In the meantime, the King, knowing nothing of the answer which Benjamin had returned to the ambassador gave command to release him from his confinement. Benjamin once more free, ceased not to exhort the people as before, and to set the light of the holy gospel on the candle-stick. When this had continued for about the space of one year after his liberation from prison, new complaints were brought against him before the King, who had him brought before him, and commanded him to renounce the God whom he served, on pain of bodily punishment. Then Benjamin asked the King: “What punishment, beloved King, does he deserve, who deserts and renounces thee and thy government, and submits himself to, and serves another lord?” The King answered: “Such a man deserves punishment on body and property, yea, the severest penalty of death.” Benjamin asked again saying: “What punishment does the man deserve who forsakes his God, the Creator of all things, in order to exalt one of his servants as God, and to give to a creature the worship due to God alone?”
These words so incensed the King, that he commanded his guards to sharpen twenty reeds and to thrust them between the flesh and the nails of his fingers and toes. But when the King saw that the pious martyr endured all this with steadfastness, yea, regarded it but very little, he, after other torments, ordered the executioners to prepare a knotty stick, which by cutting away the branches, was made as sharp as a stick of thorns. This he caused to be thrust into the nether part of his body, and then pulled backwards and forwards, until the faithful servant and professor of Christ ended his life under the hands of the executioners, like a defenseless lamb that is led to the slaughter and opens not its mouth. Compare the account of _Abr. Mellinus, 2d, book, fol. 260, col. 1, 2_, taken from _Theod., lib. 5, pag. 38, and Merul, Graec._, with the annotation of _P. J. Twisck, Chron., 5th book, page 191, col. 1_, from _Hist. Eccl. Tripart, 2d, part, lib. 11, cap. 33, Hist. Andr. Hondorff, fol. 20_.
THE CRUELTY OF THE ARIAN KING, HONORICUS, ALSO CALLED HUNNERICUS, THE SECOND KING OF THE VANDALS, TOWARDS SOME BISHOPS AND ELDERS WHO WOULD NOT SWEAR, AND OTHER CRUELTIES, A. D. 477.
[Illustration: GOD’S JUDGMENT ON KING HONORICUS.]
A. D. 477, Honoricus, King of the Vandals, an adherent of the Arian sect, arose with great violence against those who would not assent to his views, cruelly persecuting, and lamentably maltreating them. He had honorable women and maidens suspended naked; their bodies burned with torches; their breasts and arms cut off; hot pitch applied to their back, breasts and sides; he also caused them to be drawn up, and heavy stones tied to their feet, etc.
When he proposed to many that they should swear an oath, some thought it not contrary to God, but the bishops and elders of the church of Christ would not swear, saying that it was prohibited in the gospel, since Christ says: “Swear not.” Thereupon they were martyred, or at least severely punished. Those, however, who had been prevailed upon to swear, did not escape free, for, according to ancient writers, he punished both alike; these, because they had sworn contrary to the command of the gospel, and those, because they refused to swear.
In the meantime, the distress and misery were so great that scarcely a house could be found that was not filled with wailing and lamentations.
After this terrible tyrant had put to death, by these and similar torments, as well as exiled, a countless number, God, after many plagues had been sent upon that country, awfully punished him: worms and lice so gnawed his flesh that his whole body became putrified, one member dropping off after another, so that he was buried piecemeal, thus coming to a horrible and not less ignominious end--the evident vengance of God for his tyranny against the Christians. Compare _P. J. Twisck, Chron., 5th, book, pag. 166, col. 2_, with _Chron. Carionis, lib. 3, fol. 29. Eccl. Caspar Hedio 3d, part, lib. 2, cap. 18–21, 25, 27, Chronol. Leonh. Krantz., lib. 3, fol. 87, 89. Paul. Merula, fol. 381, 382. Histor. Andr., fol. 180. Jan. Crespin, fol. 139._