ND MANY OTHER MARTYRS, OF AFRICA.

From their contemporary acts, received as authentic by St. Austin,
Brevic. Coll. die 3, c. 17. The Donatists added a preface to them and a
few glosses, in which condition they are published by Baluzius, t. 2.
But Bollandus and Ruinart give them genuine.

A.D. 304

THE emperor Dioclesian had commanded all Christians, under pain of
death, to deliver up the holy scriptures to be burnt. This persecution
had raged a whole year in Africa; some had betrayed the cause of
religion, but many more had defended it with their blood, when these
saints were apprehended. Abitina, a city of the proconsular province of
Africa, was the theatre of their triumph. Saturninus, priest of that
city, celebrated the divine mysteries on a Sunday, in the house of
Octavius Felix. The magistrates having notice of it, came with a troop
of soldiers, and seized forty-nine persons of both sexes. The principal
among them were the priest Saturninus, with his four children, viz.:
young Saturninus and Felix, both Lectors, Mary, who had consecrated her
virginity to God, and Hilarianus, yet a child; also, Dativus, a noble
senator, Ampelius, Rogatianus, and Victoria. Dativus, the ornament of
the senate of Abitina, whom God destined to be one of the principal
senators of heaven, marched at the head of this holy troop. Saturninus
walked by his side, surrounded by his illustrious family. The others
followed in silence. Being brought before the magistrates, they
confessed Jesus Christ so resolutely, that their very judges applauded
their courage, which repaired the infamous sacrilege committed there a
little before by Fundanus, the bishop of Abitina, who in that same place
had given up to the magistrates the sacred books to be burnt: but a
violent shower suddenly falling, put out the fire, and a prodigious hail
ravaged the whole country.

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The confessors were shackled and sent to Carthage, the residence of the
proconsul. They rejoiced to see themselves in chains for Christ, and
sung hymns and canticles during their whole journey to Carthage,
praising and thanking God. The proconsul, Anulinus, addressing himself
first to Dativus, asked him of what condition he was, and if he had
assisted at the collect or assembly of the Christians. He answered, that
he was a Christian, and had been present at it. The proconsul bid him
discover who presided, and in whose house those religious assemblies
were held: but without waiting fo