_Of the Voice that issued from the Sepulchre._
The holy standard-bearer of the Lord was accustomed to stop at the
head-stone of every Christian who was buried outside of a burial-place,
there to erect a cross; for he knew that in that country, then only
lately converted unto the faith, all the dead, by reason of the fewness
of the churches, could not be buried in consecrated ground; and
therefore the good pastor wished by that blessed token to distinguish
the sheep from the goats--namely, the Christians that were buried from
the pagans. So might the worshippers of Christ, beholding the sign of
life, understand that a servant of the faith of the cross was there
buried, and so might they not delay to offer unto the Creator their
prayers for his soul. Truly, a pious custom, and worthy is it of
general observance that all who were baptized in the death of Christ,
and are dead in his faith, should, when buried, have on them or near
them the ensign of the death of Him.
And it came to pass that Patrick, in going out of Connactia, beheld
outside of a burying-place which was consecrated to God the graves of
two men who had been lately buried, and he observed that at the head of
the one was a cross erected. And sitting in his chariot, as was then
the custom, he bade his charioteer to stay, and, speaking to the dead
man as to one living, he asked him who and of what religion he had
been? And the voice answered unto him from the grave that he had been
a pagan, altogether ignorant of the Christian faith. "Why, then," said
the saint, "bearest thou the cross of Christ, thou who didst never
worship or acknowledge Him?" And the voice answered: "He who is buried
near me was a Christian; and some one of your faith, coming hither,
placed the cross at my head." Thus the voice spake, and was silent.
Then the saint descended from his chariot, and removed the cross from
that place, and fixed it at the head-stone of him who had been
baptized, and prayed for him, and went his way.