Excerpt from Fox's Book of Martyrs, or the Acts and Monuments of the Christian Church: Being a Complete History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Deaths of the Christian Martyrs; From the Commencement of Christianity to the Present Period; To Which Is Added an Account of the Inquisition

The next martyr we ineet with, according to St. Luke, in the History of the Apostles' Acts, was James the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and a relative of our Lord; for his mother Salome was cousin-genrian to the Virgin Mary. They were men of warm tempers, and, therefore, surnamed Bo anerges by Christ; yet these two and Peter had the more special confidence of our Saviour, and were on that account objects of unreasonable caution. It was not until ten years after the death of Stephen, that the second martyrdom took place; for no sooner had Herod A 'p pa been appointed governor of J udaaa, Elan, with a view to ingratiate himself with them, he raised a sharp persecution against the Christians, and determined to make an effec tual blow, by striking at their leaders. James, as an active propagator of the gospel, was the first object of his zeal, and he condemned him to death with little ceremony, and ordered him to be executed without delay. The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Cle mens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of mm tyrdom, his accuser-was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing him self a Christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both beheaded at the same time. Thus did the first apostolic martyr cheer fully and resolutely receive that cup, which he had told our Saviour he was ready to drink.

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