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Profile
Priest. Martyred in
the persecutions of Maximian
Herculeus.
late 3rd
century Palestine
Additional Information
Lives
of the Saints, by Father Alban
Butler
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Book of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
MLA Citation
“Saint Eusebius of
Palestine“. CatholicSaints.Info. 22 July 2020. Web. 8 April 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-eusebius-of-palestine/>
Eusebius of Palestine M
(RM)
Died 3rd century. Eusebius, a priest of Palestine, was denounced as a zealous
evangelist to Emperor Maximian, arrested and brought before him. Because the
local populace complained about Eusebius' Maximian and his governor Maxentius
insisted that he should sacrifice to the gods, although no new edict against
the Christians had been published. The acta are still extant:
Maxentius: "Sacrifice
to the gods freely, or you shall be made to do it against your will."
Eusebius: "There is a
greater law which says, You shall adore the Lord your God, and him alone shall
you serve."
Maxentius: "Choose
either to offer sacrifice, or to suffer the most rigorous torments."
Eusebius: "It is not
consistent with reason for a person to adore stones, nothing is viler or more
brittle."
Maxentius: "These
Christians are a hardened race of men, to whom it seems desirable rather to die
than to live."
Eusebius: "It is
impious to despise the light for the sake of darkness."
Maxentius: "You grow
more obstinate by leniency and entreaties. Therefore I will lay them aside, and
frankly tell you, that, unless you sacrifice, you shall be burnt alive."
Eusebius: "As to that,
I am in no pain. The more severe or cruel the torments are, the greater the
crown will be." At this point Eusebius was stretched on the rack and his
sides torn with iron hooks. Throughout this torture Eusebius repeated,
"Lord Jesus, preserve me. Whether we live or die, we are yours."
Amazed at his resistance, Maxentius finally ordered that he should be released
from the rack.
Maxentius: "Do you
know the decree of the senate, which commands all to sacrifice to the
gods?"
Eusebius: "The command
of God is to take place before that of man." The irate judge ordered
Eusebius to be burnt alive. As the saint walked out with joy painted upon his
face, onlookers were amazed.
Maxentius: "You run to
an unnecessary death; your obstinacy astonishes me. Change your mind."
Eusebius: "If the
emperor commands me to adore dumb metal, in contempt of the true God, let me
appear before him."
He said this because the
current emperors (Maximian and Diocletian) had not yet issued new laws against
the Christians. So, Maxentius had Eusebius confined until Maximian could pass
judgment the following day.
Maxentius: "Great
emperor, I have found a seditious man who is disobedient to the laws, and even
denies to my face that the gods have any power, and refuses to sacrifice or to
adore your name."
Maximian: "Let him he
brought before me."
A witness advised against
it because he believed that the emperor would be moved by compassion or
persuasion.
Maximian: "Is he such a
man that he can even change me?"
Maxentius: "He will
change not only you, but the minds of all the people. If you once behold his
looks, you will feel yourself strangely moved to follow his inclinations."
Eusebius was brought into
the audience chamber. His joy revealed itself in his dazzling visage. Courage
shone in every glance and movement of this venerable, old priest.
Maximian: "Old man,
why are you come before me? Speak, and be not afraid."
Eusebius remained silent.
Maximian: "Speak
freely; answer my questions. I desire that you be saved."
Eusebius: "If I hope
to be saved by man, I can no longer expect salvation from God. If you excel in
dignity and power, we are, nevertheless, all mortal alike. Neither will I be
afraid to repeat before you what I have already declared. I am a Christian; nor
can I adore wood and stones; but I most readily obey the true God whom I know,
and whose goodness I have experienced."
Maximian: "What harm
is it if this man adores the God of whom he speaks, as above all others?"
Maxentius: "Be not
deceived, most invincible emperor; he does not call what you imagine, God, but
I know not what Jesus, whom our nation or ancestors never knew."
Maximian: "Go you
forth and judge him according to justice and the laws. I will not be judge in
such an affair."
Maximian, a rough and
generally brutish man, was moved by the modest virtue of this stranger. Like
Pilate before him, he would have preferred to save the man who so impressed
him, but would not trouble himself to do something that might not be
politically expedient. When Maximian left, Maxentius ascended his tribunal, and
sternly commanded Eusebius to sacrifice to the gods.
Eusebius: "I will
never sacrifice so those which can neither see nor hear."
Maxentius: "Sacrifice,
or torments and flames must be your portion. He whom you fear, is not able to
deliver you from them."
Eusebius: "Neither
fire nor the sword will work any change in me. Tear this weak body to pieces
with the utmost cruelty; treat it in what manner you please. My soul, which is
God's, cannot be hurt by your torments. I persevere firm in the holy law to
which I have adhered from my cradle." Thereupon Maxentius ordered that
Eusebius be beheaded. As the sentence was pronounced, the saint offered
thanksgiving.
Eusebius: "I thank you
for Your goodness, and praise Your power, O Lord Jesus Christ, that by calling
me to the trial of my fidelity, You allowed me to be treated as one of Your
own."
It is said that Eusebius
heard a from heaven say to him: "If you had not been found worthy to
suffer, you could not be admitted into the court of Christ, or to the seats of
the just." Shortly thereafter, he knelt down and was decapitated
(Husenbeth).
St.
Eusebius, Priest and Martyr
From
his genuine Acts, published by Dom. Martenne, Thesaur. Anecdotarum, t. 3, p.
1649.
About
the End of the Third Century.
IN the reign of Dioclesian and Maximian, before they had published any
new edicts against the Christians, Eusebius, a holy priest, a man eminently
endowed with the spirit of prayer, and all apostolical virtues, suffered death
for the faith, probably in Palestine. The emperor Maximian happening to be in that
country, an information was lodged with Maxentius, president of the province,
against Eusebius, that he distinguished himself by his zeal in invoking and
preaching Christ, and the holy man was apprehended, and brought before him.
Maxentius, whom the people stirred up by furious clamours against the servant
of Christ, said to him: “Sacrifice to the gods freely, or you shall be made to
do it against your will.” The martyr replied: “There is a greater law which
says, Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God, and him alone shalt thou serve.”
Maxentius urged: “Choose either to offer sacrifice, or to suffer the most
rigorous torments.” Eusebius answered: “It is not consistent with reason for a
person to adore stones, than which nothing is viler or more brittle.” MAXENTIUS:
“These Christians are a hardened race of men, to whom it seems desirable rather
to die than to live.” EUSEBIUS: “It is impious to despise the light for the
sake of darkness.” MAXENTIUS: “You grow more obstinate by lenity and
entreaties. I therefore lay them aside, and frankly tell you, that, unless you
sacrifice, you shall be burnt alive.” EUSEBIUS: “As to that I am in no pain.
The more severe or cruel the torments are, the greater will the crown be.” Upon
this, Maxentius ordered that he should be stretched on the rack, and his sides
rent with iron hooks. Eusebius repeated whilst he was tormenting: “Lord Jesus
preserve me. Whether we live or die, we are yours.” The president was amazed at
his constancy and fortitude, and after some time, commanded that he should be
taken off the rack. Then he said to him: “Do you know the decree of the senate,
which commands all to sacrifice to the gods?” These words show that the saint
was indicted upon former laws, and that this happened before the general edicts
of Dioclesian. Eusebius answered: “The command of God is to take place before
that of man.” The judge, flushed with rage, commanded that he should be led to
the fire as if it were to be burnt alive.
Eusebius walked out with a constancy and joy painted in his countenance
which struck the prefect and the by-standers with amazement, and the prefect
called after him: “You run to an unnecessary death; your obstinacy astonishes
me. Change your mind.” The martyr said: “If the emperor commands me to adore
dumb metal in contempt of the true God, let me appear before him.” This he said
because he was impeached upon old laws, the present emperors not having yet
made any new ones against the Christians. Maxentius therefore said to his
guards and keepers: “Let him be confined till tomorrow;” and forthwith going in
to the prince, he said: “Great emperor, I have found a seditious man who is
disobedient to the laws, and even denies to my face that the gods have any
power, and refuses to sacrifice, or to adore your name.” The emperor answered:
“Let him be brought before me.” A person present, who had seen him at the
prefect’s tribunal, said: “If you see him, you will be moved by his speech.”
The emperor replied: “Is he such a man that he can even change me?” The prefect
then spoke: “He will change not only you, but the minds of all the people. If
you once behold his looks, you will feel yourself strangely moved to follow his
inclinations.” 1 The emperor, however, ordered that
he should be brought in. As he entered, every one was struck in beholding the
dazzling brightness which appeared in his countenance, the joy and the
affecting composure, sweetness and undaunted courage which shone in his looks
and eye, and the gracefulness of his air, and whole mien, which in his
venerable old age seemed to breathe an air of virtue above what is human. The
emperor fixed his eyes steadfastly upon him, as if he beheld in him something
divine, and spoke thus: “Old man, why are you come before me? speak, and be not
afraid.” Seeing him still silent, he said: “Speak freely; answer my questions.
I desire that you be saved.” Eusebius answered: “If I hope to be saved by man,
I can no longer expect salvation from God. If you excel in dignity and power,
we are, nevertheless, all mortal alike. Neither will I be afraid to repeat
before you what I have already declared. I am a Christian; nor can I adore wood
and stones; but I most readily obey the true God whom I know, and whose
goodness I have experienced.” The emperor said to the president, “What harm is
it if this man adores the God of whom he speaks, as above all others.”
Maxentius made answer: “Be not deceived, most invincible emperor; he does not
call what you imagine God, but I know not what Jesus, whom our nation or
ancestors never knew.” The emperor said: “Go you forth, and judge him according
to justice and the laws. I will not be judge in such an affair.”
This Maximian was by birth a barbarian, one of the roughest, most
brutish and savage of all men. Yet the undaunted and modest virtue of this
stranger set off by a heavenly grace, struck him with awe. He desired to save
the servant of Christ, but, like Pilate, would not give himself any trouble, or
hazard incurring the displeasure of those whom on all other occasions he
despised. So unaccountably cowardly are worldly and wicked men in the practice
of virtue, who in vice are unbridled and daring. Maxentius going out ascended
his tribunal, and sternly commanded Eusebius to sacrifice to the gods. He
answered: “I will never sacrifice to those who can neither see nor hear.”
Maxentius said: “Sacrifice, or torments and flames must be your portion. He
whom you fear is not able to deliver you from them.” Eusebius replied: “Neither
fire nor the sword will work any change in me. Tear this weak body to pieces
with the utmost cruelty; treat it in what manner you please. My soul, which is
God’s, cannot be hurt by your torments. I persevere firm in the holy law to
which I have adhered from my cradle.” The president, upon this, condemned him
to be beheaded. Eusebius, hearing the sentence pronounced, said aloud: “I thank
your goodness, and praise your power, O Lord Jesus Christ, that by calling me
to the trial of my fidelity, you have treated me as one of yours.” He, at that
instant, heard a voice from heaven saying to him: “If you had not been found
worthy to suffer, you could not be admitted into the court of Christ, or to the
seats of the just.” Being come to the place of execution, he knelt down, and
his head was struck off. His soul flew to Christ; but Maxentius, afflicted with
numberless pains, would not please Christ, and never was able to please the
world, which he so much dreaded and courted. This is the martyr Eusebius, who
is mentioned on this day in some ancient Martyrologies which bear the name of
St. Jerom, and others, which place his death in Palestine.
The martyrs, by their meek constancy, vanquished the fiercest tyrants,
and haughty lords of the world; they struck with a secret awe those who
tormented them, whose obstinacy, malice, and love of the world, still shut
their heart to the truth.
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume
VIII: August. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
