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History of the Christian Church* a Grace Notes course History of the Christian Church By Philip Schaff VOLUME 2. Second Period – Ante-Nicene Christianity, A.D. 100 - 311 1 Chapter 2: Persecution of Christianity and Christian Martyrdom 1 Editor: Warren Doud History of the Christian Church VOLUME 2. Second Period, Ante-Nicene Christianity, AD 100 - 311 Table of Contents Chapter 2. Persecution of Christianity and Christian Martyrdom...................................................3 2.12 Literature ................................................................................................................................... 3 2.13 General Survey........................................................................................................................... 3 2.14 Jewish Persecution .................................................................................................................... 5 2.15. Causes of Roman Persecution ................................................................................................... 7 2.16. Condition of the Church before the Reign of Trajan ................................................................. 9 2.17. Trajan. A.D.98–117—Christianity Forbidden ........................................................................... 10 2.18. Hadrian. A.D. 117–138 ............................................................................................................. 12 2.19. Antoninus Pius. A.D.137–161. The Martyrdom of Polycarp .................................................... 12 2.20. Persecutions under Marcus Aurelius. A.D.161–180 ................................................................. 14 2.21. Condition of the Church from Septimius Severus to Philip the Arabian. A.D.193–249 ........... 16 2.22. Persecutions under Decius, and Valerian. A.D.249–260. Martyrdom of Cyprian .................... 17 2.23. Temporary Repose. A.D.260–303............................................................................................. 19 2.24. The Diocletian Persecution, A.D.303–311 ................................................................................ 19 2.25. The Edicts of Toleration. A.D.311–313 ..................................................................................... 22 2.26. Christian Martyrdom ............................................................................................................... 24 2.27. Rise of the Worship of Martyrs and Relics .............................................................................. 28 History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff 3 CH202: Volume 2, Chapter 2 a Grace Notes course Chapter 2. Persecution of Christianity and Kaiserherrschaft und des Christenthums. Berl. 1847. Christian Martyrdom KRITZLER: Die Heldenzeiten des Christenthums. 2.12 Literature Vol. i. Der Kampf mit dem Heidthum. Leipz. 1856. I. SOURCES: FR. W. GASS: Das christl. Maertyrerthum in den ersten Jahrhunderten. 1859–60 (in Niedner’s EUSEBIUS: H. E., particularly Lib. viii. and ix. “Zeitschrift fuer Hist. Theol.” for 1859, pp. 323– LACTANTIUS: De Mortibus persecutorum. 392, and 1860, pp. 315–381). The Apologies of JUSTIN MARTYR, MINUCIUS FELIX, F. OVERBECK: Gesetze der roem. Kaiser gegen die TERTULLIAN, and ORIGEN, and the Epistles of Christen, in his Studien zur Gesch. der alten CYPRIAN. Kirche, I. Chemn. 1875. THEOD. RUINART: Acta primorum martyrum B. AUBÉ: Histoire des persécutions de l’église sincera et selecta. Par. 1689; 2nd ed. Amstel. jusqu’ à la fin des Antonins. 2nd ed. Paris 1875 1713 (covering the first four cent.). (Crowned by the Académie française). By the Several biographies in the Acta Sanctorum. same: Histoire des persécutions de l’église, La Antw. 1643 sqq. polémique paÿenne à la fin du II. siècle, 1878. Les Les Acts des martyrs depuis l’origine de l’église Chréstiens dans l’empire romain, de la fin des Chrétienne jusqu’à nos temps. Traduits et publiés Antonins au milieu du IIIe siécle (180–249), par les R. R. P. P bénédictins de la congreg. de 1881. L’église et L’état dans la seconde moitié du France. Par. 1857 sqq. IIIe siécle, 1886. The Martyrol. Hieronymianum (ed. Florentini, K. WIESELER: Die Christenverfolgungen der Luc. 1668, and in Migne’s Patrol. Lat. Opp. Caesaren, Hist. und chronol. untersucht. Hieron. xi. 434 sqq.); the Martyrol. Romanum Guetersloh, 1878. (ed. Baron. 1586), the Menolog. Graec. (ed. GERH. UHLHORN: Der Kampf des Christenthums Urbini, 1727); DE ROSSI, ROLLER, and other works mit dem Heidenthum. 3d ed. Stuttgart, 1879. on the Roman Catacombs. Engl. transl. by Smyth & Ropes, 1879. II. WORKS. THEOD. KEIM: Rom und das Christenthum. Berlin, JOHN FOXE (or Fox, d. 1587): Acts and Monuments 1881. of the Church (commonly called Book of E. RENAN: Marc-Aurèle. Paris, 1882, pp. 53–69. Martyrs), first pub. at Strasburg 1554, and Basle 1559; first complete ed. fol. London 1563; 9th ed. 2.13 General Survey fol. 1684, 3 vols. fol.; best ed. by G. Townsend, The persecutions of Christianity during the Lond. 1843, 8 vols. 8o.; also many abridged first three centuries appear like a long editions. Foxe exhibits the entire history of tragedy: first, foreboding signs; then a Christian martyrdom, including the Protestant succession of bloody assaults of heathenism martyrs of the middle age and the sixteenth upon the religion of the cross; amidst the century, with polemical reference to the church of Rome as the successor of heathen Rome in dark scenes of fiendish hatred and cruelty the the work of blood persecution. “The Ten Roman bright exhibitions of suffering virtue; now persecutions” are related in the first volume. and then a short pause; at last a fearful and desperate struggle of the old pagan empire KORTHOLDT: De persecutionibus eccl. primcevae. Kiel, 1629. for life and death, ending in the abiding victory of the Christian religion. Thus this GIBBON: chap. xvi. bloody baptism of the church resulted in the MUENTER: Die Christen im heidnischen Hause vor birth of a Christian world. It was a repetition Constantin. Copenh. 1828. and prolongation of the crucifixion, but SCHUMANN VON MANSEGG (R.C.): Die Verfolgungen followed by a resurrection. der ersten christlichen Kirche. Vienna, 1821. Our Lord had predicted this conflict, and W. AD. SCHMIDT: Geschichte der Denk u. Glaubensfreiheit im ersten Jahrhundert der prepared His disciples for it. History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff 4 CH202: Volume 2, Chapter 2 a Grace Notes course “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the and prove the world-conquering power of midst of wolves. They will deliver you up to faith. councils, and in their synagogues they will NUMBER OF PERSECUTIONS scourge you; yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for My sake, for a From the fifth century it has been customary testimony to them and to the Gentiles. And to reckon ten great persecutions: under Nero, brother shall deliver up brother to death, Domitian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius and the father his child: and children shall Severus, Maximinus, Decius, Valerian, rise up against parents, and cause them to Aurelian, and Diocletian. This number was be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all suggested by the ten plagues of Egypt taken men for My name’s sake: but he that as types (which, however, befell the enemies endures to the end, the same shall be of Israel, and present a contrast rather than a saved.” parallel), and by the ten horns of the Roman beast making war with the Lamb, taken for so These, and similar words, as well as the many emperors. recollection of the crucifixion and resurrection, fortified and cheered many a But the number is too great for the general confessor and martyr in the dungeon and at persecutions, and too small for the provincial the stake. and local. Only two imperial persecutions— those, of Decius and Diocletian—extended The persecutions proceeded first from the over the empire; but Christianity was always Jews, afterwards from the Gentiles, and an illegal religion from Trajan to Constantine, continued, with interruptions, for nearly and subject to annoyance and violence three hundred years. History reports no everywhere. mightier, longer and deadlier conflict than this war of extermination waged by heathen Some persecuting emperors—Nero, Rome against defenseless Christianity. It was Domitian, Galerius, were monstrous tyrants, a most unequal struggle, a struggle of the but others—Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Decius, sword and the cross; carnal power all on one Diocletian—were among the best and most side, moral power all on the other. It was a energetic emperors, and were prompted not struggle for life and death. One or the other of so much by hatred of Christianity as by zeal the combatants must succumb. A compromise for the maintenance of the laws and the was impossible. power of the government. On the other hand, some of the most worthless emperors— The future of the world’s history depended on Commodus, Caracalla, and Heliogabalus— the downfall of heathenism and the triumph were rather favorable to the Christians from of Christianity. Behind the scene were the sheer caprice. All were equally ignorant of the powers of the invisible world, God and the true character of the new religion. prince of darkness. Justin, Tertullian, and other confessors traced the persecutions to THE RESULT Satan and the demons, though they did not The long and bloody war of heathen Rome ignore the human and moral aspects; they against the church, which is built upon a rock, viewed them also as a punishment for past utterly failed. It began in Rome under Nero, it sins,
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