How great and what manner of glory, together with freedom of speech, was accorded by all men, both Greeks and barbarians, to the word of piety toward the God of the universe which had been proclaimed to the world through Christ before the persecution of our day, is beyond our power worthily to relate.
Proofs of this might be found in the favourable welcome shown by the rulers toward our people, to whom they would even entrust the government of the nations, releasing them from the anguish over sacrificing, by reason of the great friendliness they maintained toward our teaching.
Why need one speak of those within the imperial households, and of all the chief rulers? These allowed the members of their own households—wives, children and servants—to practise openly to their face the divine word and conduct, well-nigh even permitting them to boast in the freedom of their faith; and these they esteemed above their fellow-servants, holding them in special favour.
Such a one was that Dorotheus, of all men most well-disposed and faithful toward them, and on this account honoured beyond those who held offices and the most esteemed governorships; and with him the renowned Gorgonius, and all who, like these, had been deemed worthy of the same honour for the sake of the word of God.
And one might see how the rulers in every church were deemed worthy of acceptance by all procurators and governors. And how could anyone describe those assemblies thronging with myriads, and the multitudes gathered in every city, and the notable concourses in the houses of prayer? On account of which, being no longer content with the ancient buildings, they raised up from the foundations spacious churches throughout all the cities.
And as these things advanced with the times, and day by day increased unto growth and greatness, no envy could restrain them, nor was any evil demon able to bewitch them or to hinder them by the plots of men, so long as the divine and heavenly hand sheltered and guarded its own people as being worthy.
But when, as a result of greater liberty, our affairs changed into laxity and sloth, some envying and reviling others, and we well-nigh warring upon ourselves, as it chanced, with weapons and spears of words, rulers clashing against rulers and peoples rising in faction against peoples, while unspeakable hypocrisy and pretence advanced to the utmost height of wickedness, the divine judgement, as is its wont, with sparing hand—while the assemblies were still being gathered—gently and moderately began to stir up its visitation, the persecution beginning with the brethren in the armies.
But when, being insensible, we were not eager to render the Deity gracious and propitious, but, like certain atheists, thought our affairs unheeded and unwatched, and went on adding wickedness upon wickedness—and those reckoned our shepherds, casting aside the ordinance of godliness, were inflamed with contentions against one another, doing nothing but heaping up strifes and threats, and rivalry and the enmity and hatred toward one another, eagerly vindicating their ambitions as though they were tyrannies—then indeed, then, according to the word spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord in His anger darkened the daughter of Zion, and cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel, and remembered not the footstool of His feet in the day of His anger; but the Lord also overwhelmed all the beauteous things of Israel, and threw down all his hedges.
And according to what was foretold in the Psalms, He overthrew the covenant of His servant, and profaned to the ground, through the destruction of the churches, His sanctuary, and threw down all his hedges, and turned his strongholds into cowardice. And all that pass by the way plundered the multitudes of the people, and moreover he became a reproach to his neighbours. For He exalted the right hand of his adversaries, and turned back the help of his sword, and did not take his part in the battle; but He also made him to cease from cleansing, and dashed his throne to the ground, and shortened the days of his time, and over all poured out shame upon him.