The Instructions of Commodianus.
The Instructions of Commodianus
VI.—Of the Same Jupiter’s Thunderbolt.
VII.—Of the Septizonium and the Stars.
XI.—Apollo the Soothsaying and False.
XVI.—Of the Gods and Goddesses.
XVIII.—Of Ammydates and the Great God.
XXIII.—Of Those Who are Everywhere Ready.
XXIV.—Of Those Who Live Between the Two.
XXV.—They Who Fear and Will Not Believe.
XXVI.—To Those Who Resist the Law of Christ the Living God.
XXVII.—O Fool, Thou Dost Not Die to God.
XXVIII.—The Righteous Rise Again.
XXIX.—To the Wicked and Unbelieving Rich Man.
XXXIV.—Moreover, to Ignorant Gentiles.
XXXV.—Of the Tree of Life and Death.
XXXVI.—Of the Foolishness of the Cross.
XXXVII.—The Fanatics Who Judaize.
XLII.—Of the Hidden and Holy People of the Almighty Christ, the Living God.
XLIII.—Of the End of This Age.
XLIV.—Of the First Resurrection.
XLVIII.—O Faithful, Beware of Evil.
L.—Who Have Apostatized from God.
LIII.—To the Soldiers of Christ.
LVII.—That Worldly Things are Absolutely to Be Avoided.
LVIII.—That the Christian Should Be Such.
LIX.—To the Matrons of the Church of the Living God.
LXI.—In the Church to All the People of God.
LXII.—To Him Who Wishes for Martyrdom.
LXIV.—Of the Zeal of Concupiscence.
LXX.—I Speak to the Elder-Born.
LXXIII.—That Sons are Not to Be Bewailed.
XXX.—Rich Men, Be Humble.
Learn, O thou who art about to die, to show thyself good to all. Why, in the midst of the people, makest thou thyself to be another than thou art? Thou goest where thou knowest not, and ignorantly thence thou departest. Thou managest wickedly with thy very body; thou thirstest always after riches. Thou exaltest thyself too much on high; and thou bearest pride, and dost not willingly look on the poor. Now ye do not even feed your parents themselves when placed under you. Ah, wretched men, let ordinary men flee far from you. He lived, and I have destroyed him; the poor man cries out εὕρηκα. By and by thou shalt be driven with the furies of Charybdis, when thou thyself dost perish. Thus ye rich men are undisciplined, ye give a law to those, ye yourselves not being prepared. Strip thyself, O rich man turned away from God, of such evils, if assuredly, perchance, what thou hast seen done may aid thee. Be ye the attendant of God while ye have time. Even as the elm loves the vine, so love ye people of no account. Observe now, O barren one, the law which is terrible to the evil, and equally benignant to the good; be humble in prosperity. Take away, O rich men, hearts of fraud, and take up hearts of peace. And look upon your evil-doing. Do ye do good? I am here.
XXX.---DIVITES HUMILES ESTOTE.
Disce, moriture, bonum te ostendere cunctis. In medio populi quid te facis alterum esse? Vadis ubi nescis, et inscius inde recedis. Impie tractas, cum ipso corpore sitis Tu semper divitias: nimium te tollis in altum, 0223C Et typhum ducis, nec respicis pauperes ultro. Subditos nunc vobis, nec parentes pascitis ipsos. Heu miseri! fugiant longius mediocres a vobis. 0224A Vixit: et, extinxi. Pauper, Ευρεκα, clamat. Mox furiis ageris cum pereas ipse, Charybdis. Indisciplinati sic vos divites estis. Legem datis istis, non vobis paratis ipsis. Exue te dives tantis malis, Deo perversus, Subveniat utique tibi quod nunc operasti, si forte. Estote comes numinis, dum tempus habetis, Sicut ulmus amat vitem, sic ipsi pusillos. Terribilem legem malis, bonis aeque benignam Observa nunc sterilis, subtutus in prosperis esto: Tollite corda fraudis divites, et sumite pacis. Et spectate malum vestrum. Benefacitis? Adsum