"In Memory of the Bold"

Down throughout the ages thousands of men and women,

suffered wretched forms of persecution.

Standing firm in the midst o£ adversity,

under the hands of men who frothed for retribution.

Valiant sheep, meek and humble/ yet bold,

ones who would never flinch from the fire.

Proclaiming, "Jesus is Lord, by grace we are saved."

Never to recant, never to surrender, never to retire!

Foe these blessed martyrs knew deep in their hearts,

that Jesus is King and the God of their Salvation.

For they partook of His peace, His love, and His joy,

as joint—heirs with Christ, a chosen generation.

Their barbaric persecutors failed to comprehend, these lambs,

which the gates of Hell would not prevail against,

that Almighty God was on their side,

for they served God alone, by sworn allegiance.

Many were horrifically burned, roasted alive, mutilated,

disemboweled, tortured beyond recognition.

Although they never renounced their Jesus as Lord,

no, not even upon their brutal crucifixions.

If not by the grace of God and the boldness of the faithful,

religious freedom would far from exist.

Even so the vast pages of God's Holy Testaments,

would be as shadows lost in the blackened mist.

Therefore, let us never abort remembrance of these valiant

disciples of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ;

Faithful Stephen stoned, James beheaded, Thomas murdered, Simon crucified, Hark burned, Bartholomew crucified, Andrew crucified, Matthew murdered, James the brother of the Lord, was thrown from the heights of the Temple then murdered, Peter crucified head down, Paul beheaded, John exiled to Patmos, later dying in Ephesus. Ignatius of Syria devoured by lions, Polycarp of Smyrna murdered, two women, Perpetua and Felicitas murdered by gladiators, Pontianus of Rome murdered, a Roman senator, Pammachius and forty-two other Christians were all beheaded in one day and their heads set on the city gates, Calepodius drowned, a Roman nobleman, his family and servants were barbarously tortured and murdered. A noble lady, Martina beheaded, a Christian prelate, Hippolitus dragged to death by a wild horse. Hetrus of Alexandria beaten, stabbed, and stoned to death. A woman, Appollonia, was sentenced to be burned,

threw herself in the flames and died. Theodora and Didymus-beheaded, Origen of Alexandria at the age of 66 severely

tortured, Stephen of Rome beheaded, Saturnius dragged to death, Lawrence roasted alive, Alban beheaded, Felix of Rome beheaded, Agapetus beheaded, Severus beheaded, Marcus murdered by the stings of wasps. Telemachus murdered by gladiators. Jerome of Prague sang praises to God while being burned to death.

William White burned, Joan Boughton burned, John Rogers burned, John Hooper suffered for forty-five minutes in the firebefore dying, Rowland Taylor struck on the head with a halberd, spilling out his brains/ as his corpse fell into the fire.William Hunter burned, Rawlins White slowly burned to death, George Marsh burned, William Flower burned, John Cardmaker and

John Warne burned together, Thomas Hawkes burned, Thomas Watts burned, John Bradford and John Leaf burned together, John Bland burned, Christopher Waid burned, Carver and Launder burned, Thomas lveson burned, James Abbeys burned, John Denley sang praises while burned, Warne and Tankervil burned, The Glovers suffered horrific deaths, William Wolsey and Robert Pygot sang praises as they burned together. Ridley and Latimer burned together, Archbishop Cranmer burned, the Spurges, Cavill, Tims, Ambrose and Drake, six men tied to the same stake and burned. Laverock and Apprice, both disabled, burned together, Hut,

Homes and Thackvill burned together. Julius Palmer burned, Joan Waste burned, Alice Bendon burned, Richard Woodman burned, John Hullier burned, Miller and Cooper burned, Hunt, Alice, and Alien

burned together, Mrs. Joyce Lewis burned, William Petty a boy beaten and died. Gough and Driver burned, Hudson burned, also these vailiant others, William Lithgow, Isaac Martin, John Wycliffe, Sir William Sautre, John Badby, William Thorpe, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Frith, William Tyndale, John Lambert,

and thousands upon thousands of others, faithful soldiers of Christ Jesus. Integric warriors, who held strong to the Lord, leaving behind a legacy, they cherished, loved and adored. Those who lived for Christ Jesus until their final breath, those who overcame Satan, by the blood of Jesus, and by their testimony, and those who loved not their lives unto death.

Revelation 12:11

Jeffrey B. Quante IV

May 28, 2000