Diocletian Tried to Destroy Christianity
JESUS told his followers: “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” From early times the Devil has used various means to turn men from their worship of Jehovah God. He has subtly employed materialism, appealing to a desire for the things of the world or the approval of men, interspersing that with violent opposition calculated to strike terror into the hearts of those yet firm; and should that fail to turn them aside, then by violence he has sought to destroy them, even as in the case of Christ Jesus.—John 15:20; Prov. 29:25.
Following the impalement of Christ persecution was heaped upon the Christian congregation by both the populace and the government. Severe persecutions flared up in various localities and then died out. But in the fourth century under Roman emperor Diocletian a demon-inspired empire-wide program was launched to stamp out every trace of Christianity. A medal of Diocletian testifying to the purge bears the inscription, “The name of Christians being extinguished.”1
The effects of Christianity could not go unnoticed in the Roman world. True worship is more than a mere form of devotion; it affects the entire way of life of those who practice it. And those who adhere to it believe it and persuasively speak of it to others. “The pagan priests, therefore, from well-grounded fears lest Christianity, to their great and lasting injury, should spread far and wide its triumphs, endeavoured to excite Diocletian, whom they knew to be both timid and credulous, by means of feigned oracles and other impositions, to engage in persecuting the Christians.”2 When their efforts failed to move the emperor they worked through his son-in-law Galerius, who controlled the northern part of the empire under Diocletian.
Galerius spent the winter in the palace at Nicomedia with the emperor. On February 23, A.D. 303, the day of the feast to the Roman god Terminus, the efforts of Galerius began to produce their rotten fruit when his men stormed the principal Christian meeting place in Nicomedia and, finding nothing else, burned copies of the Scriptures. The next day a general edict was issued: All Christian churches were to be demolished. Books and Bibles were to be burned. Civil rights were forfeit. Those of humble classes, if firm, were to be enslaved. Slaves could never be freed. Although at first “the magistrates were restrained from the effusion of blood; . . . the use of every other severity was permitted, and even recommended, to their zeal,” and soon refusal of the Christians to turn over their books was considered ample reason for punishment with death.3 It was a vigorous effort to destroy the Bible and all memory of it, if possible.
When one affected by the edict vengefully tore down the proclamation he was seized, fiendishly tortured and finally roasted alive in punishment. Whether by chance or purpose, fire broke out twice in the next two weeks in the bedchamber of Diocletian. If they were caused by professing Christians or by a malicious Galerius, it has never been proved. But the incidents, along with other disturbances, were quickly seized upon and cunningly used to rouse the hatred of Diocletian against the Christians. The emperor, who had at first let Galerius push the persecution, now took a most active part. It appears that a number of Christians were serving in the palace itself, some being entrusted with considerable responsibility, but even they were not spared.
When he saw that his laws did not cause the Christians to abandon their worship he became infuriated. “The resentment, or the fears of Diocletian, at length transported him beyond the bounds of moderation, which he had hitherto preserved, and he declared, in a series of cruel edicts, his intention of abolishing the Christian name. . . . the governors of the provinces were directed to apprehend all persons of the ecclesiastical order; and the prisons destined for the vilest criminals were soon filled” with those who held positions of oversight in the congregations.3 This was soon followed by another edict, which “ordered that all these prisoners should be compelled by tortures and punishments to offer sacrifice to the gods.”2 It was his hope that if he could make them break their integrity the others would follow their example.
Eusebius relates how certain of the brothers were martyred as examples to terrorize the congregations. He says that “the order had been given that those in prison should be allowed to go in liberty if they sacrificed, but if they refused, should be mutilated by countless tortures.” In one instance, the man was “ordered to sacrifice; and, as he refused, the command was given that he should be raised on high naked, and have his whole body torn with scourges, until he should give in, and even against his will do what was bidden him. But when he remained unmoved even under these sufferings,” he was subjected to other tortures too devilish to relate.4
Unsuccessful in its endeavors to blot out the Christian faith in this way, the state turned its savage fury against not only the overseers but all who held the faith. “In the second year of the persecution, A.D. 304, Diocletian published a fourth edict, at the instigation of his son-in-law and the other enemies of the Christians. By this edict the magistrates were directed to compel all Christians to offer sacrifices to the gods, and to use tortures for the purpose.”2 Both imperial edicts engraved in metal and local decrees were nailed up in every town for all to see.1 Never before had such a concerted effort been made by Rome to abolish the Christian faith. Especially did Maximian in the western part of the empire take delight in the purge.3 Even in Spain a pillar has been found bearing the words “Diocletian . . . for having extinguished the name of Christians.”1
Just two years after issuing the first edict, that is, A.D. 305, Diocletian withdrew from office. But the persecution did not cease. Now that Galerius was in supreme control he gratified to the full his hatred of the Christians and his lust for cruelty. With varying severity according to the disposition of the local rulers, the oppression continued without letup until shortly before the death of Galerius, when he issued an edict of relative toleration, which was followed in the year 313 by a proclamation by Constantine from Milan granting freedom of worship.
Faithful Christians of the fourth century viewed their circumstances as did the three Hebrews before the enraged King Nebuchadnezzar: “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” To his people Jehovah assures continued victory in the face of all opposition until their deliverance into the new world, when he says: “They shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.”—Dan. 3:17, 18; Jer. 1:19, AS.
REFERENCES
1 The History of the Church of Christ, by Joseph Milner, pages 258, 270.
2 Mosheim’s An Ecclesiastical History, translated by J. S. Reid, pages 114, 115.
3 History of Christianity, by Edward Gibbon, pages 270-275, 277.
4 Eusebius’ The Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 2, translated by J. E. L. Oulton, pages 265, 269.