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| Saint Acacius, Pray for us ! |
Martian, a man of consular dignity, arriving at Antioch, a small town of his government, ordered the bishop to be brought before him. His name was Acacius, and he was styled the buckler and refuge of that country for his universal charity and episcopal zeal. Martian said to him: βAs you have the happiness to live under the Roman laws, you are bound to love and honour our princes, who are our protectors.β Acacius answered: βOf all the subjects of the empire, none love and honour the emperor more than the Christians. We pray without intermission for his person, and that it may please God to grant him long life, prosperity, success, and all benedictions; that he may be endowed by him with the spirit of justice and wisdom to govern his people, that his reign be auspicious, and prosperous, blessed with joy, peace, and plenty throughout all the provinces that obey him.
β MARTIAN. βAll this I commend; but that the emperor may be the better convinced of your submission and fidelity, come now and offer him a sacrifice with me.
β ACACIUS. βI have already told you, that I pray to the great and true God for the emperor; but he ought not to require a sacrifice from us, nor is there any due to him or to any man whatsoever.
β MARTIAN. βTell us what God you adore, that we may also pay him our offerings and homages?
β ACACIUS. βI wish from my heart you did but know him to your advantage.
β MARTIAN. βTell me his name.
β ACACIUS. βHe is called the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.
β MARTIAN. βAre these the names of gods?
β ACACIUS. βBy no means, but of men to whom the true God spoke; he is the only God, and he alone is to be adored, feared, and loved.β MARTIAN. βWhat is this God?
β ACACIUS. βHe is the most high Adonia, who is seated above the cherubim and seraphim.
β MARTIAN. βWhat is a seraph?
β ACACIUS. βA ministering spirit of the most high God, and one of the principal lords of the heavenly court.
β MARTIAN. βWhat chimeras are these? Lay aside these whims of invisible beings, and adore such gods as you can see.
β ACACIUS. βTell me who are those gods to whom you would have me sacrifice?
β MARTIAN. βApollo, the saviour of men, who preserves us from pestilence and famine, who enlightens, preserves, and governs the universe.
β ACACIUS. βDo you mean that wretch that could not preserve his own life: who, being in love with a young woman, (Daphne,) ran about distracted in pursuit of her, not knowing that he was never to possess the object of his desires. It is therefore evident that he could not foresee things to come, since he was in the dark as to his own fate: and as clear that he could be no god, who was thus cheated by a creature. All know likewise that he had a base passion for Hyacinth, a beautiful boy, and was so awkward as to break the head of that minion, the fond object of his criminal passion, with a quoit. Is not he also that god who, with Neptune, turned mason, hired himself to a king, (Laomedon of Troy,) and built the walls of a city? Would you oblige me to sacrifice to such a divinity, or to Esculapius, thunderstruck by Jupiter? or to Venus, whose life was infamous, and to a hundred such monsters to whom you offer sacrifice? No, though my life itself depended on it, ought I to pay divine honours to those whom I should blush to imitate, and of whom I can entertain no other sentiments than those of contempt and execration? You adore Gods, the imitators of whom you yourselves would punish.
β MARTIAN. βIt is usual for you Christians to raise several calumnies against our gods; for which reason I command you to come now with me to a banquet in honour of Jupiter and Juno, and acknowledge and perform what is due to their majesty.
β ACACIUS. βHow can I sacrifice to a man whose sepulchre is unquestionably in Crete? What! is he risen again?
β MARTIAN. βYou must either sacrifice or die.
β ACACIUS. βThis is the custom of the Dalmatian robbers; when they have taken a passenger in a narrow way, they leave him no other choice but to surrender his money or his life. But, for my part, I declare to you that I fear nothing that you can do to me. The laws punish adulterers, thieves, and murderers. Were I guilty of any of those things, I should be the first man to condemn myself. But if my whole crime be the adoring of the true God, and I am on this account to be put to death, it is no longer a law but an injustice.
β MARTIAN. βI have no order to judge but to counsel you to obey. If you refuse, I know how to force you to a compliance.
β ACACIUS. βI have a law which I will obey: this commands me not to renounce my God. If you think yourself bound to execute the orders of a man who in a little time hence must leave the world, and his body become the food of worms, much more strictly am I bound to obey the omnipotent God, who is infinite and eternal, and who hath declared, Whoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father,β MARTIAN. βYou now mention the error of your sect which I have long desired to be informed of: you say then that God hath a son?
β ACACIUS. βDoubtless he hath one.
β MARTIAN. βWho is this son of God?
β ACACIUS. βThe Word of truth and grace.
β MARTIAN. βIs that his name?
β ACACIUS. βYou did not ask me his name but what he is.
β MARTIAN. βWhat then is his name?
β ACACIUS. βJesus Christ.β Martian having inquired of the saint by what woman God had his son, he replied, that the divine generation of the Word is of a different nature from human generation, and proved it from the language the royal prophet makes use of in the forty-fourth psalm.
MARTIAN. βIs God then corporeal?
β ACACIUS. βHe is known only to himself. We cannot describe him; he is invisible to us in this mortal state, but we are sufficiently acquainted with his perfections to confess and adore him.
β MARTIAN. βIf God had no body, how can he have a heart or mind?
β ACACIUS. βWisdom hath no dependence or necessary connexion with an organized body. What hath body to do with understanding?β He then pressed him to sacrifice from the example of the Cataphrygians, or Montanists, and engage all under his care to do the same. Acacius replied: βIt is not me these people obey but God. Let them hear me when I advise them to what is right; but let them despise me, if I offer them the contrary and endeavour to pervert them.
β MARTIAN. βGive me all their names.
β ACACIUS. βThey are written in heaven, in Godβs invisible registers.
β MARTIAN. βWhere are the magicians, your companions, and the teachers of this cunningly devised error?β by which he probably meant the priests. ACACIUS. βNo one in the world abhors magic more than we Christians.
β MARTIAN. βMagic is the new religion which you introduce.
β ACACIUS. βWe destroy those gods whom you fear though you made them yourselves. We, on the contrary, fear not him whom we have made with our hands, but him who created us, and who is the Lord and Master of all nature; who loved us as our good father, and redeemed us from death and hell as the careful and affectionate shepherd of our souls.β
MARTIAN. βGive the names I require, if you would avoid the torture.
β ACACIUS. βI am before the tribunal, and do you ask me my name, and, not satisfied with that, you must also know those of the other ministers? Do you hope to conquer many; you, whom I alone am able thus to confound. If you desire to know our names, mine is Acacius. If you would know more, they call me Agathangelus, and my two companions are Piso, bishop of the Trojans, and Menander, a priest. Do now what you please.β MARTIAN. βYou shall remain in prison, till the emperor is acquainted with what has passed on this subject, and sends his orders concerning you.β
β MARTIAN. βAll this I commend; but that the emperor may be the better convinced of your submission and fidelity, come now and offer him a sacrifice with me.
β ACACIUS. βI have already told you, that I pray to the great and true God for the emperor; but he ought not to require a sacrifice from us, nor is there any due to him or to any man whatsoever.
β MARTIAN. βTell us what God you adore, that we may also pay him our offerings and homages?
β ACACIUS. βI wish from my heart you did but know him to your advantage.
β MARTIAN. βTell me his name.
β ACACIUS. βHe is called the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.
β MARTIAN. βAre these the names of gods?
β ACACIUS. βBy no means, but of men to whom the true God spoke; he is the only God, and he alone is to be adored, feared, and loved.β MARTIAN. βWhat is this God?
β ACACIUS. βHe is the most high Adonia, who is seated above the cherubim and seraphim.
β MARTIAN. βWhat is a seraph?
β ACACIUS. βA ministering spirit of the most high God, and one of the principal lords of the heavenly court.
β MARTIAN. βWhat chimeras are these? Lay aside these whims of invisible beings, and adore such gods as you can see.
β ACACIUS. βTell me who are those gods to whom you would have me sacrifice?
β MARTIAN. βApollo, the saviour of men, who preserves us from pestilence and famine, who enlightens, preserves, and governs the universe.
β ACACIUS. βDo you mean that wretch that could not preserve his own life: who, being in love with a young woman, (Daphne,) ran about distracted in pursuit of her, not knowing that he was never to possess the object of his desires. It is therefore evident that he could not foresee things to come, since he was in the dark as to his own fate: and as clear that he could be no god, who was thus cheated by a creature. All know likewise that he had a base passion for Hyacinth, a beautiful boy, and was so awkward as to break the head of that minion, the fond object of his criminal passion, with a quoit. Is not he also that god who, with Neptune, turned mason, hired himself to a king, (Laomedon of Troy,) and built the walls of a city? Would you oblige me to sacrifice to such a divinity, or to Esculapius, thunderstruck by Jupiter? or to Venus, whose life was infamous, and to a hundred such monsters to whom you offer sacrifice? No, though my life itself depended on it, ought I to pay divine honours to those whom I should blush to imitate, and of whom I can entertain no other sentiments than those of contempt and execration? You adore Gods, the imitators of whom you yourselves would punish.
β MARTIAN. βIt is usual for you Christians to raise several calumnies against our gods; for which reason I command you to come now with me to a banquet in honour of Jupiter and Juno, and acknowledge and perform what is due to their majesty.
β ACACIUS. βHow can I sacrifice to a man whose sepulchre is unquestionably in Crete? What! is he risen again?
β MARTIAN. βYou must either sacrifice or die.
β ACACIUS. βThis is the custom of the Dalmatian robbers; when they have taken a passenger in a narrow way, they leave him no other choice but to surrender his money or his life. But, for my part, I declare to you that I fear nothing that you can do to me. The laws punish adulterers, thieves, and murderers. Were I guilty of any of those things, I should be the first man to condemn myself. But if my whole crime be the adoring of the true God, and I am on this account to be put to death, it is no longer a law but an injustice.
β MARTIAN. βI have no order to judge but to counsel you to obey. If you refuse, I know how to force you to a compliance.
β ACACIUS. βI have a law which I will obey: this commands me not to renounce my God. If you think yourself bound to execute the orders of a man who in a little time hence must leave the world, and his body become the food of worms, much more strictly am I bound to obey the omnipotent God, who is infinite and eternal, and who hath declared, Whoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father,β MARTIAN. βYou now mention the error of your sect which I have long desired to be informed of: you say then that God hath a son?
β ACACIUS. βDoubtless he hath one.
β MARTIAN. βWho is this son of God?
β ACACIUS. βThe Word of truth and grace.
β MARTIAN. βIs that his name?
β ACACIUS. βYou did not ask me his name but what he is.
β MARTIAN. βWhat then is his name?
β ACACIUS. βJesus Christ.β Martian having inquired of the saint by what woman God had his son, he replied, that the divine generation of the Word is of a different nature from human generation, and proved it from the language the royal prophet makes use of in the forty-fourth psalm.
MARTIAN. βIs God then corporeal?
β ACACIUS. βHe is known only to himself. We cannot describe him; he is invisible to us in this mortal state, but we are sufficiently acquainted with his perfections to confess and adore him.
β MARTIAN. βIf God had no body, how can he have a heart or mind?
β ACACIUS. βWisdom hath no dependence or necessary connexion with an organized body. What hath body to do with understanding?β He then pressed him to sacrifice from the example of the Cataphrygians, or Montanists, and engage all under his care to do the same. Acacius replied: βIt is not me these people obey but God. Let them hear me when I advise them to what is right; but let them despise me, if I offer them the contrary and endeavour to pervert them.
β MARTIAN. βGive me all their names.
β ACACIUS. βThey are written in heaven, in Godβs invisible registers.
β MARTIAN. βWhere are the magicians, your companions, and the teachers of this cunningly devised error?β by which he probably meant the priests. ACACIUS. βNo one in the world abhors magic more than we Christians.
β MARTIAN. βMagic is the new religion which you introduce.
β ACACIUS. βWe destroy those gods whom you fear though you made them yourselves. We, on the contrary, fear not him whom we have made with our hands, but him who created us, and who is the Lord and Master of all nature; who loved us as our good father, and redeemed us from death and hell as the careful and affectionate shepherd of our souls.β
MARTIAN. βGive the names I require, if you would avoid the torture.
β ACACIUS. βI am before the tribunal, and do you ask me my name, and, not satisfied with that, you must also know those of the other ministers? Do you hope to conquer many; you, whom I alone am able thus to confound. If you desire to know our names, mine is Acacius. If you would know more, they call me Agathangelus, and my two companions are Piso, bishop of the Trojans, and Menander, a priest. Do now what you please.β MARTIAN. βYou shall remain in prison, till the emperor is acquainted with what has passed on this subject, and sends his orders concerning you.β
Source: Rev. Alban Butler (1711β73). Volume III: March. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
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- βͺ Saint Conon the Gardener
- βͺ Saint John of the Cross
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- βͺ Saint Albinus of Angers - Bishop
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- βͺ Saint Simon Marie Antoine Just Ranfer De Bretenieres - Priest
- βͺ Saint Perpetua, Saint Felicitas, and their Companions
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- βͺ Saint Angela of the Cross Guerrero y GonzΓ‘lez - Virgin and Foundress
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