Page:Tracts for the Times Vol 1.djvu/477

 Sanctus also, for his part, enduring exceedingly, and above every man, all the cruelties of men with a noble patience, when the wicked hoped that, by means of the continuance and severity of the tortures, they should hear something from him that ought not to be uttered, set himself against them with such firmness as not to mention even his own name, nor that of the nation or city whence he was, nor whether he were bond or free; but to all questions he answered in the Roman tongue "I am a Christian." This he repeatedly declared to be to him instead of a name, instead of a country, and instead of a family; but no other word did the heathen hear from him. Whence also there was great strife both of the Governor and torturers against him; so that, when they had nothing left that they could do to him, at last they fastened red hot plates of brass on the tenderest parts of his body. But though his limbs were burning, he remained upright and unshrinking, stedfast to his confession, bathed and strengthened from Heaven with that fountain of living water, that springs from the well of. But his body bore witness of what had been done, being one entire wound and bruise, and wrenched, and deprived of the external form of man. In whom Himself suffering shewed forth great glory, confounding the adversary, and shewing, for an example to others, that nothing is terrible where is the love of the ; nothing painful where is the glory of. For when the ungodly again after several days tortured the Martyr, and thought that they should overcome him by applying the same torments while his wounds were yet swollen and sore, and could scarce bear the mere touch of the hand; or that by dying under the torture he would at least alarm the rest; not only did no such thing befal him, but also, contrary to all human expectation, his frail body recovered and was strengthened in his latter torments, and regained its former appearance, and the use of the limbs; so that, by the favour of, his second torture was made to him no punishment, but a remedy.

And then the Devil, thinking he had already swallowed up one woman of the number of those, who had denied, named Biblias, led her to the torture, to compel her to say impious things concerning us, as one now easily to be broken, and without courage. But she came to herself under the tortures, and awoke, so to speak, from a deep sleep; being reminded by temporal