26. Consider what it is, beloved brethren: set before your perceptions and your minds all the endurance of martyrdom. Behold, indeed, in the passion of any one you will, they who are called martyrs rejoice as being already summoned out of the world; they rejoice as being messengers of all good men; they rejoice in like manner as elected. Thus the Lord rejoices in His soldier,22    [The adoption of “the sign of the cross,” after the immersion of baptism, is referable to this martyr-age. It was meant to impress the idea of soldiership.] Christ rejoices in the witness to His name. It is a small matter that I am speaking of, beloved brethren; it is a small matter, so great a subject in this kind of address, and so marvellous a difficulty has been undertaken by me; but let the gravity of the issue, I beseech you, not be wanting for my own purpose, knowing that as much can be said of martyrdom as could be appreciated. Whence also this alone has been the reason of my describing its glory, not that I judged myself equal and fitted for its praise, but that I saw that there was such a virtue in it, that however little I might say about it, I should profess that I had said as much as possible. For although the custody of faith may be preferred to the benefit of righteousness, and an immaculate virginity may recognise itself as better than the praises of all; yet it is necessary that even it should give place to the claim of blood, and be made second to a gory death. The former have chosen what is good, the latter have imitated Christ.

XXVI. Considerate quid sit, charissimi fratres, omnem martyrii firmitatem sensibus vestris animisque proponite. Ecce enim in passione cujuslibet vocati gaudent jampridem acciti e saeculo martyres, gaudent bonorum omnium nuntii, gaudent pariter electi. Ibi laetatur milite suo Dominus, laetatur teste 0801A nominis sui Christus. Parum est quod dico, fratres charissimi, parum est. Ita magna mihi ratio in hoc genere dicendi ac moles admiranda suscepta est; sed arbitrii, quaeso vos, gravitas ab intentione propria non desit, sciens tantum de martyrio posse dici quantum potuerit aestimari. Unde et haec sola exequendae laudis fuit causa, non quo parem me gloriae ejus atque idoneum judicarem, sed quod tantam, in illo cernerem esse virtutem, ut, etsi parum de eo dicerem, plurimum me dixisse profiterer. Nam praeferatur licet bono fidei custodia justitia, melioremque se inter omnium laudes virginitas immaculata cognoscat, cedat tamen necesse est sanguini summittaturque cruori. Illi elegerunt bonum, hi imitati sunt Christum.