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BUT we must here mention certain circumstances that occurred at
Edessa in Mesopotamia. There is in that city a magnificent church
dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, wherein, on account of the
sanctity of the place, religious assemblies are incessantly held. The
Emperor Valens wishing to inspect this edifice, and having learnt
that all who usually congregated there were opposed to the heresy which
he favored, he is said to have struck the prefect with his own hand,
because he had neglected to expel them thence also. As the prefect
after submitting to this ignominy, was most unwillingly constrained to
subserve the emperor's indignation against them,-- for he did not
desire to effect the slaughter of so great a number of persons, --he
privately suggested that no one should be found there. But no one gave
heed either to his admonitions or to his menaces; for on the following
day they all crowded to the church. And when the prefect was going
towards it with a large military force in order to satisfy the
emperor's rage, a poor woman leading her own little child by the hand
hurried hastily by, on her way to the church, breaking through the
ranks of the prefect's company of soldiers. The prefect irritated at
this, ordered her to be brought to him, and thus addressed her:
Wretched woman! whither are you running in so disorderly a manner?'
She replied, 'To the same place that others are hastening.' Have
you not heard,' said he, ' that the prefect is about to put to death
all that shall be found there ?' 'Yes,' said the woman, 'and
therefore I hasten that I may be found there.' 'And whither are
you dragging that little child?' said the prefect: the woman
answered, 'That he also may be made worthy of martyrdom.' The
prefect on hearing these things, conjecturing that a similar resolution
actuated the others who were assembled there, immediately went back to
the emperor, and informed him that all were ready to die in behalf of
their own faith. He added that it would be preposterous to destroy so
many persons at one time, and thus persuaded the emperor to control his
wrath. In this way were the Edessenes preserved from being massacred
by order of their sovereign.
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