The Martyrs and the Fallen

Such were the things that happened to the churches of Christ under the emperor already mentioned, and from them one may reasonably guess what was done in the other provinces. It is worth adding to these some further passages from the same letter, which record the considerate and kindly spirit of the martyrs we have described. These are its very words: [a]

“They were such zealous imitators of Christ, ‘who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,’ that although they were in such glory, and had borne witness not once or twice but many times, and had been taken back from the beasts with burns and bruises and wounds all over them, they neither proclaimed themselves martyrs nor allowed us to address them by this name. If any of us ever called them martyrs in a letter or in speech, they rebuked him sharply. [b] For they gladly yielded the title of martyr to Christ, ‘the faithful and true witness,’ the firstborn of the dead and the author of the life of God. They reminded us of the martyrs who had already departed, and said, ‘Those are martyrs already, whom Christ thought worthy to be taken up in their confession, sealing their witness by their departure. But we are modest and humble confessors.’ And with tears they begged the brothers and sisters that earnest prayers be made for them to be made perfect. [c] They showed the power of martyrdom in deed, speaking with great boldness to the Gentiles, and they made their nobility plain by their endurance, their fearlessness and their steadiness. But they refused to be called martyrs by the brothers, for they were filled with the fear of God.” [e]

And again a little later they say: “They humbled themselves under the mighty hand, by which they are now highly exalted. At that time they pleaded for everyone and accused no one. They loosed everyone and bound no one. And they prayed for those who were doing terrible things to them, as Stephen, the perfect martyr, did: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And if he prayed for those who were stoning him, how much more for the brothers!” [f]

And again after other matters they say: “This was their greatest battle against him, because their love was genuine: that the Beast should be choked and vomit up alive those he had supposed he had already swallowed. They took no pride over the fallen, but supplied those who were in need out of what they themselves had in abundance. They had a mother’s tenderness, and they shed many tears for them before the Father. They asked for life, and he gave it to them, and they shared it with their neighbors, and went away to God victorious in everything. They had always loved peace, and they commended peace to us, and they went to God in peace, leaving no grief to their mother and no faction or war to the brothers and sisters, but joy, peace, harmony and love.”

Let this account of the affection those blessed ones had for the brothers who had fallen be set down here to good purpose, because of the inhuman and merciless attitude of those who afterward behaved so unsparingly toward the members of Christ. [i]