HE was bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, and was crowned with martyrdom in
the persecution of Licinius, in 316, by the command of Agricolaus,
governor of Cappadocia and the lesser Armenia. It is mentioned in the
acts of St. Eustratius, who received the crown of martyrdom in the reign
of Dioclesian, and is honored on the 13th of December, that St. Blase,
the bishop of Sebaste, honorably received his relics, deposited them
with those of St. Orestes, and punctually executed every article of the
last will and testament of St. Eustratius. His festival is kept a
holiday in the Greek church on the 11th of February. He is mentioned in
the ancient Western Martyrologies which bear the name of St. Jerom. Ado
and Usuard, with several more ancient manuscript Martyrologies, quoted
by Chatelain, place his name on the 15th. In the holy wars his relics
were dispersed over the West, and his veneration was propagated by many
miraculous cures, especially of sore throats. He is the principal patron
of the commonwealth of Ragusa.[1] No other reason than the great
devotion of the people to this celebrated martyr of the church, seems to
have given occasion to the wool-combers to choose him the titular patron
of their profession: on which account his festival is still kept by them
with a solemn guild at Norwich. Perhaps also his country might in part
determine them to this choice: for it seems that the first branch, or at
least hint of this manufacture, was borrowed from the remotest known
countries of the East, as was that of silk: or the iron combs, with
which he is said to have been tormented, gave occasion to this choice.
* * * * *
The iron combs, hooks, racks, swords, and scaffolds, which were purpled
with the blood of the martyrs, are eternal proofs of their invincible
courage and constancy in the divine service. But are they not at the
same time subjects of our condemnation and confusion? How weak are our
resolutions! How base our pusillanimity and cowardice in the pursuit of
virtue! We have daily renewed our most sacred baptismal engagements, and
our purposes of faithfully serving God: these we have often repeated at
the feet of God's ministers, and in presence of his holy altars; and we
have often begun our conversation with great fervor. Yet these fair
blossoms were always nipped in the bud: for want of constancy we soon
fell back into our former sloth and disorders, adding to our other
prevarications that of base infidelity. Instead of encountering gibbets
and wild beasts, we were scared at the sight of the least difficulty; or
we had not courage to make the least sacrifice of our passions, or to
repulse the weakest and most contemptible assaults of the world. Its
example, or that dangerous company from which we had not resolution to
separate ourselves, carried us {344} away; and we had not courage to
withstand those very maxims which we ourselves condemn in the moments of
our serious reflections, as contrary to the spirit of the gospel.
Perhaps we often flew back for fear of shadows, and out of apprehensions
frequently imaginary, lest we should forfeit some temporal advantage,
some useful or agreeable friend. Perhaps we were overcome by the
difficulties which arose barely from ourselves, and wanted resolution to
deny our senses, to subdue our passions, to renounce dangerous
occasions, or to enter upon a penitential life. Blinded by self-love,
have we not sheltered our dastardly pusillanimity under the cloak of
pretended necessity, or even virtue?
Footnotes:
1. See Bollandus, Pagi ad an. 316. Chatelain, Notes on the Martyr. p.
507, and Jos. Assemani in Cal. Univ. ad 11 Feb. t. 6, p. 123.