登陆注册
5214200000448

第448章

Having lost his coat, and not having means to buy another, he prayed to the Twenty Martyrs,(1) who have a very celebrated memorial shrine in our town, begging in a distinct voice that he might be clothed.Some scoffing young men, who happened to be present, heard him, and followed him with their sarcasm as he went away, as if he had asked the martyrs for fifty pence to buy a coat.But he, walking on in silence, saw on the shore a great fish, gasping as if just cast up, and having secured it with the good-natured assistance of the youths, he sold it for curing to a cook of the name of Catosus, a good Christian man, telling him how he had come by it, and receiving for it three hundred pence, which he laid out in wool, that his wife might exercise her skill upon, and make into a coat for him.But, on cutting up the fish, the cook found a gold ring in its belly; and forthwith, moved with compassion, and influenced, too, by religious fear, gave it up to the man, saying, "See how the Twenty Martyrs have clothed you."When the bishop Projectus was bringing the relics of the most glorious martyr Stephen to the waters of Tibilis, a great concourse of people came to meet him at the shrine.There a blind woman entreated that she might be led to the bishop who was carrying the relics.He gave her the flowers he was carrying.She took them, applied them to her eyes, and forthwith saw.

Those who were present were astounded, while she, with every expression of joy, preceded them, pursuing her way without further need of a guide.

Lucillus bishop of Sinita, in the neighborhood of the colonial town of Hippo, was carrying in procession some relics of the same martyr, which had been deposited in the castle of Sinita.A fistula under which he had long labored, and which his private physician was watching an opportunity to cut, was suddenly cured by the mere carrying of that sacred fardel,(2)--at least, afterwards there was no trace of it in his body.

Eucharius, a Spanish priest, residing at Calama, was for a long time a sufferer from stone.By the relics of the same martyr, which the bishop Possidius brought him, he was cured.Afterwards the same priest, sinking under another disease, was lying dead, and already they were binding his hands.By the succor of the same martyr he was raised to life, the priest's cloak having been brought from the oratory and laid upon the corpse.

There was there an old nobleman named Martial, who had a great aversion to the Christian religion, but whose daughter was a Christian, while her husband had been baptized that same year.When he was ill, they besought him with tears and prayers to become a Christian, but he positively refused, and dismissed them from his presence in a storm of indignation.It occurred to the son-in-law to go to the oratory of St.Stephen, and there pray for him with all earnestness that God might give him a right mind, so that he should not delay believing in Christ.This he did with great groaning and tears, and the burning fervor of sincere piety; then, as he left the place, he took some of the flowers that were lying there, and, as it was already night, laid them by his father's head, who so slept.And lo ! before dawn, he cries out for some one to run for the bishop; but he happened at that time to be with me at Hippo.So when he had heard that he was from home, he asked the presbyters to come.They came.To the joy and amazement of all, he declared that he believed, and he was baptized.As long as he remained in life, these words were ever on his lips: "Christ, receive my spirit," though he was not aware that these were the last words of the most blessed Stephen when he was stoned by the Jews.They were his last words also, for not long after he himself also gave up the ghost.

There, too, by the same martyr, two men, one a citizen, the other a stranger, were cured of gout; but while the citizen was absolutely cured, the stranger was only informed what he should apply when the pain returned; and when he followed this advice, the pain was at once relieved.

Audurus is the name of an estate, where there is a church that contains a memorial shrine of the martyr Stephen.It happened that, as a little boy was playing in the court, the oxen drawing a wagon went out of the track and crushed him with the wheel, so that immediately he seemed at his last gasp.His mother snatched him up, and laid him at the shrine, and not only did he revive, but also appeared uninjured.

A religious female, who lived at Caspalium, a neighboring estate, when she was so ill as to be despaired of, had her dress brought to this shrine, but before it was brought back she was gone.

However, her parents wrapped her corpse in the dress, and, her breath returning, she became quite well.

At Hippo a Syrian called Bassus was praying at the relics of the same martyr for his daughter, who was dangerously ill.He too had brought her dress with him to the shrine.But as he prayed, behold, his servants ran from the house to tell him she was dead.His friends, however, intercepted them, and forbade them to tell him, lest he should bewail her in public.And when he had returned to his house, which was already ringing with the lamentations of his family, and had thrown on his daughter's body the dress he was carrying, she was restored to life.

There, too, the son of a man, Irenaeus, one of our tax-gatherers, took ill and died.And while his body was lying lifeless, and the last rites were being prepared, amidst the weeping and mourning of all, one of the friends who were consoling the father suggested that the body should be anointed with the oil of the same martyr.It was done, and he revived.

Likewise Eleusinus, a man of tribunitian rank among us, laid his infant son, who had died, on the shrine of the martyr, which is in the suburb where he lived, and, after prayer, which he poured out there with many tears, he took up his child alive.

同类推荐
  • Areopagitica

    Areopagitica

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 渚山堂词话

    渚山堂词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严经行愿品疏

    华严经行愿品疏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说金刚香菩萨大明成就仪轨经

    佛说金刚香菩萨大明成就仪轨经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 竺峰敏禅师语录

    竺峰敏禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 词综

    词综

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 万古杀神

    万古杀神

    杀神重生附体废物少主身上,并得到半神格传授心法秘笈九玄踏天诀修炼,一朝觉醒至尊杀魂,铸成霸血神体,碾压天骄,爆打对手,横扫九天十地。
  • 诸真论还丹诀

    诸真论还丹诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 满苑百花只为君

    满苑百花只为君

    别人穿越不是公主就小姐,偏偏到姐就是一只狐狸!人家穿越不是神宠就法器,偏偏到姐就是法力全无!好不容易拐个金主,给姐长眠不起了!巴巴交个姐妹,给姐背后捅刀子了!你说这是命?姐姐我就偏偏不信命!涅磐重生,惩贱女,诛邪魔,看姐如何玩转三界六道!
  • 小酉腴山馆主人自着年谱

    小酉腴山馆主人自着年谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 清夜凝冰:生死相随

    清夜凝冰:生死相随

    她与他宛若盛开于冥界的蔓珠沙华,花叶永不相见。她与他之间,横桓生死与千年时光。他说,如有来生,我愿倾这世间一切,换你来生回眸一笑。她说,如有来世,我愿与你生死相随,即便魂飞魄散。婆娑的泪眼中,你终究渐行渐远渐无声;尘封的记忆里,这到底亦真亦幻亦虚妄。茫茫天地,只剩一缕洁白的清香……
  • 婚内沉沦

    婚内沉沦

    谁人都知,黑廖风养着一只“小宠物”,简直将她宠上天,要星星不敢给月亮,要月亮不敢给太阳。得罪黑廖风不行,得罪米予羲更是死罪一条!女主:我吃你的喝你的用你的,全部都是高档品,关键你还毫无怨言地任我“揩”,你要是决定结婚了,一定要提前跟我讲,好让我适应一段时间哦?男主眼底蕴起一抹玩味且邪气的笑意,他俯下身,加快自己的速度,令身下的小女人再无法思考,最好是在她的体内留下他的种,让她再不会“有心”想他和别人结婚?***女主:小风风,赶快给我底下明星投资!男主:多少?女主:一亿?不对,两亿吧!男主痛快道:好。话锋一转:晚上十点,老地方等我。女主瞪眼。TMD,这年头娱乐圈都是女明星被“潜规则”,她倒好,身为经纪人却要为自己手底下的明星而被“潜规则”,关键关键……还是她的“前夫”?!本文属【宠文】+【强宠】+【强强宠】+【宠到死】+【宠到用强心剂】小心你的心脏,不喜者请绕道离开
  • 古应国访问记

    古应国访问记

    《古应国访问记》关于古应国,历史文献上只言片语地记载,它是由周武王之子应叔建立的一个诸侯国,至于所处何地,国君是谁,历史有多长,则不得而知。所幸的是,从1986年至2007年的应国墓地考古发掘,弥补了文献记载的缺失,破解了应国历史上一个又一个谜团,清晰地勾勒出一个失落小国的真容。500余座墓葬的现身,10000余件文物的出土,使应国墓地的发掘跻身1996年全国十大考古新发现。
  • 人性的弱点

    人性的弱点

    美国“成人教育之父”戴尔·卡耐基所著的《人性的弱点》,汇集了卡耐基的思想精华和最激动人心的内容,是作者最成功的励志经典,书的唯一目的就是帮助解决所面临的最大问题:如何在日常生活、商务活动与社会交往中与人打交道,并有效地影响他人;如何击败人类的生存之敌——忧虑,以创造一种幸福美好的人生。
  • 聪明孩子都在玩的数学游戏

    聪明孩子都在玩的数学游戏

    奇特故事,全新视角,带孩子去数学王国里领略数学的魅力与魔力。这里不再是抽象的图形和数字,每一个数学问题和游戏背后都蕴藏着身边的小故事。让孩子们在读故事中学数学,在学数学中懂道理,日积跬步,孩子的数学思维能力、逻辑分析能力、处理难题能力都会有质的突破。