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| Argument. Saturus, in a Vision, and Perpetua Being Carried by Angels into the Great Light, Behold the Martyrs. Being Brought to the Throne of God, are Received with a Kiss. They Reconcile Optatus the Bishop and Aspasius the Presbyter.
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Chapter IV.—Argument. Saturus, in a Vision, and Perpetua
Being Carried by Angels into the Great Light, Behold the Martyrs. Being
Brought to the Throne of God, are Received with a Kiss. They Reconcile
Optatus the Bishop and Aspasius the Presbyter.
1. Moreover, also, the blessed Saturus related this his
vision, which he himself committed to writing:—“We had
suffered,” says he, “and we were gone forth from the flesh,
and we were beginning to be borne by four angels into the east; and
their hands touched us not.
And we floated not supine, looking upwards, but as if ascending a
gentle slope. And being set free, we at length saw the first boundless
light; and I said, ‘Perpetua’ (for she was at my side),
‘this is what the Lord promised to us; we have received the
promise.’ And while we are borne by those same four angels, there
appears to us a vast space which was like a pleasure-garden, having
rose-trees and every kind of flower. And the height of the trees was
after the measure of a cypress, and their leaves were falling8998
| 8998
“Cadebant;” but
“ardebant”—“were
burning”—seems a more probable reading. [The imitations of
the Shepherd of Hermas, in this memoir hardly need pointing
out.] | incessantly. Moreover, there in the
pleasure-garden four other angels appeared, brighter than the previous
ones, who, when they saw us, gave us honour, and said to the rest of
the angels, ‘Here they are! Here they are!’ with
admiration. And those four angels who bore us, being greatly afraid,
put us down; and we passed over on foot the space of a furlong in a
broad path. There we found Jocundus and Saturninus and Artaxius, who
having suffered the same persecution were burnt alive; and Quintus, who
also himself a martyr had departed in the prison. And we asked of them
where the rest were. And the angels said to us, ‘Come first,
enter and greet your Lord.’
2. “And we came near to place, the walls of
which were such as if they were built of light; and before the gate of
that place stood four angels, who clothed those who entered with white
robes. And being clothed, we entered and saw the boundless light, and
heard the united voice of some who said without ceasing, ‘Holy!
Holy! Holy!’8999
And in the midst of
that place we saw as it were a hoary man sitting, having snow-white
hair, and with a youthful countenance; and his feet we saw not.
And on his right hand and on his left were four-and-twenty elders, and
behind them a great many others were standing. We entered with
great wonder, and stood before the throne; and the four angels raised
us up, and we kissed Him, and He passed His hand over our face. And the
rest of the elders said to us, ‘Let us stand;’ and we stood
and made peace. And the elders said to us, ‘Go and enjoy.’
And I said, ‘Perpetua, you have what you wish.’ And she
said to me, ‘Thanks be to God, that joyous as I was in the flesh,
I am now more joyous here.’
3. “And we went forth, and saw before the
entrance Optatus the bishop at the right hand, and Aspasius the
presbyter, a teacher,9000
at the left hand,
separate and sad; and they cast themselves at our feet, and said to us,
‘Restore peace between us, because you have gone forth and have
left us thus.’ And we said to them, ‘Art not thou our
father, and thou our presbyter, that you should cast yourselves at our
feet?’ And we prostrated ourselves, and we embraced them; and
Perpetua began to speak with them, and we drew them apart in the
pleasure-garden under a rose-tree. And while we were speaking
with them, the angels said unto them, ‘Let them alone, that they
may refresh themselves;9001
| 9001 More probably,
“rest and refresh yourselves.” [“Go and enjoy,”
or, “play,” or “take pleasure,” in the section
preceding.] | and if you have any
dissensions between you, forgive one another.’ And they drove
them away. And they said to Optatus, ‘Rebuke thy people, because
they assemble to you as if returning from the circus, and contending
about factious matters.’ And then it seemed to us as if they
would shut the doors. And in that place we began to recognise
many brethren, and moreover martyrs. We were all nourished with an
indescribable odour, which satisfied us. Then, I joyously
awoke.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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