And I felt myself immediately to be worthy, and to be called on to ask on his Ijehalf.^ And for him I began earnestly to make sup- plication, and to cry with groaning to the Lord. Without delay, on that very night, this was shown to me in a vision.* I saw Dinocrates going out from a gloomy place, where also there were several others, and he was parched and very thirsty, with a filtiiy countenance and pallid colour, and the wound on his face which he had when he died. This Dinocrates had been my brother after the flesh, seven years of age,^ who died miseralily with disease — his face being so eaten out with cancer, that his death caused repugnance to all men. For him I had made my prayer, and between him and me there was a large in- terval,* so that neither of us could approach to the other. And moreover, in the same place where Dinocrates was, there was a pool full of water, having its brink higher than was the stature of the boy; and Dinocrates raised himself up as if to drink. And I was grieved that, although that pool held water, still, on account of the height to its brink, he could not drink. And I was aroused, and knew that my brother was in suffering. But I trusted that my prayer would bring help to his suffering; and I prayed for him every day until we passed over into the prison of the camp, for we were to fight in the camp-show. Then was the birth-day of Geta Caesar, and I made my prayer for my brother day and night, groaning and weeping that he might be granted to me. 4. " Then, on the day on which we remained in fetters,^ this was shown to me. I saw that that place which I had formerly observed to be in gloom was now bright; and Dinocrates, with a clean body well clad, was finding re- freshment. And where there had been a 3 [The story in 2 Maccab.xii. 40-45, is there narrated as a thoujtht suggested to the soldiers under Judas, and not discouraged by him, though it concerned men guilty of idolatry and dying in mortal sin, by the vengeance of God. It may have occurred to early Christians that their heathen kindred might, therefore, not be be- yond the visitations of the Divine compassion. But, obviously, even were it not an Apocryphal te.xt, it can have no bearing whatever o;i the case of Christians. The doctrine of Purgatory is that nobody dying in mortal sin can have the benefit of its discipline, or any share in the pravers and oblations of the Faithful, whatever.]
4" Oromate.'' [This vision, it must beobser\'ed. has nothing to do with prayers for the Christian dead, for this brother of Perpetua was a heathen child whom she supposed to be in the /«ycr/. It illus- trates the anxieties Christians felt for those of their kindred who had not died in the Lord; even for children of seven years of age. Could the gulf be bridged and they received into.Abraham's bosorfi? This dream of Perpetua comforted her with a trust that so it should be. Of course this story has been used fraudulently, to help a system of which these times knew nothing. Cyprian says expressly: " Apud Inferos confessio non est, nee exomulogesis ////Vyft";-/ potest." Epistolit Hi. p. 98.0pp. Paris, 1574. In the Edinburgh series (translations) this epistle is numbered 51, and elsewhere 54.]
5 [There is not the slightest reason to suppose that this child bad been baptized: the father a heathen and Perpetua herself a recent catechumen. Elucidation.]
''"Diadema," or rather "diastema." [Borrowed from I.uke xvi. 26. But that gulf could not be passed according to the evangelist.]
THE PASSION OF PERPETUA AND FELICITAS.
[chap. l\\ wound, I saw a scar; and that pool which I 'had before seen, / sa7v now with its margin 'lowered even to the boy's navel. And one 'drew water from the pool incessantly, and upon its brink was a goblet filled with water; and Dinocrates drew near and began to drink from it, and the goblet did not fail. And when he was satisfied, he went away from the water to play joyously, after the manner of children, and I awoke. Then I understood that he was translated from the place of pun- ishment.
CHAP. III. — ARGUMENT. PERPETUA IS AGAIN TEMPTED BY HER FATHER. HER THIRD VISION, WHEREIN SHE IS LED AWAY TO STRUGGLE AGAINST AN EGYPTIAN. SHE FIGHTS, CON- QUERS, AND RECEIVES THE REWARD.
1. " Again, after a few days, Pudens, a sol- dier, an assistant overseer' of the prison, who began to regard us in great esteem, per- ceiving that the great power of God was in us, admitted many brethren to see us, that both we and they might be mutually refreshed. And when the day of the exhibition drew near, my father, worn with suffering, came in to me, and began to tear out his beard, and to throw himself on the earth, and to cast him- self down on his face, and to reproach his years, and to utter such words as might move <-ill creation. I grieved for his unhappy old age.= 2. *' The day before that on which we were to fight, I saw in a vision that Pomponius the deacon came hither to the gate of the prison, and knocked vehemently. I went out to him, and opened the gate for him; and he was clothed in a richly ornamented white robe, and he had on manifold calliculae.^ And he said to me, ' Perpetua, we are waiting for you; come! ' And he held his hand to me, and we began to go through rough and winding places. Scarcely at length had we arrived breathless at the amphitheatre, when he led me into the middle of the arena, and said to me, ' Do not fear, I am here with you, and I am labouring with you;' and he departed. And I gazed upon an immense assembly in astonishment. And because I knew that I was given to the wild beasts, I marvelled that the wild beasts were not let loose upon me. Then there came forth against me a certain l>gyptian, horrible in appearance, with his backers, to fight with me. And there came ' Optio.
"i It?ieenis uncertain what may be the meaning of this word. It is variously supposed to signify httle round ornaments either of cloth or metal attached to the soldier's dress, or the small bells on the priestlv robe. Some also read the viorA gui/icu/cf, small san- dals.
to me, as my helpers and encouragers, hand- some youths; and I was stripped, and became a man.* Then my helpers began to rub me with oil, as is the custom for contest; and I beheld that Egyptian on the other hand rolling in the dust.^ And a certain man came forth, of wondrous height, so that he even over- topped the top of the amphitheatre; and he wore a loose tunic and a purple robe between two bands over the middle of the breast; and he had on calliculcB of varied form, made of gold and silver; and he carried a rod, as if he were a trainer of gladiators, and a green branch upon which were apples of gold. And he called for silence, and said, ' This Egyp- tian, if he should overcome this woman, shall kill her with the sword; and if she shall con- quer him, she shall receive this branch.' Then he departed. And we drew near to one another, and began to deal out blows. He sought to lay hold of my feet, while I struck at his face with my heels; and I was lifted up in the air, and began thus to thrust at him as if spurning the earth. But when I saw that there was some delay I joined my hands so as to twine my fingers with one another; and I took hold upon his head, and he fell on his face, and I trod upon his head.* And the people began to shout, and my backers to exult. And I drew near to the trainer and took the branch; and he kissed me, and said to me, ' Daughter, peace be with you: ' and I began to go gloriously to the Sanavivarian gate.' Then I awoke, and perceived that I was not to fight with beasts, but against the devil. Still I knew that the victory was await- ing me. This, so far, I have completed sev- eral days before the exhibition; but what passed at the exhibition itself let who will write."
CHAP. IV. — ARGUMENT. SATURUS, IN A VISION, AND PERPETUA BEING CARRIED BY ANGELS INTO THE GREAT LIGHT, BEHOLD THE MAR- TYRS. BEING BROUGHT TO THE THRONE OF GOD, ARE RECEIVED WITH A KISS. THEY REC- ONCILE OPTATUS THE BISHOP AND ASPASIUS THE PRESBYTER.
I. Moreover, also, the blessed Saturus re- lated this his vision, which he himself com- mitted to wTiting: — "We had suffered," says he, " and we were gone forth from the flesh, and we were beginning to be borne by four angels into the east; and their hands touched 4 [Concerning these visions, see Augustine, De Anima, cap. xviii. el ■f^^-J 5" Afa ' IS the Greek word o<t»), a grifi: hence used of the yellow sand sprinkled over wrestlers, to enable them to grasp one another.
7 This was the way by which the victims spared by the popular clemency escaped from the amphitheatre.
CHAP, v.]
THE PASSION OF PERPETUA AND FELICITAS.
us not. And we floated not supine, looking upwards, but as if ascending a gentle slope. And being set free, we at length saw tlie first lK)undless light; and 1 said, ' Perpetua ' (for she was at my side), ' this is what the Lord promised to us; we have received the promise. ' And while we are borne by those same four angeis, there appears to us a vast space which was like a pleasure-garden, having rose-trees and every kind of flower. And the height of the trees was after the measure of a cypress, and their leaves were falling' incessantly. Moreover, there in the pleasure -garden four other angels appeared, brighter than the pre- vious ones, who, when they saw us, gave us honour, and said to the rest of the angels, ' Here they are! Here they are! ' with ad- miration. And those four angels who bore us, being greatly afraid, put us down; and we passed over on foot the space of a furlong in a broad path. There we found Jocundus and Saturninus and Artaxius, who having suffered the same persecution were burnt alive; and Quintus, who also himself a martyr had de- parted in the prison. And we asked 01 them where the rest were. And the angels said to us, ' Come first, enter and greet your Lord.'
2. " And we came near to a place, the walls of which were such as if they were built of light; and before the gate of that place stood four angels, who clothed those who entered with white robes. And being clothed, we en- tered and saw the boundless light, and heard the united voice of some who said without ceasing, ' Holy! Holy! Holy! ' == And in the midst of that place we saw as it were a hoary man sitting, having snow-white hair, and with a youthful countenance; and his feet we saw not. And on his right hand and on his left were four-and-twenty elders, and behind them a great many others were standing. We entered with great wonder, and stood before the throne; and the four angels raised us up, and we kissed Him, and He passed His hand over our face. And the rest of the elders said to us, ' Let us stand; ' and we stood and made peace. And the elders said to us, ' Go and enjoy.' And I said, 'Perpetua, you have what you wish.' And she said to me, ' Thanks be to God, that joyous as I was in the flesh, I am now more joyous here.'
3. ''And we went forth, and saw before the entrance Optatus the bishop at the right hand, and Aspasius the presbyter, a teacher, ^ ' " Cadebant:" but " ardebant" — "were burning" — seems a more probable reading. [The imitations of the SlieJ>lierd of Hermas, in this memoir hardly need pointing out.]
- AgiCiS.
3 A presbyter, that is, whose oflTice was to teach, as distinct from other presbyters. See Cyprian, Epistles, vol. i. Ep. xxiii. p. 68, note I, transl. [One of those referred to by St. James iii. i, and at the left hand, separate and sad; and they cast themselves at our feet, and said to us, ' Restore peace between us, because you have gone forth and have left us thus.' And we said to them, ' Art not thou our father, and thou our presbyter, that you should cast your- selves at our feet? " And we prostrated our- selves, and we embraced them; and Perpetua began to speak with them, and we drew them apart in the pleasure-garden under a rose- tree. And while we were speaking with them, the angels said unto them, ' Let them alone, that they may refresh themselves;* and if you have any dissensions between you, forgive one another.' And they drove them away. And they said to Optatus, ' Rebuke thy people, because they assemble to you as if returning from the circus, and contending about factious n^atters.' And then it seemed to us as if they ^^ould shut the doors. And in that place we began to recognise many brethren, and moreover martyrs. We were all nourished with an indescribable odour, which satisfied us. Then, I joyously awoke. " CHAP. v. ARGUMENT. SECUNDULUS DIES IN THE PRISON. FELICITAS IS PREGNANT, BUT WITH MANY PRAYERS SHE BRINGS FORTH IN THE EIGHTH MONTH WITHOUT SUFFERING. THE COURAGE OF PERPETUA AND OF SATURUS 'JNBROKEN.
1. The above were the more eminent visions of the blessed martyrs Saturus and Perpetua themselves, which they themselves committed to writing.^ But God called Secundulus, while he has yet in the prison, by an earlier exit from the world, not without favour, so as to give a respite to the beasts. Nevertheless, even if his soul did not acknowledge cause for thankfulness, assuredly his flesh did.
2. But respecting Felicitas (for to her also the Lord's favour approached in the same way), when she had already gone eight months with child (for she had been pregnant when she was apprehended), as the day of the ex- hibition was drawing near, she was in great grief lest on account of her pregnancy she should be delayed, — because pregnant women are not allowed to be publicly punished, — and lest she should shed her sacred and guiltless blood among some who had been wicked sub- sequently. Moreover, also, her fellow-mar- tyrs were painfully saddened lest they should leave so excellent a friend, and as it were companion, alone in the path of the same hope. Therefore, joining together their * More probably, "rest and refresh yourselves." ["Go and enjoy," or, " play, ' or" take pleasure," in the section preceding.]
5 [To be regarded, like the Shepherd of Hermas, inertily x% visions, or allegorical romances.]
THE PASSION OF PERPETUA AND FELICITAS.
[chap. VI.
united cry, they poured forth their prayer to the Lord three days before the exhibition. Immediately after their prayer her pains came upon her, and when, with the difficulty natural to an eight months' delivery, in the labour of bringing forth she was sorrowing, some one of the servants of the Cataractarii^ said to her, "You who are in such suffering now, what will you do when you are thrown to the beasts, which you despised when you refused to sacrifice? " And she replied, "Now it is I that suffer what I suffer; but then there will be another in me, who will suffer for me, be- cause I also am about to suffer for Him." Thus she brought forth a little girl, which a certain sister brought up as her daughter.
3. Since then the Holy Spirit permitted, and by permitting willed, that the proceedings of that exhibition should be committed to writing, although we are unworthy to com- plete the description of so great a glory; yet we obey as it were the command of the most blessed Perpetua, nay her sacred trust, and add one more testimony concerning her con- stancy and her loftiness of mind. While they were treated with more severity by the tribune, because, from the intimations of certain de- ceitful men, he feared lest thay should be withdrawn from the prison by some sort of magic incantations, Perpetua answered to his face, and said, "Why do you not at least permit us to be refreshed, being as we are objectionable to the most noble Caesar, and having to fight on his birth-day?'' Or is it not your glory if we are brought forward fatter on that occasion? " The tribune shuddered and blushed, and commanded that they should be kept with more humanity, so that permis- sion was given to their brethren and others to go in and be refreshed with them; even the keeper of the prison trusting them now him- self.
4. Moreover, on the day before, when in that last meal, which they call the free meal, they were partaking as far as they could, not of a free supper, but of an agape; with the same firmness they were uttering such words as these to the people, denouncing against them the judgment of the Lord, bearing wit- ness to the felicity of their passion, laughing at the curiosity of the people who came to- gether; while Saturus said, "To-morrow is not enough for you, for you to behold with pleasure that which you hate. Friends to- day, enemies to-morrow. Yet note our faces diligently, that you may recognise them on that day of judgment." Thus all departed •"The gaolers," so called from the " cataracta," or prison- fate, which they guarded.
a [A gentle banter, like that of St. Lawrence on the gritiiron.]
thence astonished, and from these things many believed.
CHAP. VI. — ARGUMENT. FROM THE PRISON THEY ARE LED FORTH WITH JOY INTO THE AMPHITHEATRE, ESPECIALLY PERPETUA AND FELICITAS. ALL REFUSE TO PUT ON PROFANE GARMENTS. THEY ARE SCOURGED, THEY ARE THROWN TO THE WILD BEASTS. SATURUS TWICE IS UNHURT. PERPETUA AND FELIC- ITAS ARE THROWN DOWN; THEY ARE CALLED BACK TO THE SANAVIVARIAN GATE. SATURUS WOUNDED BY A LEOPARD, EXHORTS THE SOL- DIER. THEY KISS ONE ANOTHER, AND ARE SLAIN WITH THE SWORD.
1. The day of their victory shone forth, and they proceeded from the prison into the amphitheatre, as if to an assembly, joyous and of brilliant countenances; if prechance shrinking, it was with joy, and not with fear. Perpetua followed with placid look, and with step and gait as a matron of Christ, beloved of God; casting down the luster of her eyes from the gaze of all. Moreover, Felicitas, re- joicing that she had safely brought forth, so that she might fight with the wild beasts; from the blood and from the midwife to the gladia- tor, to wash after childbirth with a second baptism. And when they were brought to the gate, and were constrained to put on the clothing — the men, that of the priests of Saturn, and the women, that of those who were consecrated to Ceres — that noble-minded woman resisted even to the end with con- stancy. For she said, "We have come thus far of our own accord, for this reason, that our liberty might not be restrained. For this reason we have yielded our minds, that we might not do any such thing as this: we have agreed on this with you." Injustice acknowl- edged the justice; the tribune yielded to their being brought as simply *as they were. Per- petua sang psalms, already treading under foot the head of the Egyptian; Revocatus, and Saturninus, and Saturus uttered threat- enings against the gazing people about this martyrdom. When they came within sight of Hilarianus, by gesture and nod, they began to say to Hilarianus, " Thou judgest us," say they, "but God will judge thee." At this the people, exasperated, demanded that they should be tormented with scourges as they passed along the rank of the venatorcs.^ And they indeed rejoiced that they should have incurred any one of their Lord's passions.
2. But He who had said, "Ask, and yr 3 A row of men drawn up to.scourge thera as they passed alonvr, a punishment probably similar to what is called running the gauntlet."
CllAl'. VI.]
THE PASSION OF PERrETUA AND EELICrPAS.
shall receive,"' gave to them when they asked, that death which each one had wished for. For when at any time they had been discoursing among themselves about their wish in respect of their martyrdom, Saturninus indeed had professed that he wished that he might be thrown to all the beasts; doubtless that he might wear a more glorious crown. Therefore in the beginning of the exhil)ition, he and Revocatus made trial of the leopard, and moreover upon the scaffold they were harassed by the bear. Saturus, however, held nothing in greater abomination than a bear; but he imagined that he would be put an end to with one bite of a leopard. Therefore, when a wild boar was supplied, it v/as the huntsman rather who had supplied that boar who was 'gored by that same beast, and died the day after the shows. Saturus only was drawn out; and when he had been bound on the floor near to a bear, the bear would not come forth from his den. And so Saturus for the second time is recalled unhurt.
3. Moreover, for the young women the devil prepared a very fierce cow, provided especially for that purpose contrary to custom, rivalling their sex also in that of the beasts. And so, stripped and clothed with nets, they were led forth. The populace shuddered as they saw one young woman of delicate frame, and another with breasts still dropping from her recent childbirth. So, being recalled, they are unbound.^ Perpetua is first led in. She was tossed, and fell on her loins; and when she saw her tunic torn from her side, she drew it over her as a veil for her middle, rather mindful of her modesty than her suffer- ing. Then she was called for again, and bound up her dishevelled hair; for it was not becoming for a martyr to suffer with dis- hevelled hair, lest she should appear to be mourning in her glory. So she rose up; and when she saw Felicitas crushed, she ap- proached and gave her her hand, and lifted her up. And both of them stood together; and the brutality of the populace being ap- peased, they were recalled to the Sanavivarian gate. Then Perpetua was received by a certain one who was still a catechumen, Rusticus by name, who kept close to her; and she, as if aroused from sleep, so deeply had she been in the Spirit and in an ecstasy, began to look round her, and to say to the amazement of all, " I cannot tell when we are to be led out to that cow." And when she had heard what had already happened, she did not believe it^ 2 Ita revocatae discinguntur. Dean Milmam prefers reading this, " Thus recalled, they are clad in loose robes." 3[Routh, Reliq. Vol. I. p. 360.] 45 until she had perceived certain signs of injury in her body and in her dress, and had recog- nised the catechumen. Afterwards causing that catechumen and the brother to approach, she addressed them, saying, "Stand fast in the faith, and love one another, all of you, and be not offended at my sufferings."
4. The same Saturus at the other entrance exhorted the soldier Pudens, saying, "As- suredly here I am, as I have promised and foretold, for up to this moment I have felt no beast. And now believe with your whole heart. Lo, I am going forth to that beast, and I shall be destroyed with one bite of the leo- pard." And immediately at the conclusion of the exhibition he was thrown to the leo- pard; and with one bite of his he was bathed with such a quantity of blood, that the people shouted out to him as he was returning, the testimony of his second baptism, " Saved and washed, saved and washed."* Manifestly he was assuredly saved who had been glorified in such a spectacle. Then to the soldier Pudens he said, " Farewell, and be mindful of my faith; and let not these things disturb, but confirm you." And at the same time he asked for a little ring from his finger, and re- turned it to him bathed in his wound, leaving to him an inherited token and the memory of his blood. And then lifeless he is cast down with the rest, to be slaughtered in the usual place. And when the populace called for them into the midst, that as the sword pene- trated into their body they might make their eyes partners in the murder, they rose up of their own accord, and transferred themselves whither the people wished; but they first kissed one another, that they"might consum- mate their martyrdom with the kiss of peace. The rest indeed, immoveable and in silence, received the sword-thrust; much more Saturus, who also had first ascended the ladder, and first gave up his spirit, for he also was wait- ing for Perpetua. But Perpetua, that she might taste some pain, being pierced between the ribs, cried out loudly, and she herself placed the wavering right hand of the youth- ful gladiator to her throat. s Possibly such a woman could not have been slain unless she herself had willed it, because she was feared by the impure spirit.
O most brave and blessed martyrs! O truly called and chosen unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! whom whoever magnifies, and honours, and adores, assuredly ought to read these examples for the edification of the Church, not less than the ancient ones, so that 4 A cry in mockery of what was known as the effect of Christ- ian baptism.
ELUCIDATION.
new virtues also may testify tliat one and tlie same Holy Spirit is always operating even until now, and God the Father Omnipotent, and His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whose is the glory and infinite power for ever and ever. Amen.
ELUCIDATION.
(Dinocrates, cap. ii, p. 701.)
The avidity with which the Latin controversial writers seize upon this fanciful passage, (which, in fact, is subversive of their whole doctrine about Purgatory, as is the text from the Maccabees,) makes emphatic the utter absence from the early Fathers of any reference to such a dogma; which, had it existed, must have appeared in every reference to the State of the Dead, and in every account of the discipline of penitents. Arbp. Usher' ingeniously turns the tables upon these errorists, by quoting the Prayers for the Dead, which were used in the Early Church, but which, such as they were, not only make no mention of a Purgatory, but refute the dogma, by their uniform limitation of such prayers to the blessed dead, and to their consummation of bliss at the Last day and not before. Such a prayer seems to occur in II. Tim. i. 18. The context (vers. 16-18, and iv. 19) strongly supports this view; One- siphorus is spoken of as if deceased, apparently. But, as Chrysostom understands it, he was only absent (in Rome) from his household. From i. 17 we should infer that he had Jeft Rome.'
» Republished, Oxford, 1838.