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WRESTLING with so many evils, he thought of the cruelties
which he had committed against the pious. Turning, therefore, his
thoughts toward himself, he first openly confessed to the God of the
universe, and then summoning his attendants, he commanded that without
delay they should stop the persecution of the Christians, and should
by law and royal decree, urge them forward to build their churches and
to perform their customary worship, offering prayers in behalf of the
emperor. Immediately the deed followed the word. The imperial
decrees were published in the cities, containing the revocation of the
acts against us in the following form:
"The Emperor Caesar Galerius Valerius Maximinus, Invictus,
Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, conqueror of the Germans, conqueror
of the Egyptians, conqueror of the Thebans, five times conqueror of
the Sarmatians, conqueror of the Persians, twice conqueror of the
Carpathians, six times conqueror of the Armenians, conqueror of the
Medes, conqueror of the Adiabeni, Tribune of the people the
twentieth time, Emperor the nineteenth time, Consul the eighth
time, Father of his country, Pro-consul; and the Emperor Caesar
Flavius Valerius Constantinus, Pins, Felix, Invictus,
Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribune of the people, Emperor the
fifth time, Consul, Father of his country, Proconsul; and the
Emperor Caesar Valerius Licinius, Pins, Felix, Invictus,
Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribune of the people the fourth
time, Emperor the third time, Consul, Father of his country,
Proconsul; to the people of their provinces, greeting:
"Among the other things which we have ordained for the public
advantage and profit, we formerly wished to restore everything to
conformity with the ancient laws and public discipline of the Romans,
and to provide that the Christians also, who have forsaken the
religion of their ancestors, should return to a good disposition. For
in some way such arrogance had seized them and such stupidity had
overtaken them, that they did not follow the ancient institutions which
possibly their own ancestors had formerly established, but made for
themselves laws according to their own purpose, as each one desired,
and observed them, and thus assembled as separate congregations in
various places. When we had issued this decree that they should return
to the institutions established by the ancients, a great many submitted
under danger, but a great many being harassed endured all kinds of
death.
And since many continue in the same folly, and we perceive that they
neither offer to the heavenly gods the worship which is due, nor pay
regard to the God of the Christians, in consideration of our
philanthropy and our invariable custom, by which we are wont to extend
pardon to all, we have determined that we ought most cheerfully to
extend our indulgence in this matter also; that they may again be
Christians, and may rebuild the conventicles in which they were
accustomed to assemble, on condition that nothing be done by them
contrary to discipline. In another letter we shall indicate to the
magistrates what they have to observe. Wherefore, on account of this
indulgence of ours, they ought to supplicate their God for our
safety, and that of the people, and their own, that the public
welfare may be preserved in every place, and that they may live
securely in their several homes."
Such is the tenor of this edict, translated, as well as possible,
from the Roman tongue into the Greek? It is time to consider what
took place after these events.
That which follows is found in Some Copies in the Eighth Book.
The author of the edict very shortly after this confession was released
from his pains and died. He is reported to have been the original
author of the misery of the persecution, having endeavored, long
before the movement of the other emperors, to turn from the faith the
Christians in the army, and first of all those in his own house,
degrading some from the military rank, and abusing others most
shamefully, and threatening still others with death, and finally
inciting his partners in the empire to the general persecution. It is
not proper to pass over the death of these emperors in silence.
As four of them held the supreme authority, those who were advanced in
age and honor, after the persecution had continued not quite two
years, abdicated the government, as we have already stated, and
passed the remainder of their lives in a common and private station.
The end of their lives was as follows. He who was first in honor and
age perished through a long and most grievous physical infirmity. He
who held the second place ended his life by strangling, suffering thus
according to a certain demoniacal prediction, on account of his many
daring crimes.
Of those after them, the last, of whom we have spoken as the
originator of the entire persecution, suffered such things as we have
related. But he who preceded him, the most merciful and kindly
emperor Constantius, passed all the time of his government in a manner
worthy of his office. Moreover, he conducted himself towards all most
favorably and beneficently. He took not the smallest part in the war
against us, and preserved the pious that were under him unharmed and
unabused. Neither did he throw down the church buildings, nor devise
anything else against us. The end of his life was happy and thrice
blessed. He alone at death left his empire happily and gloriously to
his own son as his successor, one who was in all respects most prudent
and pious. He entered on the government at once, being proclaimed
supreme emperor and Augustus by the soldiers; and he showed himself an
emulator of his father's piety toward our doctrine.
Such were the deaths of the four of whom we have written, which took
place at different times. Of these, moreover, only the one referred
to a little above by us,s with those who afterward shared in the
government, finally published openly to all the above-mentioned
confession, in the written edict which he issued.
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