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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 16

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

16. Moreover, beloved brethren, so great is the

‹ Section 15 Section 17 ›

virtue

of

martyrdom

,

that

by

its

means

even

he

who

has

wished

to

slay

you

is

constrained

to

believe

.

It

is

written

,

and

we

read

:

“

Endure

in

suffering

,

and

in

thy

humiliation

have

patience

,

because

gold

and

silver

are

tried

by

the

fire

.

”

Since

,

therefore

,

the

Lord

proves

us

by

earthly

temptations

,

and

Christ

the

Judge

weighs

us

by

these

worldly

ills

,

we

must

congratulate

ourselves

,

and

rejoice

that

He

does

not

reserve

us

for

those

eternal

destructions

,

but

rejoices

over

us

as

purged

from

all

contagion

.

But

from

those

whom

He

adopts

as

partners

of

His

inheritance

,

and

is

willing

to

receive

into

the

kingdom

of

heaven

,

what

else

indeed

does

He

ask

than

a

walk

in

integrity

?

He

Himself

has

said

that

all

things

are

His

,

both

those

things

which

are

displayed

upon

the

level

plains

,

and

which

lift

themselves

up

into

sloping

hills

;

and

moreover

,

whatever

the

greatness

of

heaven

surrounds

,

and

what

the

gliding

water

embraces

in

the

circumfluent

ocean

.

But

if

all

things

are

within

His

ken

,

and

He

does

not

require

of

us

anything

but

sincere

actions

,

we

ought

,

as

He

Himself

has

said

,

to

be

like

to

gold

.

Because

,

when

you

behold

in

the

glistening

ore

the

gold

glittering

under

the

tremulous

light

,

and

melting

into

a

liquid

form

by

the

roaring

flames

(

for

this

also

is

generally

the

care

of

the

workmen

)

,

whenever

from

the

panting

furnaces

is

vomited

forth

the

glowing

fire

,

the

rich

flame

is

drawn

away

from

the

access

of

the

earth

in

a

narrow

channel

,

and

is

kept

back

by

sand

from

the

refluent

masses

of

earth

.

Whence

it

is

necessary

to

suffer

all

things

,

that

we

may

be

free

from

all

wickedness

,

as

He

has

said

by

His

prophet

:

“

And

though

in

the

sight

of

men

they

have

suffered

torments

,

yet

is

their

hope

full

of

immortality

;

and

being

vexed

in

a

few

things

,

they

shall

be

well

rewarded

in

many

things

,

because

God

has

tried

them

,

and

has

found

them

worthy

of

Himself

,

and

has

received

them

as

a

sacrifice

of

burnt

-

offering

.

”

Notes

17
Ecclus. ii. 4.
18
Or, “earth.”
19
Wisd. iii. 4.