4. But also let others be remembered, who, after them, accepted the conflict, and were counted worthy to stand in the true conflict for Christ. Now as worthy of our commemoration, let the men be remembered who, after these, were the |133 elect, and who, without reproach and violence, with their souls affirmed the faith,--those who were counted worthy to receive the hope of the apostles. Let there be honoured in our commemoration then, both Asclepiades and Serapion, and Philetus, and Zebinas, and Demetrius, and Flavianus, and Cyrillus (?), and Sosipater, and Andrew, and Babylas, and Caerealis (?), and Izabenus(?), and Zenobius, and Paulus, a kinsman, who was counted worthy to stand in the divine portion, and to be of it. Let Marinus also hasten, and to heaven let Fronto come, and the abstinent old man Hippolytus. Now I know and confess that many others were victorious in this conflict. But although their names escape me, their record, which is in heaven, I remember in my soul, and I lay to heart the sufferings of the Church which is in Christ. For, truly, I hope with all of you, through the divine message, by the truth of the confession which, is in Christ, that I shall receive fruit at the resurrection of the dead. I further say to you, O blessed confessors, I desire to depart from the world unto you, and from the body from which you are freed. Now faults fail (those) that (are) with Christ, as ye are this day, and are accounted. May there, at some time, be given the power to say after you, Pains flee, anguish is worn away, and groaning is departed : O ye who exist in the likeness of the suffering of Christ, and die not for ever.
End of the Discourse upon the Confessors.
[I have moved the footnotes to the end from the bottom of the pages, and used numbers instead of the letters of the original]
1. The Syriac text of this discourse, from a MS. written A.D. 411, was printed in our last, pp. 403-408. We were then under the impression that, because the late Canon Cureton had not referred to it in his Martyrs of Palestine, to which it is appended in the MS., he had not observed it at ail. This was a mistake. "We are reminded by Dr. Tregelles that Dr. Cureton alludes to it in the Festal Letters of Athanasius (Pref., p. 16); and that it is also mentioned by the late Professor Lee, in his translation of the Theophany of Eusebius (Pref., p. xi.).
The following attempt at a translation is generally literal, but the original, like all new documents in the same language, contains words and idioms not explained in grammars and lexicons. This circumstance, and the absence of vowel-points, causes some ambiguity in certain places, but we hope we have succeeded in conveying the general sense. Some of the peculiarities are noticed in the following short annotations.
2. The word rendered "robe" is the same as that for "furnace," but it occurs in the sense of a vestment of some kind in Ephraeem Syrus, as is observed by Dr. Burgess, Repentance of Nineveh, note, p. 54.
3. Or "innocence." The word has both meanings.
4. The rendering of this clause is uncertain.
5. Or, "vouchsafed." The word usually means "justified."
6. Or, " the affectionate desire."
7. The sections we indicate are the same in the original.
8. Literally, " in falsehood."
9. The similar Syriac word, "world," might seem more appropriate here, but is not required, as the orator is about to speak of the toil of competitors in ancient contests.
10. The Syriac word is the one commonly meaning "Apostolic," but doubtless "stripped" is the idea; perhaps "gymnastic."
11. Here again the form is that usually rendered "generations" and "courts," but it sometimes means conflicts or contests.
12. As the sun rises.
13. "Restraints" seems to be the sense, but the word may be a mistake for "commands." In any case the clause is not quite clear.
14. Probably "be lost in silence and forgot."
15. The preceding clause is not clear.
16. Or, "in purity."
17. Or, "was hot, and did not ascend."
18. i.e., Those who were obedient to the law.
19. Although most of the illustrations are from our Canonical books, it is plain that Eusebius did not feel himself under any restraint in that direction.
20. "Duty." We assign this meaning to a word which has the sense of "retribution," "recompence," "suffering," "dissolution," etc.
21. They did not require to be driven by blows into the arena, like cowards.