THE emperor Dioclesian had commanded all Christians, under pain of
death, to deliver up the holy scriptures to be burnt. This persecution
had raged a whole year in Africa; some had betrayed the cause of
religion, but many more had defended it with their blood, when these
saints were apprehended. Abitina, a city of the proconsular province of
Africa, was the theatre of their triumph. Saturninus, priest of that
city, celebrated the divine mysteries on a Sunday, in the house of
Octavius Felix. The magistrates having notice of it, came with a troop
of soldiers, and seized forty-nine persons of both sexes. The principal
among them were the priest Saturninus, with his four children, viz.:
young Saturninus and Felix, both Lectors, Mary, who had consecrated her
virginity to God, and Hilarianus, yet a child; also, Dativus, a noble
senator, Ampelius, Rogatianus, and Victoria. Dativus, the ornament of
the senate of Abitina, whom God destined to be one of the principal
senators of heaven, marched at the head of this holy troop. Saturninus
walked by his side, surrounded by his illustrious family. The others
followed in silence. Being brought before the magistrates, they
confessed Jesus Christ so resolutely, that their very judges applauded
their courage, which repaired the infamous sacrilege committed there a
little before by Fundanus, the bishop of Abitina, who in that same place
had given up to the magistrates the sacred books to be burnt: but a
violent shower suddenly falling, put out the fire, and a prodigious hail
ravaged the whole country.
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The confessors were shackled and sent to Carthage, the residence of the
proconsul. They rejoiced to see themselves in chains for Christ, and
sung hymns and canticles during their whole journey to Carthage,
praising and thanking God. The proconsul, Anulinus, addressing himself
first to Dativus, asked him of what condition he was, and if he had
assisted at the collect or assembly of the Christians. He answered, that
he was a Christian, and had been present at it. The proconsul bid him
discover who presided, and in whose house those religious assemblies
were held: but without waiting for his answer, commanded him to be put
on the rack and torn with iron hooks, to oblige him to a discovery. They
underwent severally the tortures of the rack, iron hooks, and cudgels.
The weaker sex fought no less gloriously, particularly the illustrious
Victoria; who, being converted to Christ in her tender years, had
signified a desire of leading a single life, which her pagan parents
would not agree to, having promised her in marriage to a rich young
nobleman. Victoria, on the day appointed for the wedding, full of
confidence in the protection of Him, whom she had chosen for the only
spouse of her soul, leaped out of a window, and was miraculously
preserved from hurt. Having made her escape, she took shelter in a
church; after which she consecrated her virginity to God, with the
ceremonies then used on such occasions at Carthage, in Italy, Gaul, and
all over the West.[1] To the crown of virginity, she earnestly desired
to join that of martyrdom. The proconsul, on account of her quality, and
for the sake of her brother, a pagan, tried all means to prevail with
her to renounce her faith. He inquired what was her religion. Her answer
was: "I am a Christian." Her brother, Fortunatianus, undertook her
defence, and endeavored to prove her lunatic. The saint, fearing his
plea might be the means of her losing the crown of martyrdom, made it
appear by her wise confutations of it, that she was in her perfect
senses, and protested that she had not been brought over to Christianity
against her will. The proconsul asked her if she would return with her
brother? She said: "She could not, being a Christian, and acknowledging
none as brethren but those who kept the law of God." The proconsul then
laid aside the quality of judge to become her humble suppliant, and
entreated her not to throw away her life. But she rejected his
entreaties with disdain, and said to him: "I have already told you my
mind. I am a Christian, and I assisted at the collect." Anulinus,
provoked at this constancy, reassumed his rage, and ordered her to
prison with the rest, to wait the sentence of death which he not long
after pronounced upon them all.
The proconsul would yet try to gain Hilarianus, Saturninus's youngest
son, not doubting to vanquish one of his tender age. But the child
showed more contempt than fear of the tyrant's threats, and answered his
interrogatories: "I am a Christian: I have been at the collect, and it
was of my own voluntary choice, without any compulsion." The proconsul
threatened him with those little punishments with which children are
accustomed to be chastised, little knowing that God himself fights in
his martyrs. The child only laughed at him. The governor then said to
him: "I will cut off your nose and ears." Hilarianus replied: "You may
do it; but I am a Christian." The proconsul, dissembling his confusion,
ordered him to prison. Upon which the child said: "Lord, I give thee
thanks." These martyrs ended their lives under the hardships of their
confinement, and are honored in the ancient calendar of Carthage, and
the Roman Martyrology, on the 11th of February, though only two (of the
name of Felix) died on that day of their wounds.
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* * * * *
The example of these martyrs condemns the sloth with which many
Christians in this age celebrate the Lord's Day. When the judge asked
them, how they durst presume to hold their assembly against the imperial
orders, they always repeated, even on the rack: "The obligation of the
Sunday is indispensable. It is not lawful for us to omit the duty of
that day. We celebrated it as well as we could. We never passed a Sunday
without meeting at our assembly. We will keep the commandments of God at
the expense of our lives." No dangers nor torments could deter them from
this duty. A rare example of fervor in keeping that holy precept, from
which too many, upon lame pretences, seek to excuse themselves. As the
Jew was known by the religious observance of the Sabbath, so is the true
Christian by his manner of celebrating the Sunday. And as our law is
more holy and more perfect than the Jewish, so must be our manner of
sanctifying the Lord's Day. This is the proof of our religion, and of
our piety towards God. The primitive Christians kept this day in the
most holy manner, assembling to public prayer in dens and caves, knowing
that, "without this religious observance, a man cannot be a Christian,"
to use the expression of an ancient father.
Footnotes:
1. These were, by laying her head on the altar to offer it to God, and
all her life after wearing her hair long as the ancient Nazarenes
did: (Act. p. 417. St. Optatas, l. 6. S. Ambr. ad Virg. c. 8.)
Whereas the ceremony of this consecration in Egypt and Syria was for
the virgin to cut off her hair in the presence of a priest.
(Bulteau, Hist. Mon. p. 170.)