Section 314
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 283 ceived comfort from the brethren, who reminded me that it was nearer to the city. Cephro, indeed, brought us a great number of brethren promiscuously from Egypt, so that we were able to spread the church farther ; but as the city was nearer there, we should more frequently enjoy the sight of those that were really beloved and most dear to us. For they would come, and would tarry, and as if in the more remote suburbs, there would be still meetings in part. And so it was." After these, and other remarks, he proceeds to tell what hap pened to him again : " Germanus, indeed, may pride himself for many confessions ; he may have much to say of what happened to him : he may, as well as we, speak of the great number of sentences of condemnation, confiscations, proscriptions, spoliations of goods ; loss of dignities ; contempt of worldly honour ; con tempt of praise from the prefects or from counsellors, and the endurance of the opposite threats of outcries ; of dangers of per secutions ; of exile ; of great trouble and various kinds of afflic tion, such as happened to me under Decius and Sabinus, such as I have suffered until the present persecution of ^Emilianus. But where in the world was Germanus 1 What is said of him ? But I will abstain from the great folly into which I have fallen on account of Germanus. And hence, also, I shall dismiss giving a particular account of what happened to the brethren, who already know the facts." The same writer, also, in the epistle to Domitius and Didymus, again makes mention of some particulars, in reference to the per secution, as follows : " But it is superfluous for me to recount to you our brethren by name, as they are both numerous and un known to you. But you must know that they are men and women, young and old, young virgins and aged matrons, soldiers and private men, every class and every age, some that obtained the crown of victory under stripes and in the flames, some by the edge of the sword. For many, however, the lapse of a very long time was not sufficient to appear acceptable to God, as indeed it has not appeared to me to the present time. Therefore, I have been reserved for a time which he knows most suitable, who has said, * In the accepted time I have heard thee, and in the day of