trial, and that they should not be
condemned for the name, but for some definite crime, _e. g._, for treason.
An exception to the general policy of the emperors in the second century
was the persecution of the Christian community at Lyons authorized by
Marcus Aurelius. With the state straining every nerve in its struggle with
the barbarians, he regarded the Christians as defaulters to the cause of
the empire, and as unreasonable, ecstatic transgressors of the law. The
attitude of Septimius Severus towards the Christians was in harmony with
the procedure of Trajan and Hadrian. In 202 A. D. he ordered the governor
of Syria to forbid Jewish proselytizing and Christian propaganda, but
forbade that Christians should be sought out with the object of
persecution. Severus Alexander showed himself well-disposed towards
Christianity and the brief persecution of Maximinus the Thracian was
merely a spasmodic expression of hatred against those protected by his
predecessor.

*The persecutions of the third century.* By the middle of the third
century the Christian church was in a flourishing condition. It numbered
among its adherents men in all walks of life, its leaders were men of
culture and ability, and abandoning the attitude of the early church
towards the Kingdom of Heaven, the Christians were taking an active part
in the society in which they lived. The number of the Christians was so
great as to disquiet the government, since in view of their attitude
towards the cults of the state they were still traitors in the eyes of the
law. And so in their struggle against the forces which threatened the
dissolution of the empire, certain of its rulers sought to stamp out
Christianity as a means of restoring religious and political harmony and
loyalty among their subjects. The Christians were regarded as enemies
within the gates and the calamities of the time were attributed to the
anger of the gods towards these unbelievers. In 250 A. D. Decius reversed
the principle enunciated by Septimius Severus and ordained that Christians
were to be sought out and brought to trial. This was accomplished by
ordering all the citizens of the empire by municipalities to perform
public acts of worship to the gods of the state. Those who refused were
punished. The persecution of Decius was terminated by his death in 251,
but his policy was renewed by Valerian in 257 A. D. In that year Valerian
required the Christians to offer sacrifice publicly, forbade