Section 412
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 381 acts, to execute the imperial mandate ; conducting those forth who had been imprisoned by them on account of their faith, they set them at liberty, and dismissing those who had been consigned as a punishment to the mines. For this in mistake they supposed to be the true intention of the emperor. When these things had thus been executed, all on a sudden, like a flash of light blazing from dense darkness, in every city, one could see congregations collected, assemblies thronged, and the accus tomed meeting held in the same places. Every one of the heathen was not a little astonished at these appearances, both amazed at the singular change of affairs, and exclaiming that the God of the Christians was the only great and true God. Those of our brethren who had faithfully and manfully passed through the conflict of persecution, also again obtained great pri vileges with all. But those who had deserted their faith, and had been shaken in their souls by the tempest, eagerly hasten ed to their remedy, supplicating and entreating the strong to give them the right hand of safety, and imploring God to be merciful unto them. Then, also, these noble wrestlers of reli gion, liberated from the hardships of labouring in the mines, were dismissed every one to his own country. Joyous and cheer ful they proceeded through every city, filled with an inexpres sible pleasure and a confidence which language is inadequate to explain. Numerous bodies thus pursued their journey through the public highways and markets, celebrating the praises of God in songs and psalms. And they who a little before had been driven in bonds under a most merciless punishment, from their respective countries, you could now see regaining their homes and firehearths, with bright and exhilarated countenances; so that even they who before had exclaimed against us, seeing the wonder, beyond all expectation congratulated us on these events.