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It is reported that after the age of Nero and Domitian, under the
emperor whose times we are now recording, a persecution was stirred up
against us in certain cities in consequence of a popular uprising. In
this persecution we have understood that Symeon, the son of Clopas,
who, as we have shown, was the second bishop of the church of
Jerusalem, suffered martyrdora. Hegesippus, whose words we have
already quoted in various places, is a witness to this fact also.
Speaking of certain heretics he adds that Symeon was accused by them
at this time; and since it was clear that he was a Christian, he was
tortured in various ways for many days, and astonished even the judge
himself and his attendants in the highest degree, and finally he
suffered a death similar to that of our Lord. But there is nothing
like hearing the historian himself, who writes as follows: "Certain
of these heretics brought accusation against Symeon, the son of
Clopas, on the ground that he was a descendant of David and a
Christian; and thus he suffered martyrdom, at the age of one hundred
and twenty years, while Trajan was emperor and Atticus governor."
And the same writer says that his accusers also, when search was made
for the descendants of David, were arrested as belonging to that
family. And it might be reasonably assumed that Symeon was one of
those that saw and heard the Lord, judging from the length of his
life, and from the fact that the Gospel makes mention of Mary, the
wife of Clopas, who was the father of Symeon, as has been already
shown. The same historian says that there were also others, descended
from one of the so-called brothers of the Saviour, whose name was
Judas, who, after they had borne testimony before Domitian, as has
been already recorded, in behalf of faith in Christ, lived until the
same reign. He writes as follows: "They came, therefore, and took
the lead of every church as witness and as relatives of the Lord. And
profound peace being established in every church, they remained until
the reign of the Emperor Trajan, and until the above-mentioned
Symeon, son of Clopas, an uncle of the Lord, was informed against
by the heretics, and was himself in like manner accused for the same
cause before the governor Atticus. And after being tortured for many
days he suffered martyrdom, and all, including even the proconsul,
marveled that, at the age of one hundred and twenty years, he could
endure so much. And orders were given that he should be crucified."
In addition to these things the same man, while recounting the events
of that period, records that the Church up to that time had remained a
pure and uncorrupted virgin, since, if there were any that attempted
to corrupt the sound norm of the preaching of salvation, they lay until
then concealed in obscure darkness. But when the sacred college of
apostles had suffered death in various forms, and the generation of
those that had been deemed worthy to hear the inspired wisdom with their
own ears had passed away, then the league of godless error took its
rise as a result of the folly of heretical teachers, who, because none
of the apostles was still living, attempted henceforth, with a bold
face, to proclaim, in opposition to the preaching of the truth, the
'knowledge which is falsely so-called.'
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