QUIRINUS by Peyton Lemay

    Quirinus was a courageous man of God. Even through many  persecutions, such as being heavily ironed, bearing the weight of  substantial chains, and enduring jail time-- Quirinus stayed firm for the Lord  and never gave up his faith. As bishop of Siscia, he died a horrifying death on June 4, A.D. 308. 

    Quirinus didn’t care what others thought of him, so it seemed. A tremendous number of wicked people tried bribing him to renounce his faith, but he didn’t give in to the pressure of the world. What faith he must have had to suffer through all these troubles for the cause of Christ! 

    Quirinus lived a very influential life, for the better. Despite the physical torment he endured, he unwaveringly held onto his Christian beliefs and  remained steadfast in his devotion to God. His life he encourages people like you and me to see that, although the trials on earth are great, the reward in heaven is far greater. 

    The man that allotted Quirinus to be killed was a very wicked man, Amantius, and was the governor of Pannonia, modern day Hungry. He commanded Quirinus to offer sacrifices to pagan gods.  Firmly adhering to his convictions, Quirinus courageously refused to comply with this demand, fully aware of the consequences that awaited him. Amantius, enraged by Quirinus’ refusal, ordered his arrest and imprisonment, and eventually his death. 

    In Quirinus’ last awe-inspiring words, he stated “It is no new thing, O powerful Jesus, for thee to stop the course of rivers, or to cause a man to walk upon water; the people have already seen the proof of thy power in me; grant me now to lay down my life for thy sake, O my God” (Foxe 43). Soon after he spoke these words he was appointed to death; he was cast into a river with a   stone tied around his neck and was drowned. 

    

    If only more Christians had faith like Quirinus, there’s no telling what God could do.