The church before

 this, after the ctastng of MBT Shoes the ninth persecution, had enjoyed a time of quietness for about forty years together ; but abusing their liberty, began to grow cold and lifeless in religion and tarna, and contentions prevailed among them ; bf which they offended God to suffer this dreadful trial to come upon them. And Satan having lost ground so much, notwithstanding all his attempts, now seemed to bestir himself with more than ordinary ttige. Those who were then in authority set themselves with the utmost violence to root out Christianity by burhing all Bibles, and destroying all Christians ; and therefore they did not stand to try or convict them in a fortnaf process, but fell Upon them Wherever they could ; sometimes setting fire to houses where multitudes of them were assembled, aftd burning them all together j and at other time Slaughtering multitudes together ; So that sometimes their persecutors were quite spent with the labor of killing and tormenting them ; and in same populous places, so ihany Were slain together, that the blood ran like torrents. It is related, that seventeen thousand martyrs were slain in one' month's time ; and that during the continuance of this persecution, in the province of Egypt alone, no less than one hundred and fortyfour thousand Christians died by the vto~ fence of their persecutors, besides , that died through the fatigues pf banishment, or the public works to which they ware condemned.This persecution lasted for ten years together ; and as it 'exceeded all foregoing persecutions in. the number of martyrs, so it exceeded them in the variety and multitude of inven tions of torture and cruelty. Some authors who. lived at that time, say, they "were innumerable, and exceed all account and expression This persecution in MBT Shoes Clearance particular was very severe, in England J ' and this is that persecution which was foretold in Rev. vi. " And when he had opened tl\e fifth seadfsaw under the altar the MBT souls of them that were slain, for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.