Thus he
came to appear to himself guilty of a great fault, in being
ashamed of the sacraments of the humility of thy Word, when he was
not ashamed of the sacrilegious rites of those proud demons, whose
pride he had imitated and whose rites he had shared. From this he
became bold-faced against vanity and shamefaced toward the truth.
Thus, suddenly and unexpectedly, he said to Simplicianus -- as he
himself told me -- "Let us go to the church; I wish to become a
Christian." Simplicianus went with him, scarcely able to contain
himself for joy. He was admitted to the first sacraments of
instruction, and not long afterward gave in his name that he might
receive the baptism of regeneration. At this Rome marveled and
the Church rejoiced. The proud saw and were enraged; they gnashed
their teeth and melted away! But the Lord God was thy servant's
hope and he paid no attention to their vanity and lying madness.
5. Finally, when the hour arrived for him to make a public
profession of his faith -- which at Rome those who are about to
enter into thy grace make from a platform in the full sight of the
faithful people, in a set form of words learned by heart -- the
presbyters offered Victorinus the chance to make his profession
more privately, for this was the custom for some who were likely
to be afraid through bashfulness.
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