ON ST. FIRMUS, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR,
AT TAGASTE IN AFRICA.
From the Roman Martyrology.
CommentaryFirmus, Bishop and Confessor, at Tagaste in Africa (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
Before I dare to assert anything here about that Saint, wholly unknown to all sacred records or Calendars—at least those which preceded the Baronian revision, or rather augmentation, of the Roman Martyrology—I judged that I should report what the most eminent Annalist narrates at the year 372, He was ascribed to the sacred Calendars by Baronius, at number—not 15, as the Mainz edition of his Martyrology of the year 1631 notes, but truly at number 115—in these words: Nor is it to be passed over that St. Jerome, under the eighth year completed, yet the ninth begun, of the emperors Valentinian and Valens (this is the very year), says in his Chronicle: A presbyter of Sirmium is most iniquitously killed, who had been unwilling to betray Octavianus, a former proconsul hiding with him. Then indeed he subjoins a very similar deed from the book On Lying, which St. Augustine wrote to Cosentius or Consentius, volume 4, chapter 13, page 9, column 1, where he vehemently praises Firmus, of whom we here speak, because he was unwilling to reveal or betray some fugitive to himself—apparitors having been sent by the emperor—suffering all extremities rather than violate his given faith, or cover the matter with a lie.
[2] moved, I suppose, by the authority of St. Augustine; We here transcribe the very words of St. Augustine in the cited place from the Louvain edition: How much more bravely, therefore, how much more excellently will you say, I will neither betray nor lie? A bishop once of the church of Tagaste did this, Firmus by name, firmer in will. For when there was sought from him a man by the command of the emperor, through apparitors sent by him, whom, fleeing to him, he was concealing with as much diligence as he could; he answered those seeking him that he could neither lie nor betray the man, and, having suffered many torments of the body (for the emperors were not yet Christian), remained in his resolve. Then, led to the emperor, he appeared so admirable that he obtained pardon without any difficulty for the very man whom he was protecting. What can be done braver and more constant than this? These things St. Augustine, says Baronius, from which you may see that the heathen emperor was more equitable toward the bishop than, on the contrary, Valentinian toward the presbyter, condemned by all for excessive cruelty. Now the birthday of this Firmus is inscribed in the memory of the Saints on the day before the Kalends of August.
[3] We confess indeed that the name of Firmus is inscribed among the Saints, but in the Roman Martyrology alone, for the most eminent Annalist had no one besides himself to cite there; for elsewhere that Firmus is not known. nor did he inquire into his more ancient cult, nor into his other deeds, virtues, or age, or perhaps was he able to inquire, since that holy Firmus is altogether unknown from any other source; as you will easily understand from the fact that Tillemont, treating of him in passing, reports only those things nakedly which he had found written about him in Baronius, or in St. Augustine. Nor even does the holy Doctor supply any indications from which we might come to the knowledge of that heathen emperor, and consequently to the knowledge of St. Firmus's times. This indeed is true, that the glorious name of Firmus, as proper to many holy Martyrs, has been reported more than once in our Acts, but that the memory of that bishop of Tagaste was nowhere marked in the more ancient Martyrologies, we have now said enough.