A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

288 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[262]Such was the original edict against us. But not long afterother decrees were issued, commanding that all the rulers ofthe churches everywhere should be first thrown into prison, andafterward compelled by every means to sacrifice.Ch. 6:8. Such things occurred in Nicomedia at the beginningof the persecution. But not long after, as persons in thecountry called Melitina and others throughout Syria attempted tousurp the government, a royal edict commanded that the rulersof the churches everywhere be thrown into prison and bonds.What was to be seen after this exceeds all description. A vastmultitude were imprisoned in every place; and the prisons everywhere,which had long before been prepared for murderers andgrave-robbers, were filled with bishops, presbyters and deacons,readers and exorcists, so that room was no longer left in themfor those condemned for crimes. And as other decrees followedthe first, directing that those in prison, if they sacrificed, shouldbe permitted to depart from the prison in freedom, but that thosewho refused should be harassed with many tortures, how couldany one again number the multitude of martyrs in every province,and especially those in Africa and Mauretania, and Thebais andEgypt?(c) Edict of Galerius, A.D. 311. Eusebius, Hist. Ec., VIII. 17.(MSG, 20:792.) Cf. Preuschen, Analecta, I, § 21:5.This may also be found in Lactantius. De Mortibus Persecutorum,ch. 34. It is known as the “Edict of Three Emperors,”as it was issued from Nicomedia in the name of Galerius,Constantine, and Licinius. The date is April 30, 311. By itthe persecution was not wholly ended. Galerius died in thenext month, but Maximinus Daza resumed the persecution.There was for six months, however, some mitigation of thepersecutions in the East, granted at the request of Constantine.