onsent to these deceits and maskings. The
faith of God which I follow in my heart I shall follow and confess
outwardly still; nor can the mandate of the emperor have force or
strength against that of God, the universal Lord of all things.'

"This dispute and combat lasted a day and a night, during which time
the father maintained such resolution and firmness that when the
governor tried to be stern, in order to make him change his opinion
of that idolatry, the father told him, undeceiving him, that he was
striving in vain, for in no way could he win him over. On this account,
the next day he was sent back to the prison. But as the governor's
servants knew that he desired to succeed in his endeavor, one of
them asked that the father be called out again and delivered to him,
for he hoped to subdue him. Accordingly the father himself, as well
as the others, was persuaded that this second time he was called out
to be tortured, that he might deny his faith and reveal the other
religious and their households, for this had been the practice in the
city for some time past. With astonishing courage the father went out,
resolved to suffer any torment whatever before he would deny Christ
or reveal his brothers.

"When he arrived at the house of the governor there came out to meet
him the servant who had sought to see him, who had been present at
the late dispute, and at one which the father had formerly had with
the governor, when they arrested him. Although now the same means
of controversy were attempted, finding that, nevertheless, the more
they argued the more convinced he was, the principal means which they
used was to explain to the father how much the governor desired to
grant him life and to favor him, as he could have seen every time he
discussed this matter. He was promised in behalf of the same governor
great riches and position; and they strongly insisted that not only
on account of what he owed to the friendship which the governor
showed him, but for what concerned his own welfare and interest, he
ought to abandon the faith of God, outwardly only, and to follow it
in his heart, as any man of good judgment would do--saying that he
would show himself to be such by using this expedient, for he would
not abandon the faith which he followed, and would attain riches and
repose. The answer was that even if the governor should give him all
the riches that he possessed and all that there are in the world,
and should make him