Section 422
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 391 time, so that one now could see two or three dead bodies carried out at once. Such were the rewards of the pompous boasting of Maximinus, and of his edicts throughout the cities against us. Then, also, the evidences of the zeal and piety of the Christians became manifest and obvious to all, for they were the only ones in the midst of such distressing circumstances, that exhibited sympathy and humanity in their conduct. They continued the whole day, some in the care and burial of the dead, for number less were they for whom there was none to care ; others collect ing the multitude of those wasting by the famine throughout the city, distributed bread among all. So that the fact was cried abroad, and men glorified the God of the Christians, constrained as they were, by the facts, to acknowledge that these were the only really pious and the only real worshippers of God. Whilst these things were thus doing, God, the great and celestial defender of the Christians, who exhibited his indignation and anger against men by these calamities, on account of the excesses committed against us, restored the benign and smiling brightness of his pro vidence toward us, so that by a most wonderful concurrence of events, the light of his peace again began to shine upon us as from the midst of the densest darkness. Showing plainly to all, that God himself has been the ruler of our affairs at all times ; who sometimes, indeed, chastens and visits his people by various trials, from time to time, but after he has sufficiently chastened, again exhibits his mercy and kindness to those that trust in him. CHAPTER IX. The death of the tyrants, and their expressions before their end. CONSTANTINE, whom we have already mentioned as an em peror born of an emperor, the pious son of a most pious and virtuous father, and Licinius next to him, were both in great esteem for their moderation and piety. These two pious rulers had been excited by God, the universal sovereign, against the