ON THE HOLY MARTYRS POLYEUCTUS, CANDIDIANUS, AND PHILOROMUS.
PrefacePolyeuctus, Martyr (S.) Candidianus, Martyr (S.) Philoromus, Martyr (S.)
Concerning these, the old Martyrology of the monastery of St. Martin at Tournai has: "The Passion of Saints Polyeuctus, Candidianus, and Philoromus, The feast of these Saints, who, persevering equally in the confession of Christ, were delivered to fire." The Irish manuscript of the convent of Dungal and the very ancient manuscript from Rheinau likewise record Philoromus on this same day. The Carthusians of Cologne in their Additions to Usuard published in the years 1515 and 1521, on January 16th: "Of Polyeuctus, The Acts. Candidianus, and Philoromus, Martyrs." We give their Acts from ancient manuscript codices of the library of Marcus Welser and the monasteries of St. Maximin at Trier and St. Bertin in the town of St. Omer. In the manuscript of St. Maximin he is called Poleuctus, while others call him Polyeuctus. The time and place of martyrdom are not specified.
ACTS FROM ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS.
Polyeuctus, Martyr (S.) Candidianus, Martyr (S.) Philoromus, Martyr (S.) BHL Number: 6888
From manuscripts.
[1] If anyone has contemplated the unanimity of the holy Martyrs Polyeuctus, Candidianus, They live in concord: and Philoromus, he will not only admire them for their sufferings, but will marvel even more at their firmness of faith and their unshakable and undisturbed unanimity, which they always preserved toward one another. For they spent the greatest part of their time so harmoniously and unanimously for the word of God and for his faith, that their uncorrupted and steadfast convictions are easily and clearly evident. They so faithfully preserved the bonds of friendship in righteousness toward one another, that they offended in nothing at all. Such was their character in faith, such also in the doctrine of the word, that one could readily observe their most proven unanimity.
[2] Nor was it fitting to pass over in silence this additional good that accrued to them, dearest brothers, but rather to heap upon them praises worthy of such men: for amid so many overhanging dangers, They preach the faith of Christ. and such swelling threats of decrees, they were not terrified; but judging the temporal threats to be very brief and their torments even briefer, they resolved together in that fury of the devil to teach those who wandered, to restrain them from evil, and to suffer for the Word. Thus they ran about in all things with zeal and unanimity, so that those who were aware of their work concerning the divine word, they might persuade; and those who were of incredulous mind concerning the word and faith of God, they might bring under subjection by the divine word. And they endeavored to do these things not secretly or in hiding, but openly and manifestly, confronting the truth and reproaching those who fell short. To the irreligious and those ignorant of the word of God, they demonstrated it in such a way that their work did not appear vain, nor far from hope. And while these men urged them to depart from error, those who were being urged received the teaching with joy.
[3] They are arrested. But when their enemies expected these Saints to go beyond measure and contrary to the decrees in converting very many, they seized them and dragged them to judgment. The holy men, offering no resistance, followed; and they not only endured the torments of blows and the beatings of those who dragged them, but also went to meet all those who hastened to their execution. These most religious servants of God laughed at their sufferings as they increased; but the sons of the devil were heaped with greater anger and burned with contentiousness. They are brought before the Judge. And at last they were brought before the Judge. The Judge, looking at them and finding them to be reverent in face and dress, and worthy of honor, said to them in astonishment: "I marvel at you men -- how, having come to such an age, They are rebuked. you can bear to abandon your ways; or how you yourselves have fallen from a standard of prudence befitting your merits, you who ought to teach others, I cannot understand. Let the sufferings of your predecessors at least instill fear in you; for I am ashamed of your years of life, and I am reluctant to torture them, moved by your appearance."
[4] The Judge said these things, moved by excessive reverence for them. But the holy men, when ordered to respond, looked at one another; Polyeuctus responds fearlessly. and Polyeuctus replied: "This is not a time for lamentation. For it was then that we ought to have lamented, when following the error of our fathers, we performed works worthy of lamentation -- then wretched, wicked, and ignoble before God, when we did not know his word. So now hear the opposite of what you have said: we do not stand before you ashamed on our own account, but on account of our God. You do not honor us on account of our age, as you said, but on account of the word in which we have believed. Therefore, if you are wise with the wisdom of right judgment, lay aside now your tyrannical power, and, persuaded by the word of Christ our Lord, enter the free path for others, which is without error. Save the people entrusted to you who are established in error, committed to you by a corruptible man and a tyrannical power that connives. If you begin to relinquish this vain guardianship, by which you are believed to save against adversaries, you will receive guardianship from Christ, and you will far better help yourself. And you will teach those who belong to him the word ever more and more. And if you do not yield to the tyrannical law, he will save you, and his sufferings will grant you eternal life."
[5] When Polyeuctus, that most lively man, had said these things, the ruler bore it intolerably in silence, and though a cheerful challenger to respond, he kept silent; but prepared himself for the punishment of the same man. Looking at the aforesaid companions, he said: "Perhaps you too think the same as this man." They are condemned to fire. When those most devout men Candidianus and Philoromus also confessed, as if from one voice and one tongue, and proclaimed the same profession, the irreligious ruler replied: "So you hold the same opinion as he? You think the same?" And saying this, he handed the Saints over to the executioners and ordered their bodies to be consumed by fire.
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