Section 379
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348 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. and finally enjoyed a death really happy and blessed, being the only one of the four that in the midst of a tranquil and glorious reign, at his death, transmitted the government to his own son as his successor, a prince most eminent in all respects for his wisdom and piety. He, at the very beginning, was proclaimed supreme emperor and Augustus, by the armies, and exhibited himself a generous rival of his father's piety, with regard to us. Such then, was the issue of the life of the four emperors, at dif ferent times. Of these the only one that yet left the abovementined confession, was he whom we mentioned above, together with those whom he had afterwards associated with him in the government, which confession also, he sent abroad in his procla mation to all. The following we also found appended to the eighth Book. THIS was the eighth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month of Xanthicus, which one would call April according to the Romans, about the time when the paschal festival of our Sa viour took place, when Flavianus was governor of Palestine. Suddenly edicts were published every where to raze the churches to the ground, and to destroy the sacred Scriptures in the flames, to strip those that were in honour of their dignities, and to de prive the freedmen of their liberty if any persisted in the Chris tian profession. Such was the first violence of this edict against us ; but it was not long before other mandates were issued, in which it was ordered that the prelates of the churches should first be cast into prison everywhere, and then compelled by every artifice to offer the sacrifice.