Section 339
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308 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. receive letters of communion from him. But the other may write to Artemas if he pleases, and those that think with Arte mas may have communion with him." And this may suffice in this place. Paul, therefore, having thus fallen from the episco pate, together with the true faith, as already said, Domnus suc ceeded in the administration of the church at Antioch. But Paul being unwilling to leave the building of the church, an appeal was made to the emperor Aurelian, who decided most equitably on the business, ordering the building to be given up to those whom the Christian bishops of Italy and Rome should write. Thus, then, this man was driven out of the church with extreme disgrace, by the temporal power itself. And such was the dis position of Aurelian at this time ; but in the progress of his reign, he began to cherish different sentiments with regard to us, and then proceeded, influenced by certain advisers, to raise a persecu tion against us. And the rumor of this was now every where abroad. But whilst he was already on the point, and so to say, in the very act of subscribing the decrees, the divine vengeance overtook him, all but, as we might say, restraining him from his design at the very elbow, and illustriously proving to all, that there can be no privilege granted the rulers of the world against the churches of Christ, unless by the sovereign hand of God, and the decree of heaven permitting it to be done for our correction and amendment, and in those times and seasons that he may ap prove. Aurelian, therefore, after a reign of six years, was suc ceeded by Probus, and he held the government the same number of years, when he was succeeded by Cams, together with Carianus and Numerianus. These again did not continue three full years, when the government devolved on Diocletian, and those subsequently associated with him. In their times the per secution of our own day was begun, and the destruction of the churches at the same time ; but a little before this, Dionysius, who had been bishop of Rome for nine years, was succeeded by Felix.