first empress friendly to the Christians. =Alexander Severus= (A.D. 222-235), embracing a noble eclecticism, placed among his household gods the image of Christ, along with those of Abraham, Orpheus, and Apollonius of Tyana, and showed himself well disposed toward the Christians; while at the same time his mother, Julia Mammæa, encouraged and furthered the scholarly studies of Origen. The golden saying of Christ, Luke vi. 31, was inscribed upon the gateway of his palace. His murderer, =Maximinus Thrax= (A.D. 235-238), from very opposition to his predecessor, became at once the enemy of the Christians. Clearly perceiving the high importance of the clergy for the continued existence of the church, his persecuting edict was directed solely against them. The imperial position which he had usurped, however, was not sufficiently secure to allow him to carry out his intentions to extremities. Under =Gordianus= the Christians had rest, and =Philip the Arabian= (A.D. 244-249) favoured them so openly and decidedly, that it came to be thought that he himself had been a Christian. § 22.5. =Decius, Gallus and Valerianus [Valerian].=--Soon after the accession of =Decius= (A.D. 249-251), in the year 250, a new persecution broke out that lasted without interruption for ten years. This was the first general persecution and was directed at first against the recognised heads of the churches, but by-and-by was extended more widely to all ranks, and exceeded all previous persecutions by its extent, the deliberateness of its plan, the rigid determination with which it was conducted, and the cruelties of its execution. Decius was a prudent ruler, an earnest man of the old school, endued with an indomitable will. But it was just this that drove him to the conclusion that Christianity, as a godless system and one opposed to the interests of the state, must be summarily suppressed. All possible means, such as confiscation of goods, banishment, severe tortures, or death, were tried in order to induce the Christians to yield. Very many spoiled by the long peace that they had enjoyed gave way, but on the other hand crowds of Christians, impelled by a yearning after the crown of martyrdom, gave themselves up joyfully to the prison and the stake. Those who fell away, the _lapsi_, were classified as the _Thurificati_ or _Sacrificati_, who to save their lives had burnt incense or sacrificed to the gods, and _Libellatici_, who without doing this had purchased a certificate from the magistrates that they had done so, and _Acta facientes_, who had issued documents giving false statements regarding their Christianity. Those were called _Confessores_ who publicly professed Christ and remained steadfast under persecution, but escaped with their lives; those were called _Martyrs_ who witnessing with their blood, suffered death for the faith they professed. The Roman church could