opportunity to shed their
blood also for the honor of their Creator! Blood shed by the hands
of barbarian Mahometans instigated by their casique [20]--especially
against the priests, the preachers of our holy faith, as we learned
from one who escaped from them; and with so remarkable tokens of
special hate against religion, that they tore to pieces the very body
of the father, so that the head was the largest part of it. However
much they may claim that in order that there should be no planting
[of Christianity?] they did not spare his life, their actions show that
they took life away from him in hatred of Christ our Lord, and of His
holy religion, which the father was preaching and extending. And even
if the Mahometans did not have that intention and hate against Christ
and His holy faith, which this shows that they have, not only is the
death inflicted and suffered in this manner a true martyrdom, but also
in more general terms Christ our Lord said through St. Mark in the 8th
chapter: _Qui perdiderit animam suam propter me, et evangelium, salvam
faciet_. [21] On those words is founded every form of true martyrdom,
which embraces that of the innocents, and those who gave their lives to
serve those sick with the plague, and for any virtue whatever; and thus
say the saints. St. Augustine pondering these words in his sermon 100
(_De diversis_) section 2, [22] makes a strenuous effort for martyrdom,
in the occasion of dying, in these words: "_Qui perdiderit," inquit,
"propter me." Tota caussa ibi est. "Qui perdiderit," non quomodocumque,
non qualibet caussa, sed "propter me." Ylli enim yn prophecia yam
dixerant martires, "Propter te mortificamur tota die." Propterea
martiremnon facit pena, sed caussa_. And if this is Christ our Lord,
and one loses his life either in order not to offend Him--for example,
by denying His faith, or losing his chastity, or by lying, etc.--or in
order to serve Him--for example, by preaching His holy gospel, or by
practicing the doctrine of succoring one's neighbors with the spiritual
or corporal works of charity--even if the tyrant does not deprive him
of life as a mark of hatred against the faith, assuredly he gains the
crown, _salvam faciet eam_. Accordingly, he who dies in the mountains
when fleeing from persecution, or by means of wild beasts or robbers,
or who is drowned in the sea, says St. Cyprian in his Epistle number
56, _Ad Tibaitanos_, is and must be called a martyr, for his death is
[