Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 7

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

7. And therefore for such merits he

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

at

once

obtained

the

glory

of

proscription

also

.

For

nothing

else

was

proper

than

that

he

who

in

the

secret

recesses

of

his

conscience

was

rich

in

the

full

honour

of

religion

and

faith

,

should

moreover

be

renowned

in

the

publicly

diffused

report

of

the

Gentiles

.

He

might

,

indeed

,

at

that

time

,

in

accordance

with

the

rapidity

wherewith

he

always

attained

everything

,

have

hastened

to

the

crown

of

martyrdom

appointed

for

him

,

especially

when

with

repeated

calls

he

was

frequently

demanded

for

the

lions

,

had

it

not

been

needful

for

him

to

pass

through

all

the

grades

of

glory

,

and

thus

to

arrive

at

the

highest

,

and

had

not

the

impending

desolation

needed

the

aid

of

so

fertile

a

mind

.

For

conceive

of

him

as

being

at

that

time

taken

away

by

the

dignity

of

martyrdom

.

Who

was

there

to

show

the

advantage

of

grace

,

advancing

by

faith

?

Who

was

there

to

restrain

virgins

to

the

fitting

discipline

of

modesty

and

a

dress

worthy

of

holiness

,

as

if

with

a

kind

of

bridle

of

the

lessons

of

the

Lord

?

Who

was

there

to

teach

penitence

to

the

lapsed

,

truth

to

heretics

,

unity

to

schismatics

,

peacefulness

and

the

law

of

evangelical

prayer

to

the

sons

of

God

?

By

whom

were

the

blaspheming

Gentiles

to

be

overcome

by

retorting

upon

themselves

the

accusations

which

they

heap

upon

us

?

By

whom

were

Christians

of

too

tender

an

affection

,

or

,

what

is

of

more

importance

,

of

a

too

feeble

faith

in

respect

of

the

loss

of

their

friends

,

to

be

consoled

with

the

hope

of

futurity

?

Whence

should

we

so

learn

mercy

?

whence

patience

?

Who

was

there

to

restrain

the

ill

blood

arising

from

the

envenomed

malignity

of

envy

,

with

the

sweetness

of

a

wholesome

remedy

?

Who

was

there

to

raise

up

such

great

martyrs

by

the

exhortation

of

his

divine

discourse

?

Who

was

there

,

in

short

,

to

animate

so

many

confessors

sealed

with

a

second

inscription

on

their

distinguished

brows

,

and

reserved

alive

for

an

example

of

martyrdom

,

kindling

their

ardour

with

a

heavenly

trumpet

?

Fortunately

,

fortunately

it

occurred

then

,

and

truly

by

the

Spirit’s

direction

,

that

the

man

who

was

needed

for

so

many

and

so

excellent

purposes

was

withheld

from

the

consummation

of

martyrdom

.

Do

you

wish

to

be

assured

that

the

cause

of

his

withdrawal

was

not

fear

?

to

allege

nothing

else

,

he

did

suffer

subsequently

,

and

this

suffering

he

assuredly

would

have

evaded

as

usual

,

if

he

had

evaded

it

before

.

It

was

indeed

that

fear

—

and

rightly

so

—

that

fear

which

would

dread

to

offend

the

Lord

—

that

fear

which

prefers

to

obey

God’s

commands

rather

than

to

be

crowned

in

disobedience

.

For

a

mind

dedicated

in

all

things

to

God

,

and

thus

enslaved

to

the

divine

admonitions

,

believed

that

even

in

suffering

itself

it

would

sin

,

unless

it

had

obeyed

the

Lord

,

who

then

bade

him

seek

the

place

of

concealment

.