MART. 156 Tortures endured for earthly glory or mere display; AD pierced on every side with nails from without, experienced IV. 5. So many crucifixions. A woman hath of her own will eagerly encountered beasts, yea even asps, reptiles more horrid than the bull or the bear, which Cleopatra set upon herself, that she might not come into the hands of the enemy. But the fear of death is not so great as that of tortures! And so the Athenian harlot yielded to the executioner, who, being privy to a conspiracy, when on that account she was put to the torture by the tyrant, did not betray the conspirators, and at last having bitten off her tongue spat it in the tyrant's face, that the torturers might know that they availed nothing, even though they should persist yet farther! Moreover, that which is at this day the chief solemnity among the Lacedæmonians, the diauaoriywois, that is the scourging, is not unknown: in which solemn ceremony all the noble youths are lashed with scourges before the altar, their parents and kinsfolk standing by and exhorting them to endure to the end. For it will be accounted a grace and a glory of an higher character in truth, if the soul rather than the body yield itself to scourgings. Wherefore if earthly glory hath so great power over the strength of body and mind, that men despise the sword, the fire, the cross, the beasts, the tortures, for the reward of the praise of men, I may say, these sufferings are trifling in the gaining of heavenly glory and a divine reward! Is the glass bead of such value? of Mat. 13, how much the real pearl. Who then is not bound to spend most willingly for that which is true, as much as others do for that which is false? 46. V. I pass over for the moment, the motive of glory. All these same conflicts of cruelty and torture even mere display among men, and a sort of disease of the mind, hath ere now trampled on. How many idlers doth a display of feats hire to the service of the sword! Verily they go down even to the beasts from display, and seem to themselves more comely Ironical. Tr. Rig. inserts an interrogation," Did then &c.?" Latinius and Junius needlessly alter the text, inserting non." 66 b Apol. c. 50. of Diana Orthia. Plutarch. de Lacon. Instt. c. 4. et al. ap. Lac. d Tanti vitreum? quanti verum margaritum! as in Pam. Affectatio, i. e. not human glory only, though vain, but the mere semblance and spurious imitation of it; and that in the sight of, and animated by the presence of, men, whereas Christians acted under the eye of God. will be a witness against faint-hearted-suffering, lot of man. 157 from their bites and their scars. Some also have ere now hired themselves to the flames, to run over a certain space of ground in a burning shirt'. Others have walked with most enduring shoulders amidst the lashes of the hunters. These VI. things, blessed men, the Lord hath suffered to come into the world, not without a cause: but both for our encouragement now', and for our confusion in that Day, if we shall be nunc afraid to suffer for the Truth's sake unto salvation those 2 Tim. things, which others have made a display of suffering for 4, 8. vanity's sake unto perdition. But let us pass over these examples of constancy arising from mere display. Let us turn to the actual contemplation of the condition of man, that those things too may instruct us, whatever they be, which, accustomed to befall men even against their will, must be endured with constancy. For how often have the flames burned men alive! How often have wild beasts, both in their own woods and in the middle of cities, having escaped from their dens, devoured men! How many have been slain by robbers with the sword, and by their enemies even on the cross, having first been tortured, yea and having received, in full, every sort of indignity! There is no one who may not suffer even for the sake of man, what he scrupleth to suffer in the cause of God. For this let even the present times be a proof to us, how many persons, and of what quality, meet with deaths not to be expected either from their birth, or their rank, or their persons, or their age, for the sake of man', either from himself, if they act against him, or from his enemies, if they take part with him. The tunica molesta, one of the punishments of Christians. Martial, x. 25. Juvenal, i. 155 sqq. Tac. Ann. XV. 44. Severus, in and after the conspiracy of Albinus. Spartian. in vit. c. 12, "After having slain numberless 1 restored [The "de Corona" was written probably A. D. 201, when Severus gave a very large donative to his soldiers, the whole booty of Ctesiphon," on occasion of their saluting his son Caracalla as Augustus, and Geta as Cæsar. Spartian in Severo, c. 16. Of two other liberalities of Severus, the first, A. 198, was to the people, (see Notice on Apol.) the last, A. 202, was an increase of pay, not a largess, Spart. 1. c. The date A. 201 of this largess is obtained, 1. From Eusebius, who places the victories over the Parthians, A. 200; (Chron. 1. 2.) but Ctesiphon was taken at the approach of winter, (Spart. 1. c.) and so at the end of that year. 2. Caracalla was then in his thirteenth year, (Spart. 1. c.) but he was killed after six years' reign, A. 217, aged 29. (Dio Cass. 1. 77.) 3. A Coin, A. 200, 1. gives Severus the title Parthicus Max., one A. 201, 2. exhibits Caracalla as Augustus, Geta as Cæsar. See Lumper, 1. c. c. 2. Art. ii. §. 1. and Art. i. §. 5. It is probably the earliest treatise containing any trace of Montanism, see c. 1. The mention of the "long peace" which Christians had enjoyed, (c. 1.) may be accounted for, in that the scene lay not in Africa but in the East.] DE COR. V. 1. I. IT came to pass the other day, the bounty of the most illustrious Emperors" was being paid off at the camp. The soldiers were coming up wearing their laurel crowns. A certain man there, more the soldier of God, more firm of purpose, than the rest of his brethren who had presumed that they could serve two masters, stood conspicuous, his single head untrammelled, his crown hanging idle in his hand, the Christian being already, by this very ordering of himself, proclaimed. Every man began to point at him; the distant I eludere to mock', the near to gnash their teeth upon him. The murmur reacheth the ears of the Tribune, and the person had now quitted his place. Immediately the Tribune saith, "Why so different from the rest in thy dress?" He answered that he might not act with the rest. answered, 'I am a Christian.' Straightway the votes were om. et * Severus and Caracalla; see above, Notice. Being asked his reasons, he O'soldier boastful" of God! taken, and the business re b Alluding to the title of a play of Plautus, Miles gloriosus. Current complaints-dread of persecution. : 159 1 28. Ex. 3, 5. 17. manded, and the accused sent for trial before the Prefects. On the spot he laid down the cloak, wherewith he was so heavy laden, now beginning to receive his rest: he Mat. 11, put off his shoe", so troublesome, from his feet, now beginning to stand upon holy' ground: he delivered up sanctæ the sword, not needed even for the defence of the Lord: the Mat. 26, laurel crown fell even from his hand and now, his robe 52. empurpled with the earnest expectation of his own blood, his feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel, girt with the Eph. 6, sharper word of God, his whole armour put on according to Heb. 4, the Apostle, and looking for a better crown, in the white robe 12. of martyrdom, he awaiteth in his prison the free gift of 13. Christ. Opinions were then pronounced upon him, (whether those of Christians I know not, for none other are those of Heathens,) as though he had been headlong, and hasty, and too eager to die, in that, because questioned touching his dress, he brought trouble upon the Christian name. As though he alone were brave; among so many brethren and fellow-soldiers alone a Christian! Clearly nothing remains but that those intend to refuse martyrdom also, who have rejected the prophecies' of the same Holy Spirit. Finally they murmur that so long and happy a peace hath been endangered; and I doubt not that some are removing their Scriptures, making ready their baggage, preparing to flee Mat. 10), from one city to another; for they care not to remember 23. any other part of the Gospel. I know their shepherds also: lions in peace, stags in fight". But on the questions re • Older Edd. “ apud Acta"" was set down in the public Acts, documents." d Speculatoriam, the heavy military boot. e Lit. the donative; the bounty of Christ for that of the Emperors. Those of Montanus, de Fug. in Pers. c. 1. Baronius A. 173. supposes Victor, Bp. of Rome, to be intended. But Victor took no prominent part against the Montanists; on the contrary, he sided with them against the Asiatic Bishops, whose communion he had renounced, about the keeping of Easter, acknowledged the prophecies of Montanus, Prisca, Maximilla, communicated with them, giving them letters peace, until he was better informed of by Praxeas, when he recalled them. COR. 160 Grounds of Church's practice to be sought, while obeying it. DE specting the avowal of our Faith I shall speak in another V. 2. place: on this occasion, inasmuch as they advance this objection also, 'Where are we forbidden to wear crowns?' I shall attack this "where ;"-the more specific shape of the present question,-that both those, who ask it from the anxiety of ignorance, may be instructed, and those, who argue it in excuse of the sin, may be refuted, (and that especially by this very man's example',)-laurel-crowned Christians ! quibus whom this question serveth to sooth', as though that may be tium thought to be either no sin, or a doubtful one, which admitteth quæstio of a question. But that it is neither no sin, nor a doubtful one, I shall now in the meanwhile shew. in sola est II. I say that no believer alloweth a crown upon his head' at any other time, except the time of this sort of temptation. All observe this rule from their novitiate up to their confession and martyrdom, or their apostasy. Whence the authority for this rule, which is now made the chief question, is for thee to look to. Moreover, when it is made a question why a thing is observed, it is meanwhile granted that it is observed. Wherefore that cannot be thought to be no sin, or no certain sin, which is committed against a rule, which, as such, ought to be maintained for its own sake, and is sufficiently authorized by the support of 2 Plane; general consent. Doubtless; yet in such wise', of course, that the reason may be enquired into !-yes, but without hindrance of its observance, and not to overthrow, but rather to build it up, in order that thou mayest the more observe it, when thou art easy even with respect to the reason of it. But what sort of thing is it for a man then to call the observance of the rule into question, when he hath abandoned it, and to ask why he is bound to the observance, when he hath ceased from it? since although he may wish it sic tamen ut restored generally, on the ground of their with- i ipsius vel maxime exemplo from j Apol. c. 42. Plane; sic tamen ut ratio quærenda sit; sed salva observatione; the words Plane; sic tamen &c. seem to be those of an opponent; T. "You must obey what general consent establishes." Opp. "But that does not preclude enquiry."T.“ Provided you enquire, while obeying, not when you have ceased to obey." |