“If ancient examples of faith, which testify to the grace of God and give us encouragement, are honored and recorded for posterity in writing, so that by reading them the deeds of God are glorified and others are strengthened, why should we not in our generation also set down new witnesses which serve these ends. One day our example will also be ancient and important to our children…”
This reading comes from the introduction to the martyrdom of Perpetua, Felicity and their companions at Carthage in 203, as recorded in Celebrating the Saints, ed. Robert Atwell (Norwich: SCM Press, 2004) 129.