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.
XXXVI.—Of the Foolishness of the Cross.
I have spoken of the twofold sign whence death proceeded, and again I have said that thence life frequently proceeds; but the cross has become foolishness to an adulterous people. The awful King of eternity shadows forth these things by the cross, that they may now believe on Him.8 [Or, “shadows forth Himself.”] O fools, that live in death! Cain slew his younger brother by the invention of wickedness. Thence the sons of Enoch9 “Eusebius tells of another Enoch, who was not translated without seeing death.”—Rig. [See Gen. iv. 17, 18. S.] are said to be the race of Cain. Then the evil people increased in the world, which never transfers souls to God. To believe the cross came to be a dread, and they say that they live righteously. The first law was in the tree; and thence, too, the second. And thence the second law first of all overcame the terrible law with peace.10 Et inde secunda terribilem legem primo cum pace revincit.—Davis, conjecturally. Lifted up, they have rushed into vain prevarications. They are unwilling to acknowledge the Lord pierced with nails; but when His judgment shall come, they will then discern Him. But the race of Abel already believes on a merciful Christ.
XXXVI.---DE CRUCIS STULTITIA.
De duplici signo dixi, mors unde processit; Et iterum inde procedere vitam frequenter. Crux autem stultitia facta est adulterae genti. Rex aeternitatis per crucem dirus adumbrat, Ut sibi nunc credant, o stulti morte viventes! Cain juniorem occidit, nequam repertus: Inde Enoch suboles Cainaea nati feruntur. Sic gens iniqua increvit mundo, quae nunquam Transmittit animos in Deum: credere crucem 0228B Venit in horrorem, et dicunt se vivere recte. Lex in ligno fuit prima, et inde secunda. Terribilem legem primo, cum pace revenit. In praevaricationes vanas elati ruerunt: Trajectum clavis Dominum cognoscere nolunt: Judicium cujus cum venerit, ibi dignoscent. Abel genus autem credit modo Christo benigno.