he Pyraeum, or temple of fire, the great
divinity of the Persians. King Isdegerdes threatened to demolish all the
churches of the Christians, unless he would rebuild it. Abdas had done
ill in destroying the temple, but did well in refusing to rebuild it;
for nothing can make it lawful to contribute to any act of idolatry, or
to the building a temple, as Theodoret observes. Isdegerdes therefore
demolished all the Christian churches in Persia, put to death Abdas, and
raised a general persecution against the Church, which continued forty
years with great fury. Isdegerdes died the year following, in 421. But
his son and successor, Varanes, carried on the persecution with greater
inhumanity. The very description which Theodoret, a contemporary writer,
and one that lived in the neighborhood gives of the cruelties he
exercised on the Christians, strikes us with {682} horror: some were
flayed alive in different parts of the body, and suffered all kinds of
torture that could be invented: others, being stuck all over with sharp
reeds, were hauled and rolled about in that condition; others were
tormented divers other ways, such as nothing but the most hellish malice
was capable of suggesting. Among these glorious champions of Christ was
St. Benjamin, a deacon. The tyrant caused him to be beaten and
imprisoned. He had lain a year in the dungeon, when an ambassador from
the emperor obtained his enlargement, on condition he should never speak
to any of the courtiers about religion. The ambassador passed his word
in his behalf that he would not: but Benjamin, who was a minister of the
gospel, declared that he could not detain the truth in captivity,
conscious to himself of the condemnation of the slothful servant for
having hid his talent. He therefore neglected no opportunity of
announcing Christ. The king, being informed that he still preached the
faith in his kingdom, ordered him to be apprehended; but the martyr made
no other reply to his threats than by putting this question to the king:
What opinion he would have of any of his subjects who should renounce
his allegiance to him, and join in war against him. The enraged tyrant
caused reeds to be run in between the nails and the flesh both of his
hands and feet, and the same to be thrust into other most tender parts,
and drawn out again, and this to be frequently repeated with violence.
He lastly ordered a knotty stake to be thrust into his bowels to rend
and tear them, in which torm