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| The Change of Affairs for the Better. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter
XVI.—The Change of Affairs for the
Better.
1. Such
was the state of affairs during the entire persecution. But in the
tenth year, through the grace of God, it ceased altogether, having
begun to decrease after the eighth year.2587
2587 The edict of Milan, issued by Constantine and Licinius toward the
close of the year 312 (upon the date, see Mason, p. 333, note) put an
end to the persecution in its tenth year, though complete toleration
was not proclaimed by Maximin until the following spring. Very soon
after the close of the eighth year, in April, 311, Galerius issued his
edict of toleration which is given in the next chapter. It is,
therefore, to the publication of this edict that Eusebius refers when
he says that the persecution had begun to decrease after the eighth
year. Maximin yielded reluctant and partial consent to this edict for a
few months, but before the end of the year he began to persecute again;
and during the year 312 the Christians suffered severely in his
dominions (see Bk. IX. chap. 2 sq.). | For when the divine and heavenly grace
showed us favorable and propitious oversight, then truly our rulers,
and the very persons2588
2588 The plural here seems a little peculiar, for the edict was issued
only in the name of Galerius, Constantine, and Licinius, not in the
name of Maximin. We have no record of Licinius as a persecutor before
this time, and Eusebius’ words of praise in the ninth book would
seem to imply that he had not shown himself at all hostile to the
Church. And in fact Licinius seems ruled out by §2, below, where
“they” are spoken of as having “from the beginning
devised more and more severe measures against us.” And yet, since
Constantine did not persecute, we must suppose either that Licinius is
included in Eusebius’ plural, or what is perhaps more probable,
that Eusebius thinks of the edict as proceeding from all four emperors
though bearing the names of only three of them. It is true that the
latter is rather a violent supposition in view of Eusebius’ own
words in the first chapter of Bk. IX. I confess that I find no
satisfactory explanation of the apparent inconsistency. | by whom the
war against us had been earnestly prosecuted, most remarkably changed
their minds, and issued a revocation, and quenched the great fire of
persecution which had been kindled, by merciful proclamations and
ordinances concerning us.
2. But this was not due to any
human agency; nor was it the result, as one might say, of the
compassion or philanthropy of our rulers;—far from it, for daily
from the beginning until that time they were devising more and more
severe measures against us, and continually inventing outrages by a
greater variety of instruments;—but it was manifestly due to the
oversight of Divine Providence, on the one hand becoming reconciled to
his people, and on the other, attacking him2589 who instigated these evils, and showing
anger toward him as the author of the cruelties of the entire
persecution.
3. For though it was necessary
that these things should take place, according to the divine judgment,
yet the Word saith, “Woe to him through whom the offense
cometh.”2590 Therefore
punishment from God came upon him, beginning with his flesh, and
proceeding to his soul.2591
2591 Galerius seems to have been smitten with the terrible disease,
which Eusebius here refers to, and which is described by Lactantius at
considerable length (De mort. pers. chap. 33) and with many
imaginative touches (e.g. the stench of his disease pervades “not
only the palace, but even the whole city”!), before the end of
the year 310, and his death took place in May of the following
year. |
4. For an abscess suddenly
appeared in the midst of the secret parts of his body, and from it a
deeply perforated sore, which spread irresistibly into his inmost
bowels. An indescribable multitude of worms sprang from them, and a
deathly odor arose, as the entire bulk of his body had, through his
gluttony, been changed, before his sickness, into an excessive mass of
soft fat, which became putrid, and thus presented an awful and
intolerable sight to those who came near.
5. Some of the physicians, being
wholly unable to endure the exceeding offensiveness of the odor, were
slain; others, as the entire mass had swollen and passed beyond hope of
restoration, and they were unable to render any help, were put to death
without mercy. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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