An Address to Demetrianus.

 

 1. I had frequently, Demetrianus, treated with contempt your railing and noisy clamour with sacrilegious mouth and impious words against the one and t

 2. In consideration of this, I have frequently held my tongue, and overcome an impatient man with patience since I could neither teach an unteachable

 3. You have said that all these things are caused by us, and that to us ought to be attributed the misfortunes wherewith the world is now shaken and d

 4. You impute it to the Christians that everything is decaying as the world grows old. What if old men should charge it on the Christians that they gr

 5. Moreover, that wars continue frequently to prevail, that death and famine accumulate anxiety, that health is shattered by raging diseases, that the

 6. In fine, listen to Himself speaking Himself with a divine voice at once instructing and warning us:  “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,” says H

 7. Behold, the Lord is angry and wrathful, and threatens, because you turn not unto Him. And you wonder or complain in this your obstinacy and contemp

 8. You complain that the fountains are now less plentiful to you, and the breezes less salubrious, and the frequent showers and the fertile earth affo

 9. And therefore with reason in these plagues that occur, there are not wanting God’s stripes and scourges and since they are of no avail in this mat

 10. You who judge others, be for once also a judge of yourself look into the hiding-places of your own conscience nay, since now there is not even a

 11. So great a terror of destruction cannot give the teaching of innocency and in the midst of a people dying with constant havoc, nobody considers t

 12. Look what that very matter is of which is chiefly our discourse—that you molest us, although innocent that, in contempt of God, you attack and op

 13. What is this insatiable madness for blood-shedding, what this interminable lust of cruelty? Rather make your election of one of two alternatives.

 14. Why do you turn your attention to the weakness of our body? why do you strive with the feebleness of this earthly flesh? Contend rather with the s

 15. Oh, would you but hear and see them when they are adjured by us, and tortured with spiritual scourges, and are ejected from the possessed bodies w

 16. What, then, is that sluggishness of mind yea, what blind and stupid madness of fools, to be unwilling to come out of darkness into light, and to

 17. For this reason it is that none of us, when he is apprehended, makes resistance, nor avenges himself against your unrighteous violence, although o

 18. Nor let anybody think that Christians are not avenged by those things that are happening, for the reason that they also themselves seem to be affe

 19. Do you think that we suffer adversity equally with yourselves, when you see that the same adverse things are not borne equally by us and by you? A

 20. There flourishes with us the strength of hope and the firmness of faith. Among these very ruins of a decaying world our soul is lifted up, and our

 21. Let no one, however, flatter himself, because there is for the present to us and to the profane, to God’s worshippers and to God’s opponents, by r

 22. And how great, too, are those things which in the meantime are happening in that respect on our behalf! Something is given for an example, that th

 23. Look, therefore, while there is time, to the true and eternal salvation and since now the end of the world is at hand, turn your minds to God, in

 24. What will then be the glory of faith? what the punishment of faithlessness? When the day of judgment shall come, what joy of believers, what sorro

 25. Provide, therefore, while you may, for your safety and your life. We offer you the wholesome help of our mind and advice. And because we may not h

11. So great a terror of destruction cannot give the teaching of innocency; and in the midst of a people dying with constant havoc, nobody considers that he himself is mortal. Everywhere there is scattering, there is seizure, there is taking possession; no dissimulation about spoiling, and no delay.20    Or, “no pretence.” Some add, “no fear.” As if it were all lawful, as if it were all becoming, as if he who does not rob were suffering loss and wasting his own property, thus every one hastens to the rapine.  Among thieves there is at any rate some modesty in their crimes.  They love pathless ravines and deserted solitudes; and they do wrong in such a way, that still the crime of the wrong-doers is veiled by darkness and night. Avarice, however, rages openly, and, safe by its very boldness, exposes the weapons of its headlong craving in the light of the market-place. Thence cheats, thence poisoners, thence assassins in the midst of the city, are as eager for wickedness as they are wicked with impunity. The crime is committed by the guilty, and the guiltless who can avenge it is not found. There is no fear from accuser or judge: the wicked obtain impunity, while modest men are silent; accomplices are afraid, and those who are to judge are for sale. And therefore by the mouth of the prophet the truth of the matter is put forth with the divine spirit and instinct: it is shown in a certain and obvious way that God can prevent adverse things, but that the evil deserts of sinners prevent His bringing aid. “Is the Lord’s hand,” says he, “not strong to save you; or has He made heavy His ear, that He cannot hear you? But your sins separate between you and God; and because of your sins He hath hid His face from you, that He may not have mercy.”21    Isa. lix. 1. Therefore let your sins and offences be reckoned up; let the wounds of your conscience be considered; and let each one cease complaining about God, or about us, if he should perceive that himself deserves what he suffers.

XI. Tantus cladium terror dare non potest innocentiae disciplinam , et inter populum frequenti strage morientem, nemo considerat se esse mortalem. Passim discurritur, rapitur, occupatur. Praedandi dissimulatio nulla, nulla cunctatio. Quasi liceat, quasi oporteat, quasi ille qui non rapit damnum et dispendium proprium sentiat, sic unusquisque rapere 0552B festinat. In latronibus est utcumque aliqua scelerum verecundia; avias fauces et desertas solitudines diligunt, et sic illic delinquitur, ut tamen delinquentium facinus tenebris et nocte veletur. Avaritia palam saevit, et, ipsa audacia sua tuta, in fori luce abruptae cupiditatis arma prostituit. Inde falsarii, inde venefici, inde in media civitate sicarii, tam ad peccandum praecipites quam impune peccantes. A nocente crimen admittitur, nec innocens qui vindicet invenitur. De accusatore vel judice metus nullus . Impunitatem consequuntur mali, dum modesti tacent, timent conscii, veneunt judicaturi. Et idcirco per Prophetam divino Spiritu et instinctu rei veritas promitur , certa et manifesta ratione monstratur Deum posse adversa prohibere, sed ne ille subveniat 0552C merita peccantium facere: Numquid, ait, non valet 0553Amanus Domini ut salvos vos faciat? aut gravavit aurem ut non exaudiat? Sed peccata vestra inter vos et Deum separant, et propter delicta vestra avertit faciem suam a nobis, ne misereatur (Isa. LIX, 1, 2). Peccata itaque et delicta reputentur, conscientiae vulnera cogitentur; et desinet unusquisque de Deo vel de nobis conqueri, si quod patitur intelligat se mereri.