Chapter V.

13. “Blessed are ye,” says He, “when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great35    Multa; Vulgate, copiosa. is your reward in heaven.” Let any one who is seeking after the delights of this world and the riches of temporal things under the Christian name, consider that our blessedness is within; as it is said of the soul of the Church36    Anima ecclesiastica. by the mouth of the prophet, “All the beauty of the king’s daughter is within;”37    Ps. xlv. 13. for outwardly revilings, and persecutions, and disparagements are promised; and yet, from these things there is a great reward in heaven, which is felt in the heart of those who endure, those who can now say, “We glory in tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” 38    Rom. v. 3–5. For it is not simply the enduring of such things that is advantageous, but the bearing of such things for the name of Christ not only with tranquil mind, but even with exultation. For many heretics, deceiving souls under the Christian name, endure many such things; but they are excluded from that reward on this account, that it is not said merely, “Blessed are they which endure persecution;” but it is added, “for righteousness’ sake.” Now, where there is no sound faith, there can be no righteousness, for the just [righteous] man lives by faith.39    Hab. ii. 4 and Rom. i. 17. Neither let schismatics promise themselves anything of that reward; for similarly, where there is no love, there cannot be righteousness, for “love worketh no ill to his neighbour;”40    Rom. xiii. 10. and if they had it, they would not tear in pieces Christ’s body, which is the Church.41    Col. i. 24.

14. But it may be asked, What is the difference when He says, “when men shall revile you,” and “when they shall say all manner of evil against you,” since to revile42    Maledicere. is just this, to say evil against?43    Malum dicere. But it is one thing when the reviling word is hurled with contumely in presence of him who is reviled, as it was said to our Lord, “Say we not the truth44    Verum. The Vulgate more literally has bene. that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?”45    John viii. 48. and another thing, when our reputation is injured in our absence, as it is also written of Him, “Some said, He is a prophet;46    The Vulgate, following the Greek, has bonus,—good man. others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people.”47    Chap. vii. 12. Then, further, to persecute is to inflict violence, or to assail with snares, as was done by him who betrayed Him, and by them who crucified Him. Certainly, as for the fact that this also is not put in a bare form, so that it should be said, “and shall say all manner of evil against you,” but there is added the word “falsely,” and also the expression “for my sake;” I think that the addition is made for the sake of those who wish to glory in persecutions, and in the baseness of their reputation; and to say that Christ belongs to them for this reason, that many bad things are said about them; while, on the one hand, the things said are true, when they are said respecting their error; and, on the other hand, if sometimes also some false charges are thrown out, which frequently happens from the rashness of men, yet they do not suffer such things for Christ’s sake.48    “It is not the suffering but the cause, that makes men martyrs.” For, says Augustin in another place (En. in Ps. xxxiv. 23), if the suffering made the martyr, every mine would be full of martyrs, every chain drag them, every one beheaded with the sword be crowned. They who suffer for righteousness’ sake, suffer for Christ’s sake. For he is not a follower of Christ who is not called a Christian according to the true faith and the catholic discipline.

15. “Rejoice,” says He, “and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.” I do not think that it is the higher parts of this visible world that are here called heaven. For our reward, which ought to be immoveable and eternal, is not to be placed in things fleeting and temporal. But I think the expression “in heaven” means in the spiritual firmament, where dwells everlasting righteousness: in comparison with which a wicked soul is called earth, to which it is said when it sins, “Earth thou art, and unto earth thou shalt return.”49    Gen. iii. 19. Of this heaven the apostle says, “For our conversation is in heaven.”50    Phil. iii. 20. Hence they who rejoice in spiritual good are conscious of that reward now; but then it will be perfected in every part, when this mortal also shall have put on immortality. “For,” says He, “so persecuted they the prophets also which were before you.” In the present case He has used “persecution” in a general sense, as applying alike to abusive words and to the tearing in pieces of one’s reputation; and has well encouraged them by an example, because they who speak true things are wont to suffer persecution: nevertheless did not the ancient prophets on this account, through fear of persecution, give over the preaching of the truth.

CAPUT V.---13. Beati eritis, inquit, cum vobis maledicent, et persequentur vos, et dicent omne malum adversum vos, mentientes, propter me. Gaudete et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra multa est in coelis. Animadvertat quisquis delicias hujus saeculi et facultates rerum temporalium quaerit in nomine christiano, intrinsecus esse beatitudinem nostram; sicut de anima ecclesiastica ore prophetico dicitur: Omnis pulchritudo filiae regis intrinsecus (Psal. XLIV, 14): nam extrinsecus maledicta et persecutiones et detractiones promittuntur: de quibus tamen magna merces est in coelis, quae sentitur in corde patientium, eorum qui jam possunt dicere, «Gloriamur in tribulationibus; scientes quoniam tribulatio patientiam operatur, patientia autem probationem, probatio vero spem, spes autem non confundit; quia charitas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis» (Rom. V, 3-5). Non enim ista perpeti fructuosum est, sed ista pro Christi nomine non solum aequo animo, sed etiam cum exsultatione tolerare. Nam multi haeretici, nomine christiano animas decipientes, multa talia patiuntur: sed ideo excluduntur ab ista mercede, quia non dictum est tantum, Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur; sed additum est, propter justitiam: ubi autem sana fides non est, non potest esse justitia; quia justus ex fide vivit (Habac. II, 4, et Rom. I, 17). Neque schismatici aliquid sibi ex ista mercede promittant; quia similiter ubi charitas non est, non potest esse justitia: dilectio enim proximi malum non operatur (Rom. XIII, 10), quam si haberent, non dilaniarent corpus Christi, quod est Ecclesia (Coloss. I, 24).

14. Quaeri autem potest quid intersit quod ait, Cum vobis maledicent, et, Omne malum dicent adversum vos; cum maledicere, hoc sit, malum dicere. Sed aliter maledictum jactatur cum contumelia coram illo cui maledicitur, sicut Domino nostro dictum est, Nonne verum dicimus, quia Samaritanus es, et daemonium habes (Joan. VIII, 48)? aliter cum absentis fama laeditur, sicut de illo item scribitur, Alii dicebant, Quia propheta est: alii autem dicebant, Non, sed seducit populum (Id. VII, 12). Persequi autem, est vim inferre, vel insidiis appetere: quod fecit qui eum tradidit, et qui eum crucifixerunt. Sane quod etiam hoc non est nude positum, ut diceretur, Et dicent omne malum adversum vos, sed additum est, mentientes; additum etiam, propter me: propter eos additum puto, qui volunt de persecutionibus et de famae suae turpitudine gloriari; et ideo dicere ad se pertinere Christum, quia multa de illis dicuntur mala; cum et vera dicantur, quando de illorum errore dicuntur: et si aliquando etiam nonnulla falsa jactantur, quod temeritate hominum plerumque accidit, non tamen propter Christum ista patiuntur. Non enim Christum sequitur, qui non secundum veram fidem et catholicam disciplinam Christianus vocatur.

15. Gaudete, inquit, et exsultate, quoniam merces vestra multa est in coelis. Non hic coelos dici puto superiores 1237 partes hujus visibilis mundi. Non enim merces nostra, quae inconcussa et aeterna esse debet, in rebus volubilibus et temporalibus collocanda est. Sed in coelis dictum puto, in spiritualibus firmamentis, ubi habitat sempiterna justitia: in quorum comparatione terra dicitur anima iniqua, cui peccanti dictum est, Terra es, et in terram ibis (Gen. III, 19). De his coelis dicit Apostolus: Quoniam conversatio nostra in coelis est (Philipp. III, 20). Sentiunt ergo jam istam mercedem, qui gaudent spiritualibus bonis: sed tunc ex omni parte perficietur, cum etiam hoc mortale induerit immortalitatem. Ita enim persecuti sunt, inquit, et Prophetas qui ante vos fuerunt. Nunc persecutionem generaliter posuit, et in maledictis et in dilaceratione famae; et bene exemplo adhortatus est, quia vera dicentes solent persecutionem pati: nec tamen ideo Prophetae antiqui timore persecutionis a veritatis praedicatione defecerunt.