1103 A7el'elation ofthe Apocalypfe. C A r 6. Bythinla, by little and little flitted and qualified , yet the firj Beafhad not fpoken to this time : For Pliny was a Heathen, and no member of the Church,nsuch leffe a Ruler of it ; Neither did the ca- lamity flay it felfeby this admonition, onely it was obtained,that the Chriflians should not be fought for to be punished, but onely that when they were accufed,they should bepunished, Eufèb.Hifl.Ecclef, Books 3.33. Wherefore, as yet the combate lafted, and after that Trajanwas dead, within a fewyeeres it waxed fore againe under Adrian, who proceedingoutragioully, even to the overthrowof the name ofChriflians, the Lyon cryed our, which is thefrfl B eafl, as ifit had beenThunder: For God raifed up adratus the Bi/hop of A- .thens; as alto Ariflides the Philofopher, a Citizen of that City, who like Lyons in courage, not regarding the danger of loíng their lives, incomparifon of the welfare of the Church, did call upon Adrian by their written eApologies, and did alto pleade the caufeof the Chriftians openly ; With which voy ce, the hearts of the faithful! were lifted up, through the expefiation of the event thereof, and that not in vaine, feeing a great change did forthwith follow there- upon. For the White Horfè came forth, and his Rider, with a bow and a Crown ; that is, the truth tricampheth for joy, when as the Smperour being overcome, and battered downe with the Orationof thegodlymen, did ordaine, that no C'hriflian jhould be condemned,un- leffe he Werefoundguilty of fame crimepunifhablc by the civili laWes. Where was a mauifeft vietory ofthe Truth, and a great tafle of the happineflè that was to come, Eufeb. Hill. Tooke 4. Chapter 3. But the felicity there ofit was more remarkable under the next E'mperour Antonius `Pius, about the beginning of whole Empire, when the Chriftians were miferably oppreffed againe, by reafon of the invete- rate hatredof the world again[! them ; at length, Iuf ine Martyr the Lyon, preaching, the Word ofGod in the habite of a Thilofopher, as tufeb. fpeakres, Tooke_ 4. t r. Wrote Apologies for the Chriftians to aAntoniuc, and to his Sonnes, andto the Senate of Rome ; Whereby he effect ed this, God working with him, that it was decreed by pub- like Edicts : "That no manfhould trouble the Chriftians, onely becaufe "they Were Chriflians; but ifany man Would toe on to molefl them, "theChriflian fo accufed fhould be freed and aabfolved from the ac- Be cufation, though he were found out to be fuchs and thatthe accufer "J9 ouldbeliable to punifhmenr, as appeares by theEdié! of Antonius " himfelfe,recordedby Iufrine,andEufeb.Hift. Booke-4. 13. Certainly now the Truth did triumph, befet about the head with a Crowne, and
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