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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 14

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

14. Now also a messenger came to

‹ Section 13 Section 15 ›

him

from

the

city

from

Xistus

,

the

good

and

peace

-

making

priest

,

and

on

that

account

most

blessed

martyr

.

The

coming

executioner

was

instantly

looked

for

who

should

strike

through

that

devoted

neck

of

the

most

sacred

victim

;

and

thus

,

in

the

daily

expectation

of

dying

,

every

day

was

to

him

as

if

the

crown

might

be

attributed

to

each

.

In

the

meantime

,

there

assembled

to

him

many

eminent

people

,

and

people

of

most

illustrious

rank

and

family

,

and

noble

with

the

world’s

distinctions

,

who

,

on

account

of

ancient

friendship

with

him

,

repeatedly

urged

his

withdrawal

;

and

,

that

their

urgency

might

not

be

in

some

sort

hollow

,

they

also

offered

places

to

which

he

might

retire

.

But

he

had

now

set

the

world

aside

,

having

his

mind

suspended

upon

heaven

,

and

did

not

consent

to

their

tempting

persuasions

.

He

would

perhaps

even

then

have

done

what

was

asked

for

by

so

many

and

faithful

friends

,

if

it

had

been

bidden

him

by

divine

command

.

But

that

lofty

glory

of

so

great

a

man

must

not

be

passed

over

without

announcement

,

that

now

,

when

the

world

was

swelling

,

and

of

its

trust

in

its

princes

breathing

out

hatred

of

the

name

,

he

was

instructing

God’s

servants

,

as

opportunity

was

given

,

in

the

exhortations

of

the

Lord

,

and

was

animating

them

to

tread

under

foot

the

sufferings

of

this

present

time

by

the

contemplation

of

a

glory

to

come

hereafter

.

Indeed

,

such

was

his

love

of

sacred

discourse

,

that

he

wished

that

his

prayers

in

regard

to

his

suffering

might

be

so

answered

,

that

he

would

be

put

to

death

in

the

very

act

of

speaking

about

God

.