Mi 361 lesson 4 persecution early church-19th century

Persecution in the Church

Lesson 4

Persecution in Early Church History

Part II Persecution in Church History

From the Time of the Apostles to Present Day

Persecution helped the spread of Christianity

Spread the word by spreading the believers

Purify the church Removed apostates and mere professors

Strengthen witness through the testimony at death

Tertullian: the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church

Early martyrs include:

Virtually all the apostles except for John, who was placed on an island

Aristarchus

Luke

Barnabas

Polycarp

Perpetua

John sent to Patmos

Most if not all the apostles died a martyr’s death

Peter – crucified upside down at Rome by Nero

Paul – beheaded at Rome by Nero

Thomas – speared in India

In one catacomb in Rome, there are the bodies of 174,000 martyrs

Others flayed, dragged by horses, etc.

Peter crucified upside down

Martyrs deaths of the early church

James beheaded by Herod Agrippa, who also killed a number of other early Christians

Phillip – scourged, imprisoned and crucified in Phrygia

Matthew – killed by the sword

James the just – thrown from the temple, stoned and clubbed to death

Depiction of Thomas

Phillip stoned at Hieropolis

James beheaded

James the Just – stoned & clubbed to death

Martyrs deaths of the early church

Mattias – stoned & beheaded at Jerusalem

Mark dragged to pieces by a mob in front of their idol Serapis

Andrew crucified with two pieces of the cross on the ground

Peter crucified upside down

Andrew crucified

Martyrs deaths – early church

Jude (Thaddeus) crucified at Edessa

Bartholomew – beaten and crucified in India

Thomas – thrust through by priests in India

Luke – hung from olive tree

Jude – shot with arrows

Barnabas burned at Salamis

Mark dragged to be burned

Reasons for persecution –political

Rome wanted a uniform world under Roman government, and the worship of the Emperor was a stabilizing factor

The Christians were tied by spiritual factors and placed Christ before Caesar and undermined the classic culture Rome wanted to propagate. They held secret meetings at night

Reasons for persecution –religious

Christians prayed but not to idols –this must be atheism

Christians had a “kiss of peace-this must be immorality

Christians “ate the body of Christ” = cannibalism

You could have another religion, but secondary to that of the state

Reasons for persecution –social

Christians said all people are equal; the pagans believed in a rich aristocracy

The Christians led pure lives, a rebuke to the lives of many pagans

The Christians did not participate in many of the rites and entertainment of the masses

Reasons for persecution

Christianity was seen no longer as a Jewish sect – thus illegal

The Christians threated the economy of many idol-makers, etc.

Initial persecution – Nero who sought a scapegoat for the burning of Rome; killed Peter & Paul

95 – Domitian – exiled John

Rome persecuted the church

Most of the emperors were considered a god which must be worshipped

They opposed the church and its power

There were 10 major persecutions between Nero in 64 A.D. and Diocletian in 303 A.D.

Rome persecuted the believers

While Christianity was viewed as a Jewish sect, there was not a great amount of persecution, as Judaism was tolerated. But when the church spread, and was rejected by the Jews, persecution began as the population of Christians rose to 5-15% of the population, and held themselves apart

Persecution in post-apostolic times

After the death of the apostles, the Christian faith continued to spread

Most of the early persecution was from the Roman empire, and tended to be periodic

There was not much persecution from other religions or from Christians themselves

Persecution 100-250

Emperor Tragan – 112 – don’t seek out Christians, but if one is so, ask three times. If affirmative – kill him

Later in Smyrna – Polycarp killed

Marcus Arelius persecuted Christians – he was a Stoic who believed Christians caused the problems in his time – Killed Justyn Martyr

The martyrs of Lyons 177AD

There was great persecution at this time because Rome could not endure Christians say “Christ is Lord.”

Many Christians were tried and cast into prison and tortured horribly

Some recanted but were returned to prison

Lyons martyrs

Several outstanding martyrs were present

Blandina, a slave woman, endured incredible tortures until her torturers were worn out. She was forced to watch the torture of others and finally gored by bulls after having been burned in an iron seat. She encouraged many

Lyons Martyrs

Bishop Plothinus – 90 years old but steadfast

Sanctus – horribly tortured

Vellitus, a nobleman who defended the Christians

They defeated the satanic opposition

Even those who recanted returned to make confession and were martyred

A survivor of Lyons explains

The torture was instigated by satan

The horrible cruel torture

The kind words of the judge to recant

The steadfastness of the martyrs dealt a tremendous blow to satan

God gave them the ability to withstand inhumane torture

Blandina – of the martyrs of Lyons

Perpetua

Her father, a nobleman, pled with her to recant; she refused.

He took a beating to try to get her free

She had a new-born, and also her slave girl had just delivered

She at last pushed the family away

Perpetua gored by a bull, then beheaded

Perpetua had visions before death

She saw a golden ladder with the devil blocking the entrance, and she must smash the devil’s head

She saw her brother in hell; she prayed and he went to heaven

She saw a vision of fighting an Egyptian

Unscriptural teachings begin

Emphasis that the martyr will win eternal life on his own efforts

That the martyr has special privileges to pray for others

Window depicting Perpetua and her slave Felicia martyrdom

Vitalius, Roman nobleman, buried alive

Here are a few martyrs in the original apostolic times

Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna - very effective. Burned at age 86 after he refused to deny Christ - a number came to Christ later from his witness

Justin Martyr - beheaded because of his teaching Christians in their homes

Ignatius, a follower of John, devoured by lions

Polycarp was known and hated by unbelievers

He glorified Jesus Christ

He spoke against idolatry

He was effective not only in Smyrna, but also traveled to Rome

He was powerful in prayer

His strong testimony led to his being burned to death A. D. 156

Phocus, bishop of Sineppe, thrown in lime kiln

Justyn Martyr – apologist beheaded for his faith

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna

Persecution 250-313

Decius demanded every citizen to make a yearly sacrifice to the genius of the emperor, and received a certificate. Origen was tortured – later died

Diocletian, a powerful military ruler, no longer shared power with the senate, and tolerated no other religion. Severe persecution broke out 303-305

Persecution – Diocletian

Churches were burned, leaders captured and killed if they refused to make a sacrifice. Jails were too full to have regular criminals in them

311 – Galerius – edict of toleration

313 – Constantine – freedom of all religions

Showed importance of separation of church and state

Results of persecution

Christianity was first strong in the east

2e – reached the Greek-speaking masses – esp. Alexandria

3e – moved into Latin areas, with Carthage as a strong church

There was the problem of what to do with Christians who denied the faith or gave over scriptures, and came back when the persecution was over

Extreme honor given to martyrs

1. The name of the martyr was inscribed in the catalogue of saints, and they ordered a public recognition.

2. His/her intercession was invoked at public prayers

3. Churches were dedicated to God in his/her memory.

4. The eucharist and divine office were celebrated in his/her honor

Extreme honor given to martyrs

5. His/her festival was observed

6. They made representations of him/her surrounded by divine light

7. His/her relics were enclosed in precious vessels and publicly honored.

Further development of saints

Clement of Alexandria and then Origen began to look at asceticism as equal to martyrdom.

Then they attributed some of the benefits to the monks, who often withdrew totally from society instead of serving it. They no longer preached the gospel to a hostile people

Soon churches wed the state and had false teachings

Baptismal regeneration

Infant baptism – first by immersion

Bishops began to claim precedence, and also a split between Rome and Constantinople. The clergy dominated, and then joined the state

In 416 infant baptism by law

Now churches filled with unbelievers and compulsion not freedom

The true churches rejected these laws.

The false church called themselves Christian and had all sorts of names for the loyal churches – Montanist, Tertullianist, Anabaptist, etc.

Further councils promoted

Worship of Mary

Worship use of images

No salvation outside the Catholic church

Some of the persecuted groups strayed from true doctrine as it was difficult to have scriptures, and those who did were tortured and the scriptures destroyed –Donatists, Paulicians,

Indulgences

Required a “bank account” of excess of good works in heaven obtained by the saints, but accessible to the church, who could sell them

Purgatory – where people would stay until cleansed of their sins

Further doctrinal deviations in the 10-13th centuries

Transubstantiation accepted as an official doctrine

The Inquisition

The denial of the Bible to laymen

Terrible persecution of Albigenses and Waldenses

These individuals were primarily Bible believing individuals, most of whom also practiced non-resistance. They were hunted down and persecuted by the Roman Catholics, and many burned.

During the Reformation

Catholics persecuted

Protestants

Anabaptists

Protestants, including Luther and Zwingli persecuted

Anabaptists

John Wycliffe 1320-1384

Was against the corruption within the church and its riches

He translated the Bible into English –finished by Nicholas of Herford

He opposed the Pope, transubstan-tiation, and felt that the Bible should take priority over the traditions of the church

John Wycliffe

He had influence on the Lollards and Mennonites (through John Huss)

He died of a stroke. The Roman Catholic church declared that he was a heretic, banned his books, and exhumed his body, burned the bones and cast them in the River Swift

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe preaching to Lollards

Burning the bones of John Wycliffe

John Huss 1373-1415

Richard II married Anne from Bohemia

The ideas of Wycliffe went to Bohemia, where they were accepted by Huss.

Huss was called to appear before the pope and guaranteed safe conduct. But there he was condemned to death and burned.

His group continued as the United Brothers of Moravia

John Huss

Savonorola 1452-1498

This priest complained to the pope and wanted reform within the church. The church condemned and hanged him.

During this period, councils no succeeded in reformation, and once they had 3 popes at the same time. Finally the popes regained power and they did NOT have a constitutional sort of government

Savonorola

Some of Savonorola’s problems appeared when he gained secular power in Florence, and acted as governor. Some of his policies were very strong, and he developed powerful political enemies, and lost public support. He was opposed by the Roman Catholic church and burned as a heretic

Savanorola

The inquisition

The Catholics retaliated from the Protestant Reformation with the ban of books and the inquisition.

This was especially vicious in Spain, with an estimated 10,000 deaths from torture

Priests asking a “heretic” to repent

Inquisition – the rack

The Portuguese and Spanish inquisition

Galileo & the inquisition

The Inquisition

William Tyndale (1494-1536)

Brilliant scholar in 8 languages

He accepted reformed theology

Hid in Europe and translated much of the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek in excellent translation

He was betrayed, imprisoned, and burned as a heretic

William Tyndale

Execution of Tyndale

Persecution in England, especially with Mary

Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife Catherine, a devout Catholic, and maryAnne Boleyn. The pope declined to permit it, and at the suggestion of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII declared himself the head of the church of England. No change in Catholic doctrine was present, and Henry VIII died a Catholic.

Persecution in England

Henry was succeeded by Edward VI, a Protestant, and bishops Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley began to make changes in the church of England

At the death of Edward, however, Mary, a devout Catholic, came to power determined to return England to the Catholic church

Persecution in England, especially with Mary

There was a struggle of power between the Anglicans and the Catholics

Many were martyred when Catherine’s daughter, “Bloody Mary”, came to power. She killed 275 persons during her 5 year reign, declaring them “heretics” by the Catholic church.

Persecution in England, especially with Mary

Jane Grey, queen for only 9 days, was executed (as a martyr).

Mary was killed

Then Elizabeth became queen and reestablished the church of England.

Execution of Jane Grey

Ridley and Latimer executed

During Bloody Mary’s reign, she condemned Ridley and Latimer as heretics and burned them at the stake.

What is ironic is that they themselves had persecuted Anabaptists

Ridley and Latimer burned at the stake

Five different established churches persecuted Anabaptists

Rome

Greek orthodox

Lutheran

Presbyterian

Anglican

All were state churches with state power behind them

50 million anabaptists and others murdered in 12 centuries

At one place in Europe, the road had stakes every few feet with the head of a martyred “heretic” impaled on a stake

They were called by many names, usually from a strong leader, but also the name “ana-baptist” Rebaptizer

A new persecuted church turned persecutor

The Congregational church arose in the 16th century, repudiating the rule of the clergy and having congregational rule

However, they still agreed with infant baptism

Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Presbyterians persecuted them

Peace of Westphalia 1648

Catholics, Lutherans and Presbyterians would no longer fight each other

However, severe persecution existed against the Waldensians & Anabaptists

Zwingli – a “great reformer” and a “great persecutor”

Zwingli in Geneva persecuted the Anabaptists who fled there unmercifully.

He had apparently agreed with his personal friend Balthazar Hubmaier that infant baptism was wrong but changed his mind, and later put Hubmaier on the rack. He was later apprehended, burned to death and his wife drowned

Zwingli

Once he locked up 20 persons –men, women, pregnant women and young girls in a dark tower with bread and water until all had died together.

Ulrich Zwingli

John Bunyan

A Puritan or non-conformist preacher, he was arrested for preaching which was “unauthorized” and to failing to attend compulsory Anglican church services.

He wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while in jail

John Bunyan

John Bunyan – Bedford jail

Persecution during the 16-18th

centuries

During this time, incredible persecution took place.

The Huguenots were basically wiped out of France

The Anabaptists were hunted throughout Europe

Persecution of Huguenots in France

St. Barthomew Day Massacre of Huguenots

Dirk Willems

This Anabaptist escaped from prison and headed over thin ice away from prison. A guard pursued him but fell through the ice and was in danger of death. Dirk returned and saved the man, who wanted to release him but the baliff would not permit it. He was condemned and executed.

Dirk Willems saves his captor