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THE first of the bishops to put the edict in force and destroy the
shrines in the city committed to his care was Marcellus, trusting
rather in God than in the hands of a multitude. The occurrence is
remarkable, and I shall proceed to narrate it. On the death of
John, bishop of Apamea, whom I have already mentioned, the divine
Marcellus, fervent in spirit, according to the apostolic law, was
appointed in his stead.
Now there had arrived at Apamea the prefect of the East with two
tribunes and their troops. Fear of the troops kept the people quiet.
An attempt was made to destroy the vast and magnificent shrine of
Jupiter, but the building was so firm and solid that to break up its
closely compacted stones seemed beyond the power of man; for they were
huge and well and truly laid, and moreover clamped fast with iron and
lead.
When the divine Marcellus saw that the prefect was afraid to begin the
attack, he sent him on to the rest of the towns; while he himself
prayed to God to aid him in the work of destruction. Next morning
there came uninvited to the bishop a man who was no builder, or mason,
or artificer of any kind, but only a labourer who carried stones, and
timber on his back. "Give me," said he, "two workmen's pay; and
I promise you I will easily destroy the temple." The holy bishop
did as he was asked, and the following was the fellow's contrivance.
Round the four sides of the temple went a portico united to it, and on
which its upper story rested. The columns were of great bulk,
commensurate with the temple, each being sixteen cubits in
circumference. The quality of the stone was exceptionally hard, and
offering great resistance to the masons' tools. In each of these the
man made an opening all round, propping up the superstructure with
olive timber before he went on to another. After he had hollowed out
three of the columns, he set fire to the timbers. But a black demon
appeared and would not suffer the wood to be consumed, as it naturally
would be, by the fire, and stayed the force of the flame. After the
attempt had been made several times, and the plan was proved
ineffectual, news of the failure was brought to the bishop, who was
taking his noontide sleep. Marcellus forthwith hurried to the church,
ordered water to be poured into a pail, and placed the water upon the
divine altar. Then, bending his head to the ground, he besought the
loving Lord in no way to give in to the usurped power of the demon,
but to lay bare its weakness and exhibit His own strength, lest
unbelievers should henceforth find excuse for greater wrong. With
these and other like words he made the sign of the cross over the
water, and ordered Equitius, one of his deacons, who was armed with
faith and enthusiasm, to take the water and sprinkle it in faith, and
then apply the flame. His orders were obeyed, and the demon, unable
to endure the approach of the water, fled. Then the fire, affected
by its foe the water as though it had been oil, caught the wood, and
consumed it in an instant. When their support had vanished the columns
themselves fell down, and dragged other twelve with them. The side of
the temple which was connected with the columns was dragged down by the
violence of their fall, and carried away with them. The crash, which
was tremendous, was heard throughout the town, and all ran to see the
sight. No sooner did the multitude hear of the flight of the hostile
demon than they broke out into a hymn of praise to God.
Other shrines were destroyed in like manner by this holy bishop.
Though I have many other most admirable doings of this holy man to
relate, for he wrote letters to the victorious martyrs, and received
replies from them, and himself won the martyr's crown, for the
present I hesitate to narrate them, lest by over prolixity I weary
the patience of those into whose hands my history may fall.
I will therefore now pass to another subject.
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