Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

every variety of 'irniHy
mi-: cnrucn !' Till-: c. 67
I :u!her,-> flu doctrines
of Christianity; do not ].: who follow
the wandering
" Wretch !
of fa]
dost thou frc in that, learning?"
" The greatest; because I follow the Christians in right doc-
trine."
" And ^-hat is that doctrine?"
"The right doctrine, which we Christians piously hold, is to
relieve in one God. the Maker and Creator of all things visible
tnd invisible; and to confess the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of
.rod, anciently foretold by the prophets, who will come to judge
nankiud, and is the preacher and master of salvation, to those
ho will learn well under Him. I indeed, as a mere man, am
too weak and insignificant to be able to utter any thing great
of His infinite Didt.t/: this office belongs to the prophets."*
"Thou art, methinks, a master of error to others, and de-
Bervest to be more severely punished than the rest. Let this
Lucianus be kept in the nerve (stocks) with his feet stretched
to the fifth hole.t And you two women, what are your names
and condition ?"
" I am a Christian, who have no spouse but Christ. My
name is Secunda," replied the one.
" And I am a widow, named Rufina, professing the same
saving faith,' continued the other.
At length, after having put similar questions, and received
similar answers from all the others, except from one wretched
man, who, to the grief of the rest, wavered and agreed to offer
sacrifice, the prefect turned to Pancratius, and thus addressed
him. "And now, insolent youth, who hast the audacity to
tear down the edict of the divine emperors, even for thee there
shall be mercy, if yet thou wilt sacrifice to the gods. Show
thus at once thy piety and thy wisdom; for thou art yet but a
stripling."
Pancratius signed himself with the sign of the saving cross,
and calmly replied, "I am the servant of Christ. Him I ac-
knowledge by my mouth, hold firm in my heart, incessantly
adore. This youth which you behold in me has the wisdom of
grey hairs, if it worship but one God. But your gods, with
those who adore them, are destined to eternal destruction."!
" Strike him on the mouth for his blasphemy, and beat
tians, and refuse to obey the sacred emperor, or worship the
gods of Kome, we order to be exposed to wild beasts, in the
Flavian amphitheatre."
The mob howled with delight and hatred, and accompanied
the confessors back to their prison with this rough music ; but
they were gradually overawed by the dignity of their gait, and
the shining calmness of their countenances. Some men asserted
that they must have perfumed themselves, for they could per-
ceive a fragrant atmosphere surrounding their persons. ||
CHAPTER TXTT.
THE VIATICUM.
A TRUE contrast to the fury and discord without, was the
scene within the prison. Peace, serenity, cheerfulness, and
joy reigned there ; and the rough stone walls and vaults reechoed
to the chant of psalmody, in which Pancratius was pre-
centor, and in which depth called out to depth; fur the prisoners
in the lower dungeon responded to those above, and kept
Acts of St. Justin, liuinart, p. l'j.9.
1 This is mentioned as thu extn me possible extension.
* Ib. p. 66, Acts of St. Felicitas and her eons.
I p. 220. Acts of St. Perpctaa, ic.
I pp. 219 MX! 146, Acts of Ljoneeo Martym.
Dp the altemal a, in those psalms which the cin-um-
eve of "ii iih," that is being torn to pieces by,
vdlii bead liberty. The i
of the intended victims wi .od to see them; and the
Christians boldly took full u.ivanfagc of the permission to
flock to the prison, and commend themselves to the prayers of
the blessed confessors of Christ. At evening they were led
forth, to enjoy what was called the free supper, that is, an
:
abundant, and even luxurious, public feast. The table was
surrounded by pagans, curious to watch the conduct and looks
of the morrow's combatants. But they could discern neither
the bravado and boisterousness, nor the dejection and
ness, of ordinary culprits. To the guests it was truly an
agape, or love-feast; for they supped with calm joyi
amidst cheerful conversation. Piuicratius, however, once or
twice, reproved the unfeeling curiosity, and rude remarks, of
the crowd, saying, "To-morrow is not sufficient for you, because
you love to look upon the objects of your future h.
To-day you are our friends; to-morrow our foes. But mark
well our countenances, that you may know them again in the
day of judgment." Many retired at this rebuke, and not a few
were led by it to conversion."
But while the persecutors thus prepared a feast for the bodies
of their victims, the Church, their mother, had been preparing
a much more dainty banquet for the souls of her children.
They had been constantly attended on by the deacons, particularly
Keparatus, who would gladly have joined their company.
But his duty forbade this at present. After, therefore, having
provided as well as possible for their temporal wants, he had
arranged with the pious priest Dionysius, who still dwelt in the
house of Agnes, to send, towards evening, sufficient portions of
the Bread of life to feed, early in the morning of their battle,
the champions of Christ. Although the deacons bore the consecrated
elements from the principal church to others, where
they were only distributed by the titulars, the office of conveying
them to the martyrs in prison, and even to the dying, was
committed to inferior ministers. On this day, that the hostile
passions of heathen Rome were unusually excited by the com-
him with rods," exclaimed the angry judge.
"I thank thee," replied meekly the noble youth, "that thus
I suffer some of the same punishment as was inflicted on my
Lord."
The prefect then pronounced sentence in the usual form.
"Lucianus, Pancratius, Kusticus, and others, and the women
Secuuda and Kufina, who have all owned themselves Chrising
slaughter of so many Christian victims,
more than common danger to discharge this duty. For the
revelations of Torquatus had made it known that Fulvius had
carefully noted all the ministers of the sanctuary, and given a
description of them to his numerous active spies. Hence they
could scarcely venture out by day, unless thoroughly disguisei
The sacred Bread was prepared, and the priest turned round
from the altar on which it was placed, to see who would be its
safest bearer. Before any other could step forward, the young
acolyte Tarcisius knelt at his feet. With his hands extended
before him, ready to receive the sacred deposit, with a coun-
it was a work of
tenance beautiful in its lovely innocence as an angel's, he
seemed to entreat for preference, and even to claim it.
" Thou art too young, my child," said the kind priest, filled
with admiration of the picture before him.
" My youth, holy father, will be my best protection. Oh!
do not refuse me this great honor." The tears stood in the
boy's eyes, and his cheeks glowed with a modest emotion, as
he spoke these words. He stretched forth his hands eagerly,
and his entreaty was so full of fervor and courage, that the plea
was irresistible. The priest took the Divine Mysteries, wrapped
up carefully in a linen cloth, then in an outer covering, and
put them on his palms, saying:
"Remember, Tarcisius, what a treasure is intrusted to thy
feeble care. Avoid public places as thoti goest along; and remember
that holy things must not be delivered to dogs, nor
pearls be cast before swiue. Thou wilt cred gifts?"
keep safely God's sa-
"I will die rather than betray them," answered the holy
youth, as he folded the heavenly trust in the bosom of his
tunic, and with cheerful reverence started on his journey.
There was a gravity be youd the usual expression of his years
stamped upon his countenance, as he tripped lightly along the
It. p. ai.