Martyrs Mirror 336JOHN, A TRADESMAN AT CORDOVA, SEVERELY SCOURGED FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, SET REVERSELY UPON AN ASS, MOCKED, AND MISERA; BLY TORMENTED, A. D. 850

A. D. 850, in the city of Cordova, John, an unlearned, but pious man, who kept a few things for sale, was accused to the judge, by false witnesses, for the sake of Jesus Christ, of deriding and reviling Mohammed. But as the witnesses in this case were not found reliable enough in their accusations, to condemn him to death, this faithful servant of God was sentenced to be severely scourged, and constrained to deny Christ. But this pious professor of Christ cried aloud: That he would not forsake the Christian religion unto death, and declared that he was innocent of the false accusations which had been brought against him.

This firmness so enraged the judge against John, that he had him scourged with more than five hundred stripes, causing the executioners to continue beating him, till he, under their hands, fell to the ground apparently dead. But as he still lived and breathed after this torture, they set him backwards on an ass, and led him through the whole city, from street to street, with a crier, who cried: "Thus shall it be done with the revilers of our prophet, and with the ridiculers of our worship."

This done they fettered him with heavy chains, and put hirri in prison; but as to how he finally died, we have not been able to discover in the accounts of the ancients; this much, however, is certain, that he contended for the name of Christ even unto blood. Compare Eulog. Memorial. Sanctor., lib. 1, with the account of Abr. Mellinus, Zd book, fol. 307, Col. 1 ; 2 .

NOTE. From a want of fuller records by the ancient writers, we have not been able to obtain further information regarding the cause of the martyrdom of the above mentioned John, than that being zealous of the truth of God and his Saviour, he suffered principally for the second article of our general Christian faith, in which we confess that we believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; which justly, and according to the rule of God's Word, can be called a good profession, I Tim. 6:12 .

Moreover, we have found nothing derogatory to his faith, of papal superstition or the like, in other points; notwithstanding in the city of Cordova, where he suffered, there were also people, who, it appears, were not free from the Roman pollutions; of which history has made mention. Hence, since nothing of this kind can be laid to his charge, we are bound, according to the nature of love, to judge the best both of his person and the other points of his faith, and this not only with regard to him, but also to others, who suffered for the same reason, and of whom the ancients, in regard to this matter, have given like testimony.