of the heathens* concerning them. Lucian** says they not only despised death, but many of them voluntarily offered themselves to it, out of a persuasion that they should be made immortal and live forever. This he reckons folly, and therefore gives them the name of [--------], 'The miserable wretches, that threw away their lives,' In which sense Porphyry*** also styles, the Christian religion, [--------] the barbarous boldness.' As Arrjus Antoninus**** terms the professors of it, [--------], The stupid wretches, that had such a mind to die; and the heathen in Minucius(v), homines deploratae ac desperate factionis, 'the men of the forlorn and desperate faction.' All which agrees with the name Biothanati, or Biaeothanati, as Baronius(vi) understands it* Though it may signify not only self-murderers, but (as a learned critic(xii) notes) men that expect to live after death. In which sense the heathens probably might use it likewise to ridicule the Christian doctrine of the resurrection; on which, they * Arrius Antonin. ap. Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4. Tiberias, in Joh. Malela Chronic. ** Lucian. de Mort Peregrin. *** Porphyr. ap. Euseb. Hist Eccl. 1. 6. c 19. **** Tertul. ibid. (v) Minuc. Octav. p. 25. (vi) Baron, an. 138. n. 5. (vii) Suicer. Thesaur. Ecclesiast 1.1. p. 690. {106} knew, all their fearless and undaunted courage was founded. For so the same heathen in Minucius endeavours to expose at once both their resolution and their belief: "O strange folly, and incredible madness!" says he; "they despise all present torments, and yet fear those that are future and uncertain: they are afraid of dying after death, but in the mean time do not fear to die. So vainly do they flatter themselves, and allay their fears, with the hopes of some reviving comforts after death." For one of these reasons then they gave them the name of _Biothanati_, which word expressly occurs in some of the acts of the ancient martyrs. Baronius observes* out of Bede's Martyrology, that when the seven sons of Symphorosa were martyred under Hadrian, their bodies were all cast into one pit together, which the temple-priests named from them, _Ad Septem Biothanatos_, 'The grave of the seven Biothanati.' For the same reasons they gave them the names of _Parabolarii and Desperati_, 'The bold and desperate men.' The Parabolarii, or Parabolani among the Romans were those bold adventurous men, who hired out themselves to fight with wild beasts upon the stage or amphitheatre, whence they had also the name of _Bestiarii, and Confectores_. Now because the * Baron, an. 138. n. 5. {107}