Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/181

 with all  his  household  to  the  holy  baptism,

and was  baptized,  and  followed  Paul

three years  together  whithersoever  he  journeyed,

and deeply  received  the  divine  lore  from  him,

until the  holy  apostle  consecrated  him  as  bishop

of the  Athenian  city  where  he  was  born,

and bade  him  preach  boldly  the  faith,

and the  holy  gospel  to  the  heathen  nations.

Dionysius then  continued,  deeply  learned,

in the  aforesaid  city  at  his  episcopal  see,

and diligently  preached  God's  lore  to  the  people  of  the  land

to whom  he  was  before  a  leader  in  their  unbelief.

So he  converted  the  citizens  to  God,

and the  most  part  of  the  men  to  the  faith,

and wrote  many  books  concerning  the  true  faith,

and concerning  the  orders  of  angels  with  wondrous  reasoning,

and sent  the  books  to  other  bishops,

those whom  Paul  had  consecrated  and  the  holy  John.

One of  these  was  called  Titus,  another  Timotheus,

another Polycarp,  and  several  others.

Likewise to  John,  the  holy  evangelist,

he sent  wiitings  when  he  (John)  was  in  exile

in the  island  of  Patmos,  when  the  wicked  emperor

Domitian adjudged  him  thither.

Then Dionysius  comforted  him  by  prophesying,

and said  that  he  knew  it  certainly,  through  God,

that John  should  return  from  that  island

back to  the  land  of  Asia,  even  as  it  befell  afterward,

and there  write  a  gospel,  even  as  was  done  thereafter.

Then Dionysius  journeyed  through  many  cities  in  every  direction,

and through  the  land,  boldly  preaching  the  faith,

and greatly  converted  men  to  God,

and healed  the  infirm  in  the  Saviour's  name,