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The Life and Passion of Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr. By Pontius the Deacon

Pontius the Deacon

Section 1

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

1. Although Cyprian, the devout priest

‹ Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr.Section 2 ›

and

glorious

witness

of

God

,

composed

many

writings

whereby

the

memory

of

his

worthy

name

survives

;

and

although

the

profuse

fertility

of

his

eloquence

and

of

God’s

grace

so

expands

itself

in

the

exuberance

and

richness

of

his

discourse

,

that

he

will

probably

never

cease

to

speak

even

to

the

end

of

the

world

;

yet

,

since

to

his

works

and

deserts

it

is

justly

due

that

his

example

should

be

recorded

in

writing

,

I

have

thought

it

well

to

prepare

this

brief

and

compendious

narrative

.

Not

that

the

life

of

so

great

a

man

can

be

unknown

to

any

even

of

the

heathen

nations

,

but

that

to

our

posterity

also

this

incomparable

and

lofty

pattern

may

be

prolonged

into

immortal

remembrance

.

It

would

assuredly

be

hard

that

,

when

our

fathers

have

given

such

honour

even

to

lay

-

people

and

catechumens

who

have

obtained

martyrdom

,

for

reverence

of

their

very

martyrdom

,

as

to

record

many

,

or

I

had

nearly

said

,

well

nigh

all

,

of

the

circumstances

of

their

sufferings

,

so

that

they

might

be

brought

to

our

knowledge

also

who

as

yet

were

not

born

,

the

passion

of

such

a

priest

and

such

a

martyr

as

Cyprian

should

be

passed

over

,

who

,

independently

of

his

martyrdom

,

had

much

to

teach

,

and

that

what

he

did

while

he

lived

should

be

hidden

from

the

world

.

And

,

indeed

,

these

doings

of

his

were

such

,

and

so

great

,

and

so

admirable

,

that

I

am

deterred

by

the

contemplation

of

their

greatness

,

and

confess

myself

incompetent

to

discourse

in

a

way

that

shall

be

worthy

of

the

honour

of

his

deserts

,

and

unable

to

relate

such

noble

deeds

in

such

a

way

that

they

may

appear

as

great

as

in

fact

they

are

,

except

that

the

multitude

of

his

glories

is

itself

sufficient

for

itself

,

and

needs

no

other

heraldry

.

It

enhances

my

difficulty

,

that

you

also

are

anxious

to

hear

very

much

,

or

if

it

be

possible

every

thing

,

about

him

,

longing

with

eager

warmth

at

least

to

become

acquainted

with

his

deeds

,

although

now

his

living

words

are

silent

.

And

in

this

behalf

,

if

I

should

say

that

the

powers

of

eloquence

fail

me

,

I

should

say

too

little

.

For

eloquence

itself

fails

of

suitable

powers

fully

to

satisfy

your

desire

.

And

thus

I

am

sorely

pressed

on

both

sides

,

since

he

burdens

me

with

his

virtues

,

and

you

press

me

hard

with

your

entreaties

.

Notes

1
[Here put for the chief in the sacerdocy. See p. 268, infra.]