Foxe - The Book of Martyrs

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
accomplishments of the gentleman, he blended the virtues of a Christian. His doctrines were
orthodox and pure; his language easy and elegant; and his manners graceful and winning: in
fine, he was both the pious and polite preacher. In his youth he was educated in the principles
of Gentilism, and having a considerable fortune, he lived in the very extravagance of
splendour, and all the dignity of pomp.
About the year 246, Coecilius, a Christian minister of Carthage, became the happy
instrument of Cyprian's conversion: on which account, and for the great love that he always
afterward bore for the author of his conversion, he was termed Coecilius Cyprian. Previous
to his baptism, he studied the Scriptures with care and being struck with the beauties of the
truths they contained, he determined to practise the virtues therein recommended. Subsequent
to his baptism, he sold his estate, distributed the money among the poor, dressed himself in
plain attire, and commenced a life of austerity. He was soon after made a presbyter; and, being
greatly admired for his virtues and works, on the death of Donatus, in A.D. 248, he was almost
unanimously elected bishop of Carthage.
Cyprian's care not only extended over Carthage, but to Numidia and Mauritania. In all his
transactions he took great care to ask the advice of his clergy, knowing that unanimity alone
could be of service to the Church, this being one of his maxims, "That the bishop was in the
church, and the church in the bishop; so that unity can only be preserved by a close connexion
between the pastor and his flock."
In A.D. 250, Cyprian was publicly proscribed by the emperor Decius, under the
appellation of Coecilius Cyprian, bishop of the Christrians; and the universal cry of the pagans
was, "Cyprian to the lions, Cyprian to the beasts." The bishop, however, withdrew from the
rage of the populace, and his effects were immediately confiscated. During his retirement, he
wrote thirty pious and elegant letters to his flock; but several schisms that then crept into the
Church, gave him great uneasiness. The rigor of the persecution abating, he returned to
Carthage, and did everything in his power to expunge erroneous opinions. A terrible plague
breaking out in Carthage, it was as usual, laid to the charge of the Christians; and the
magistrates began to persecute accordingly, which occasioned an epistle from them to
Cyprian, in answer to which he vindicates the cause of Christianity. A.D. 257, Cyprian was
brought before the proconsul Aspasius Paturnus, who exiled him to a little city on the Lybian
sea. On the death of this proconsul, he returned to Carthage, but was soon after seized, and
carried before the new governor, who condemned him to be beheaded; which sentence was
executed on the fourteenth of September, A.D. 258.
The disciples of Cyprian, martyred in this persecution, were Lucius, Flavian, Victoricus,
Remus, Montanus, Julian, Primelus, and Donatian.
At Utica, a most terrible tragedy was exhibited: three hundred Christians were, by the
orders of the proconsul, placed round a burning limekiln. A pan of coals and incense being
prepared, they were commanded either to sacrifice to Jupiter, or to be thrown into the kiln.
Unanimously refusing, they bravely jumped into the pit, and were immediately suffocated.
Fructuosus, bishop of Tarragon, in Spain, and his two deacons, Augurius and Eulogius,
were burnt for being Christians.
23