# Second Examination Of The Three Aforementioned Christians.

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SECOND EXAMINATION OF THARACUS.

When Maximus held court the second time over
these faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ, and sat upon
his judgment-seat, he said: “Call in the ungodly
Christians.” Demetrius, the captain, answered:
“Here I am, my lord!” Then said the Proconsul
to Tharacus: “Knowest thou not, that age is
honored in many respects? Hast thou, then, not
considered it, whether thou wilt still persist in thy
first intention? Yea, advise with thyself, and sacrifice
to the gods, for the prosperity of the princes;
that thou mayest attain to honor.”

Tharacus answered: “If the princes and others
who are of the same opinion with you, knew what
there is in this honor, they themselves would turn
away from the blindness of their vain conversation.”

Tharacus put on the rack the second time.—The
Proconsul said to his beadles: “Strike him on the
mouth with stones, and say to him: Desist from
thy folly.” Tharacus answered: “If I did not exercise
more care for my salvation than you people do,
I would be as foolish as you are.”

The President said to him: “See, they have
knocked thy teeth out; do have compassion upon
thyself.”

Tharacus replied: “Do not imagine this; for
though thou shouldst cause everyone of my members
to be crushed, I could still remain strong and
steadfast in him who strengthens me.”

The President said: “Believe me, it is better for
thee, that thou sacrifice.”

144

Tharacus answered: “If I knew that it were
better for me, I would not wait for this advice from
thee.”

When Tharacus ceased to speak, the Proconsul
said to his hangmen: “Smite him on the mouth,
and make him speak.”

Tharacus replied: “My cheeks are knocked to
pieces; how can I answer any longer?”

Maximus said: “And wilt thou, madman, not
yet consent to worship, and sacrifice to the gods?”

Tharacus answered: “Although thou hast deprived
me of my voice, so that I cannot cry aloud,
thou shalt nevertheless not injure my soul; but thou
hast in this hour greatly strengthened me in my
opinion.”

Maximus said to his servants: “Bring fire!
stretch out his hands, and put fire on them.”

Tharacus replied: “I do not fear thy temporal
fire; but I would have to fear the eternal fire, if I
should obey thee.”

When the glowing fire was laid upon his hands,
the President said: “See, the fire is consuming thy
hands; desist, therefore, from thy folly and sacrifice
to the gods.”

Tharacus answered: “Thou speakest to me, as
though because of thy cruelty I had already yielded
to thy wish; however, but through the grace of
God I am, in all my sufferings, as strong as ever.”

The Proconsul said: “Tie his feet together, and
hang him up by his heels, and make a thick smoke
under his face.”

Tharacus replied: “I neither regard thy fire, nor
do I fear thy smoke.”

When he was hung up, Maximus said to him:
“There shalt thou hang, until thou consentest to
sacrifice to the gods.”

Tharacus answered: “Thou mayest sacrifice; for
thou art accustomed to sacrifice human beings; but
for me it is not lawful.”

Maximus said to his servants: “Bring vinegar
mixed with salt, and pour it into his nostrils.”

NOTE.—Here a whole leaf is wanting in the
original, namely, of the tortures which Tharacus,
Probus, and Andronicus suffered in the second
examination on the rack; however, concerning
Andronicus the following additional was found.

The Proconsul said (namely, to Andronicus):
“All this nonsense can avail thee nothing. But
come, and sacrifice to the gods, that thou mayest
not perish under the punishment.”

Andronicus replied: “It is the same that thou
hast heard the first and the second time; for I am
not a child, to be moved or turned by words.”

The President said: “You shall nevertheless
neither conquer me, nor despise my tribunal.”

145

Andronicus answered: “We do not conquer thee,
but our Lord Jesus Christ strengthens us.”

The President said: “The next time we hold
court over these men, let other modes of torture be
put in practice. In the meantime put him (Andronicus)
in irons, and keep him in prison until tomorrow,
and let no one see him.”

![Illustration from Martyrs’ Mirror](/sources/martyrs-mirror/images/i0303.jpg)

## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#i0303)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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