The centurion was unknown to the heathen man,
and was secretly a Christian, and said to the bishop,
'My father, I pray thee, be not thou so hasty for death,
because thy life is yet needful to us;
but go thou now secretly where thou mayst have peace,
until this people's rage be somewhat stilled.'
Then went he by night that he might save his life;
but the heathen men were ware of his journey,
and caught him, and beat him for so long a time
until they thought that he was dead.
He was nevertheless brought, by the ministration of his brethren,
again to the Christians, and he continued in this life
fully seven nights, and he sweetly and fervently
allured them to the eternal life, and to the faith.
He said, 'I tell you that grievous persecution shall come
upon the Christians for Christ's name;
but after the persecution shall peace again be given,
and the emperors shall bow themselves to the faith of Christ,
and all heathen worship shall be utterly destroyed,
so that men may freely worship the Almighty God
throughout all the earth, and offer sacrifice to Him ;
and he who abideth in the faith, shall live for ever.'
After this exhortation, and many other words,
the holy man departed from the world to God,
with Whom he ever dwelleth in the everlasting blessedness ;
and his disciples laid his corpse honorably
in a stone coffin ; and it stood against the wall.
For two years less than thirty he was their bishop,
serving the Almighty in many persecutions,
and therefore is his reward now endless
with the Almighty God, who reigneth for ever. Amen.
