Page:The History of Armenia - Avdall - Volume 1.djvu/307

 864 HfSTORT OF ARMENIA.

needless to say that we never will do ; if we abide by the second, it is certainly true that we shall obtain the glorious crown of martyrdom; but our country will be entirely converted by the sword to the Persian religion, and in the lapse of time the light and glory of Christianity "will be lost to Armenia, and the name of our God be daily blasphemed. There is another alter* native. Let us not passively earn the crown of martyrdom. Let us give up ourselves to the Most High, and not think of personal protection. Let us fight for the honour of the holy church which Christ has made his bride." — On this being beard, every one determined to meet the Persians in war, and not to allow them to introduce their doctrine into Armenia; and individually swore on the holy evangelists to shed in battle every drop of blood in defence of their religion. The Arme- nians then assembled their forces, amounting to about 100,000 men, and made a simultaneous attack on all the Persians in the kingdom, as well as the troops which Vasak, together with other apostates, had collected. They were everywhere attended with success. They stormed the villages and cities where the Magi had taken up their residence, seized their persons, and put them to death. They also demolished all the temples of fire which bad been erected, and purified all the churches in the vicinity of which they had

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