29. He said this who suffered, and who suffered for this cause, that he might imitate the Lord; and assuredly he wished us also to suffer for this cause, that through him we might imitate Christ. If thou art righteous, and believest in God, why fearest thou to shed thy blood for Him whom thou knowest to have so often suffered for thee? In Isaiah He was sawn asunder, in Abel He was slain, in Isaac He was offered up, in Joseph He was sold into slavery, in man He was crucified. And I say nothing of other matters, such as neither my discourse is able to tell nor my mind to bear. My consciousness is overcome by the example of His humility; and when it considers what things befell when He suffered, it marvels that He should suffer on whose behalf all things quaked. The day fled into the night; the light gave up all things into darkness; and, its mass being inclined backwards and forwards, the whole earth was jarred, and burst open; the dead31    Or, “Manes.” were disturbed, the graves were laid bare, and as the tombs gaped open into the rent of the earth, bodies returning to the light were restored; the world trembled at the flowing of His blood; and the veil which hung from the opening of the temple was rent, and all the temple uttered a groan. For which cause it is a great matter to imitate Him who, in dying, convicted the world. Therefore when, after the example of the Lord’s passion, and after all the testimony of Christ, you lay down your life, and fear not to shed your blood, everything must absolutely give way to martyrdom. Inestimable is the glory of martyrdom, infinite its measure, immaculate its victory, invaluable its title, immense its triumph; because he who is presented to Him with the special glory of a confessor, is adorned with the kindred blood of Christ.

XXIX. Dixit hoc ille qui passus est et qui ad hoc passus est ut imitaretur Dominum, utique et nos ad hoc voluit pati ut per ipsum imitaremur Christum. Si justus es et Deo credis, quid pro eo sanguinem fundere 0802B metuis quem pro te toties passum esse cognoscis? In Esaia sectus, in Abel occisus, in Isaac immolatus, in Joseph venundatus, in homine crucifixus est. Et, de caeteris quidem taceo, quae nec oratio potest dicere nec animus sustinere. Vincitur conscientia humilitatis exemplo; et quanta considerat quae dum pateretur acciderint, miratur passum propter quem cuncta trepidarint. Dies fugit in noctem, in tenebras lux cuncta concessit, atque inclinato per alternas vices pondere, omnis terra commota dissiluit, turbati manes, monumenta nudata sunt, et sepulchris in hiatum dehiscentibus terrae, reddita luci corpora restiterunt , fluxu sanguinis mundus intremuit, scissa quae foribus dependebant vela, templum omne mugiit. Unde magnum est imitari eum qui moriendo 0802C arguit saeculum. Igitur, cum ad exemplum Dominicae passionis atque ad omne testimonium Christi animam tuam ponas nec fundere sanguinem metuas, martyrio totum necesse est cedat. Martyrii inaestimabilis gloria, infinita mensura, immaculata victoria, inaestimabilis titulus, triumphus immensus; quippe qui et propria confitentis laude praefertur, velut socio Christi cruore decoratur.