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

Pontius the Deacon

Section 9

About this work

Author: Pontius the Deacon

9. Still, if it seem well

‹ Section 8 Section 10 ›

,

let

me

glance

at

the

rest

.

Afterwards

there

broke

out

a

dreadful

plague

,

and

excessive

destruction

of

a

hateful

disease

invaded

every

house

in

succession

of

the

trembling

populace

,

carrying

off

day

by

day

with

abrupt

attack

numberless

people

,

every

one

from

his

own

house

.

All

were

shuddering

,

fleeing

,

shunning

the

contagion

,

impiously

exposing

their

own

friends

,

as

if

with

the

exclusion

of

the

person

who

was

sure

to

die

of

the

plague

,

one

could

exclude

death

itself

also

.

There

lay

about

the

meanwhile

,

over

the

whole

city

,

no

longer

bodies

,

but

the

carcases

of

many

,

and

,

by

the

contemplation

of

a

lot

which

in

their

turn

would

be

theirs

,

demanded

the

pity

of

the

passers

-

by

for

themselves

.

No

one

regarded

anything

besides

his

cruel

gains

.

No

one

trembled

at

the

remembrance

of

a

similar

event

.

No

one

did

to

another

what

he

himself

wished

to

experience

.

In

these

circumstances

,

it

would

be

a

wrong

to

pass

over

what

the

pontiff

of

Christ

did

,

who

excelled

the

pontiffs

of

the

world

as

much

in

kindly

affection

as

he

did

in

truth

of

religion

.

On

the

people

assembled

together

in

one

place

he

first

of

all

urged

the

benefits

of

mercy

,

teaching

by

examples

from

divine

lessons

,

how

greatly

the

duties

of

benevolence

avail

to

deserve

well

of

God

.

Then

afterwards

he

subjoined

,

that

there

was

nothing

wonderful

in

our

cherishing

our

own

people

only

with

the

needed

attentions

of

love

,

but

that

he

might

become

perfect

who

would

do

something

more

than

the

publican

or

the

heathen

,

who

,

overcoming

evil

with

good

,

and

practising

a

clemency

which

was

like

the

divine

clemency

,

loved

even

his

enemies

,

who

would

pray

for

the

salvation

of

those

that

persecute

him

,

as

the

Lord

admonishes

and

exhorts

.

God

continually

makes

His

sun

to

rise

,

and

from

time

to

time

gives

showers

to

nourish

the

seed

,

exhibiting

all

these

kindnesses

not

only

to

His

people

,

but

to

aliens

also

.

And

if

a

man

professes

to

be

a

son

of

God

,

why

does

not

he

imitate

the

example

of

his

Father

?

“

It

becomes

us

,

”

said

he

,

“

to

answer

to

our

birth

;

and

it

is

not

fitting

that

those

who

are

evidently

born

of

God

should

be

degenerate

,

but

rather

that

the

propagation

of

a

good

Father

should

be

proved

in

His

offspring

by

the

emulation

of

His

goodness

.

”

Notes

10
[This heathen word thus comes into use as applicable to all bishops. It was used derisively by Tertullian, vol. iv. p. 74.]