Bonus
Meanwhile war was stirred up in eastern lands and in Egypt. With the Prasinians and the Venetians smiting each other with very heavy battles in civil war, [the Persians] captured many Roman provinces and even Jerusalem itself, and destroying the churches reduced them to nothing, and they took away the wealth and ornaments of the church, and removing the banner of the holy cross by which we were redeemed, they plundered and took [everything] with them. Indeed Heraclian, who in those days ruled in Africa, rebelled against this Phocas, and coming with his army deprived him of the kingdom and of life; Heraclius, his son, undertook the rule of the Roman republic. And with these things done, this most blessed man died and was buried, as I suspect, in the narthex of blessed Apollinaris. He sat eighteen years, six months, eight days. CONCERNING HOLY BONUS, 631–42 . Bonus, the thirty-third bishop, he was good in name and in deeds, with a thin and red face, a head full of hair adorned with grey, and full of all grace. And if perchance someone might wonder , might say or ask others, “how or from where could he know what the faces of those holy men were like, whether fat or thin?” let there be no doubt about it, since pictures inform me of their faces.1 . From his reign the troubles of the nations began to increase and the waves to dash against them; but he, accustomed to praying, did not cease to give prayers assiduously to God. He prayed for the faithful, that they might conquer; for the infidels, that they might come to grace; since, before the world is destroyed, all will come together to Christ. Life of Boniface IV; Bede, Historia ecclesiastica .; Paul the Deacon, Historia Langobardorum .. z . Agnellus here repeats what he has said in c. , which should be understood as an oblique reference to iconoclasm; see Deliyannis, “Agnellus of Ravenna and Iconoclasm .” Hear David: “All the tribes of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord, and shall adore in the sight of the gentiles.”2 See, how before the day of judgment all the world will follow Christ, and will adore God alone living in the ages of ages. And say other things, O king, “And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.”3 And Paul the apostle cries, “Until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in, and so all Israel shall be saved.”4 And why do they not yet believe? Since their hearts are hard and their vitals are shut. That veil, which Moses had over his face, is fixed in their hearts. And if they have a veiled heart, how therefore did Ezekiel cry, “I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh, and you shall know that I am the Lord”?5 Hearts of flesh are given to them, but hardness always increases in them. Hear the apostle, “But according to thy hardness and impenitent heart, thou treasurest up to thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, and revelation of the just judgment of God. Who will render to every man according to his works.”6 Listen to this truth about their hardness, “God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.”7 “With God all things are possible.”8 And why has He not raised them up? If He wanted to, what prevented Him? Since by Himself the Master of all raised up the holy apostles, who were descended from Abraham, whose imitators you are and whose faces you wear, remember, I ask solicitously, overseers of the holy church, although you hold the highest seat, you are nevertheless mortal, always cautious, always fearful. Hear through the prophet: “But you like men shall die: and shall fall like one of the princes.”9 And the son of the said prophet: “Blessed is the man that is always fearful: but he that is hardened in mind, shall fall into evil.”10 However this most blessed leader died on August in ripe old . Cf. Ps. :. . Ps. :. . Rom. :–. . Ezek. : and :. . Rom. :–. . Luke :. . Matt. :. . Ps. :. . Prov. :. ...
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