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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 15

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

15. And these were the daily acts

‹ Section 14 Section 16 ›

of

a

priest

destined

for

a

pleasing

sacrifice

to

God

,

when

,

behold

,

at

the

bidding

of

the

proconsul

,

the

officer

with

his

soldiers

on

a

sudden

came

unexpectedly

on

him

,

—

or

rather

,

to

speak

more

truly

,

thought

that

he

had

come

unexpectedly

on

him

,

at

his

gardens

,

—

at

his

gardens

,

I

say

,

which

at

the

beginning

of

his

faith

he

had

sold

,

and

which

,

being

restored

by

God’s

mercy

,

he

would

assuredly

have

sold

again

for

the

use

of

the

poor

,

if

he

had

not

wished

to

avoid

ill

-

will

from

the

persecutors

.

But

when

could

a

mind

ever

prepared

be

taken

unawares

,

as

if

by

an

unforeseen

attack

?

Therefore

now

he

went

forward

,

certain

that

what

had

been

long

delayed

would

be

settled

.

He

went

forward

with

a

lofty

and

elevated

mien

,

manifesting

cheerfulness

in

his

look

and

courage

in

his

heart

.

But

being

delayed

to

the

morrow

,

he

returned

from

the

prætorium

to

the

officer’s

house

,

when

on

a

sudden

a

scattered

rumour

prevailed

throughout

all

Carthage

,

that

now

Thascius

was

brought

forward

,

whom

there

was

nobody

who

did

not

know

as

well

for

his

illustrious

fame

in

the

honourable

opinion

of

all

,

as

on

account

of

the

recollection

of

his

most

renowned

work

.

On

all

sides

all

men

were

flocking

together

to

a

spectacle

,

to

us

glorious

from

the

devotion

of

faith

,

and

to

be

mourned

over

even

by

the

Gentiles

.

A

gentle

custody

,

however

,

had

him

in

charge

when

taken

and

placed

for

one

night

in

the

officer’s

house

;

so

that

we

,

his

associates

and

friends

,

were

as

usual

in

his

company

.

The

whole

people

in

the

meantime

,

in

anxiety

that

nothing

should

be

done

throughout

the

night

without

their

knowledge

,

kept

watch

before

the

officer’s

door

.

The

goodness

of

God

granted

him

at

that

time

,

so

truly

worthy

of

it

,

that

even

God’s

people

should

watch

on

the

passion

of

the

priest

.

Yet

,

perhaps

,

some

one

may

ask

what

was

the

reason

of

his

returning

from

the

prætorium

to

the

officer

.

And

some

think

that

this

arose

from

the

fact

,

that

for

his

own

part

the

proconsul

was

then

unwilling

.

Far

be

it

from

me

to

complain

,

in

matters

divinely

ordered

,

of

slothfulness

or

aversion

in

the

proconsul

.

Far

be

it

from

me

to

admit

such

an

evil

into

the

consciousness

of

a

religious

mind

,

as

that

the

fancy

of

man

should

decide

the

fate

of

so

blessed

a

martyr

.

But

the

morrow

,

which

a

year

before

the

divine

condescension

had

foretold

,

required

to

be

literally

the

morrow

.

Notes

13
That is, Providence ensured the respite, to fulfil the promise.