... the sacrifice of life," as these martyrs were "witnesses" on behalf of their faith. In bible, martyr was described as the one who bears witness of the truth and suffers death in the cause of Christ. The bible also went on to say that Stephen was the first martyr. In 978 King of England was murdered by his stepmother. Miracles were reported at his grave and he was popularly regarded as a martyr. During the next few years the definition of the word underwent a sea-change. In 1340 a martyr was described as someone who dies in an evil cause, or in a cause perceived as opposed to right, usually with modifying word such as devil. In 1661 a martyr was defined as a person who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce faith in Christ or obedience to his teachings. This definition was formerly applied to Charles I by ...

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