|
FRUMENTIUS thus led the Indians to the knowledge of God.
Iberia, about the same time, was guided into the way of truth by a
captive woman . She continued instant in prayer, allowing herself no
softer bed than a sack spread upon the ground, and accounted fasting
her highest luxury. This austerity was rewarded by gifts similar to
those of the Apostles. The barbarians, who were ignorant of
medicine, were accustomed, when attacked by disease, to go to one
another's houses, in order to ask those who had suffered in a similar
way, and had got well, by what means they had been cured. In
accordance with this custom, a mother who had a sick child, repaired
to this admirable woman, to enquire if she knew of any cure for the
disease. The latter took the child, placed it upon her bed, and
prayed to the Creator of the world to be propitious to it, and cure
the disease. He heard her prayer, and made it whole. This
extraordinary woman hence obtained great celebrity; and the queen, who
was suffering from a severe disease, hearing of her by report, sent
for her. The captive held herself in very low estimation, and would
not accept the invitation of the queen. But the queen, forced by her
sore need, and careless of her royal dignity, herself ran to the
captive. The latter made the queen lie down upon her mean bed, and
once again applied to her disease the efficacious remedy of prayer.
The queen was healed, and offered as rewards for her cure, gold,
silver, tunics, and mantles, and such gifts as she thought worthy of
possession, and such as royal munificence should bestow. The holy
woman told her that she did not want any of these, but that she would
deem her greatest reward to be the queen's knowledge of true religion.
She then, as far as in her lay, explained the Divine doctrines, and
exhorted her to erect a church in honour of Christ who had made her
whole. The queen then returned to the palace, and excited the
admiration of her consort, by the suddenness of her cure; she then
made known to him the power of that God whom the captive adored, and
besought him to acknowledge the one only God, and to erect a church to
Him, and to lead all the nation to worship Him. The king was
greatly delighted with the miracle which had been performed upon the
queen, but he would not consent to erect a church. A short time after
he went out hunting, and the loving Lord made a prey of him as He did
of Paul; for a sudden darkness enveloped him and forbade him to move
from the spot; while those who were hunting with him enjoyed the
customary sunlight, and he alone was bound with the fetters of
blindness. In his perplexity he found a way of escape, for calling to
mind his former unbelief, he implored the help of the God of the
captive woman, and immediately the darkness was dispelled. He then
went to the marvellous captive, and asked her to shew him how a church
ought to be built. He who once filled Bezaleel with architectural
skill, graciously enabled this woman to devise the plan of a church.
The woman set about the plan, and men began to dig and build. When
the edifice was completed, the roof put on, and every thing supplied
except the priests, this admirable woman found means to obtain these
also. For she persuaded the king to send an embassy to the Roman
emperor asking for teachers of religion. The king accordingly
despatched an embassy for the purpose. The emperor Constantine, who
was warmly attached to the cause of religion, when informed of the
purport of the embassy, gladly welcomed the ambassadors, and selected
a bishop endowed with great faith, wisdom, and virtue, and presenting
him with many gifts, sent him to the iberians, that he might make
known to them the true God. Not content with having granted the
requests of the Iberians, he of his own accord undertook the
protection of the Christians in Persia; for, learning that they were
persecuted by the heathens, and that their king himself, a slave to
error, was contriving various cunning plots for their destruction, he
wrote to him, entreating him to embrace the Christian religion
himself, as well as to honour its professors. His own letter will
render his earnestness in the cause the plainer.
|
|