Hello all:
I am currently reading Fox’s Book of Martyrs.
This is the first church history book that I have read that focused on events outside the Restoration Movement. I’m at page 42 out of 370. I have a long way to go, but already I am stunned by the amount of violence the early Christians met. I was aware, as most of us probably are, that the early Christians were persecuted. We’ve all heard of the catacombs of Rome, we’ve all read the passage in Matthew where Jesus speaks about children turning against parents, brothers against brothers. But the contents of this book are beyond anything I ever imagined.
Already, its obvious in my reading of this book that there were persecutions and murders between factions in the Church. So far, the faction that has been responsible for those murders (The Aryans) are dead wrong and definite Apostates, but they are a faction none the less. This book reminds me of the need for us to love those who feel differently than we do. I’m not yet close to the violence against the protestant reformers, but the thoughts that come are that there would have been no violence at all if we practiced the love that we are supposed to be known for.
More on this book later.
-Clarke
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February 24th, 2006 at 5:35
Hey Clarke,
Reading about the sufferings of other faithful Christians puts our troubles in perspective!
I was discussing with my daughter last night the letter from Pliny to Trajan which is a primary historical source about early Christian worship. It is sobering to read how he obtained the information:
Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
In view of the terrible dangers they faced, we ought to thank God for the peace we enjoy.
Alan
February 26th, 2006 at 15:57
After you thoroughly digest Foxe’s Book of Martyrs you might be interested in reading “By Their Blood,” written by James and Marti Hefley.
Their book is more or less a continuation of Foxe’s book, but relates atrocities endured by Christian martyrs of the 20th century.
Amazon offers the book used for about $5, and it’s an interesting read.