occasionally suffered fearfully. But it was only in exceptional cases and sporadically that the laws were enforced. There was,

was the author of the measures against the Christians. Because the Church included many who had embraced the faith in the long period when the Church rarely felt the severity of the laws, many were unable to endure the persecution, and so apostatized or "fell." The persecution continued only for a short time in full intensity, but it was not abandoned for a number of years. I

g

cian-Valeria

reigns of Decius (249-251) and Valerian (253-260). Of the course of the persecution we have information bearing

, VII, 11, 15, 30: for original texts see Preuschen, Analecta, I, §§ 16, 17; also R. Knopf, Aus

ra Celsum, III,

es the probable approach of a per

is probable that the secure existence, so far as this life is concerned, which is enjoyed by believers at present will come to an end, since those who in every way calumniate the

ortibus Persecutorum

e Diocletian persecution. He was afterward tutor of Crispus, the son of Constantine. His work On the Death of the Persecutors is written in a bitter spirit, but excellent style. Although in some circles it has been customary to impeach the veraci

peace, however, was a

sed up to sovereign eminence, he began at once to rage against God, and at once to fall. For having undertaken an expedition against the Carpi, who had then occupied Dacia and M?sia, he was suddenly surrounded by t

ist. Ec., VI, 3

ution and the suf

he church of Jerusalem, was brought again on Christ's account before the governor's judgment seat in C?sarea, 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 i

time; and what and how many things the man 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 of the stocks he bore patiently the threats of fire and whatever oth

e Lapsis, 8-10

grown weak. The same phenomena appeared in the next great persecution, under Diocletian, after a long period of peace. De Lapsis was written in t

the magistrates at that time, when evening was coming on! How many even asked that their destruction might not be delayed! What violence can such a one plead, how can he purge his crime, when it was he himself who rather used force that he might perish? When they came voluntarily to the capitol-when they freely approached to the obedience of the terrible wickedness-did not their [pg 209] tread falter, did not their sight darken, their hearts tremble, their arms fall helplessly down, their senses become dull, their tongues cleave to their mouths, their speech fail? Could the servant of God s

ight be wanting to aggravate the crime, infants, also, in the arms of their parents, being either carried or conducted, lost, while yet little ones, what in the very beginning of their na

's estate was to be suffered. Yet to whom that is born and dies is there not a necessity at some time to leave his country and to

De Lapsis, 28

bribery had procured certificates that they had sacrificed, were known as libellatici. I

ciences with certificates. That profession of one who denies is the testimony of a Christian disowning what he has been. He says he has done what another has actually committed, and alt

From a papyrus

from the commission appointed to carry out the edict of persecution. It has been preserved these many centuries in the dry

Island, by Aurelius Diogenes, the son of Satabus, of the village of Alexand

d according to the regulations have offered, sacrificed, and partaken of the sacrificial

second

y as being present that D

st h

us Quintus Trajanus Decius, pious, happy, A

istula 80 (=82)

k of the Valerian persecution, a revival of the Dec

to the Senate, to the effect that bishops, presbyters, and deacons should be immediately punished; but that senators, men of rank, and Roman knights should lose their dignity and be deprived of their property; and if, when their property has been taken away, they should persist in being Christians, that they should then also lose their heads; but that matrons should be deprived of their property and banished. Moreover, people of C?sar's household, who had either confessed before or should now confess, should have their property confiscated, and be sent in chains and assigned to C?sar's estates. The Emperor Valeri

he spiritual conflict, that every one may think less of death than [pg 212] of immortality, and dedicated to the Lord with full faith and courage, they may rejoice rath

ersecution upon the In

zation of the Church and the administration of discipline. This claim of the martyrs was successfully overcome by the bishops, especially under Cyprian's leadership and example. But in the administration of discipline there were sure to arise difficulties and questions, e.g., Was there a distinction to be made in favor of those who had escaped witho

rian, Ep. 39-45, 51 (ANF, V); E

o ad Martyrium, 30, 5

e importance and

d to Protoctetus, a presbyter of C?sarea, who were in great danger during the persecution u

hat I am baptized with?" [Mark 10:38]. And in another place it is said: "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straightened until it be accomplished!" [Luke 12:50]. For be sure that just as the expiation of the cross was for the whole world, it (the baptism of martyrdom) is for the cure of many who are thereby cleansed. For as according to the law of Moses those placed near the altar are seen to minister forgiveness of sins to others through the blood

of Christ, who received the name that is above every name, s

l. ad Num., X, 2

t remain. We have them, however, in a Latin translation or paraphrase made b

sins of the people. Wherefore I fear, lest, perchance, inasmuch as there are made no martyrs, and sacrifices of saints are not offered for our sins, we will not receive remission of our sins. And therefore I fear, lest our sins remaining in us, it may happen to us what the Jews said of themselves, that not ha

stula 55, 14 (=5

h as to the libellatici.

which is not lawful, when the opportunity of receiving a certificate was offered (and I would not have received it, if the opportunity had not been offered) I either went or charged some one other person going to the magistrate to say that I am a Christian, that I am not allowed to sacrifice, that I cannot come to the devil's altars, and that I will pay a price for this purpose, that I may not do what is not lawful for me to do"! Now, however, even he who is st

ian, Epistula 16. (MSL,

fessors, and which a party in the Church regarded as mandatory upon the bishops. These

you as to what they have done since they committed their sin; and we wish to make this rescript known through you to the other bishops.

istula 43, 2, 3

psi in the Decian persecution. But it was at the same time the outcome of an opposition to Cyprian of longer st

eir confession with an uncorrupt and unspotted mode of life. And lest it should have been too little to have corrupted [pg 216] the minds of certain confessors and to have wished to arm a portion of our broken fraternity against God's priesthood, they have now applied themselves with their envenomed deceitfulness to the ruin of the lapsed, to turn away

ought about by the five presbyters, linked with Felicissimus, to the destruction of salvation, that God should not be besought, and that he who has denied Christ should not appeal for mercy to the same Christ whom he has denied; that after the fault of the crime repentance also should be taken away; and that satisfaction should not be made through bishops and priests, but, the Lord's priests being forsaken, a new tradition of sacrilegious appointment should arise contrary to the evangelical discipline. And although it was once a

ist. Ec., VI, 4

ssimus was in favor of more lenient treatment of those who had fallen, the schism of Novatian was in favor of greater

astors of the remaining provinces deliberated in their places by themselves concerning what ought to be done. A decree, accordingly, was confirmed by all that Novatus and those who joined with him, and those who adopted his brother-hating and inhuman opinion, should be considered by the Church as strangers; but that they should heal such of the brethren as had fallen into misfortune, and should minister to them with the medicines of repentance. There have come down to us epistle

g