In the time of Decius, the cruel emperor, the holy bishop Sixtus was
dwelling in Rome. Then he suddenly commanded his counts to bring the bishop
together with his priests before him. Sixtus then with fearless mind called
to his priests, "My brothers, be ye not afraid, come, and let none of you
dread short torments. The holy martyrs suffered many tortures, that they
might fearless come to the glory-crown of everlasting life." His two
deacons, Felicissimus and Agapetus, then answered, "Thou, our father,
whither shall we go without thee?" On that night the bishop with his two
deacons was quickly brought to the cruel persecutor. The emperor Decius
said to him, "Offer thy gift to the immortal gods, and be thou the chief of
the priests." The blessed Sixtus answered him, "I have ever offered and
will yet offer my gift to the Almighty God, and his Son, Jesus Christ, and
to the Holy Ghost, in pure and unpolluted sacrifice." Decius said, "Take
heed for thyself and thy priests, and offer; for if thou dost not, thou
shalt be an example to all others." But Sixtus answered, "A little before I
said to thee, that I always offer to Almighty God." Decius then said to his
soldiers, "Lead him to the temple of Mars, that he may offer to the god
Mars: if he will not offer, shut him in the prison Mamortinum." The
soldiers led him to the temple, and urged him to offer his gift to the dead
image. When he despised the emperor's command, and would not offer to the
idol, they brought him with his two deacons into the dark prison.
Then among them came his archdeacon LAWRENCE, and spake to the holy bishop
in these words, "Thou, my father, whither goest thou without thy child?
Thou holy priest, {419} whither hastenest thou without thy deacon? It was
not thy wont to offer to God without thy deacon. What has displeased thee,
my father, in me? Show thy power on thy child, and offer to God him whom
thou hast trained up, that thou the less sorrowfully attain to the noble
crown of glory." When the blessed Lawrence had, with these words and others
more, lamented that he might not suffer with his teacher, the bishop
answered, "My child, I forsake thee not, but thee befits a greater struggle
in thy conflict. We, as old men, shall undergo the short course of a
lighter conflict: but thou, a young man, wilt undergo a much more glorious
triumph from this cruel king. My child, cease thy weeping: after three days
thou wilt come to me triumphant to everlasting life. Take thou our church's
treasures, and distribute to christian men, as it may seem good unto thee."
The archdeacon Lawrence then, at the bishop's command, went and distributed
the church's treasures to priests, and poor strangers, and widows, to each
according to his need. He came to a widow, whose name was Quiriaca, who had
hidden in her dwelling priests and many lay christians. Then the blessed
Lawrence washed the feet of them all, and healed the widow of a wearisome
headache. A blind man also with weeping sought his feet, praying for his
cure. Lawrence then marked the sign of the rood on the blind man's eyes,
and he straightways saw brightly. The archdeacon heard yet of more
christian men elsewhere, and before his passion visited them with ghostly
peace and with foot-washing.
When he returned thence, his teacher Sixtus with his two deacons was led
from the prison, before the emperor Decius. He was then exasperated against
the holy bishop, thus saying, "Verily we have regard for thy age: obey our
commands, and offer to the immortal gods." The holy bishop answered him,
"Thou wretch, have regard for thyself, and make atonement for the blood of
the saints which thou hast {421} shed." The bloodthirsty executioner with
wrathful mind said to his chief officer Valerianus, "If this audacious
bishop be not slain, awe for us will be no longer formidable." Valerianus
answered him, "Let his head be cut off. Order them again to the temple of
the god, and if they will not pray to him with bended knees, and offer
their gifts, let them suffer decapitation on the same place." The emperor's
soldiers led him to the temple with his two deacons: then the bishop looked
towards the temple, and thus said, "Thou dumb idol, through thee miserable
men lose everlasting life: may the Almighty Son of God overthrow thee!"
Then at that word a part of the temple burst asunder with a sudden fall.
Lawrence then cried to the bishop, "Thou holy father, forsake me not, for I
have distributed the church's treasures as thou commandedst." At this the
soldiers seized him, for they heard him speak of the church's treasures.
Sixtus then sank under the sword's edge, and his two deacons with him,
Felicissimus and Agapetus, before the temple, on the sixth day of this
month.
But Lawrence was afterwards brought to the emperor, and the fierce
executioner asked him, "Where are the church's treasures which were
committed to thee?" The blessed Lawrence answered him not a word. On the
same day the foe of God committed the holy deacon to his chief officer
Valerianus, with this command, "Exact the treasures with importunity, and
make him bow to the immortal gods." The officer then committed him to his
junior, whose name was Hippolytus, and he shut him in a prison with many
others. He found in the prison a heathen man, who was blind through great
weeping. He said to him, "Lucillus, if thou wilt believe in Jesus Christ,
he will enlighten thine eyes." He answered, "I have ever desired to be
baptized in the name of Christ." Lawrence said to him, "Believest thou with
all thy heart?" He answered with weeping, "I believe in Jesus {423} Christ,
and renounce the false idols." Hippolytus with patience listened to their
words. The blessed Lawrence then taught the blind man true belief in the
Holy Trinity, and baptized him. Lucillus, after the baptismal bath, cried
with clear voice, "Blessed be the Eternal God, Jesus Christ, who has
enlightened me through his deacon. I was blind with both eyes, now I
clearly enjoy the light." Then there came many other blind with weeping to
the blessed deacon, and he set his hand over their eyes, and they were
enlightened.
The town-reeve, Hippolytus, said to the deacon, "Show me the church's
treasures." Lawrence answered, "O thou Hippolytus, if thou wilt believe in
God the Father, and in his Son Jesus Christ, I will show thee the
treasures, and promise thee everlasting life." Hippolytus said, "If thou
wilt indeed fulfil those words, I will do as thou exhortest me." Lawrence
then hallowed a font, and baptized him. Verily Hippolytus, after the
baptismal bath, cried with a clear voice, "I saw the souls of innocent men
rejoicing in God." And he said with tears to the blessed deacon, "I beseech
thee, in the name of Jesus, that all my household might be baptized."
Lawrence granted him this with cheerful mind, and with glory baptized
nineteen men and women of his family.
After this the chief officer sent, and commanded Hippolytus to lead
Lawrence to the king's court. Hippolytus with humble speech made known that
command to the blessed Lawrence. He said, "Let us go, for glory is prepared
for me and for thee." They went quickly, and stood fearless before him.
Then said Valerianus to the holy martyr, "Cast away now thy obstinacy, and
give up the treasures." The martyr of God answered him, "On God's poor I
have spent them, and they are the everlasting treasures which will never be
diminished." The officer said, "Why playest thou with words? Offer thy gift
to our gods, and forsake the magic {425} in which thou trustest." Lawrence
said, "For what reason does the devil compel you to urge christian men to
his worship? If it be right that we should pray to devils rather than to
the Almighty God, judge which is worthy of that honour, he who is made, or
he who created all things." The emperor then answered, "What is he who is
made, or what is he who made?" God's martyr said, "The Almighty Father of
our Saviour is the Creator of all creatures, and thou sayest that I shall
pray to dumb stones, which are carved by the hands of men." The emperor was
then wroth, and commanded the deacon to be unclothed in his sight, and
cruelly scourged, and the emperor himself cried, "Insult not our gods." The
blessed Lawrence said in torments, "Verily I thank my God, who has
vouchsafed to number me with his holy; and thou, wretch, art afflicted in
thy foolishness." Decius said to the executioners, "Raise him up, and
manifest to his sight all the torture-tools." Then were quickly brought
forth iron plates, and iron claws, and an iron bed, and leaden whips, and
other leaded whips. Then said the emperor, "Offer thy gift to our gods, or
thou shalt be tortured with all these torture-tools." The blessed deacon
said, "Thou unblessed, these luxuries I have ever desired; they will be to
me a glory, and to thee a torment." The emperor said, "Declare to us all
the wicked thy like, that this city may be cleansed; and do thou thyself
offer to our gods, and trust thou in no wise to thy treasures." Then said
the holy martyr, "Verily I trust, and I am careless for my treasures."
Decius answered, "Thinkest thou then that thou wilt be redeemed by thy
treasures from these torments?" and then in angry mood commanded the
executioners to beat him with stout clubs. But Lawrence, during the
beating, cried, "Thou wretch, know at least that I triumph regarding
Christ's treasures, and I feel not thy torments." Decius said, "Lay the
{427} iron plates glowing hot to his side." The blessed martyr then was
praying to his Lord, and said, "Saviour Christ, God of God, have mercy on
thy servant, for, accused, I denied thee not; questioned, I acknowledged
thee." Then the emperor commanded him to be raised, and said, "I see that
thou, through thy magic, mockest these torments; nevertheless thou shalt
not mock me. I swear by all the gods and goddesses, that thou shalt offer,
or I will slay thee by divers tortures." Lawrence then boldly cried, "I, in
the name of my Lord, in no wise fear thy torments, which are transitory:
cease thou not from what thou hast begun."
Then was the emperor excited with violent fury, and commanded the holy
deacon to be scourged a long time with leaden whips. Lawrence then cried,
"Saviour Christ, thou who hast vouchsafed to be born a mortal man, and hast
redeemed us from the devil's thraldom, receive my spirit." At the same time
an answer came to him from heaven, thus saying, "Yet thou shalt have much
affliction in thy martyrdom." Decius then furious cried, "Roman men, heard
ye the comfort of the devils to this impious, who dreads not our irritated
gods, nor the devised torments? Stretch him, and, scourging with leaded
whips, afflict him." Lawrence then, stretched on the cross, with laughing
mouth thanked his Lord, "Lord God, Father of Jesus Christ, be thou blessed,
who hast given us thy mercy; manifest now thy favour, that these standing
about may know that thou comfortest thy servants." At that time one of the
soldiers, whose name was Romanus, believed, and said to the martyr of God,
"Lawrence, I see God's angel standing before thee with a hand-cloth, and
wiping thy sweating limbs. I now beseech thee, through God, that thou
forsake me not." Then was Decius filled with guile, and said to his chief
officer, "Methinks that we are overcome by magic." And he then ordered the
holy deacon to be loosened from the cross, and delivered to the town-reeve
Hippolytus, and knew not yet that he was a christian.
{429} Then meanwhile the believing soldier Romanus brought a jugful of
water, and with weeping sought the feet of the holy Lawrence, craving
baptism. Lawrence then quickly hallowed the water, and baptized the
believing servant. When Decius heard of it, he ordered him to be stript of
his garments and beaten with stout staves. Romanus then unasked cried in
the emperor's presence, "I am a christian." At the same time the fierce
executioner ordered him to fall under the sword's edge. Again, on the same
night, after the soldier's martyrdom, Decius went to the hot baths,
opposite the house of Sallust, and commanded the holy Lawrence to be
fetched to him. Then Hippolytus began sorely to lament, and said, "I will
go with thee, and with loud voice cry that I am a christian, and lie with
thee." Lawrence said, "Weep not, but rather be silent and rejoice, for I go
to God's glory. After a little time hence, when I call, hear my voice, and
come to me."
Decius then commanded all the torture-tools to be prepared, before his
doom-seat, and Lawrence was led to him. Decius said, "Cast away trust in
thy magic, and recount to us of thy family." The blessed Lawrence answered,
"According to human birth I am Spanish, a Roman foster-child, and a
christian from my cradle, trained up in all divine law." Decius answered,
"In sooth the law is divine, which has so emboldened thee that thou wilt
not worship our gods, nor dreadest any kind of torment." Lawrence said, "In
the name of Christ I fear not for thy torments." The cruel emperor then
said, "If thou offerest not to our gods, all this night shall be spent on
thee with divers tortures." Lawrence said, "My night has no darkness, but
shines with bright light." Then the cruel one commanded the mouth of the
saint to be struck with stones. But Lawrence was strengthened through the
grace of God, and said with laughing mouth, "Lord, be to thee praise, for
thou of all things art God." Decius said to the executioners, "Raise the
iron bed to the {431} fire, that the proud Lawrence may rest thereon." They
straightways bereft him of his garments, and stretched him on the hard bed,
and filled the bed underneath with burning coals, and from above pierced
him with iron forks.
Decius said to the martyr of God, "Offer now to our gods." Lawrence
answered, "I will offer myself to the Almighty God, in the odour of
pleasantness; for the afflicted spirit is an acceptable sacrifice to God."
But the executioners drew the burning coals constantly under the bed, and
from above pierced him with their forks. Then said Lawrence, "O ye
unblessed, understand ye not that your glowing embers cause no heat to my
body, but rather cooling?" He then again with the most beautiful
countenance said, "Saviour Christ, I thank thee that thou wilt strengthen
me." He then looked towards the emperor, thus saying, "Behold, thou,
wretch, hast roasted one part of my body, turn now the other, and eat." He
then said again, "Saviour Christ, I thank thee with inward heart, that I
may go into thy kingdom." And with these words he gave up his ghost, and
with such martyrdom went to the realm on high, in which he dwelleth with
God through all eternity. The cruel emperor then left the holy body on the
iron hurdle, and with his chief officer hastened to the house of Tiberius.
Hippolytus then buried the holy body with great reverence in the
burial-place of the widow Quiriaca, on this present day. But at the grave
there watched a great many christian men with great lamentation. The holy
priest Justin celebrated mass to and houseled them all. After this
Hippolytus returned to his home, and with God's peace kissed his family,
and houseled them all. Then suddenly, while he was sitting, the emperor's
soldiers came, and seized him, and led him to the executioner. Decius then
asked him with smiling mouth, "What, art thou turned magician, since thou
hast buried {433} Lawrence?" He answered, "I did not that as a magician,
but as a christian." Decius then in wrath ordered his mouth to be stricken
with stones, and him to be stript, and said, "How, wast thou not a diligent
worshiper of our gods? and now thou art become so foolish that thou art not
ashamed of thy nakedness." Hippolytus answered, "I was foolish, and I am
now wise and a christian. Through ignorance I believed in the error in
which thou believest." Decius said, "Offer to the gods, lest, as Lawrence,
thou perish by torments." He answered, "O, if I might imitate the blessed
Lawrence!" Decius said, "Stretch him thus naked, and beat him with strong
clubs." When he had long been beaten he thanked God. Decius said,
"Hippolytus mocks your staves, scourge him with leaded whips." They then
did so, till they were worn out. Hippolytus cried with a loud voice, "I am
a christian." So the fierce emperor, when he could not, by any torments,
seduce him from belief in Christ, commanded his chief officer to slay him
by the most cruel death.
On the same day Valerianus took an account of his property, and found
nineteen men and women of his family, who had been baptized at the hands of
the blessed Lawrence. To them said Valerianus, "Consider your age, and have
regard for your life, lest ye perish together with your lord Hippolytus."
They unanimously answered, "We desire to die purely with our lord, rather
than to live impurely with you." Then was Valerianus greatly irritated, and
ordered Hippolytus to be led from the city with his household. The blessed
Hippolytus then cheered his household, and said, "My brothers, be ye not
sad nor afraid, for I and ye have one Lord, God Almighty." So Valerianus
ordered, in the sight of Hippolytus, all his domestics to be beheaded, and
himself he ordered to be tied by the feet to the necks of untamed horses,
and so to be drawn through thorns and brambles: and he with that binding
gave up his ghost on the thirteenth day of {435} this month. On the same
night the holy Justin gathered the bodies of them all and buried them.
But after the passion of those saints, Decius and Valerianus went together
in a golden chariot to their temple, that they might force the christians
to their wicked offerings. Then became Decius suddenly frantic with a
fiendlike spirit, and cried, "O thou, Hippolytus, whither drawest thou me
bound with sharp chains?" Valerianus also frantic cried, "O thou, Lawrence,
unsoftly thou drawest me bound with burning chains." And he forthwith died.
But Decius became horribly frantic, and for three days, with fiendlike
voice, constantly cried, "I beseech thee, Lawrence, cease somewhat of those
torments." Hereupon great lamentation and sore weeping arose in the
dwelling, and the emperor's wife ordered all the christians who were in
prison to be led out, and on the third day Decius in great torments
departed.
But the queen Tryphonia, together with her daughter Cyrilla, sought the
feet of the holy priest Justin with bitter tears, praying for holy baptism.
Justin then with great joy received them, and enjoined them a fast of seven
days, and afterwards, by the holy baptismal bath, washed them from all
their sins. When the emperor's thanes heard that the queen Tryphonia and
the daughter of Decius, Cyrilla, had turned to the faith of Christ and to
the salutary baptism, they with their wives sought the holy priest, and
prayed for mercy and baptism. The blessed Justin, these things being done,
took counsel with the christians, whom they would choose for bishop in the
chair of Sixtus. They then unanimously chose a venerable man whose name was
Dionysius, whom the bishop Maximus, of the city of Ostia, consecrated to
the Roman episcopal see with honour.
Let us now pray with humble voice the holy martyr of God, Lawrence, whose
festival this present day makes known to all the faithful church, that he
intercede for us with the {437} Heavenly King, for whose name he suffered
with bold mind many torments, with whom he free from care glorieth to
eternity. Amen.
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