What Is More Glorious?

Quid enim gloriosius, quidve felicius ulli hominum poterit ex divina dignatione contingere, quam inter ipsos carnifices in ipso interitu confiteri Dominum Deum, quam inter saevienta saecularis potestatis varia et exquisita tormenta, etiam extorto et excruciato et excarnificato corpore, Christum Dei Filium, etsi recedente sed tamen libero spiritu, confiteri, quam relicto mundo coelum petisse, quam desertis hominibus inter Angelos stare, quam impedimentis omnibus saecularibus ruptis in conspectu Dei iam se liberum sistere, quam collegam passionis cum Christo in Christi nomine factum fuisse, quam judicis sui divina dignatione judicem factum fuisse, quam immaculatam conscientiam de confessione nominis reportasse, quam humanis et sacrilegis legibus contra fidem non obedisse, quam veritam voce publica contestatum fuisse, quam ipsam quae ab omnibus metuatur moriendo mortem subegisse, quam per ipsam mortem immortalitatem consecutum fuisse, quam omnibus saevitiae instrumentis excarnificatum et extortum ipsis tormentis tormenta superasse, quam omnibus dilanitis corporis doloribus robore animi reluctautu fuisse, quam sanguinem suum prefluentem non horruisse, quam supplicia sua post fidem amare coepisse, quam detrimentum vitae suae putare non exisse? Sanctus Cyprianus, Epistola XVI, Moyses et Maximus presbyteri et Nicostratus et Rufinus diaconi et caeteri confessores, ad Cyprian Migne PL 4.291-292

What is more glorious, or what is more felicitous, that can happen to any man from the Divine largess than to confess the Lord God in death itself, before his very executioners; than among the various savageries of the secular power and the carefully chosen tortures, even when the body is racked and torn and stripped of flesh, to confess Christ the Son of God with a departing but free spirit; than to have abandoned the world to seek heaven; than, to have forsaken men to stand among angels; than, all worldly obstacles destroyed, to stand free in the presence of God; than to have been made an associate of Christ's passion in Christ's name; than by Divine judgement to have been made judge; than to have brought out an immaculate conscience from the confession of His name; than to have not obeyed human and sacrilegious laws against the faith; than to have given public voice to the truth; than by dying to have subdued death which is dreaded by all; than by death itself to have achieved immortality; than by all the cruel instruments of the torturer to have overcome torture by the tortures themselves, than by strength of mind to have fought against all the agonies of a broken body; than not to have shuddered at the flow of one's own blood; than on account of faith to have begun to love one's punishments; than to think it an injury to one's life not to have left it? Saint Cyprian, from Letter 26, The Presbyters Moyses and Maximus, The Deacons Nicostratus and Rufinus, and other Confessors, to Cyprian