Chapter VI.

But if, for the contest’s sake, God had appointed martyrdoms for us, that thereby we might make trial with our opponent, in order that He may now keep bruising him by whom man chose to be bruised, here too generosity rather than harshness in God holds sway. For He wished to make man, now plucked from the devil’s throat by faith, trample upon him likewise by courage, that he might not merely have escaped from, but also completely vanquished, his enemy. He who had called to salvation has been pleased to summon to glory also, that they who were rejoicing in consequence of their deliverance may be in transports when they are crowned likewise. With what good-will the world celebrates those games, the combative festivals and superstitious contests of the Greeks, involving forms both of worship and of pleasure, has now become clear in Africa also. As yet cities, by sending their congratulations severally, annoy Carthage, which was presented with the Pythian game after the racecourse had attained to an old age. Thus, by the world37    Literally, “age.”—Tr. it has been believed to be a most proper mode of testing proficiency in studies, to put in competition the forms of skill, to elicit the existing condition of bodies and of voices, the reward being the informer, the public exhibition the judge, and pleasure the decision. Where there are mere contests, there are some wounds: fists make reel, heels kick like butting rams, boxing-gloves mangle, whips leave gashes. Yet there will be no one reproaching the superintendent of the contest for exposing men to outrage. Suits for injuries lie outside the racecourse. But to the extent that those persons deal in discoloration, and gore, and swellings, he will design for them crowns, doubtless, and glory, and a present, political privileges, contributions by the citizens, images, statues, and—of such sort as the world can give—an eternity of fame, a resurrection by being kept in remembrance. The pugilist himself does not complain of feeling pain, for he wishes it; the crown closes the wounds, the palm hides the blood: he is excited more by victory than by injury. Will you count this man hurt whom you see happy? But not even the vanquished himself will reproach the superintendent of the contest for his misfortune. Shall it be unbecoming in God to bring forth kinds of skill and rules of His own into public view, into this open ground of the world, to be seen by men, and angels, and all powers?—to test flesh and spirit as to stedfastness and endurance?—to give to this one the palm, to this one distinction, to that one the privilege of citizenship, to that one pay?—to reject some also, and after punishing to remove them with disgrace? You dictate to God, forsooth, the times, or the ways, or the places in which to institute a trial concerning His own troop (of competitors) as if it were not proper for the Judge to pronounce the preliminary decision also. Well now, if He had put forth faith to suffer martyrdoms not for the contest’s sake, but for its own benefit, ought it not to have had some store of hope, for the increase of which it might restrain desire of its own, and check its wish in order that it might strive to mount up, seeing they also who discharge earthly functions are eager for promotion? Or how will there be many mansions in our Father’s house, if not to accord with a diversity of deserts? How will one star also differ from another star in glory, unless in virtue of disparity in their rays?38    1 Cor. xv. 41. But further, if, on that account, some increase of brightness also was appropriate to loftiness of faith, that gain ought to have been of some such sort as would cost great effort, poignant suffering, torture, death. But consider the requital, when flesh and life are paid away—than which in man there is nought more precious, the one from the hand of God, the other from His breath—that the very things are paid away in obtaining the benefit of which the benefit consists; that the very things are expended which may be acquired; that the same things are the price which are also the commodities. God had foreseen also other weaknesses incident to the condition of man,—the stratagems of the enemy, the deceptive aspects of the creatures, the snares of the world; that faith, even after baptism, would be endangered; that the most, after attaining unto salvation, would be lost again, through soiling the wedding-dress, through failing to provide oil for their torchlets—would be such as would have to be sought for over mountains and woodlands, and carried back upon the shoulders. He therefore appointed as second supplies of comfort, and the last means of succour, the fight of martyrdom and the baptism—thereafter free from danger—of blood.  And concerning the happiness of the man who has partaken of these, David says: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”39    Ps. xxxii. 1; Rom. iv. 7, etc. For, strictly speaking, there cannot any longer be reckoned ought against the martyrs, by whom in the baptism (of blood) life itself is laid down. Thus, “love covers the multitude of sins;”40    1 Pet. iv. 8. and loving God, to wit, with all its strength (by which in the endurance of martyrdom it maintains the fight), with all its life41    Matt. xxii. 37. (which it lays down for God), it makes of man a martyr. Shall you call these cures, counsels, methods of judging, spectacles, (illustrations of) even the barbarity of God? Does God covet man’s blood? And yet I might venture to affirm that He does, if man also covets the kingdom of heaven, if man covets a sure salvation, if man also covets a second new birth. The exchange is displeasing to no one, which can plead, in justification of itself, that either benefit or injury is shared by the parties making it.

CAPUT VI.

0133B

Sed si certaminis nomine Deus nobis martyria proposuisset , per quae cum adversario experiremur, ut a quo libenter homo elisus est, eum jam constanter elidat, hic quoque liberalitas magis, quam acerbitas Dei praeest. Evulsum enim hominem de diaboli gula per fidem, jam et inculcatorem ejus voluit efficere per virtutem; ne solummodo evasisset, verum etiam evicisset inimicum. Amavit, qui vocaverat in salutem, invitare et ad gloriam; ut gaudeamus liberati, exultemus etiam coronati. Agonas istos, contentiosa solemnia et superstitiosa certamina graecarum et religionum et voluptatum, quanta gratia saeculum celebret, etiam Africae liquit . Adhuc Carthaginem singulae 0133C civitates gratulando inquietant, donatam pythico agone post stadii senectutem. Ita ab aevo dignissimum creditum est stadiorum experimentum, committere artes, corporum et vocum praestantiam 0134A exprimere , praemio indice, spectaculo judice, sententia voluptate: qua nulla sunt praelia, non nulla vulnera , pugni quassant, calces arietant, cestus dilaniant, flagella dilacerant: nemo tamen agonis praesidem suggillaverit, quod homines violentiae objectat, injuriarum actiones extra stadium, sed quantum livores illi et cruores et vibices negotiantur intendet : coronas scilicet, et gloriam, et dotem, privilegia publica, stipendia civica , imagines, statuas, et qualem potest praestare saeculum de fama aeternitatem, de memoria resurrectionem. Pyctes ipse non queritur dolere se, nam vult, corona premit vulnera, palma sanguinem obscurat; plus victoria tumet quam injuria . Hunc tu laesum existimabis, quem vides laetum? Sed 0134B nec victus ipse de agonotheta casum suum exprobrabit. Deum dedecebit artes et disciplinas suas educere in medium, in hoc saeculi spatium, in spectaculum hominibus et angelis et universis potestatibus? carnem atque animam probare de constantia atque tolerantia? dare huic palmam, huic honorem, illi civitatem, illi stipendia? etiam quosdam reprobare, et castigatos cum ignominia summovere? Nimirum praescribes Deo, quibus temporibus, aut modis, aut locis de familia sua judicet, quasi non et praejudicare judici congruat. Quid nunc, si non certaminis nomine in martyria fidem exposuisset, sed et proprii profectus; nonne oportebat illam habere aliquem spei cumulum, cui studium suum cogeret, votumque suspenderet, quo eniteretur ascendere, 0134C cum terrena quoque officia in gradus aestuent? aut quomodo multae mansiones apud Patrem, si non pro varietate meritorum? quomodo et stella a stella distabit in gloria (I Cor. XV), nisi pro 0135A diversitate radiorum? Porro, et si fidei propterea congruebat sublimitatis et claritatis aliqua prolatio, tale quid esse oportuerat illud emolumenti, quod magno constaret labore, cruciatu, tormento, morte. Sed respice compensationem: cum caro et anima dependitur, quibus in homine carius nihil est; alterum manus Dei, alterum flatus ; ipsa dependi in profectu , quorum est profectus; ipsa erogari, quae lucrifiant ; eadem pretia, quae et merces. Prospexerat et has Deus imbecillitates conditionis humanae, adversarii insidias, rerum fallacias, saeculi retia, etiam post lavacrum periclitaturam fidem, perituros plerosque rursum post salutem, qui vestitum obsoletassent nuptialem, qui faculis oleum non praeparassent, qui requirendi per 0135B montes et saltus, et humeris essent reportandi. Posuit igitur secunda solatia, extrema praesidia, dimicationem martyrii, et lavacrum sanguinis exinde securum. De cujus felicitate David: Beati quorum dimissa sunt delicta, et quorum opertae sunt iniquitates (Ps. XXXII, 1). Beatus vir cui non imputaverit Deus delictum. Proprie enim martyribus nihil jam reputari potest, quibus in lavacro ipsa vita deponitur. Sic dilectio operit multitudinem delictorum (I Petr. IV, 8), quae Deum scilicet diligens ex totis viribus suis, quibus in martyrio decertat, ex tota anima sua (Matth. XXII, 37), quam pro Deo ponit, hominem martyrem excudit. Haec tu remedia, consilia, judicia, spectacula etiam Dei atrocitatem judicabis ? sanguinem hominis Deus concupiscit? Et tamen ausim 0135C dicere, si et homo regnum Dei, si homo certam salutem, si et homo secundam regenerationem. Nulli compensatio invidiosa est, in qua aut gratiae, aut injuriae communis est ratio.