Kingdom Parables

M. M. NINAN
his head; he was accordingly seized, severely tortured, and then burned
alive.
All the Christians were apprehended and imprisoned; and Galerius
privately ordered the imperial palace to be set on fire, that the Christians
might be charged as the incendiaries, and a plausible pretense given for
carrying on the persecution with the greater severities. A general
sacrifice was commenced, which occasioned various martyrdom. No
distinction was made of age or sex; the name of Christian was so
obnoxious to the pagans that all indiscriminately fell sacrifices to their
opinions. Many houses were set on fire, and whole Christian families
perished in the flames; and others had stones fastened about their necks,
and being tied together were driven into the sea. The persecution
became general in all the Roman provinces, but more particularly in the
east; and as it lasted ten years, it is impossible to ascertain the numbers
martyred, or to enumerate the various modes of martyrdom.
Racks, scourges, swords, daggers, crosses, poison, and famine, were
made use of in various parts to dispatch the Christians; and invention
was exhausted to devise tortures against such as had no crime, but
thinking differently from the votaries of superstition.
A city of Phrygia, consisting entirely of Christians, was burnt, and all the
inhabitants perished in the flames.
This was the bloodiest of all persecution until it was stayed by
Constantine.
3.8 TWO PRONGED ATTACK BY THE ENEMY
As we saw the enemy - The Evil One and the evil ones of this world
combined their forces in a two pronged continued attack to destroy the
sown word of God. This attempt started with the birth of Jesus when
we have the attempt of Herod to kill the child Jesus. Satan tempted Jesus
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