They could not understand how such poor
ignorant contemptible people as the Christians seemed to be, dared to
have an opinion of their own, and to stand to it; how they dared to
think themselves right, and all the world wrong; and in their fury
they inflicted on them tortures to read of which should make the
blood run cold. And their rage and fury increased to madness, when
they found that these Christians, instead of complaining, instead of
rebelling, instead of trying to avenge themselves, submitted to all
their sufferings, not only patiently and uncomplaining, but joyfully,
and as an honour and a glory. Some, no doubt, they conquered by
torture, agony, and terror; and so made them deny Christ, and return
to the wickedness of the heathen. But those renegades were always
miserable. Their own consciences condemned them. They felt they had
sold their own souls for a lie; and many of them, in their agony of
mind, repented again, like St. Peter after he had denied his Lord
through fear, proclaimed themselves Christians after all, went
through all their tortures a second time, and died triumphant over
death and hell.
But there were those--to be counted by hundreds, if not thousands--
who dared all, and endured all; and won (as it was rightly called)
the crown of martyrdom.
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