Chapter XVI.—Passages of Scripture Respecting the Constancy, Patience, and Love of the Martyrs.

“With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Wherefore the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed; that is, the word of faith which we preach: for if thou confess the word with thy mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”1002    Rom. x. 10, 11, 8, 9. There is clearly described the perfect righteousness, fulfilled both in practice and contemplation. Wherefore we are “to bless those who persecute us. Bless, and curse not.”1003    Rom. xii. 14. “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of a good conscience, that in holiness and sincerity we know God” by this inconsiderable instance exhibiting the work of love, that “not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.”1004    2 Cor. i. 12. So far the apostle respecting knowledge; and in the second Epistle to the Corinthians he calls the common “teaching of faith” the savour of knowledge. “For unto this day the same veil remains on many in the reading of the Old Testament,”1005    2 Cor. iii. 14. not being uncovered by turning to the Lord. Wherefore also to those capable of perceiving he showed resurrection, that of the life still in the flesh, creeping on its belly. Whence also he applied the name “brood of vipers” to the voluptuous, who serve the belly and the pudenda, and cut off one another’s heads for the sake of worldly pleasures. “Little children, let us not love in word, or in tongue,” says John, teaching them to be perfect, “but in deed and in truth; hereby shall we know that we are of the truth.”1006    1 John iii. 18, 19. And if “God be love,” piety also is love: “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.”1007    1 John iv. 16, 18. “This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”1008    1 John v. 3. And again, to him who desires to become a Gnostic, it is written, “But be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love, in faith, in purity.”1009    1 Tim. iv. 12. For perfection in faith differs, I think, from ordinary faith. And the divine apostle furnishes the rule for the Gnostic in these words, writing as follows: “For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to lack. I can do all things through Him who strengtheneth me.”1010    Phil. iv. 11–13. And also when discussing with others in order to put them, to shame, he does not shrink from saying, “But call to mind the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst ye were made a gazing-stock, both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took with joy the spoiling of your goods, knowing that you have a better and enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after doing the will of God, ye may obtain the promise. For yet a little while, and He that cometh will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: and if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”1011    Heb. x. 32–39. He then brings forward a swarm of divine examples. For was it not “by faith,” he says, this endurance, that they acted nobly who “had trial of mockeries and scourgings, and, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments? They were stoned, they were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens, and caves of the earth. And all having received a good report, through faith, received not the promise of God” (what is expressed by a parasiopesis is left to be understood, viz., “alone”). He adds accordingly, “God having provided some better thing for us (for He was good), that they should not without us be made perfect. Wherefore also, having encompassing us such a cloud,” holy and transparent, “of witnesses, laying aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”1012    Heb. xi. 36–40, xii. 1, 2. Since, then, he specifies one salvation in Christ of the righteous,1013    Who lived before Christ. [Moses was a Christian.] and of us he has expressed the former unambiguously, and saying nothing less respecting Moses, adds, “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect to the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”1014    Heb. xi. 26, 27. [Moses suffered “the reproach of Christ.”] The divine Wisdom says of the martyrs, “They seemed in the eyes of the foolish to die, and their departure was reckoned a calamity, and their migration from us an affliction. But they are in peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope was full of immortality.”1015    Wisd. iii. 2, 3, 4. He then adds, teaching martyrdom to be a glorious purification, “And being chastened a little, they shall be benefited much; because God proved them,” that is, suffered them to be tried, to put them to the proof, and to put to shame the author of their trial, “and found them worthy of Himself,” plainly to be called sons. “As gold in the furnace He proved them, and as a whole burned-offering of sacrifice He accepted them. And in the time of their visitation they will shine forth, even as sparks run along the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and rule over the peoples, and the Lord shall reign over them forever.”1016    Wisd. iii. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Καρδίᾳ μὲν πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν. λέγει γοῦν ἡ γραφή· "πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται." τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως ὃ κηρύσσομεν, ὅτι ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς τὸ ῥῆμα τῷ στόματί σου ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς καὶ πιστεύσῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, σωθήσῃ. ἄντικρυς τελείαν δικαιοσύνην ὑπογράφει ἔργῳ τε καὶ θεωρίᾳ πεπληρωμένην. εὐλογητέον οὖν τοὺς διώκοντας· εὐλογεῖτε καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε. ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν αὕτη ἐστί, τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν ἁγιότητι καὶ εἰλικρινείᾳ θεὸν ἔγνωμεν, δι' ὀλίγης ταύτης προφάσεως τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἔργον ἐνδεικνύμενοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ σαρκικῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν χάριτι θεοῦ ἀνεστράφημεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς γνώσεως ὁ ἀπόστολος· τὴν δὲ κοινὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς πίστεως ὀσμὴν γνώσεως εἴρηκεν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ πρὸς Κορινθίους. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει, μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον κατὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐπιστροφήν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀνάστασιν ἔδειξε τοῖς διορᾶν δυναμένοις τὴν ἔτι ἐν σαρκὶ τοῦ βίου [τοῦ] ἕρποντος ἐπὶ κοιλίαν. ἔνθεν καὶ γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν τοὺς τοιούτους ἐκάλεσεν, τοὺς φιληδόνους, τοὺς γαστρὶ καὶ αἰδοίοις δουλεύοντας, καὶ τὰς ἀλλήλων διὰ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἀποτέμνοντας κεφαλάς. τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ γλώσσῃ, [φησὶν] Ἰωάννης τελείους εἶναι διδάσκων, ἀλλ' ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν. εἰ δὲ ἀγάπη ὁ θεός, ἀγάπη καὶ ἡ θεοσέβεια· φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλ' ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον. αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν. πάλιν τε αὖ τῷ γνωστικῷ ποθοῦντι γενέσθαι γέγραπται· ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ· πίστεως γάρ, οἶμαι, τελειότης πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν διαστέλλεται πίστιν. καὶ δὴ γνωστικοῦ κανόνα ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος διὰ τοσῶνδε παρίστησι, τοῦτο μὲν γράφων ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔμαθον ἐν οἷς εἰμι αὐτάρκης εἶναι. οἶδα καὶ ταπεινοῦσθαι, οἶδα καὶ περισσεύειν· ἐν παντὶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι μεμύημαι, καὶ χορτάζεσθαι καὶ πεινᾶν, καὶ περισσεύειν καὶ ὑστερεῖσθαι. πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με, τοῦτο δὲ καὶ πρὸς ἐντροπὴν ἄλλοις διαλεγόμενος οὐκ ὀκνεῖ λέγειν· ἀναμιμνῄσκεσθε δὲ τὰς πρότερον ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς φωτισθέντες πολλὴν ἄθλησιν ὑπεμείνατε παθημάτων. τοῦτο μὲν ὀνειδισμοῖς τε καὶ θλίψεσι θεατριζόμενοι, τοῦτο δὲ κοινωνοὶ τῶν οὕτως ἀναστρεφομένων γενηθέντες. καὶ γὰρ τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου συνεπαθήσατε, καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε γινώσκοντες ἔχειν ἑαυτοὺς κρείττονα ὕπαρξιν καὶ μένουσαν. μὴ ἀποβάλητε οὖν τὴν παρρησίαν ὑμῶν, ἥτις ἔχει μεγάλην μισθαποδοσίαν. ὑπομονῆς γὰρ ἔχετε χρείαν, ἵνα τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ποιήσαντες κομίσησθε τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν· ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ. ὁ δὲ δίκαιός μου ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται. καὶ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ. ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔκ ἐσμεν ὑποστολῆς εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ἀλλὰ πίστεως εἰς περιποίησιν ψυχῆς. εἶτά σοι σμῆνος ὑποδειγμάτων θείων παρίστησιν. ἦ γὰρ οὐ πίστει, φησί, δι' ὑπομονῆς κατώρθωσαν οἱ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν λαβόντες, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς; ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον, περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι, ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, ἐν ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. καὶ πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεοῦ. ἀπολείπεται νοεῖν τὸ κατὰ παρασιώπησιν εἰρημένον μόνοι. ἐπιφέρει γοῦν· περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προειδομένου τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀγαθὸς γὰρ ἦν, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσι. τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος ἅγιον καὶ διειδὲς μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, δι' ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν. ὅτι μὲν οὖν μίαν σωτηρίαν λέγει ἐν Χριστῷ τῶν δικαίων καὶ ἡμῶν, σαφῶς μὲν εἴρη κεν πρότερον, οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ περὶ Μωυσέως λέγων ἐπιφέρει· μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπέβλεπε γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν· πίστει κατέλιπεν Αἴγυπτον, μὴ φοβηθεὶς τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως· τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν ἐκαρτέρησεν. ἡ θεία σοφία περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων λέγει· ἔδοξαν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀφρόνων τεθνάναι καὶ ἐλογίσθη κάκωσις ἡ ἔξοδος αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ ἀφ' ἡμῶν πορεία σύντριμμα· οἳ δέ εἰσιν ἐν εἰρήνῃ. καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὄψει ἀνθρώπων ἐὰν κολασθῶσιν, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτῶν ἀθανασίας πλήρης. εἶτα ἐπάγει, κάθαρσιν ἔνδοξον τὸ μαρτύριον διδάσκουσα· καὶ ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν αὐτούς, τουτέστιν εἰς δοκίμιον καὶ δυσωπίαν τοῦ πειράζοντος εἴασεν αὐτοὺς πειρασθῆναι, καὶ εὗρεν αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ, υἱοὺς κληθῆναι δηλονότι· ὡς χρυσὸν ἐν χωνευτηρίῳ ἐδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς ὁλοκάρπωμα θυσίας προσεδέξατο αὐτούς. καὶ ἐν καιρῷ ἐπισκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἀναλάμψουσι καὶ ὡς σπινθῆρες ἐν καλάμῃ διαδραμοῦνται. κρινοῦσιν ἔθνη καὶ κρατήσουσι λαῶν, καὶ βασιλεύσει αὐτῶν κύριος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.