Section 212
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 181 imitation of Christ, who, though in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," that though they were es teemed in the same light, and had neither once nor twice, but frequently, endured martyrdom, and had been again taken away from the beasts to prison, and had brands, and scars, and wounds spread over them, they did not proclaim themselves martyrs, for it did not become us to apply this name to them ; but if any one of us, either by letter or in conversation, called them martyrs, (hey seriously reproved us. For they cheerfully yielded the title of martyr to Christ, the true and faithful martyr, (witness) the first begotten from the dead, the prince of divine life. They also made mention of those martyrs that had already departed, and said : " They now are martyrs whom Christ has thought worthy to be received in their confession, setting the seal to their martyrdom, (testimony,) by the issue. But we are but indifferent and mean confessors, and with tears did they entreat the bre thren, that they should offer up incessant prayers, that they might be made perfect. They exhibited, indeed, the power of martyr dom in fact, exercising much freedom in declaring themselves to all people, and manifested their noble patience and fearless in trepidity ; but the name of martyrs, (witnesses) they declined re ceiving from the brethren, filled as they were with the fear of God." Again, after a little, they say, " They humbled themselves under the mighty hand, by which they are now highly exalted. Then, however, they pleaded for all, they accused none, they ab solved all, they bound none, and prayed for those that were so bitter in their hostility, like Stephen, that perfect martyr. ' Lord impute not this sin to them.' But if he prayed for those that stoned him, how much more for the brethren." And again they say, after mentioning other matters. " This was their greatest conflict against him, (the devil,) on account of the genuine cha racter of their love, that the beast being choaked and throttled might be forced to return alive again (to vomit up) those whom he had already thought to have swallowed. For they did not arrogate any superiority over the backsliders : but in those things wherein they themselves abounded; in this they supplied those that were deficient, exercising the compassion of mothers, and