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The imperial edict of recantation, which has been quoted above, was
posted in all parts of Asia and in the adjoining provinces. After
this had been done, Maximinus, the tyrant in the East—a most
impious man, if there ever was one, and most hostile to the religion
of the God of the universe—being by no means satisfied with its
contents, instead of sending the above-quoted decree to the governors
under him, gave them verbal commands to relax the war against us. For
since he could not in any other way oppose the decision of his
superiors, keeping the law which had been already issued secret, and
taking care that it might not be made known in the district under him,
he gave an unwritten order to his governors that they should relax the
persecution against us. They communicated the command to each other in
writing. Sabinus, at least, who was honored with the highest
official rank among them, communicated the will of the emperor to the
provincial governors in a Latin epistle, the translation of which is
as follows:
With continuous and most devoted earnestness their Majesties, our
most divine masters, the emperors, formerly directed the minds of all
men to follow the holy and correct course of life, that those also who
seemed to live in a manner foreign to that of the Romans, should
render the worship due to the immortal gods. But the obstinacy and
most unconquerable determination of some went so far that they could
neither be turned back from their purpose by the just reason of the
command, nor be intimidated by the impending punishment.
Since therefore it has come to pass that by such conduct many have
brought themselves into danger, their Majesties, our most powerful
masters, the emperors, in the exalted nobility of piety, esteeming it
foreign to their Majesties' purpose to bring men into so great danger
for such a cause, have commanded their devoted servant, myself, to
write to thy wisdom, that if any Christian be found engaging in the
worship of his own people, thou shouldst abstain from molesting and
endangering him, and shouldst not suppose it necessary to punish any
one on this pretext. For it has been proved by the experience of so
long a time that they can in no way be persuaded to abandon such
obstinate conduct. Therefore it should be thy care to write to the
curators and magistrates and district overseers of every city, that
they may know that it is not necessary for them to give further
attention to this matter.
Thereupon the rulers of the provinces, thinking that the purpose of
the things which were written was truly made known to them, declared
the imperial will to the curators and magistrates and prefects of the
various districts in writing. But they did not limit themselves to
writing, but sought more quickly to accomplish the supposed will of the
emperor in deeds also. Those whom they had imprisoned on account of
their confession of the Deity, they set at liberty, and they released
those of them who had been sent to the mines for punishment; for they
erroneously supposed that this was the true will of the emperor. And
when these things had thus been done, immediately, like a light
shining forth in a dark night, one could see in every city
congregations gathered and assemblies thronged, and meetings held
according to their custom. And every one of the unbelieving heathen
was not a little astonished at these things, wondering at so marvelous
a transformation, and exclaiming that the God of the Christians was
great and alone true.
And some of our people, who had faithfully and bravely sustained the
conflict of persecution, again became frank and bold toward all; but
as many as had been diseased in the faith and had been shaken in their
souls by the tempest, strove eagerly for healing, beseeching and
imploring the strong to stretch out to them a saving hand, and
supplicating God to be merciful unto them. Then also the noble
athletes of religion who had been set free from their sufferings in the
mines returned to their own homes. Happily and joyfully they passed
through every city, full of unspeakable pleasure and of a boldness
which cannot be expressed in words. Great crowds of men pursued their
journey along the highways and through the market-places, praising
God with hymns and psalms. And you might have seen those who a little
while before had been driven in bonds from their native countries under
a most cruel sentence, returning with bright and joyful faces to their
own firesides; so that even they who had formerly thirsted for our
blood, when they saw the unexpected wonder, congratulated us on what
had taken place.
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