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Of Burning the Scriptures, and of Traitors. 549
tian religion in the' time of Nero, and afterwards particularly"
in the times followino the reign of Domitian.
3. He speaks'' of the coming of Antichrist: perhaps he
has therein an eye to the book of the Revelation.
4. Finally, he takes notice of the burning'^ of the christian
scriptures in Dioclesian's persecution.
CHAP. LXVl.
Of hurtling the scriptures, and of traitors, in the time of
Dioclesian's persecution.
1. EUSEBIUS assures us, that in the imperial edict for
Dioclesian's persecution in 303, it was expressly ordered,
not only that the christian churches should be demolished,
but also that^* their scriptures should be burned. And this
was one of the affecting scenes of that persecution, that'' he
had seen the sacred and divine scriptures burned in marketplaces.
2. This order shows that the heathen people were now sen-
sible of the importance of the scriptures, which the christians
made use of as the grounds of their religion, the rule of their
conduct, and the support of their steadiness and zeal.
* et per annos 25, usque ad principium Neroniani imperii per
omnes provincias et civitates ecclesiae fundamenta miserunt.—Qua re ad
Neronem delata, cum animadverteret, non modo Romae, sed ubique quotidie
magnam multitudinem deficere a cultu idolorum, et ad religionem novam,
damnata vetustate, transire—ib. c. 2.
* Rescissis igitur actis tyranni, non modo in statum pristinum ecclesia
restituta est, sed etiam miilto clarius ac floridiusenituit: secutisquetemporibus,
quibus niulti ac boni principes Romani imperii clavum regimenque tenuerunt,
nullos inimicorum impetus passa, manus suas in orientem occidenlemque
porrexit : ut jam nullus esset terrarum angulus tam remotus, quo non relig o
Dei penetrasset, nulla denique natio tam feris moribus vivens, ut non suscepto
Dei cultu ad justitiae opera niitesceret. cap. 3. fin.
''
ut, quia primus persecutus est, idem etiam novissimus persequatiir,
et antichristi praecedat adventum,—cap. 2.
•^ Qui dies cum illuxisset, repente adhuc dubia luce ad ecclesiam
profectus cum ducibus ac tribunis et rationalibus venit : et revulsis foribus
simulacrum Dei quaeritur, scripturae repertae incenduntur. cap. 12.
' — rag Se ypatpag a(pavtig irvpi yeveaOai vpo'^arrovra. H. E. 1. viii. c. 2.
p. 294.
'' — rag St tvOtag Kai itpag ypaipag Kara ^tffag ayopag Trrpi napaSidofiU'aQ
avTOig iTretSofiiv O(p9a\iioig. ib. p. 293. C.