Of the Sixth Persecution of the Christians, Commenced under Maximin, in the Year 237

The sixth persecution of the Christians, writes J. Gysius, arose under the Emperor Maximin, a man cruel by nature, and was directed against persons of standing (since he was of low birth), as well as against the Christians, but especially against the ministers of the Word. Fortunately for the Christians, this persecution was brief, since he reigned only two years; and since he was a violent enemy of the ministers of the church, the persecution began with them, as the teachers and authors, it is said, of the Christian religion; for it was thought that if they were removed, the common people could easily be drawn away from it. Then Origen, a teacher of the church, in order to exhort the Christians to steadfastness, wrote a book on martyrdom, dedicating it to Ambrose, overseer of the church at Milan, and

Proctotus, learned men of that time. J. Gys., folio 19, columns 1 and 2, from Euseb., book 6, chapter 20; Oros., book 7, chapter 19. [n186-1]

As to the cause of these persecutions, the author of the Introduction, and so on, writes this: The heathen had such hatred for the Christians at that time that whenever an earthquake, a storm, or the like occurred, they laid it to the charge of the Christians, saying that their gods were offended because their honor was waning on account of the Christians; from which it is to be inferred that they treated the Christians in an awful manner. Folio 39, column 2, from Baronius, in Chron., in the year 237, number 3, and in the year 256, number 5. [n186-3]