Section 313
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. which I have commanded, or if he shall be found in any assembly, he will do it at his peril. For the necessary punishment will not fail. Remove, therefore, whither ye are commanded.' Thus he compelled me, sick as I was, nor did he grant me a day's re spite. What leisure, then, had I to hold assemblies, or not to hold them ?" After other matters, he says again, " But neither did we keep aloof from assembling ourselves by divine assistance ; but .so much the more diligently did I gather those that were in the city, as if I were in their midst : absent, indeed, in the body, as I said, but present in spirit. But in Cephro a large congregation collected with us, partly of the brethren that accompanied us from the city, partly of those that joined us from Egypt ; and thus God opened a door for the word likewise there. And at first, indeed, we were persecuted, we were stoned ; but, at last, not a few of the heathen, abandoning the idols, turned to God, for the word was then first sown among them, as they had never before heard it. And thus, as if God had conducted us for this cause to them, after we had fulfilled this ministry, we were again transferred to another part. For ^Emilianus designed to trans port us, as it seemed, to places more rough, and more replete with Libyan horrors (more Libyan-like), and he commanded those in the Mareotic district every where to collect, appointing them separate villages throughout the country. But our party, together with those that should be first taken, he commanded to be left on the way. For, no doubt, it was among his plans and preparations, that whenever he wished to seize us he might easily take us captive. But when I was first ordered to go away to Cephro, though I knew not the place where it was, having scarcely even heard the name before, yet I nevertheless went away cheerfully and calmly. But when it was told me to re move to the parts of Colluthion, those present know how I was affected. For here I shall accuse myself. At first, indeed, I was afflicted, and bore it hard. For though these places happened to be more known and familiar to me, yet they said that it was a region destitute of brethren and good men, and exposed to the insolence of travellers, and the in 3ursions of robbers. But I re