Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

368 THE THIRD AGE OF THE MARTYR CHURCH.some of them a second time, and all the threatsof their guards, which did not stop with words intheir zeal to overcome them, without their resolutionbeing broken, because perfect charity castsout fear. What words can I find to enumeratetheir virtue and their endurance in each particulartrial? Since they were left exposed to anyone'soutrage, some being struck with clubs, others withrods, others with scourges, some with lashes, somewith ropes. The sight of the tortures presentedevery variety, but great suffering throughout.These with hands bound behind them were distendedon the wood, and had every limb stretchedby machinery ; and thus their tormentors by commandattacked the whole body, tearing them noton the sides alone as murderers are treated, but onthe stomach, the knees, and the cheeks. Otherswere hung by one hand from the portico, and thistension of the sinews and limbs caused a moreterrible pain than any. Others were bound topillars face to face, the feet not reaching theground, but the weight of the body tightening thebonds, and this they suffered not during the timeof examination only, or while the governor wasengaged with them, but almost the whole dav. "/For when he went to others, he left his officerswatching over these, to see if the extremity oftorture should cause any to give way : and hecharged them to be bound without mercy, butwhen at their last gasp to be let down and dragged