Section 374
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 343 cerated and galled with torturing instruments in their sides, to as certain whether they had come from the enemy of the opposite party, and at last were subjected either to the punishment of the cross or of fire. Besides these things, one saw every where shields and coats of mail preparing, darts and javelins and other implements of war ; and in every place, also, were collections of galleys and naval armour. Neither was there any thing expect ed any where but the attacks of enemies from day to day. Be sides this, famine and pestilence were superadded, of wjiich we shall relate what is most important in its proper place. CHAPTER XVI. The change of affairs for the better. SUCH was the state of things throughout the whole period of the persecution. This, by the goodness of God, had entirely ceased in the tenth year, although it had already begun to relax after the eighth. For when the kindness of God's providence regarded us again with a gracious and merciful eye, then indeed our rulers, and those very persons who were formerly the princi pal agents of the persecutions, most remarkably changed in their sentiments, began to recant, and attempted to extinguish the blaze of persecution kindled against us by mild proclamations and or dinances. But this was not done by any mere human agency, nor was it, as might perhaps be supposed, by the compassion or the humanity of our rulers. For, so far from this, they were daily devising more and severer measures against us from the beginning of the persecution until then, constantly inventing new tortures from time to time by an increasing variety of machinery and instruments for this purpose. But the evident superinten dence of divine Providence, on the one hand, being reconciled to his people, and on the other assailing the author of these mise ries, exhibited his anger against him as the ringleader in the hor rors of the whole persecution. Though it had been necessary that these things should occur by some divine judgment, yet it is