LACTANTIUS - THE EDICT OF GALERIUS (311)

 

 

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Liber de Mortibus Persecutorum, XXXIV

Latin text from Migne PL, Vol. 7, Col. 249

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XXXIV. Inter caetera quae pro Reipublicae semper commodis atque utilitate disponimus, nos quidem volueramus antehac, juxta leges veteres et publicam disciplinam, Romanorum cuncta corrigere, atque id providere, ut etiam Christiani, qui parentum suorum reliquerant sectam, ad bonas mentes redirent. Siquidem eadem ratione tanta eosdem Christianos voluntas invasisset, et tanta stultitia occupasset, ut non illa veterum instituta sequerentur, quae forsitan primum parentes eorumdem constituerant: sed pro arbitrio suo, atque ut hisdem erat libitum, ita sibimet leges facerent, quas observarent, et per diversa varios populos congregarent. Denique cum ejusmodi nostra jussio extitisset, ut ad veterum se instituta conferrent, multi periculo subjugati, multi etiam deturbati sunt; atque cum plurimi in proposito perseverarent, ac videremus nec diis eosdem cultum ac religionem debitam exhibere, nec christianorum Deum observare, contemplatione mitissimae nostrae clementiae intuentes et consuetudinem sempiternam, qua solemus cunctis hominibus veniam indulgere, promptissimam in his quoque indulgentiam nostram credidimus porrigendam; ut denuo sint Christiani, et conventicula sua componant, ita ut ne quid contra disciplinam agant. Alia autem epistola judicibus significaturi sumus, quid debent observare. Unde juxta hanc indulgentiam nostram debebunt Deum suum orare pro salute nostra, et Reipublicae, ac sua, ut undiqueversum Respublica perstet incolumis, et securi vivere in sedibus suis possint.