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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 17

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

17. And thus, therefore, the

‹ Section 16 Section 18 ›

judge

reads

from

his

tablet

the

sentence

which

lately

in

the

vision

he

had

not

read

,

—

a

spiritual

sentence

,

not

rashly

to

be

spoken

,

—

a

sentence

worthy

of

such

a

bishop

and

such

a

witness

;

a

glorious

sentence

,

wherein

he

was

called

a

standard

-

bearer

of

the

sect

,

and

an

enemy

of

the

gods

,

and

one

who

was

to

be

an

example

to

his

people

;

and

that

with

his

blood

discipline

would

begin

to

be

established

.

Nothing

could

be

more

complete

,

nothing

more

true

,

than

this

sentence

.

For

all

the

things

which

were

said

,

although

said

by

a

heathen

,

are

divine

.

Nor

is

it

indeed

to

be

wondered

at

,

since

priests

are

accustomed

to

prophesy

of

the

passion

.

He

had

been

a

standard

-

bearer

,

who

was

accustomed

to

teach

concerning

the

bearing

of

Christ’s

standard

;

he

had

been

an

enemy

of

the

gods

,

who

commanded

the

idols

to

be

destroyed

.

Moreover

,

he

gave

example

to

his

friends

,

since

,

when

many

were

about

to

follow

in

a

similar

manner

,

he

was

the

first

in

the

province

to

consecrate

the

first

-

fruits

of

martyrdom

.

And

by

his

blood

discipline

began

to

be

established

;

but

it

was

the

discipline

of

martyrs

,

who

,

emulating

their

teacher

,

in

the

imitation

of

a

glory

like

his

own

,

themselves

also

gave

a

confirmation

to

discipline

by

the

very

blood

of

their

own

example

.