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Then truly a great many rulers of the churches eagerly endured terrible
sufferings, and furnished examples of noble conflicts. But a
multitude of others, benumbed in spirit by fear, were easily weakened
at the first onset.
Of the rest each one endured different forms of torture. The body of
one was scourged with rods. Another was punished with insupportable
rackings and scrapings, in which some suffered a miserable death.
Others passed through different conflicts. Thus one, while those
around pressed him on by force and dragged him to the abominable and
impure sacrifices, was dismissed as if he had sacrificed, though he
had not. Another, though he had not approached at all, nor touched
any polluted thing, when others said that he had sacrificed, went
away, bearing the accusation in silence. Another being taken up half
dead, was cast aside as if already dead, and again a certain one lying
upon the ground was dragged a long distance by his feet and counted
among those who had sacrificed. One cried out and with a loud voice
testified his rejection of the sacrifice; another shouted that he was a
Christian, being resplendent in the confession of the saving Name.
Another protested that he had not sacrificed and never would. But
they were struck in the mouth and silenced by a large band of soldiers
who were drawn up for this purpose; and they were smitten on the face
and cheeks and driven away by force; so important did the enemies of
piety regard it, by any means, to seem to have accomplished their
purpose. But these things did no+ avail them against the holy
martyrs; for an accurate description of whom, what word of ours could
suffice?
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