cruelty, as were abhorrent to all the principles of humanity and goodness. They were, indeed, accused of atheism, _i. e._ for not believing in, and worshipping the fictitious gods of the heathens. This was the cry of the multitude against [F]Polycarp:[49] “This is the doctor of Asia, the father of the Christians, the subverter of our gods, who teaches many that they must not perform the sacred rites, nor worship our deities.” This was the reason of the tumultuous cry against him, “away with these atheists.” But would not one have imagined that reason and philosophy should have informed the emperor, that this kind of atheism was a real virtue, and deserved to be encouraged and propagated amongst mankind? No: reason and philosophy here failed him, and his blind attachment to his country’s gods caused him to shed much innocent blood, and to become the destroyer of “the saints of the living God.”[50] At last, indeed, the emperor seems to have been sensible of the great injustice of this persecution, and by an edict ordered they should be no longer punished for being Christians. ----- Footnote 47: E. H. l. 4. C. 26. Footnote E: See note [E] at the end of the volume. Footnote 48: Apol. 2^{da.} c. 42. Edit. Thirlb. Footnote F: See note [F] at the end of the volume. Footnote 49: Euseb. E. H. l. 4. c. 15. Footnote 50: Id. l. 4. c. 18. ----- I shall not trouble my reader with an account of this persecution as carried on by Severus, Decius, Gallus, Valerianus, Dioclesian, and others of the Roman emperors; but only observe in general, that the most excessive and outrageous barbarities were made use of upon all who would not blaspheme Christ, and offer incense to the imperial gods: they were publicly whipped; drawn by the heels through the streets of cities; racked till every bone of their bodies was disjointed; had their teeth beat out; their noses, hands and ears cut off; sharp pointed spears ran under their nails; were tortured with melted lead thrown on their naked bodies; had their eyes dug out; their limbs cut off; were condemned to the mines; ground between stones; stoned to death; burnt alive; thrown headlong from high buildings; beheaded; smothered in burning lime-kilns; ran through the body with sharp spears; destroyed with hunger, thirst, and cold; thrown to the wild beasts; broiled on gridirons with slow fires; cast by heaps into the sea; crucified; scraped to death with sharp shells; torn in pieces by the boughs of trees; and, in a word, destroyed by all the various methods that the most diabolical subtlety and malice could devise.