TO BISHOP VALERIAN ON THE PASSION OF THE MOST BLESSED MARTYR HIPPOLYTUS

 

[...]

 

In surveying these memorials and hunting over them for any letters telling of the deeds of old, that might escape the eye, I found that Hippolytus, who had at one time as a presbyter attached himself to the schism of Novatus, saying that our way was not to be followed, had been advanced to the crown of martyrdom and won the shining reward for suffering bloodshed. Nor is it surprising that an old man who had once been a follower of a vicious doctrine was enriched with a gift which belongs to the orthodox faith. When he won his triumph and with exulting spirit was being carried off by a furious enemy to suffer the death of the flesh, because of his people's love he was accompanied by many on the way; and being asked which teaching was the better he answered: "O my poor friends, shun the accursed schism of Novatus and return to the orthodox people. Let the faith be strong in its unity, the faith that was established in the early Church and which Paul and the chair of Peter hold fast. What I taught, I regret having taught; now that I am bearing witness I see that

what I thought foreign to the worship of God is worthy of reverence." With these words he turned the people away from the path on the left and bade them follow where the way on the right calls, presenting himself as their guide on the straight road and rejecting all windings, the very man who was formerly the cause of their going astray. Then he was brought before a maddened ruler who at that time was afflicting Christian heroes by Tiber's mouth; for that day he had left Rome to beat down with persecution the peoples of the near-by districts, not being content to wet the ground within the walls of lofty Rome with constant slaying of the righteous. [...]

 

(trans. H.J. Thomson 1953: 305, 307, 309)