Arius the Libyan: A Romance of the Primitive ChurchKouns, Nathan C. (Nathan Chapman)
Religion
Arius the Libyan: A Romance of the Primitive Church
Kouns, Nathan C. (Nathan Chapman)
Arius, -approximately 336 -- Fiction
And the presbyter changed the form of his words from supplication into
praise and thanksgiving; and, when he had finished, many pressed forward
to congratulate the lad upon his miraculous cure; and afterward, when
they went away, he went also, seeing as well as other boys.
Then later in the evening, having first agreed upon the place of their
next meeting, the congregation received a benediction at the mouth of
the presbyter and quietly dispersed. But almost every head of a family
first came unto Am-nem-hat and unto Hatasa and Theckla, and urged them
with great kindness to come unto their homes and abide with them as long
as might be convenient.
But, before the presbyter departed, Hatasa requested that he come unto
her, and of him she asked concerning the baptism for the dead; and
having diligently inquired of her concerning the character and manner of
life of her husband, and having heard her firm declaration of her belief
that he was one who ever sought to do that which he thought to be just,
right, and true, so that if he had sufficiently learned of Jesus he
would have been a Christian, the presbyter administered to her the
baptism for the dead, from which the poor lady derived a strange and
unmeasurable satisfaction and peace.
But Hatasa did not recover any strength, and the next day she was weaker
than ever, and the next, and so on from day to day. She requested them
to hold services in her room every evening, and seemed gladly to engage
with them in prayer. But she said that she had no power to will or to
wish that she might continue to live. She dreaded the pain and
weariness of a lingering convalescence, and she said that the only
earthly care that had troubled her was concern for her daughter’s
welfare, and that she would never separate her from her newly discovered
but precious Christian friendships, and did not wish her to go among
their pagan kindred. She informed Ammonius that there was much property
in Alexandria that now belonged to Theckla, and asked him what
disposition should be made of it. Ammonius at first said: "Let it go.
Theckla shall lack for nothing; and riches are a snare to the young."
But, upon considering that the estate would go to the pagan kindred, and
never to the Church, unless the legal right of the girl thereto was
asserted, he sent unto Cyrene for a proper officer, who came and took
the depositions of Hatasa, Arius, Thopt, and Theckla, as to the
shipwreck of Amosis and his family, and as to the identity and parentage
of the maiden, to be laid before the orphans’ court at Alexandria. She
also made a written request that Theckla’s relative Am-nem-hat should be
appointed guardian of the maiden’s person and estate, with her friend
Ammonius to succeed him if the aged man should die during Theckla’s
minority. And, having accomplished these things in due and proper form,
she began to fail more rapidly, and about midnight sank peacefully into
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account