11. That it was before predicted that the world would hold us in abhorrence, and that it would stir up persecutions against us, and that no new thing is happening to the Christians, since from the beginning of the world the good have suffered, and the righteous have been oppressed and slain by the unrighteous.

The Lord in the Gospel forewarns and foretells, saying: “If the world hates you, know that it first hated me. If ye were of the world, the world would love what is its own: but because ye are not of the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I spoke unto you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”82    John xv. 18–20. And again: “The hour will come, that every one that killeth you will think that he doeth God service; but they will do this because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the hour shall come ye may remember them, because I told you.”83    John xvi. 2–4. And again: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”84    John xvi. 20. And again: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace; but in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good confidence, for I have overcome the world.”85    John xvi. 33. And when He was interrogated by His disciples concerning the sign of His coming, and of the consummation of the world, He answered and said: “Take care lest any deceive you: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall begin to hear of wars, and rumours of wars; see that ye be not troubled: for these things must needs come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:  and there shall be famines, and earthquakes, and pestilences, in every place. But all these things are the beginnings of travailings. Then they shall deliver you up into affliction, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hateful to all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall seduce many; and because wickedness shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he who shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached through all the world, for a testimony to all nations; and then shall come the end. When, therefore, ye shall see the abomination of desolation which is spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him who readeth understand), then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let him which is on the house-roof not go down to take anything from the house; and let him who is in the field not return back to carry away his clothes. But woe to them that are pregnant, and to those that are giving suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath-day: for there shall be great tribulation, such as has not arisen from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall arise. And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh should be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any one shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or, Lo, there; believe him not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, to cause error, if it be possible, even to the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. If, therefore, they shall say to you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not forth: lo, he is in the sleeping chambers; believe it not. For as the flashing of lightning goeth forth from the east, and appeareth even to the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be. Wheresoever the carcase shall be, there shall the eagles be gathered together. But immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be moved: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and all the tribes of the earth shall lament, and shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and glory. And He shall send His angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the heights of heaven, even into the farthest bounds thereof.”86    Matt. xxiv. 4–31. And these are not new or sudden things which are now happening to Christians; since the good and righteous, and those who are devoted to God in the law of innocence and the fear of true religion, advance always through afflictions, and wrongs, and the severe and manifold penalties of troubles, in the hardship of a narrow path. Thus, at the very beginning of the world, the righteous Abel was the first to be slain by his brother; and Jacob was driven into exile, and Joseph was sold, and king Saul persecuted the merciful David; and king Ahab endeavoured to oppress Elias, who firmly and bravely asserted the majesty of God.  Zacharias the priest was slain between the temple and the altar, that himself might there become a sacrifice where he was accustomed to offer sacrifices to God. So many martyrdoms of the righteous have, in fact, often been celebrated; so many examples of faith and virtue have been set forth to future generations. The three youths, Ananias, Azarias, and Misäel, equal in age, agreeing in love, stedfast in faith, constant in virtue, stronger than the flames and penalties that urged them, proclaim that they only obey God, that they know Him alone, that they worship Him alone, saying: “O king Nebuchodonosor, there is no need for us to answer thee in this matter. For the God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of the furnace of burning fire; and He will deliver us from thy hands, O king. And if not, be it known unto thee, that we do not serve thy gods, and we do not adore the golden image which thou hast set up.”87    Dan. iii. 16–18. And Daniel, devoted to God, and filled with the Holy Spirit, exclaims and says: “I worship nothing but the Lord my God, who founded the heaven and the earth.”88    Bel and Dragon 5. Tobias also, although under a royal and tyrannical slavery, yet in feeling and spirit free, maintains his confession to God, and sublimely announces both the divine power and majesty, saying: “In the land of my captivity I confess to Him, and I show forth His power in a sinful nation.”89    Tob. xiii. 6. What, indeed, do we find in the Maccabees of seven brethren, equals alike in their lot of birth and virtues, filling up the number seven in the sacrament of a perfected completion? Seven brethren were thus associating in martyrdom. As the first seven days in the divine arrangement containing seven thousand of years,90    [Irenæus, vol. i. p. 557; also p. 551, and Barnabas, ib., p. 146.] as the seven spirits and seven angels which stand and go in and out before the face of God, and the seven-branched lamp in the tabernacle of witness, and the seven golden candlesticks in the Apocalypse, and the seven columns in Solomon upon which Wisdom built her house; so here also the number seven of the brethren, embracing, in the quantity of their number, the seven churches, as likewise in the first book of Kings we read that the barren hath borne seven. And in Isaiah seven women lay hold on one man, whose name they ask to be called upon them. And the Apostle Paul, who refers to this lawful and certain number, writes to the seven churches. And in the Apocalypse the Lord directs His divine and heavenly precepts to the seven churches and their angels, which number is now found in this case, in the seven brethren, that a lawful consummation may be completed. With the seven children is manifestly associated also the mother, their origin and root, who subsequently begat seven churches, she herself having been first, and alone founded upon a rock91    “Petrum” is the reading of Migne; but by far the more authoritative reading is “Petram,” “a rock.” by the voice of the Lord.92    [The seven churches were none of them founded by St. Peter. The mother here referred to is therefore the Ecclesia Catholica.] Nor is it of no account that in their sufferings the mother alone is with her children.  For martyrs who witness themselves as the sons of God in suffering are now no more counted as of any father but God, as in the Gospel the Lord teaches, saying, “Call no man your father upon earth; for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”93    Matt. xxiii. 9.

But what utterances of confessions did they herald forth! how illustrious, how great proofs of faith did they afford! The king Antiochus, their enemy—yea, in Antiochus Antichrist was set forth—sought to pollute the mouths of martyrs, glorious and unconquered in the spirit of confession, with the contagion of swine’s flesh; and when he had severely beaten them with whips, and could prevail nothing, commanded iron plates to be heated, which being heated and made to glow, he commanded him who had first spoken, and had more provoked the king with the constancy of his virtue and faith, to be brought up and roasted, his tongue having first been pulled out and cut off, which had confessed God; and this happened the more gloriously to the martyr. For the tongue which had confessed the name of God, ought itself first to go to God. Then in the second, sharper pains having been devised, before he tortured the other limbs, he tore off the skin of his head with the hair, doubtless with a purpose in his hatred. For since Christ is the head of the man, and God is the head of Christ, he who tore the head in the martyr was persecuting God and Christ in that head. But he, trusting in his martyrdom, and promising to himself from the retribution of God the reward of resurrection, exclaimed and said, “Thou indeed impotently destroyest us out of this present life; but the King of the world will raise us up, who die for His laws, unto the eternal resurrection of life.”94    2 Macc. vii. 9. [Heb. xi. 35.] The third being challenged, quickly put forth his tongue; for he had learned from his brother to despise the punishment of cutting off the tongue. Moreover, he firmly held forth his hands to be cut off, greatly happy in such a mode of punishment, since it was his lot to imitate, by stretching forth his hands, the form of his Lord’s passion. And also the fourth, with like virtue, despising the tortures, and answering, to restrain the king, with a heavenly voice exclaimed, and said, “It is better that those who are given to death by men should wait for hope from God, to be raised up by Him again to eternal life.95    “To eternal life” is omitted in the Oxford edition. For to thee there shall be no resurrection to life.”96    2 Macc. vii. 14. The fifth, besides treading under foot the torments of the king, and his severe and various tortures, by the strength of faith, animated to prescience also and knowledge of future events by the Spirit of divinity, foretold to the king the wrath of God, and the vengeance that should swiftly follow. “Having power,” said he, “among men, though thou art corruptible, thou doest what thou wilt. But think not that our race is forsaken of God.  Abide, and see His great power, how He will torment thee and thy seed.”97    2 Macc. vii. 16. What alleviation was that to the martyr!98    “How great” is added in some editions. how substantial a comfort in his sufferings, not to consider his own torments, but to predict the penalties of his tormentor! But in the sixth, not his bravery only, but also his humility, is to be set forth; that the martyr claimed nothing to himself, nor even made an account of the honour of his own confession with proud words, but rather ascribed it to his sins that he was suffering persecution from the king, while he attributed to God that afterwards he should be avenged. He taught that martyrs are modest, that they were confident of vengeance, and boasted nothing in their suffering. “Do not,” said he, “needlessly err; for we on our own account suffer these things, as sinning against our God. But think not thou that thou shalt be unpunished, who darest to fight against God.”99    2 Macc. vii. 18. Also the admirable mother, who, neither broken down by the weakness of her sex, nor moved by her manifold bereavement, looked upon her dying children with cheerfulness, and did not reckon those things punishments of her darlings, but glories, giving as great a witness to God by the virtue of her eyes, as her children had given by the tortures and suffering of their limbs; when, after the punishment and slaying of six, there remained one of the brethren, to whom the king promised riches, and power, and many things, that his cruelty and ferocity might be soothed by the satisfaction of even one being subdued, and asked that the mother would entreat that her son might be cast down with herself; she entreated, but it was as became a mother of martyrs—as became one who was mindful of the law and of God—as became one who loved her sons not delicately, but bravely. For she entreated, but it was that he would confess God. She entreated that the brother would not be separated from his brothers in the alliance of praise and glory; then only considering herself the mother of seven sons, if it should happen to her to have brought forth seven sons, not to the world, but to God. Therefore arming him, and strengthening him, and so bearing her son by a more blessed birth, she said, “O son, pity me that bare thee ten100    Otherwise “nine.” months in the womb, and gave thee milk for three years, and nourished thee and brought thee up to this age; I pray thee, O son, look upon the heaven and the earth; and having considered all the things which are in them, understand that out of nothing God made these things and the human race. Therefore, O son,101    “Thus it shall turn out that you,” etc., is the Oxford reading. do not fear that executioner; but being made worthy of thy brethren, receive death, that in the same mercy I may receive thee with thy brethren.”102    2 Macc. vii. 27. The mother’s praise was great in her exhortation to virtue, but greater in the fear of God and in the truth of faith, that she promised nothing to herself or her son from the honour of the six martyrs, nor believed that the prayer of the brothers would avail103    [This is noteworthy, for obvious reasons.] for the salvation of one who should deny, but rather persuaded him to become a sharer in their suffering, that in the day of judgment he might be found with his brethren.  After this the mother also dies with her children; for neither was anything else becoming, than that she who had borne and made martyrs, should be joined in the fellowship of glory with them, and that she herself should follow those whom she had sent before to God. And lest any, when the opportunity either of a certificate or of any such matter is offered to him whereby he may deceive, should embrace the wicked part of deceivers, let us not be silent, moreover, about Eleazar, who, when an opportunity was offered him by the ministers of the king, that having received the flesh which it was allowable for him to partake of, he might pretend, for the misguiding of the king, that he ate those things which were forced upon him from the sacrifices and unlawful meats, would not consent to this deception, saying that it was fitting neither for his age nor nobility to feign that, whereby others would be scandalized and led into error; if they should think that Eleazar, being ninety years old, had left and betrayed the law of God, and had gone over to the manner of aliens; and that it was not of so much consequence to gain the short moments of life, and so incur eternal punishment from an offended God. And he having been long tortured, and now at length reduced to extremity, while he was dying in the midst of stripes and tortures, groaned and said, “O Lord, that hast the holy knowledge, it is manifest that although I might be delivered from death, I suffer the severest pains of body, being beaten with scourges; but with my mind, on account of Thy fear, I willingly suffer these things.”104    2 Macc. vi. 30. Assuredly his faith was sincere and his virtue sound, and abundantly pure, not to have regarded king Antiochus, but God the Judge, and to have known that it could not avail him for salvation if he should mock and deceive man, when God, who is the judge of our conscience, and who only is to be feared, cannot at all be mocked nor deceived. If, therefore, we also live as dedicated and devoted to God—if we make our way over the ancient and sacred footsteps of the righteous, let us go through the same proofs of sufferings, the same testimonies of passions, considering the glory of our time the greater on this account, that while ancient examples may be numbered, yet that subsequently, when the abundance of virtue and faith was in excess, the Christian martyrs cannot be numbered, as the Apocalypse testifies and says: “After these things I beheld a great multitude, which no man could number, of every nation, and of every tribe, and people, and language, standing in the sight of the throne and of the Lamb; and they were clothed in white robes, and palms were in their hands; and they said with a loud voice, Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb! And one of the elders answered and said unto me, Who are those which are arrayed in white robes, and whence come they? And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple.”105    Rev. vii. 9–15. But if the assembly of the Christian martyrs is shown and proved to be so great, let no one think it a hard or a difficult thing to become a martyr, when he sees that the crowd of martyrs cannot be numbered.

CAPUT XI.---ANTE PRAEDICTUM ESSE QUOD NOS MUNDUS ODIO HABITURUS ESSET, ET QUOD PERSECUTIONES ADVERSUM NOS EXCITARET, ET QUOD NIHIL NOVUM CHRISTIANIS ACCIDAT, QUANDO AB INITIO MUNDI BONI LABORA VERINT, ET OPPRESSI ATQUE OCCISI SINT JUSTI AB INJUSTIS.

Dominus in Evangelio praemonet et praenuntiat, 0665B dicens: Si mundus vos odit, scitote quoniam me primo odiit (Joan. XV, 18). Si de mundo essetis, mundus quod suum esset amaret: sed, quia de mundo non estis, et ego elegi vos de mundo, propterea odit vos mundus, Mementote sermonis quem dixi vobi: Non est servus major domino suo: si me persecuti sunt, et vos persequentur. Et iterum: Veniet hora ut omnis qui vos occiderit, putet se officium Deo facere: sed hoc facient, quoniam non cognoverunt Patrem neque me. Haec autem locutus sum vobis, ut, cum venerit hora, eorum memores sitis, quia ego dixi vobis (Ib. XVI, 4). Et iterum: Amen amen dico vobis, quoniam vos plorabitis et plangetis, saeculum autem gaudebit: vos tristes eritis, sed tristitia vestra in laetitiam veniet (Ib. 26). Et iterum: Haec locutus sum vobis, ut in me pacem habeatis, in saeculo autem pressuram : sed fidite, quoniam ego vici saeculum (Ib. 38). Et cum a discipulis suis interrogaretur 0665C de signo adventus sui et consummationis mundi , respondit et dixit: Cavete ne quis vos fallat; multi enim venient in nomine meo dicentes: Ego sum Christus; et 0666A multos fallent (Matth. XXIV, 4). Incipietis autem audire bella et auditus bellorum : videte, nolite tumultuari: oportet enim haec fieri, sed nondum est finis. Exsurget enim gens super gentem, et regnum super regnum ; et erunt fames et terrae motus et pestilentiae per singula loca; omnia autem ista initia parturitionum sunt. Tunc tradent vos in pressuram, et interficient vos; et eritis odibiles omnibus gentibus propter nomen meum. Et tunc scandalizabuntur multi, et invicem tradent et odient invicem. Et multi pseudoprophetae exsurgent et seducent multos: et eo quod facinus abundet, refrigescet charitas multorum. Qui autem toleraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit. Et praedicabitur Evangelium istud regni per totum orbem terrae, in testimonium omnibus gentibus , et tunc veniet finis. Cum ergo videritis abominationem 0666B vastationis , quae dicta est per Danielem prophetam, stantem in loco sancto (qui legit intelligat), tunc qui in Judaea sunt, fugiant in montes; et qui in tecto est, non descendat tollere quidquam de domo; et qui in agro est, non convertatur retro auferre vestimentum suum. Vae autem praegnantibus et nutrientibus in illis diebus! Orate autem ne fiat fuga vestra hyeme, neque sabbato. Erit enim tunc pressura magna, qualis non fuit ab initio mundi usque nunc, sed neque fiet: et nisi breviati essent dies illi, non esset salva omnis caro; propter electos autem breviabuntur illi dies. Tunc si quis dixerit vobis: Ecce hic est Christus, aut ecce illic, nolite credere. Surgent enim pseudochristi et pseudoprophetae: et dabunt signa magna et prodigia, ad errorem faciendum, si fieri potest, etiam electis. Vos autem cavete, ecce praedixi vobis omnia. Si ergo dixerint 0666C vobis: Ecce in solitudine est , nolite exire; ecce in cubiculis , nolite credere. Sicut enim coruscatio exit ab Oriente, et apparet usque ad Occidentem, ita erit et adventus Filii hominis. Ubi fuerit cadaver , illuc colligentur 0667A aquilae. Continuo autem post pressuram dierum illorum sol tenebricabit , et luna non dabit lumen suum, et stellae cadent de caelo, et virtutes caelorum movebuntur. Et tunc apparebit signum Filii hominis in caelo, et lamentabuntur omnes tribus terrae: et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus caeli cum virtute magna et claritate. Et mittet Angelos suos cum tuba magna. Et colligent electos ejus a quatuor ventis , a summis caelorum usque ad summitates eorum (Matth. XXIV; Luc. XXI). Nec nova aut repentina haec sunt quae nunc accidunt Christianis, cum boni semper et justi, et Deo innocentiae lege ac verae religionis timore devoti, per pressuras et injurias , et graves ac multiformes infestationum poenas angusti itineris difficultate gradiantur. Sic in origine statim mundi Abel justus a fratre primus 0667B occiditur: et Jacob fugatur, et Joseph venundatur, et David misericordem Saul rex persequitur, et Heliam majestatem Dei constanter ac fortiter asserentem rex Achab opprimere conatur; Zacharias sacerdos interficitur in medio templi et altaris, ut illic hostia ipse fiat ubi Deo hostias immolabat. Tot denique martyria justorum saepe celebrata, tot edita in posterum fidei et virtutis exempla. Tres pueri, Ananias, Azarias, Misahel, aetate compares, dilectione concordes, fide stabiles, virtute constantes, flammis ac poenis urgentibus fortiores, soli se Deo servire, solum nosse, solum colere proclamant , dicentes: Nabuchodonosor rex, non opus est nobis de hoc verbo respondere tibi. Est enim Deus, cui nos servimus, potens 0667C nos eripere de camino ignis ardentis, et de manibus tuis, rex, liberabit nos. Et si non, notum sit tibi quia diis tuis non servimus, et imaginem auream quam statuisti, non adoramus. Et Daniel, Deo devotus et sancto Spiritu plenus, exclamat et dicit: Nihil colo ego nisi Dominum Deum meum, qui condidït coelum et 0668A terram (Dan. XIV, 4). Tobias quoque, sub regali licet ac tyrannica servitute, sensu tamen ac spiritu liber, confessionem suam Deo servat, et virtutem majestatemque divinam sublimiter praedicat, dicens: Ego in terra captivitatis meae confiteor illi, et ostendo virtutem ejus in natione peccatrice (Tob. XIII, 6). Quid vero in Machabaeis, septem fratres et natalium pariter et virtutum sorte consimiles, septenarium numerum sacramento perfectae consummationis implentes? sic septem fratres in martyrio cohaerentes, ut primi in dispositione divina septem dies annorum septem millia continentes, ut septem Spiritus et Angeli septem qui assistunt et conversantur ante faciem Dei, et lucernae septiformes in tabernaculo martyrii, et in Apocalypsi septem candelabra aurea, et 0668B apud Salomonem columnae septem, super quas aedificavit domum Sapientia (Prov. IX, 1): ita et istic septem fratrum numerus, Ecclesias septem numeri sui quantitate complexus, secundum quod in primo Regnorum libro legimus, sterilem septem peperisse (II, 5). Et apud Esaiam: Septem mulieres unum hominem apprehendunt, cujus invocari super se nomen exposcunt (Is. IV, 1). Et apostolus Paulus, qui hujus legitimi numeri et certi meminit, ad septem Ecclesias scribit. Et in Apocalypsi (I, 19-21) Dominus mandata sua divina et praecepta coelestia ad septem Ecclesias et earum angelos dirigit, qui nunc istic in fratribus numerus invenitur, ut consummatio legitima compleatur . 0668C Cum septem liberis plane copulatur et mater origo et radix; quae Ecclesias septem postmodum peperit, ipsa prima et una super Petrum Domini voce fundata. Nec vacat quod in passionibus sola cum liberis mater est: martyres enim, qui se Dei filios in passione testantur, jam non nisi Deo patre censentur; sicut in Evangelio Dominus docet, dicens : 0669A Ne vocaveritis vobis patrem super terram, unus est enim pater vester qui in coelis est (Matth. XXIII, 9). Quae vero ediderunt confessionum praeconia, quam praeclara, quam magna documenta fidei praebuerunt! Rex Antiochus infestus, immo in Antiocho antichristus expressus, ora martyrum gloriosa et spiritu confessionis invicta, contagio suillae carnis maculare quaerebat, et cum flagellis graviter verberasset, ac nihil promovere potuisset, sartagines jussit igniri: quibus ignitis et accensis, eum qui primus locutus fuerat, et magis regem virtutis et fidei constantia provocaverat, admoveri praecepit et frigi, producta et exsecta prius lingua, quae confessa Deum fuerat: quod martyri gloriosius contigit; lingua enim confessa nomen Dei, prior ad Deum debuit ipsa proficisci. 0669B Post in secundo excogitatis acrioribus poenis, antequam caetera membra torqueret, cutem capitis cum capillis detraxit, odio scilicet certo. Nam cum caput viri Christus sit, et caput Christi Deus; qui caput laniabat in martyre, Deum et Christum persequebatur in capite. At ille in martyrio suo fidens , et resurrectionis sibi praemium de Dei remuneratione promittens, exclamavit et dixit: Tu quidem impotens ex hac praesenti vita nos perdis; sed mundi rex defunctos nos pro suis legibus in aeternam vitae resurrectionem suscitabit (II Machab. VII, 9). Tertius linguam postulatus cito protulit: nam poenam linguae exsecandae jam didicerat a fratre contemnere; manus quoque amputandas constanter extendit, multum beatus genere isto supplicii, cui contigit extensis ad poenam manibus passionis Dominicae instar imitari. Nec non et quartus, pari virtute tormenta contemnens, et ad retundendum regem coelesti voce respondens, exclamavit et dixit: Potius est ab hominibus morti datos exspectare spem a Deo iterum, ab eo suscitandos in vitam aeternam : tibi enim resurrectio 0669C ad vitam non erit (Ib. 14). Quintus, praeter quod carnificinam regis et duros variosque cruciatus fidei vigore calcabat, ad praescientiam quoque et notitiam futurorum spiritu divinitatis animatus, prophetavit regi indignationem Dei et ultionem velociter secuturam: 0670A Potestatem, inquit, inter homines habens, cum sis corruptibilis, facis quod vis. Noli autem putare genus nostrum a Deo derelictum esse. Sustine et vide magnam potestatem ejus, qualiter te et semen tuum torquebit (Ibid. 16). Quale illud levamentum fuit martyri , quam grande solatium, in cruciatibus suis non tormenta propria cogitare, sed tortoris sui supplicia praedicare! In sexto vero non virtus sola, sed et humilitas praedicanda est; nihil sibi martyrem vindicasse, nec confessionis suae honorem superbis vocibus ventilasse, peccatis potius suis adscripsisse, quod persecutionem a rege pateretur; Deo vero dedisse quod postmodum vindicaretur. Docuit esse martyres verecundos, de ultione fidere, et nihil in passione jactare: Noli, inquit, frustra 0670B errare: nos enim propter nosmetipsos haec patimur, peccantes in Deum nostrum. Tu autem, ne te existimes impune futurum , aggressus pugnare cum Deo (Ib. 18). Admirabilis quoque mater, quae nec sexus infirmitate fracta, nec multiplici orbitate commota, morientes liberos spectavit libenter, nec poenas illas pignorum, sed glorias computavit, tam grande martyrium Deo praebens virtute oculorum suorum, quam praebuerant filii ejus tormentis et passione membrorum: cum sex punitis et occisis superesset unus ex fratribus, cui rex divitias et potentatus et multa pollicebatur, ut crudelitas ejus ac feritas vel unius subacti solatio foveretur, et peteret ut ad filium dejiciendum secum deprecaretur et mater; deprecata est illa, sed ut decebat martyrum matrem, ut decebat legis et Dei memorem, ut decebat filios suos non delicate sed fortiter diligentem. Deprecata est enim, sed ut Deum confiteretur: deprecata est ne a fratribus suis frater in consortio laudis et gloriae separaretur: tunc se septem filiorum computans matrem, si sibi contingeret filios septem Deo 0670C potius peperisse , non saeculo Armans itaque eum et corroborans, et feliciore tunc partu filium generans: Fili, inquit, miserere mei, quae te in utero mensibus decem portavi, et lac triennio dedi, et alui, et in aetatem istam perduxi. Oro, fili, aspicias in coelum 0671A et terram; et omnibus quae in eis sunt aspectis, intelligas quia ex nihilo fecit illa Deus et hominum genus. Itaque, fili, ne timeas carnificem istum, sed dignus fratribus effectus excipias mortem, ut in illa miseratione cum fratribus tuis te recipiam (Machab. VII, 28). Magna laus matris in exhortatione virtutis, sed major in Dei timore et in fidei veritate , quod nihil sibi, aut filio, de sex martyrum honore promisit, nec fratrum precem profuturam credidit ad negantis salutem: persuasit potius participem passionis fieri, ut in judicii die posset cum fratribus inveniri. Posthaec liberis suis commoritur et mater; neque enim aliud jam decebat , quam ut quae martyres pepererat et fecerat, in consortio illis gloriae jungeretur; et quos ad Deum praemiserat, ipsa 0671B quoque sequeretur. Ac, ne quis, vel libelli vel alicujus rei oblata sibi occasione qua fallat, amplectatur decipientium malum munus, nec Eleazarus tacendus est, qui, cum sibi a ministris regis offerretur facultas ut, accepta carne qua liceret sibi vesci , ad circumveniendum regem, simularet se illa edere quae de sacrificiis atque illicitis cibis ingerebantur, consentire ad hanc fallaciam noluit, dicens: nec aetati suae, nec nobilitati convenire id fingere, quo caeteri scandalizarentur et in errorem inducerentur, existimantes Eleazarum nonaginta annos natum, ad alienigenarum morem, relicta et prodita Dei lege, transisse: nec tanti esse lucrari brevia 0672A vitae momenta, ut offenso Deo incurreret aeterna supplicia. At ille excruciatus diu, et in extremo jam constitutus, cum inter verbera et tormenta moreretur, ingemiscens ait: Domine, qui sanctam habes scientiam, manifestum est quia, cum possem a morte liberari, durissimos dolores corporis tolero flagellis vapulans; animo autem propter tui ipsius metum libenter haec patior (Machab. VI, 22). Sincera prorsus fides et virtus integra ac satis pura, non regem Antiochum cogitasse, sed Deum judicem ; et scisse proficere sibi ad salutem non posse, si hominem derideret ac falleret, quando Deus, qui conscientiae nostrae judex est et solus timendus est, nec derideri possit omnino nec falli. Si igitur et nos dicati ac devoti Deo vivimus, si supra justorum antiqua 0672B et sancta vestigia iter facimus, per eadem documenta poenarum, per eadem passionum martyria pergamus; hoc ampliorem gloriam computantes temporis nostri, quod, cum vetera exempla numerentur, exuberante postmodum copia virtutis ac fidei, numerari non possunt martyres Christiani; testante Apocalypsi et dicente: Post haec vidi turbam magnam , quam dinumerare nemo poterat, ex omni gente, et ex omni tribu et populo et lingua, stantes in conspectu throni et Agni: et erant amicti stolas albas , et palmae fuerunt in manibus eorum, et magno clamore dicebant: Salus Deo nostro sedenti super thronum, et Agno. Et respondit unus ex senioribus dicens mihi: 0673A Hi qui amicti sunt stolas albas, qui sunt, et unde venerunt? Et dixi ei: Domine mi, tu scis. Et ait mihi: Hi sunt qui venerunt ex magna tribulatione, et laverunt stolas suas, et candidas eas fecerunt in sanguine Agni: propter hoc sunt in conspectu throni Dei, et serviunt ei die ac nocte in templo ejus (Apoc. VII, 9). Quod si tantus ostenditur et probatur Christianorum martyrum populus, nemo difficile vel arduum putet esse martyrem fieri, quando videat martyrum populum non posse numerari.