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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. I.

The Lord has heard those supplications which you,

Chapter 2 ›

my

best

beloved

Donatus

,

pour

forth

in

His

presence

all

the

day

long

,

and

the

supplications

of

the

rest

of

our

brethren

,

who

by

a

glorious

confession

have

obtained

an

everlasting

crown

,

the

reward

of

their

faith

.

Behold

,

all

the

adversaries

are

destroyed

,

and

tranquillity

having

been

re

-

established

throughout

the

Roman

empire

,

the

late

oppressed

Church

arises

again

,

and

the

temple

of

God

,

overthrown

by

the

hands

of

the

wicked

,

is

built

with

more

glory

than

before

.

For

God

has

raised

up

princes

to

rescind

the

impious

and

sanguinary

edicts

of

the

tyrants

and

provide

for

the

welfare

of

mankind

;

so

that

now

the

cloud

of

past

times

is

dispelled

,

and

peace

and

serenity

gladden

all

hearts

.

And

after

the

furious

whirlwind

and

black

tempest

,

the

heavens

are

now

become

calm

,

and

the

wished

-

for

light

has

shone

forth

;

and

now

God

,

the

hearer

of

prayer

,

by

His

divine

aid

has

lifted

His

prostrate

and

afflicted

servants

from

the

ground

,

has

brought

to

an

end

the

united

devices

of

the

wicked

,

and

wiped

off

the

tears

from

the

faces

of

those

who

mourned

.

They

who

insulted

over

the

Divinity

,

lie

low

;

they

who

cast

down

the

holy

temple

,

are

fallen

with

more

tremendous

ruin

;

and

the

tormentors

of

just

men

have

poured

out

their

guilty

souls

amidst

plagues

inflicted

by

Heaven

,

and

amidst

deserved

tortures

.

For

God

delayed

to

punish

them

,

that

,

by

great

and

marvellous

examples

,

He

might

teach

posterity

that

He

alone

is

God

,

and

that

with

fit

vengeance

He

executes

judgment

on

the

proud

,

the

impious

,

and

the

persecutors

.

Of the end of those men I have thought good to publish a narrative, that all who are afar off, and all who shall arise hereafter, may learn how the Almighty manifested His power and sovereign greatness in rooting out and utterly destroying the enemies of His name. And this will become evident, when I relate who were the persecutors of the Church from the time of its first constitution, and what were the punishments by which the divine Judge, in His severity, took vengeance on them.

Notes

1
[See cap. 16, infra.]
2
[Let any one who visits Rome stand before the Arch of Constantine, and, while he looks upon it (as the mark of an epoch), let him at the same time behold the Colosseum close at hand, and there let him recall this noble chapter.]