The Great Cruelty of Elvelid, the Mohammedan, Towards All Christian Prisoners, in the Year 739

It is stated that in the year 739, in the 23rd year of Leo Isaurus, the Mohammedan Prince Elvelid caused all the imprisoned Christians in every city to be put to death, on account of the Christian religion. Among them is mentioned one Eutichius, who was carried away to Karras, in Mesopotamia, and who, at the time when this slaughter and martyrdom of all the imprisoned Christian believers took place, was offered up, because of the same faith and testimony, for his Savior Jesus. Compare Paul. Diac., book 21, with A. Mellinus, 2nd book, folio 305, columns 2 and 3. [n327-1]

NOTE. Of this Eutichius we find no further account concerning the confession of his faith, except that, when the other martyrs were put to death, he, too, was offered up for Christ; which must also be understood of various others. See the authors mentioned above, compared with what we have stated at the beginning of this century.

We will say nothing of Peter, Bishop of the church of Damascus, Peter Mavimenus, and others, who, at this time, were also put to death in the East, particularly at Damascus, for the testimony of the Lord Jesus, about the year 742; since the ancient writers have left us no definite information about their particular confession of faith, only a general statement, namely, that they suffered for Christ, and for the Christian or evangelical truth.

Hence it has come about that some who boast of Christ and His holy Gospel with their mouths, yet who by their peculiar interpretations, indeed by their deeds and works, are very far from it, have nevertheless not hesitated to claim as belonging to their number, and to produce as witnesses for their strange and in many respects unchristian and unevangelical confessions, persons of whom we maintain, because of certain circumstances mentioned by ancient writers, that they believed and lived in perfect agreement with the true sense of the holy Gospel, and, as a seal of this, testified to it with their blood and steadfast death.

Oh, how greatly it is to be lamented that the ancients have not left us more definite and clear information about this! We feel confident that it would still refresh many a well-meaning heart, and serve to confirm their faith, if they could see that in those early, and no less turbulent, times many of their fellow brothers and sisters had such love for Christ, their beloved blood bridegroom, and for His heavenly doctrine (which they confess with them), that they did not hesitate, the one in the fire, another in the water, some under the teeth and claws of wild beasts, others under the sword, the deadly halter, or otherwise, to bear testimony to it.

But we hope that in the proper place, and throughout, we have given as much information and explanation about it as will satisfy a true Christian and well-meaning soul. All things cannot be discussed in one place.

We will leave this here, and proceed from the East, of which we have spoken until now, to the West, where we now think we can find clearer information concerning several special points of the faith, namely, of such persons as did not suffer under the heathen, Mohammedans, Saracens, or the like, but under the pope of Rome, or the Roman church, where it was customary to condemn people on some particular articles of worship. But before we proceed to the martyrs who were punished as criminals and with death, we think it well, by way of introduction to and preparation for this matter, to show first how this arose, as by steps; namely, how first a few persons, whom we shall name, about this time opposed a certain papal Legate with words and censures, for introducing certain superstitions; and what happened to them, on this account, from the pope.