I HAVE become acquainted with your greatly-desired
name in God, which ye have acquired by the habit of
righteousness, according to the faith and love in Christ
Jesus our Saviour. Being the followers * of the love of
God towards man, and stirring up 5 yourselves by the blood
of Christ, you have perfectly accomplished the work
which was beseeming to you. For, on hearing that I came
bound from Syria for the sake of Christ, our common
hope, trusting through your prayers to be permitted to
fight with beasts at Rome, that so by martyrdom I may
indeed become the disciple of Him " who gave Himself
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God," ^ [ye hastened
to see me'']. I have therefore received your whole mul-
titude in the name of God, through Onesimus, a man of
inexpressible love,^ and who is your bishop, whom I pray
you by Jesus Christ to love, and that you would all seek
to be like him. Blessed be God, who has granted unto
you, who are yourselves so excellent, to obtain such an
excellent bishop.