Now to-day God's church throughout all the globe celebrates the festival of
the blessed children whom the cruel Herod, on account of the birth of
Christ, slew in impious persecution, as the evangelical narrative
manifestly makes known to us.
{79} Matthew wrote, in the first book of Christ, in these words, of the
birth-time of Jesus, and said, "When Jesus was born in the Judaean
Bethlehem, in the days of Herod the king, behold there came from the east
part of the earth three astrologers to the city of Jerusalem, thus
inquiring, Where is the King of the Jewish people, who is born? Verily we
saw his star in the east part, and we come in order that we may worship
him. Now king Herod hearing this was greatly troubled, and all the citizens
together with him. He then assembled all the chief bishops and scribes of
the people, and inquired where the birthplace of Christ might be. They
said, In the Judaean Bethlehem. Thus verily it is written by the prophet
Micah, Ah thou Bethlehem, Judaean land, thou art in no wise meanest of
cities among the Jewish princes: of thee shall come the Ruler who shall
rule and govern the people of Israel. Then Herod called the three
astrologers in separate discourse, and diligently questioned them at what
time the star had first appeared to them, and sent them to Bethlehem, thus
saying, Go instantly, and inquire concerning the child, and when ye find
it, let me know, that I may worship him. After the king's speech the
astrologers went, and lo, the star which they had seen in the east part
glided before them, till it stood over the inn in which the child was
staying. They saw the star and greatly rejoiced. They then went in, and
found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshipped him.
They opened their cases of treasure and offered him gifts, gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh. Then God warned them in a dream, and commanded,
that they should not return to the cruel king Herod, but should turn
through another way, and so come to their own country. Lo, God's angel
appeared to Joseph, the child's foster-father, in a dream, saying, 'Arise,
and take this child with the mother, and flee to the land of Egypt, and be
there until I speak to thee again: for it will come to pass that Herod will
devise how he may fordo the child.' {81} Joseph then arose by night, and
conveyed the child together with the mother to the land of Egypt, and there
staid until Herod departed; that the prophecy might be fulfilled which of
old thus spake of that journey, From the land of Egypt I have called my
son."
Now chroniclers say that in the meanwhile Herod was accused to the Roman
emperor, who at that time ruled all the earth. He therefore went, by the
emperor's command, to Rome, that he might clear himself, if he could. He
cleared himself very cunningly, as he was so sagacious, that the emperor
sent him back with great honour to the Jewish kingdom. When he came home he
remembered what he had intended concerning the child, and saw that he had
been deceived by the astrologers, and was exceedingly irritated. He then
sent his executioners, and slew all the male children that were in the city
of Bethlehem, and in all its boundaries, from the child of two years to
that of one day, according to the time which he had inquired of the
astrologers. Then was fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah, who thus
prophesied, "A voice is heard on high, great weeping and wailing: Rachel
wept for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
On the twelfth day of Christ's birth the three astrologers came to Herod,
and informed him concerning the child that was born; and when they had
discovered his birthplace, they went to the child, and would not return to
the cruel murderer, as he had commanded. He might not then avoid the
emperor's command, and, therefore, through his long journey, the slaughter
of the children was delayed more than he had intended; and they were on
this present day gloriously martyred; not, however, in the year that Christ
was born, but after the course of two years after the return of the cruel
tyrant.
He was not of noble birth, nor did he belong to the royal race; but by
artifices and deception he attained to the kingly {83} dignity; as Moses
wrote concerning him, That the royal Jewish race should not decay until
Christ himself came. Now Christ came at the time that the royal family was
decayed, and the stranger Herod ruled the kingdom. Then was he greatly
afraid and terrified lest his kingdom should fall through the coming of the
true king. He called therefore the astrologers in separate converse, and
diligently questioned them at what time they first saw the star; for he
feared, as it came to pass, that they would not return to him. He therefore
commanded all the children of that district, from the age of two years to
that of one day, to be slain, that the one might not escape whom he sought.
But he was unmindful of the holy scripture, which says, "No wisdom nor any
counsel is aught against God."
The treacherous Herod said to the astrologers, "Go, and diligently inquire
concerning the child, and let me know, that I may worship him." But he
manifested afterwards his guileful artifice, how he would have done, if he
had found him, when he destroyed all those of equal age, for the
persecution of him alone. Needlessly he machinated against Christ: he came
not because he would acquire for himself his earthly kingdom, or any other
king's by violence; but he came because he would give his heavenly kingdom
to believing men. He came not that he might be exalted on a pompous throne,
but that he might with contumely be nailed hanging on a cross.
Nevertheless, he would avoid the machination of the cruel tyrant by flight,
not because he fled from death, who of his own will visited the world for
the purpose of suffering; but it would have been too early, if he had been
slain in the child's cradle, for his advent would then, as it were, be
hidden from mankind; God's angel, therefore, prevented the impious counsel,
and bade the foster-father convey the heavenly Prince forthwith from the
country.
Christ despised not his young champions, though he was not bodily present
at their slaughter; but he sent them from {85} this miserable life to his
eternal kingdom. Blessed they were born that they might for his sake suffer
death. Happy is their age, which could not yet acknowledge Christ, and
might for Christ suffer. They were witnesses of Jesus, though they yet knew
him not. They were not ripened for slaughter, yet they blessedly died to
life. Blessed was their birth, because they found everlasting life at the
entrance of this present life. They were snatched from their mothers'
breasts, but they were instantly committed to the bosoms of angels. The
wicked persecutor could not by any service so greatly favour those little
ones, so greatly as he favoured them by the fierce hate of persecution.
They are called blossoms of martyrs, because they were as blossoms
springing up in the midst of the chill of infidelity, consumed, as it were,
by the frost of persecution. Blessed are the wombs which bare them, and the
breasts that such have sucked. Verily the mothers suffered through their
children's martyrdom; the sword that pierced their children's limbs entered
the hearts of the mothers, and it is needful that they be partakers of the
eternal reward, when they were companions of the suffering. They were slain
while little and witless, but they shall arise at the common doom in full
growth, and with heavenly wisdom. We shall all come to one age at the
common resurrection, although we now in various age depart from this world.
The gospel says, that Rachel wept for her children, and would not be
comforted, because they are not. Jacob the patriarch's wife was called
Rachel, and she betokened God's church, which weeps for her ghostly
children; but it will not so be comforted, that they again return to
temporal strife, who once by a triumphant death have overcome the world,
and escaped from its miseries to be crowned with glory with Christ.
But the impious Herod did not enjoy his kingdom in long healthfulness, for
without delay the divine vengeance came {87} upon him, which afflicted him
with manifold misery, and also manifested in what torments he must after
death eternally suffer. An unspeakable disease seized him; his body burned
without with a lasting heat, and all within he was inflamed and bursten. He
had great craving for food, but yet with no viands could he satisfy his
voracity, and fearfully rotted away, and dolefully fetched sighs, so that
he could with difficulty breathe. Dropsy came on him, beneath the girdle,
to that degree that his members swarmed with vermin, and stinking venom
ever flowed from his swollen feet. Unbearable palsies spread over his whole
body, and incredible inflation afflicted his entrails. Stinking vapour
proceeded from his mouth, so that hardly any leech could approach him. Many
of the leeches he slew; he said that they might heal him and would not.
Constant sleeplessness afflicted him, so that he passed the whole night
without sleep; and if he dozed a little, nightly phantoms immediately
tormented him, so that he repented of his sleep. As he with violent longing
desired his life, he commanded to be conveyed over the river Jordan, where
there were hot baths, which were said to be salutary to diseased bodies. It
then seemed good to his leeches that they should bathe him in lukewarm oil.
But when he was led to this bathing, the body was all relaxed, so that his
eyes turned to the likeness of dead men's, and he lay speechless, without
sense. When he came to, he commanded to be borne to the city of Jericho.
When he was hopeless of life he called to him all the Jewish elders from
every city, and ordered them to be confined in prison, and sent for his
sister Salome and her husband Alexander, and said, "I know that this Jewish
people will greatly rejoice at my death; but I may have an honourable
funeral attendance of a mourning multitude, if ye will obey my commands. As
soon as I depart, slay all the Jewish elders whom {89} I have confined in
prison, then will their relations be compelled to mourn, who will rejoice
at my departure." He then appointed his soldiers to that slaughter, and
commanded fifty shillings as reward to be given to each of them, that they
might not withdraw their hands from the shedding of blood. When he was
tormented with intense agony he wickedly commanded his own son Antipater to
be killed, in addition to the two whom he had killed previously. At last,
when he was sensible of his death's approach, he commanded them to reach
him his knife to shred an apple, and violently stabbed himself, so that it
quaked in him. Such was the death of Herod, who wickedly machinated on the
coming of the heavenly Prince, and impiously killed the innocent little
ones, his equals in age.
Lo, then, God's angel, after the death of Herod, appeared to Joseph in a
dream, in the land of Egypt, thus saying, "Arise, and take the child
together with his mother, and go again to the land of Israel; for they are
dead, who machinated against the child's life." He then arose, as the angel
had commanded him, and conveyed the child with the mother to the land of
Israel. Then Joseph learned that Archelaus reigned in Judaea after Herod
his father, and he durst not approach his presence. Then again he was
admonished in a dream that he should go to Galilee, because the country
there was not quite so near to the king, though it was in his kingdom. The
child then dwelt in the city which is called Nazareth, that the prophecy
might be fulfilled, which said, that he should be called a Nazarene. The
angel said to Joseph, "They are dead who machinated against the child's
life." With that word he manifested that more of the Jewish elders
meditated the slaying of Christ; but it befell them very rightly, that they
with their impious lord all perished.
We will not longer extend this narrative, lest it may seem tedious to you,
but will pray for the intercession of these innocent martyrs for you. They
are those who follow Christ {91} in white garments, whithersoever he goeth;
and they stand before his throne, without any impurity, having their
palm-twigs in hand, and sing the new hymn in honour of the Almighty, who
liveth and ruleth ever without end. Amen.
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