and the wreath of victory was placed on their brows as soon as they were cast into the furnace
and before the issue of events it began to be weaved for them from the moment that they
uttered those words which they spoke with much boldness and freedom of speech to the
king when they were brought into his presence. “We have no need to answer thee concerning
this thing: for our God in Heaven whom we serve is able to rescue us out of the burning
fiery furnace: and He will deliver us out of thy hands, O King. But if not, be it known unto
thee, O King, that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up.”909 After the utterance of these words I proclaimed them conquerors; after these
words having grasped the prize of victory, they hastened on to the glorious crown of mar-
tyrdom, following up the confession which they made through their words with the confes-
sion made through their deeds. But if when they had been cast into it, the fire had respect
for their bodies, and undid their bonds, and suffered them to go down into it without fear,
and forgot its natural force, so that the furnace of fire became as a fountain of cool water,
this marvel was the effect of God’s grace and of the divine wonder-working power. Yet the
heroes themselves even before these things took place, as soon as they set foot in the flames
had erected their trophy, and won their victory, and put on their crown, and had been pro-
claimed conquerors both in Heaven and on earth, and so far as they were concerned nothing
was wanting for their renown. What then wouldst thou have to say to these things? Hast
thou been driven into exile, and expelled from thy country? Behold so also were they. Hast
thou suffered captivity, and become the servant of barbarian masters. Well! this also thou
wilt find befell these men. But thou hast no one present there to regulate thy state nor to
advise or instruct thee? Well! of attention of this kind these men were destitute. Or thou
hast been bound, burned, put to death? for thou canst not tell me of anything more painful
than these things. Yet lo! these men having gone through them all, were made more glorious
by each one of them, yea more exceedingly illustrious, and increased the store of their
treasures in Heaven. And the Jews indeed who had both temple, and altar, and ark and
cherubim, and mercy-seat, and veil, and an infinite multitude of priests, and daily services,
and morning and evening sacrifices, and continually heard the voices of the prophets, both
living and departed, sounding in their ears, and carried about with them the recollection of
the wonders which were done in Egypt, and in the wilderness, and all the rest, and turned
the story of these things over in their hands, and had them inscribed upon their door posts
and enjoyed the benefit at that time of much supernatural power and every other kind of
help were yet no wise profited, but rather damaged, having set up idols in the temple itself,
and having sacrificed their sons and daughters under trees, and in almost every part of the
country in Palestine having offered those unlawful and accursed sacrifices, and perpetrated
countless other deeds yet more monstrous. But these men although in the midst of a barbar-
909 Dan. iii. 16–18.
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A Treatise to Prove that No One Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Injure Hi…