gave up the

sacred books (traditores). Tertullian relates with righteous indignation that whole congregations,

with the clergy at the head, would at times resort to dishonorable bribes in order to avert the

persecution of heathen magistrates.

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0

 But these were certainly cases of rare exception. Generally

speaking the three sorts of apostates (lapsi) were at once excommunicated, and in many churches,

through excessive rigor, were even refused restoration.

Those who cheerfully confessed Christ before the heathen magistrate at the peril of life, but

were not executed, were honored as confessors.

62

1

 Those who suffered abuse of all kind and death

itself, for their faith, were called martyrs or bloodwitnesses.

63

2

Among these confessors and martyrs were not wanting those in whom the pure, quiet flame

of enthusiasm rose into the wild fire of fanaticism, and whose zeal was corrupted with impatient

haste, heaven-tempting presumption, and pious ambition; to whom that word could be applied:

"Though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing." They delivered

themselves up to the heathen officers, and in every way sought the martyr’s crown, that they might

merit heaven and be venerated on earth as saints. Thus Tertullian tells of a company of Christians

in Ephesus, who begged martyrdom from the heathen governor, but after a few had been executed,

the rest were sent away by him with the words: "Miserable creatures, if you really wish to die, you

have precipices and halters enough." Though this error was far less discreditable than the opposite

extreme of the cowardly fear of man, yet it was contrary to the instruction and the example of Christ

60

Comp. a similar passage in the anonymous Ep. ad Diognetum, c. 6 and 7 at the close, and in Justin M., Dial .c. Tryph. Jud.

c. 110.

61

De fuga in persec. c. 13: "Massaliter totae ecclesiae tributum sibi irrogaverunt."

62

Ὁμολογήται, confessores, Matt. 10:32; 1 Tim. 6:12.

63

Μάρτυρες, Acts 22:20; Heb. 12:1; 1 Pet. 5:1; Rev. 17:6.

51

Philip Schaff

History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene

Christianity. A.D. 100-325.

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