Section 353
The text on this page is estimated to be only 28.47% accurate
322 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, this way he supposed that the rest could easily be taken, if he could first succeed in subduing these. Then one could see great numbers of the military, most cheerfully embracing a private life, so as not to renounce their reverence for the Supreme Creator of the universe. For when the general, whoever he was, first undertook the persecution against the soldiers, he began by a re view and lustration of those that were enrolled in the army, and gave them their choice, either to enjoy the honour conferred upon them if they obeyed, or on the contrary to be deprived of this, if they disobeyed the command. Very many who were sol diers in the kingdom of Christ, without hesitating, preferred the confession of his name to that apparent glory and comfort which they enjoyed, and of these a few here and there exchanged their honours, not only for degradation but even for death, for their perseverance in religion. These last, however, were not yet many, as the great instigator of these violent measures had, as yet, but moderately proceeded, and ventured only so far as to shed the blood of some only. The great number of the believers, probably deterred and caused him to shrink from a general attack upon all ; but when he began to arm more openly, it is impossible to tell how many and how eminent those were that presented themselves in every place and city and country, as martyrs in the cause of Christ. CHAPTER V. The affairs of Nicomedia. i IMMEDIATELY on the first promulgation of the edict, a certain man of no mean origin, but highly esteemed for his temporal dig nities, as soon as the decree was published against the churches in Nicomedia, stimulated by a divine zeal, and exerted by an ardent faith, took it as it was openly placed and posted up for public inspection, and tore it to pieces as a most profane and wicked act. This, too, was done when two of the Cesar's were