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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 1

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

1. Although, beloved brethren, it is unfitting,

‹ Salutation / Introduction Section 2 ›

while

my

speaking

to

you

receives

this

indulgence

,

to

profess

any

trepidation

,

and

it

very

little

becomes

me

to

diminish

the

glory

of

so

great

a

devotion

by

the

confession

of

an

incipient

doubt

;

yet

at

the

same

time

I

say

that

my

mind

is

divided

by

that

very

deliberation

,

being

influenced

by

the

desire

of

describing

the

glory

,

and

restrained

from

speaking

by

the

magnitude

of

the

virtue

(

to

be

described

)

;

since

it

is

either

not

becoming

to

be

silent

,

or

it

is

perilous

to

say

too

little

,

save

that

to

one

who

is

tossing

in

doubt

this

consideration

alone

is

helpful

,

that

it

would

appear

easy

for

him

to

be

pardoned

who

has

not

feared

to

dare

.

Wherefore

,

beloved

brethren

,

although

my

mental

capacity

is

burdened

by

the

importance

of

the

subject

in

such

a

way

,

that

in

proportion

as

it

puts

itself

forth

in

declaring

the

dignity

of

martyrdom

,

in

that

degree

it

is

overwhelmed

by

the

very

weight

of

the

glory

,

and

by

its

estimation

of

all

those

things

concerning

which

,

when

it

speaks

most

,

it

fails

,

by

its

address

being

weakened

,

and

broken

,

and

self

-

entangled

,

and

does

not

with

free

and

loosened

reins

display

the

might

of

such

glory

in

the

liberal

eloquence

of

discourse

;

yet

,

if

I

am

not

mistaken

,

some

power

there

will

be

in

my

utterance

,

which

,

when

fortified

by

the

appeal

of

the

work

itself

,

may

here

and

there

pour

forth

what

the

unequal

consciousness

of

my

ability

withheld

from

my

words

.

Since

,

therefore

,

beloved

brethren

,

involved

as

we

are

in

affairs

so

many

and

important

,

we

are

endeavouring

with

all

eagerness

and

labour

to

confirm

the

excellent

and

most

beautiful

issues

of

salvation

,

I

do

not

fear

being

so

deterred

by

any

slothful

dread

as

to

be

withheld

or

rendered

powerless

;

since

,

if

any

one

should

desire

to

look

into

that

of

which

we

are

considering

,

the

hope

of

devotion

being

taken

into

account

,

and

the

very

magnitude

of

the

thing

being

weighed

,

he

would

rather

wonder

that

I

could

have

dared

at

all

,

in

a

matter

wherein

both

the

vastness

of

the

subject

oppressed

me

,

and

the

earnestness

of

its

own

desire

drove

my

mind

,

confused

with

its

joy

,

into

mental

difficulties

.

For

who

is

there

whom

such

a

subject

would

not

alarm

?

who

is

there

whom

it

would

not

overthrow

with

the

fear

of

its

own

wonder

!