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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 7

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

7. For there is no doubt how much they obtain

‹ Section 6 Section 8 ›

from

the

Lord

,

who

have

preferred

God’s

name

to

their

own

safety

,

so

that

in

that

judgment

-

day

their

blood

-

shedding

would

make

them

better

,

and

the

blood

spilt

would

show

them

to

be

spotless

.

Because

death

makes

life

more

complete

,

death

rather

leads

to

glory

.

Thus

,

whenever

on

the

rejoicing

wheat

-

stalks

the

ears

of

corn

distended

by

rains

grow

full

,

the

abundant

harvests

are

forced

by

the

summer

;

thus

,

as

often

as

the

vine

is

pruned

by

the

knife

from

the

tendrils

that

break

forth

upon

it

,

the

bunch

of

grapes

is

more

liberally

clothed

.

For

whatever

is

of

advantage

by

its

injury

turns

out

for

the

increase

of

the

time

to

come

;

just

as

it

has

often

been

of

avail

to

the

fields

to

let

loose

the

flames

,

that

by

the

heat

of

the

wandering

conflagration

the

blind

breathing

-

holes

of

the

earth

might

be

relaxed

.

It

has

been

useful

to

parch

the

light

stalks

with

the

crackling

fire

,

that

the

pregnant

corn

-

field

might

raise

itself

higher

,

and

a

more

abundant

grain

might

flourish

on

the

breeding

stems

.

Therefore

such

also

is

first

of

all

the

calamity

,

and

by

and

by

the

fruit

of

martyrdom

,

that

it

so

contemns

death

,

that

it

may

preserve

life

in

death

.

Notes

8
“Coguntur,” or “coquuntur,”—“are matured.”