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Of the Manner in Which the Persecutors Died

Lactantius

Chapter 52

About this work

Author: Lactantius

Chap. LII.

I relate all those things on the authority of

well

-

informed

persons

;

and

I

thought

it

proper

to

commit

them

to

writing

exactly

as

they

happened

,

lest

the

memory

of

events

so

important

should

perish

,

and

lest

any

future

historian

of

the

persecutors

should

corrupt

the

truth

,

either

by

suppressing

their

offences

against

God

,

or

the

judgment

of

God

against

them

.

To

His

everlasting

mercy

ought

we

to

render

thanks

,

that

,

having

at

length

looked

on

the

earth

,

He

deigned

to

collect

again

and

to

restore

His

flock

,

partly

laid

waste

by

ravenous

wolves

,

and

partly

scattered

abroad

,

and

to

extirpate

those

noxious

wild

beasts

who

had

trod

down

its

pastures

,

and

destroyed

its

resting

-

places

.

Where

now

are

the

surnames

of

the

Jovii

and

the

Herculii

,

once

so

glorious

and

renowned

amongst

the

nations

;

surnames

insolently

assumed

at

first

by

Diocles

and

Maximian

,

and

afterwards

transferred

to

their

successors

?

The

Lord

has

blotted

them

out

and

erased

them

from

the

earth

.

Let

us

therefore

with

exultation

celebrate

the

triumphs

of

God

,

and

oftentimes

with

praises

make

mention

of

His

victory

;

let

us

in

our

prayers

,

by

night

and

by

day

,

beseech

Him

to

confirm

for

ever

that

peace

which

,

after

a

warfare

of

ten

years

,

He

has

bestowed

on

His

own

:

and

do

you

,

above

all

others

,

my

best

beloved

Donatus

,

who

so

well

deserve

to

be

heard

,

implore

the

Lord

that

it

would

please

Him

propitiously

and

mercifully

to

continue

His

pity

towards

His

servants

,

to

protect

His

people

from

the

machinations

and

assaults

of

the

devil

,

and

to

guard

the

now

flourishing

churches

in

perpetual

felicity

.

Notes

1
[Let us recall our Lord’s forewarning: Matt. x. 16 and Luke x. 3.]