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| Chapter IV.
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Chapter IV.
“I have often
noticed this, Sulpitius, that Martin was accustomed to say to you, that
such an abundance115
| 115 “eam virtutum
gratiam.” | of power was by no
means granted him while he was a bishop, as he remembered to have
possessed before he obtained that office. Now, if this be true, or
rather since it is true, we may imagine how great those things were
which, while still a monk, he accomplished, and which, without any
witness, he effected apart by himself; since we have seen that, while a
bishop, he performed so great wonders before the eyes of all. Many, no
doubt, of his former achievements were known to the world, and could
not be hid, but those are said to have been innumerable which, while he
avoided boastfulness, he kept concealed and did not allow to come to
the knowledge of mankind; for, inasmuch as he transcended the
capabilities
of mere
man, in a consciousness of his own eminence, and trampling upon worldly
glory, he was content simply to have heaven as a witness of his deeds.
That this is true we can judge even from these things which are well
known to us, and could not be hid; since e.g. before he became a bishop
he restored two dead men to life, facts of which your book has treated
pretty fully, but, while he was bishop, he raised up only one, a point
which I am surprised you have not noticed. I myself am a witness to
this latter occurrence; but, probably, you have no doubts about the
matter being duly testified. At any rate, I will set before you the
affair as it happened. For some reason, I know not what, we were on our
way to the town of the Carnutes.116
| 116 The Carnutes dwelt on
both sides of the Loire, and their chief town, here referred to, was
Autricum, now Chartres. | In the
meantime, as we pass by a certain village most populous in inhabitants,
an enormous crowd went forth to meet us, consisting entirely of
heathen; for no one in that village was acquainted with a Christian.
Nevertheless, owing to the report of the approach of so great a man, a
multitude of those streaming to one point had filled all the widely
spreading plains. Martin felt that some work was to be performed; and
as the spirit within him was thus moving him, he was deeply excited. He
at once began to preach to the heathen the word of God, so utterly
different from that of man, often groaning that so great a crowd should
be ignorant of the Lord the Saviour. In the meantime, while an
incredible multitude had surrounded us, a certain woman, whose son had
recently died, began to present, with outstretched hands, the lifeless
body to the blessed man, saying, “We know that you are a friend
of God: restore me my son, who is my only one.” The rest of the
multitude joined her, and added their entreaties to those of the
mother. Martin perceiving, as he afterwards told us, that he could
manifest power, in order to the salvation of those waiting for its
display, received the body of the deceased into his own hands; and
when, in the sight of all, he had fallen on his knees, and then arose,
after his prayer was finished, he restored to its mother the child
brought back to life. Then, truly, the whole multitude, raising a shout
to heaven, acknowledged Christ as God, and finally began to rush in
crowds to the knees of the blessed man, sincerely imploring that he
would make them Christians. Nor did he delay to do so. As they were in
the middle of the plain, he made them all catechumens, by placing his
hand upon the whole of them; while, at the same time, turning to us, he
said that, not without reason, were these made catechumens in that
plain where the martyrs were wont to be
consecrated.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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