There was a holy servant of God, called Sebastian, who was a long time in the city of Milan for education, and was baptized into Christ with full faith.
He was a very prudent man, truthful in word, righteous in judgment, in counsel foreseeing, trusty in need, a prevailing intercessor, shining in goodness, and in all his ways honourable.
Daily he fulfilled his Lord's service zealously, but he concealed, nevertheless, his deeds from the emperor Diocletian, who was the devil's worshipper.
He loved the holy man, notwithstanding, and knew not that he believed in the living God.
He set him as prefect over a cohort, and bade that he should always be in his presence ; and all the household held him as a father, and honoured him with love, because God loved him.
He followed the emperor, unknown to him, however, not as if he durst not suffer forhis Lord, but he desired to encourage those whom the heathen emperor daily killed for their faith in Christ. Then Sebastian perceived how some of the Christians were ready to lapse because of the exceeding tortures ; and strengthened their minds in the faith of Jesus, and brought those to God whom the Devil desired to seduce. There were two brothers, nobly born as to this world, Marcus and Marcellianus, greatly afflicted with bonds and stripes for the true faith.
They were to undergo the naked sword, but their friends begged of the prefect a respite of thirty nights, that they might turn them again to the heathenism, which they themselves honoured.
Then the prefect Chromatius delivered the youths
to a certain officer to keep, who was hight Nicostratus.
The father of these saints was named Tranquillinus, and their mother was called Martia, heathens as yet, and they came thither, with great sorrow, where their sons were detained, and, with grievous lamentations, sought to pervert their faith, and stay the tortures.
There came also their kinsfolk, and, with many persuasions endeavoured to shake the fortitude of the youths from faith in Christ; as if they were acting wisely. Their wives also brought their children to them in their hands, and asked with weeping, why they acted so cruelly, that they recked neither of friends nor father nor mother, and cast off their wives, and forsook their children, and obstinately prepared their necks for slaughter. Well then, behold! God's champions began to yield, and to turn their thought on their kinsmen's anguish. Then Sebastian soon perceived that, how God's champions began to yield by reason of the great conflict, and he was soon in their midst, and said to the youths with courageous faith, O ye, God's soldiers, ye are come to the victory, and now do ye cast aside your crown from you, for the miserable blandishments of these wailers. Cast not away, I entreat you, your glorious victory for wives' caresses, or for children's tears.
Raise your standard of victory above earthly desires, and begin your fight against the invisible fiend.
Those who here now weep, would rejoice with you, if they assuredly knew that which ye now know; of a truth they think that there is this life alone, and know not that other which will be everlasting; this life is so false that it ever deceiveth those that most love it, and have trust in it.
This life's desire leadeth the unstable (or innocent) into many sins, and divers perils. Then said he to the kinsfolk who were seducing the martyrs, 'If now these brothers, at your prayers, turn back from their Saviour to your heathenism, then they shall be with you in a short bliss, and afterwards will be parted, so that ye shall never again see them except in fierce torments in the vast fire, where dragons and adders with devilish teeth horribly chew the breasts of the heathen; there is weeping and wailing, and of this will be no end. Grant, I pray you, now to these brothers that they may avoid these torments, and endeavour ye to do the same. Let them now go to the predestined crown, and be ye not afraid ; they shall not be divided from you, but they shall go to heaven to Jesus Christ, and receive verily celestial dwellings, in which ye yourselves may ever abide with them, secure from every evil in eternal bliss.' After this exhortation, and other lengthy counsels, came a light from heaven to the holy man, and with that light appeared an angel opposite him.