Section 401
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370 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. When Firmilianus had heard some name like this of the mar tyr, and yet did not understand the force or import of the name, he next asked him what was his country ? He gave an answer allied to the former, saying that Jerusalem was his country, re ferring to that city of which Paul speaks, " but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all ;" also again : " And ye have come to mount Sidn, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," and it was this that the martyr meant to signify. But the judge, fixed in thought and cast down in his mind, anxiously inquired what country, and in what part of the world it was ? Then he also applied tortures to make him con fess the truth. But he, with his hands twisted behind his back, and his feet thrust into certain new machines, persevered in as serting that he had said the truth. Then, again, being frequently asked what and where that city was that he had mentioned, he said that it was the city of the pious only, for none but these were admitted to it ; but that it lay to the very east, and the very rising sun. And here again, the martyr in this way philosophized according to his own sense, paying no regard to the tortures with which he was surrounded ; but as if he were without flesh and blood, he did not even appear to be sensible of his pains. But the judge at a loss, was greatly perplexed in mind, thinking that the Christians were collectively about establishing a city some where in opposition and hostile to the Romans, and frequently in quired where this city was, and examined where the country lay towards the east. But after he had sufficiently tortured the young man with scourging, and lacerated him with many and various tor tures, perceiving his mind unchangeably fixed in his former pur pose and declarations, he passed the sentence of death against him. Such then, was the scene exhibited in the martyrdom of thj| one. The rest he exercised with trials of a similar kind, and finally destroyed in a similar manner. Wearied at last, and perceiving that it was all in vain to punish the men, and having fully satiated his curiosity, he proceeded against Pamphilus and his associates. But as he had learned that they had al ready displayed an unchangeable alacrity in the confession of religion under torture, and also asked them whether they were