In many ways and by many means I give thanks, Fortunatus most dear to me in the Lord, to the divine goodness, both because it stirred up your piety to spur on my office, that in a single little book I might supply to our fellow-soldiers the material from which, with the grace of the Spirit helping, they might fashion for themselves fortifications and weapons against the onslaughts of persecutions; and because, when I attempted what you asked, it did not disdain to be present to me; and because it did not suffer the labor of us both to be barren—this is what has well prospered the devout desire of my Fortunatus, and willed that the office of his minister should be the benefit of his flock.
For you write that from that book much strength and eagerness has come to the vigorous, and that so much has been added to the more timid and weak in courage, that from these too, by the grace of God, we ought to promise ourselves a sure victory. And therefore the more gladly did I comply with your later letters, in which your charity begs that, since this has succeeded well under the auspices of our Lord Jesus Christ, I should add another volume concerning the twofold kind of martyrdom: of which the one is exhibited when the savagery of the torturers rages, the other is indeed more hidden, but nonetheless demands a brave soul and one fortified by much armor from on high.
Would that the Spirit of Christ might deign to bestow this gift also, through me, upon our brothers and fellow-soldiers, and might well prosper what he has granted. For just as nothing is holy unless he sanctifies it, nothing powerful unless he strengthens it: so nothing is happy, nothing auspicious, unless he prospers it. Truly, relying both on your prayers and on the goodness of the Lord, I shall set to. A martyr—as is known even to those who do not know Greek—signifies a witness. Yet after the light of evangelical truth had arisen, the custom of the Church assigned the honor of this title properly to those who, amid torments even unto death, persevered in the profession of the name of Jesus Christ and sealed, as it were, the evangelical instrument with their own blood before unbelievers:
yet the whole life of the pious renders testimony to God—not that he needs anyone's testimony, who is of himself the fount of eternal glory, so that he can be made neither more honored by any honors of men nor more obscure by any ignominies of mortals: but nevertheless so it seemed good to his eternal and divine counsel, that he wills his goodness, wisdom, and power to be made illustrious among men through men, just as he willed the world to be governed through angels, though he has no need of the ministry of angels, and bestows on men through men many things which he could have given by himself, who can do by a nod whatever he wills, and for whom to have willed is to have done.
And although, as I have said, no ignominy reaches that ineffable Majesty, yet in the Scriptures he so speaks as if he were honored or afflicted with ignominy through us. For in Deuteronomy he expostulates with Moses, that among the people murmuring for lack of water at Cades in the desert of Sin, at the waters of contradiction, he did not sanctify him among the children of Israel; and on account of this offense it was not granted to him, nor to Aaron, to enter the promised land awaited for so many years, but only from the summit of the mountain was it permitted to look upon it from afar. Furthermore, that what is said 'to sanctify' stands for 'to glorify,' those who are versed in the letters of the Hebrews affirm to be a property of that language.
Yet this very thing can be made clear from other passages of the Scriptures, even if we trust less to their testimony, since also in the Lord's Prayer 'hallowed be thy name' is said for 'glorified' or 'made illustrious be thy name.' So too he exhorts the Corinthians, that they should glorify and bear God in their body. For just as the name of God is glorified by the life of pious men, in whom he himself works through his Spirit whatever good they do: so, on the contrary, it is polluted and defamed by the misdeeds of those who profess themselves worshipers of God.
Just as the valor of a soldier or the honesty of a servant redounds to the glory of the commander or the master, so the cowardice of a soldier or the wickedness of a servant is a disgrace to the commander or the master, because the morals of these depend in great part upon the morals of those in whose power they are. And even if the masters are wholly free from all blame, yet popular opinion is wont to estimate the morals of masters from the morals of servants. Whence here too we see divine Scripture frequently speaking in accordance with the affections of mortals, as in Leviticus concerning him who had given of his seed to the idol Moloch, it says: because he has polluted my holy name. But what has been sanctified by men can be polluted:
the name of God, however, is in itself ever glorious; among men only is it contaminated, just as a lying slander does not pollute an upright man. So too in Ezekiel he cries out that his name had been polluted among the nations by the impious morals of the Israelites. Nay, the most blessed Paul, writing to the Romans on the authority of the prophet, addressing the Jews who profess the law but do the things the law forbids, says: the name of God is blasphemed among the nations. And in the Lord's Prayer, as I have touched upon in a measure, on the authority of the Redeemer we pray that the name of God the Father may be sanctified, that is, that it may become renowned and be made illustrious among men—indeed through men, or rather in men.
It is made manifest, moreover, if His Spirit reigns in us and if His will is obeyed on earth even as in heaven there is no rebellion. But since men of themselves possess nothing of virtue, whatever is rightly done through us redounds to the glory of God; and therefore He at times brings forth the treasure of the divine power out of earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be God's and not from us. Therefore, although the whole life of the pious glorifies God and Christ His Son by its martyrdom, yet there is no more illustrious witness among men than that of blood, that is, of a life despised for God's sake and of death bravely endured.
Miracles too rendered testimony to the divine power, especially among unbelievers; for to these signs were properly given, as the blessed Apostle writes: but the testimony of blood poured out has always been more efficacious. How many incurable diseases had the Lord healed by a word, how many blind had He given sight, how many maimed, paralytic, and feeble had He restored, how many lifeless had He recalled to life? And yet few believed in Him, and He heard: 'By Beelzebub He casts out demons.' But when it came to blood, there Satan's kingdom was overthrown, there the world was subdued. John the Evangelist also records a threefold testimony on earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, reckoning last that which is most efficacious.
John the Baptist was granted to see the Spirit descending in the form of a dove upon Jesus; whether others saw it is uncertain. Assuredly this testimony was given to John, that he might cease to doubt concerning the Lord Jesus, whether He was the one who should baptize with the Spirit and with fire. The testimony of the water John the Evangelist saw, nor is it fully clear whether he alone saw it or together with many. This indeed was the great mystery of the sacred laver by which sins are blotted out: but he saw the water flow out together with the blood, which, had it not been present, the water would have been ineffective. For what does it profit that sins be abolished, unless there follow a life of righteousness which the blood confers? And yet these three are one:
For God is one, who through the spirit, the water, and the blood declares to the race of men His power and His goodness: or else they are said to be one because on every side the testimony is consistent with itself and in no part is discordant, just as those whom the closest friendship joins on account of the highest agreement of minds are said to be one soul. And according to a grosser sense, these three are the chief proofs and even instruments of life in man. For so long as, by the office of the lung, breath is by turns drawn in and given back, it is a sure sign of life: whence by common usage the living are said to breathe, and those who have ended life are said to have expired.
Indeed the soul too is by the Latins called 'breath' (flatus), in imitation of the Greek word, for they call the wind ánemon. Beyond these there are in man himself the most subtle spirits, which have their source in the heart and are scattered throughout the whole body, but pass chiefly through the arteries, though they are also mingled with all the other parts: if these suddenly fly out, they bring immediate death; but if they be shut in, they consume a man by lingering sickness. There is present also a certain natural humor, which, as I suppose, the physicians call phlegm, itself likewise scattered throughout the whole body. We never perceive its use more evidently than in the sense of taste: for unless this be mingled between tongue and palate, there will be no judgment of the palate.
And yet these are so mingled in man that there is no blood without spirit and phlegm, and all alike contribute to the preservation of life. We see any animal die as soon as the blood has flowed out, and when the humor which the physicians call radical is consumed, a man dies no otherwise than a lamp is extinguished when the oil is spent. But we linger overlong in the contemplation of nature, which nevertheless I think has not been done unprofitably by us, that the mystery may become clearer to your charity; in the contemplation of which we the more gladly dwell because it is the more wholesome. For according to the consideration of nature these things have great force when in a living body they perform their functions: but according to the mystical philosophy they at last avail most when they leave the body.
No one wondered at the Lord breathing in and out after the manner of men; but when on the cross He had sent forth His spirit with a loud cry, it was at once understood that He had been both true man and true God: man, because according to the order of nature, once He had sent forth the vital breath, He ceased to live; God, because He died together with a mighty cry, declaring that He laid down His life unwillingly compelled by none but of His own accord—which no one is ignorant is not within human powers. The centurion standing near perceived the efficacious testimony of the spirit; for thus the blessed Mark relates: 'And the centurion who stood over against Him, seeing that He so expired, said: Truly this man was the Son of God.' What is more abject than death according to the flesh? Yet nothing is more powerful than death according to the spirit.
There was also that thing beyond the course of nature, that from the side of the lifeless body blood and water flowed forth, so that the threefold testimony might be completed. He poured out His whole spirit that we might breathe again; whatever there was of watery humor remaining, He pressed out that we might be washed; whatever of blood had settled in the heart, He sent forth that we might be confirmed. And I know not whether I do wrong in comparing these three among themselves, since they are one not in nature but in mystery. If, however, there is any distinction, blood in the account of the testimonies is chiefly celebrated, because in it Scripture testifies the life of a living creature to be, and for that reason it was withdrawn from foods by the edict of the Law: besides, blood is more exposed to men's eyes than spirit or water.
The life of the Lord, who was the supreme martyr and who even today fights and conquers in His martyrs, was to very many a stumbling-block. I speak not now of the Pharisees and scribes; even to His own kinsfolk and brethren He was detestable, when they said that He was turned to madness: but His death was admirable not only to the pious but even to the impious, nor was it anywhere more true that the power of God is made perfect in weakness. There was Satan's tyranny broken, there hell was vanquished, there the devil was triumphed over, there the underworld was cast down, heaven opened. Doubtless this was what, with the time of death pressing on, the Lord prayed for: 'Father, glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee.' What is more contemptible than a dead man?
For who would fear a dead Caesar? But what is more efficacious than the death of Christ? The veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom, the earth was shaken, the rocks were split, the tombs were opened, the bodies of the buried came to life again, the sun at midday veiled its face. Never through His whole life did He more declare His power: presently, when all the bars of death were broken, He showed Himself alive to His disciples. Doubtless this is that efficacious testimony of the most holy blood, which alone could break down the wall of partition which separated God from the race of men: which alone could with a single erasure blot out that whole handwriting which was against us and claimed for Satan a right over us. For neither could the blood of goats or of calves abolish sin:
those were shadows and types of things to come. Nor could the blood of any man take away the sin of the world save the blood of that one Lamb, to whom the Baptist bore witness saying: 'Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.' It is more to take away sin than sins, and sin not of this man or that but of the world. For the body of sin had seized the whole world: that this has been taken away through Christ, His own blood poured out for us renders evident testimony, speaking better for us, as the Apostle says, than the blood of Abel. For that one, crying from the earth, spoke vengeance: but the blood of Christ, crying from the cross, speaks peace and reconciliation.
Nay, this same blood, since it is drunk by us—provided only it be drunk worthily—cries in our hearts words of peace and full of consolation. And there too the testimony is threefold, though in a certain spiritual manner. The Spirit cries, who has been given to us in the place of a pledge: 'Abba, Father,' bearing witness that we are the sons of God. The water cries, through which we have been born again, that all our sins have been forgiven us: and if anyone still doubts, there is added the testimony of the blood crying: Why do you still hesitate, why do you still tremble at the tyrant Satan? Behold the price by which the Son of God redeems you. Had God not willed you saved, He would not have delivered up His only-begotten unto death. No one has greater love than that he lay down his life for his friends.
If there is no greater testimony of surpassing goodwill than that a man impart his life to a friend, weightier is the testimony of the Lord's blood, which was poured out for enemies. Poured out for enemies, it made them friends and sons of God: and that we might consider this friendship to be everlasting, He left us His flesh to eat, left His blood to drink, that we might be nourished by the very things through which we have been redeemed. By the sprinkling of blood the old covenant was ratified, as the most blessed Paul, writing to the Hebrews, admirably teaches:
by the blood of Christ the new covenant was sealed and confirmed, that is, the covenant and pact of grace and of the remission of sins through the blood of the immaculate Lamb, who deigned to take upon Himself the sin of the whole world—the sin which all contract from Adam who come forth into this life, and by whose contagion all sin who sin. So great, moreover, is the sublimity of Christ, that perhaps it were not fitting to compare any of other men with Him, had He not Himself afforded us such confidence—He who did not disdain to call His disciples friends, to call His little servants brethren and co-heirs. As therefore He by His marvelous testimony glorified the Father in this world and even in the heavens:
so His testimony is in a certain manner completed by the testimony of the saints, as though the passion of the Lord and of His servants were one. And lest anyone think this too irreligiously said, the blessed Paul stands as our patron, writing thus to the Colossians: 'who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for His body, which is the Church.' For who does not know, brethren, how rich a harvest the standing crop of the Church has poured forth, watered by the blood of the apostles and of the other martyrs?
The more blood was poured out, the more the multitude of the faithful flourished, the more widely did that blessed vine spread its shoots, rising from Christ its stock and possessing the whole world wherever it lies open from east to west, from the north even to the south. Behold, most beloved brethren, from the times of the Lord the Redeemer there have flowed by more or less two hundred and forty years, and already the branches of this vine have spread themselves almost more widely than the Roman empire, intoxicating even savage nations with the new wine of the Spirit, and the blood of that white Lamb has softened those whom no force of iron could tame. Those who search out the causes of nature relate that the diamond, yielding to no hardness of steel, when steeped in the blood of a he-goat, flies apart at the blow of hammers:
but no diamond is harder than the stony heart of sinners. This iron heart, then, this stony heart, this heart harder than any diamond, the blood of Christ and of His martyrs softens—those who supplied what was lacking to His sufferings. By this argument that supreme shepherd, and, as Peter says, the prince of shepherds, testified that He was the good shepherd, because He laid down His life for the sheep, giving us an example, that we who in our own poor measure discharge His office in His stead may ourselves also be ready to shed our blood for the Lord's flock, unless we prefer to seem hirelings rather than shepherds. With the words of the Lord agree the words of the disciple.
For when he had said that he rejoiced in his sufferings, by which he would complete the sufferings of Christ, himself suffering also for the body of Christ, which is the Church, such things as the Lord had suffered, he added the reason why he willingly suffered them. 'Of which,' he says, 'I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me toward you, that I may fulfill the word of God.' And in another certain place he writes that he has fulfilled the gospel. As therefore the sufferings of Christ are completed by the deaths of the martyrs, so the promises of Christ are confirmed by the blood of the shepherds. For there is no more indubitable proof than that which has been sealed by the blood of so many martyrs. This surely is to fulfill the word of God, this is to fulfill the gospel.
But meanwhile a most grievous sorrow arises in my soul, beloved, when I reckon with myself that, though that blood of Christ, still fresh, ought to glow warm in the hearts of the faithful, there are so many in whom charity has grown cold; and by this I am the more grievously tormented, that the Church has not a few such shepherds who not only do not set their bodies against the incursions of the wolves, but themselves even play the wolves, while they slaughter and destroy the souls of the simple, themselves serving their own belly, gain, and ambition, and so far from fulfilling the word of God that they rather peddle it and adulterate it with impious doctrines:
nor do they consider that that prince of shepherds will with most severe judgment require back from their hands each single sheep, for the redeeming of which He had poured out His own blood. But their own punishment awaits those men: now it is better that, laying aside complaints, we exhort one another to the duty which we owe to Christ. A threefold testimony we have received from Christ; a threefold testimony we ought to render Him. Let us faithfully deliver the rudiments to those to be baptized, the more perfect things to the baptized. Let us confirm them by the fruits of the Spirit, calling them forth to the heavenly life, and if the matter demand it, let us willingly even spend our life for the flock committed to us, and by our death in turn glorify God.
And lest it seem strange to anyone that God is glorified by the death of men, hear the blessed John in the Gospel speaking thus of Peter, to whom the Lord had foretold that when he had grown old, he would be girded by another and led whither he would not: 'signifying by what death he should glorify God.' As many, therefore, as from the foundation of the world have died for God's sake, for righteousness' and piety's sake, have by their death glorified God. For alms, fastings, prayers, and other exercises of piety even hypocrites feign: but death no one takes up eagerly, save one who holds it for certain that nothing adverse can befall those who persevere in the charity of God. Nor yet is he straightway a martyr who is slain; assassins too and pirates are slain:
it is not the punishment that makes a martyr, but the cause. But if some are read to have bravely inflicted death upon themselves, it was either weakness seeking through death an end of pains, or ambition, or madness. Nor is it to render testimony to God to do that which both displeases God and is forbidden even by the laws of the nations. Very great is the difference between barbaric savagery and the most modest constancy of the martyrs, weak in themselves, strong in Christ. There are those who by certain arts stupefy the body, that they may not feel torments: in this way indeed evildoers fortify themselves against the hands of the executioners. There are also uncontrolled passions which take away sensation from the mind, so that men bear even death undismayed.
But that placid and gentle bearing, that humbly sublime and sublimely humble spirit, we do not see save in the martyrs of Christ. They do not glare at the executioner with fierce eyes, they do not threaten the tyrant: they grieve more over the blindness of their persecutors than over their own afflictions. Doubtless Christ cries even in them: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' They look upon nothing else but heaven, where they have all their hope laid up. So the Lord Himself, like a lamb without voice, was led to the slaughter: and if He uttered any voice, it declared rather a mild and placid spirit than any silence could have done.
With how gentle a speech does He address the traitor Judas, how calmly does He answer when struck with a blow, how utterly without fierceness does He speak to Annas and Caiaphas, how tranquilly does He answer Pilate. Finally, when the Pharisees, as though victors, wagged their heads, raving against Him with most bitter revilings, He, most gentle, cries: 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Not therefore to die of itself is testimony, but so to die is to render testimony to God. Stephen the young man stood among murderers as a lamb among wolves, with placid and angelic countenance, and after the Lord's example prays for those stoning him, nor has he his eyes anywhere but toward heaven. There he was granted to see Him by whose protection he was superior to his persecutors.
But he who fears God does not dread the savageries of men. He who from his soul loves the heavenly life easily holds his own life cheap, and to him, with the blessed Paul, to live is truly Christ, and to die is gain. And is it not an immense gain to exchange this life, both brief and defiled with countless evils, for everlasting happiness? Here the Lord, as in all other things also, showed Himself a pattern to us.
For when the last act of martyrdom—which in the fables they say ought to be the best—was pressing upon Him, He withdrew, cast Himself upon the ground, at length and even repeatedly, and dripping with a bloody sweat, He expressed in Himself the weakness of our nature, having first testified to weariness of soul and sadness even unto death, lest we should fall into despair, if, when all things threaten present death, we feel the horror of nature. For unless there were a sense of pains, martyrdom would have nothing admirable; but to overcome pain is worthy of a crown. To shudder at death belongs to nature; to conquer nature by the fortitude of soul belongs to grace. Paul can do all things, but in Him who strengthens him. But by what aids is the weakness of nature overcome?
If we prostrate ourselves wholly upon the ground, that is, if we attribute nothing at all to our own strength; if we watch and pray earnestly; if we submit our will to the divine will and say from the soul, from the whole heart, those words: 'Let this cup pass if it be possible, yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' I have known and wept over certain men endowed with great fortitude of soul, who, when already close to the crown, failed and denied Him whom they had long professed. What was the cause? They had turned their eyes away from Him who alone gives strength to the weak: they had left off prayer and had begun to look to human aids.
They contemplated the little strength of their own nature, they considered the goads, the claws, the glowing plates, the iron and fire and the rest of the executioner's apparatus, horrible even to the sight, and compared the atrocity of the torments with their own strength, and therefore lost the victory out of their hands. Where anyone thus reasons, 'this I can do, that I cannot endure,' he will never happily accomplish martyrdom. But he who delivers himself wholly to the divine will, looking to nothing else but to His help, he at last is firm and unconquered. This, however, cannot come to pass unless there be present a true and living faith, hesitating at nothing, questioning at nothing:
Do not think how great is the savagery of the tyrant, how great the weakness of man, but how great is the power of the Lord, who strives and has conquered in His members. Therefore, that we may bend back from our digression to that which had been proposed: even as the death of the Lord was more powerful than His life, so He willed the death of His martyrs to be powerful. For what is weaker than to be bound, condemned, beaten, tortured, killed, and to offer the body to the executioner's will? This appearance sometimes moves to mercy even the most savage tyrants. But when now at the monuments of the martyrs diseases are driven off, demons roar, monarchs are terrified, miracles flash forth, idols fall: then it appears how efficacious and powerful is the blood of the martyrs.
'His bodily presence weak, his letters weighty,' the most blessed teacher of the nations heard said of him. This also will be rightly applied to the martyrs: their life weak and despised, their death weighty and powerful. Now the eagerness of all martyrs in torments is not equal, just as they do not all die by the same kind of death. Those three blessed youths found refreshment in the midst of the flames and, hedged about by the harmless element, sang a hymn to the Lord as though in a chamber. Daniel likewise, without harm, made use of the fellowship of lions. Blessed Andrew, as human history—but of sufficiently approved fidelity—has it, rejoicing and congratulating himself, went to the cross. Others die again and again by long and varied torments, nor yet is it granted them to end their pain by death.
It is therefore part of a true martyr to commit this also wholly to the judgment of God. He knows what is expedient for us and what is most conducive to His own glory. Only this must be assiduously considered: whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. Nor let anyone be displeased with himself if he feel in body and soul alike a heavy and long-lasting trouble; only let him trust in Him for whom he strives. He will not suffer anyone to be tempted beyond that which he is able, but will make even with the temptation a way of escape. Certain elect ones He sometimes allows to fail in torments, that they may recognize their own weakness, and the same He afterwards renders most brave in the contest.