# Extract From The Account Of P. J. Twisck, Touching The Martyrdom Of The Youth Pelagius.

10th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: EXTRACT FROM THE ACCOUNT OF P. J. TWISCK, TOUCHING THE MARTYRDOM OF THE YOUTH PELAGIUS.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

“When Habdarrhaghman, the King of the Arabians,
had, from bishop Ermoigus, his nephew
Pelagius, as a pledge or hostage, the tyrant tore
him with red-hot tongs; and, having been torn limb
from limb, he was thrown into the nearest river,
when he was scarcely thirteen years old.” Chron.,
10th book, fol. 329, col. 1, from Merulae., fol. 621.

Note.—Neither of Eugenia nor of the youth
Pelagius have we been able (as in the case of other
martyrs before these), to ascertain the particulars of
their confession of faith, though we have exerted
ourselves not a little in this direction. It is almost
as if the records which no doubt treated more fully
of it, were buried in the earth, like the epitaph of
Eugenia. O, that this were certain, and that the
spot were known—without contradiction, no pains
would be spared to obtain them, if it were possible;
since thereby, according to our opinion, the bright
light of evangelical truth would come to light pure
and clear in many points; whereas now, others,
especially those of the Roman church, have, whenever
it has pleased them, dimmed and perceptibly
obscured, with the smoke of their human inventions,
the blessed confessors of Jesus Christ and their confessions.

But what do our lamentations avail? We must
content ourselves with what has remained. It may
be that said particular confessions, together with the
records of the suffering and death of many other
martyrs (of which we spoke in the beginning) were
lost through the violence of the persecution, or perished
in some other way.

This persecution has not been so fortunate an one
for the searchers of ancient memoirs, as some of the
preceding ones of which we know; for these other
persecutions already spoken of, however severe and
fierce they may have been, besides giving clearer
light as regards the confessions, have through the
carefulness of some writers, generally furnished and
left for remembrance, a respectable number of martyrs
either mentioned or unmentioned; while this
persecution, although very many were slain in it,
tells us of but two persons.

But though we, unable to obtain more, must content
ourselves with the bare circumstances, still the
aforementioned martyrs, Eugenia and Pelagius,
shall not be esteemed the less by us; yet not, that
we would regard them without fault in all points, for
who on earth is perfect? but we hold that they were
free from such blemishes as separate one from Christ
or deprive him of the name of a true martyr, though
he might suffer for his faith’s sake. The uprightness
of said persons, in faith as well as in life, may readily
be inferred from the circumstances mentioned in the
account of the ancients, which, though brief and few,
nevertheless indicate these things.

What the faith of Eugenia and Pelagius was,
appears from their confessions. Eugenia is for this
reason called martyr, which signifies according to
the Greek language, the witness; by which name,
even in and about the time of the apostles, those
were wont to be called, who had laid down their
lives, or, at least, had suffered much, for the pure
and genuine testimony of Jesus their Savior.

Of the youth Pelagius, the authors write that he
confessed his faith and declared that he was ready to
die (upon said faith) for the name of Christ. Also,
that in his suffering he called upon no other than his
Lord Jesus Christ, saying: “O Lord, deliver me out
of the hands of my enemies.”

Concerning the life of both of these martyrs, it
appears to have been upright in every respect, as
regards the grand resolution which each severally
had—not only to confess the Lord with the mouth,
and to follow him with works in the regeneration,
but also to honor and magnify his holy name, by
offering up their lives through a violent death; as
well as that they not only had resolved and determined
to do this, but also actually fulfilled their
resolution, which is the most important of all.

From the accounts given we have learned that
Pelagius said: “I am a Christian, and will remain a
Christian, and obey only the commandments of
Christ all the days of my life.” He desired to obey
only the commands of his Savior, and not human
inventions, and this, to the end of his life; which he
also did, according to his ability. Moreover, we
have not found anything, either of Eugenia or of
Pelagius, in authentic writers, which conflicts with
the above good testimony respecting the faith and
248
life of said two persons; nor of priestcraft, nor of
papal or episcopal inventions, nor of Roman factitious
practices, although these things were much in
vogue at that time. With this, we think to have
treated the matter sufficiently, and hence we will
leave it and proceed in our account.





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