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AfTER a reign of seven years Philip was succeeded by Decius. On
account of his hatred of Philip, he commenced a persecution of the
churches, in which Fabianus suffered martyrdom at Rome, and
Cornelius succeeded him in the episcopate. In Palestine,
Alexander, bishop of the church of Jerusalem, was brought again on
Christ's account before the governor's judgment seat in Caesarea,
and having acquitted himself nobly in a second confession was cast into
prison, crowned with the hoary locks of venerable age. And after his
honorable and illustrious confession at the tribunal of the governor,
he fell asleep in prison, and Mazabanes became his successor in the
bishopric of Jerusalem. Babylas in Antioch, having like Alexander
passed away in prison after hi confession, was succeeded by Fabius in
the episcopate of that church.
But how many and how great things came upon Origen in the
persecution, and what was their final result, as the demon of evil
marshaled all his forces, and fought against the man with his utmost
craft and power, assaulting him beyond all others against whom he
contended at that time, and what and how many things he endured for the
word of Christ, bonds and bodily tortures and torments under the iron
collar and in the dungeon; and how for many days with his feet
stretched four spaces in the stooks he bore patiently the threats of
fire and whatever other things were inflicted by his enemies; and how
his sufferings terminated, as his judge strove eagerly with all his
might not to end his life; and what words he left after these things,
full of comfort to those needing aid, a great many of his epistles show
with truth and accuracy.
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