Why the Witnesses Are Named

“These things are certain, since Avitianus told them to many people. They are further confirmed by this: Refrigerius the presbyter, whom you see here, recently had them told to him by Dagridus, a believer and one of the tribunes, who called God’s majesty to witness and swore that Avitianus himself had told him the story. But I do not want you to wonder why I am doing today what I did not do yesterday, that is, why I add to my mention of each single wonder the names of witnesses, and name people still living in the body, to whom anyone inclined to disbelieve may go. The unbelief of a great many has forced me to it, for they are said to be hesitating over some things that were told yesterday. Let these people, then, accept as witnesses men who are still alive and well, and let them give more credit to them, since they doubt our good faith. But really, if they are so unbelieving, my opinion is that they will not believe even the witnesses I name. [a]

“And yet I am surprised that anyone with even the least sense of religion can dare to be so wicked as to think that anyone could tell lies about Martin. Far be that from everyone who lives in obedience to God! Martin, indeed, has no need to be defended with falsehoods. But, O Christ, we lay the truth of our whole account before you: we have said and will say nothing except what we have either seen ourselves or learned from trustworthy sources, and very often from Martin himself. And although we have used the form of a dialogue, so that the style might be varied to keep it from becoming tiresome, still we declare that we are setting out, in a spirit of devotion, a true history. The unbelief of some has forced me, much to my regret, to put into my account these remarks, which are beside the subject at hand. But now let the talk return to our gathering. Since I saw that I was being listened to so eagerly, I felt I had to admit that Aper had acted rightly in keeping out the unbelieving, for he was convinced that only those of a believing spirit ought to be allowed to listen.