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On the Glory of Martyrdom

Pseudo-Cyprian

Salutation / Introduction

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

On the Glory of Martyrdom.

Argument.—The Glory

Section 1 ›

of

Martyrdom

,

—

Namely

,

What

Martyrdom

Is

,

How

Great

It

Is

,

and

of

What

Advantage

It

is

.

By

Similitudes

,

and

by

Argument

Deduced

from

the

Daily

Deaths

,

the

Author

Exhorts

to

a

Joyous

Submission

to

Death

for

Christ’s

Sake

.

Among

the

Benefits

of

Martyrdom

He

Maintains

that

Without

Experience

of

the

Universal

Suffering

that

Prevails

,

the

Propitiation

of

Christ

Crowns

Martyrs

in

Such

a

Way

that

His

Saying

About

the

Very

Last

Farthing

is

Not

Applicable

to

Them

.

Notes

1
[Erasmus doubts as to the authorship, judging from the style. Pamelius is sure it is Cyprian’s.]
2
In place of reward, he sets before them not only security from the fear of Gehenna, but also the attainment of everlasting life, describing both alternatives briefly in a poetical manner. He points out, that to some, martyrdom serves as a crown, while to others who are baptized in their own blood, it serves as redemption. Finally, when from the Scriptures he has stirred up his readers to confession of the name of Christ, he asks them to remember him when the Lord begins to honour martyrdom in them, since the Lord is known not to deny such as they when they ask Him for anything.