Such things befell the churches of Christ under the emperor mentioned above; from which one may, by reasonable conjecture, gather what was done in the rest of the provinces also. It is worth while to append to these, from the same writing, other passages in which the forbearance and humanity of the aforesaid martyrs is recorded, in these very words:
「These became to such a degree zealots and imitators of Christ, who, being in the form of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be equal with God, that, though they were in such glory, and had borne witness not once nor twice but many times, and had been taken back again from the beasts, and bore about them the brands and the bruises and the wounds, yet neither did they proclaim themselves martyrs, nor indeed did they permit us to address them by this name; but if ever any one of us, by letter or by word, called them martyrs, they rebuked him sharply.」
「For they gladly conceded the title of martyr to Christ, the faithful and true Martyr (Witness), the firstborn from the dead and the prince of the life of God; and they made mention of the martyrs who had already departed, and said, ‘They are now martyrs, whom Christ deemed worthy to be taken up in their confession, having set his seal upon their testimony through their departure; but we are confessors lowly and humble.’ And with tears they besought the brethren, asking that earnest prayers be made for their being perfected.」
「And they showed forth in deed the power of martyrdom, exercising much boldness toward all the heathen, and made their nobility manifest through endurance and fearlessness and freedom from trembling; but they declined the title of martyr from the brethren, being filled with the fear of God.」
And again, after a little, they say: 「They humbled themselves under the mighty hand, by which they are now greatly exalted. At that time they made their defence to all, but accused no one; they loosed all, but bound none; and they prayed for those who inflicted the cruelties, even as Stephen the perfect martyr, ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.’ But if he besought God for those who were stoning him, how much more for the brethren?」
And again, after other things, they say: 「For this was their greatest war against him, on account of the genuineness of their love—that the beast, being throttled, might vomit forth alive those whom he formerly supposed he had swallowed. For they did not take to themselves a boast against the fallen, but in those things wherein they themselves abounded, with this they supplied the more needy, having a mother's heart, and pouring out many tears for them to the Father.」
「They asked for life, and he gave it to them, which also they shared with their neighbours. Victorious over all things, they departed to God; having always loved peace, and always commended peace, with peace they went to God, leaving no grief to the Mother, nor faction and war to the brethren, but joy and peace and concord and love.」
Let this concerning the affection of those blessed ones toward the brethren who had fallen be profitably set down, for the sake of the inhuman and merciless disposition of those who, after these things, dealt unsparingly with the members of Christ.