EPISTOLA AD FORTUNATUM DE EXHORTATIONE MARTYRII .

 CAPITULA LIBRI SEQUENTIS.

 DE EXHORTATIONE MARTYRII.

 CAP. II.---QUOD DEUS SOLUS COLENDUS SIT.

 CAP. III.---QUAE COMMINATIO DEI SIT ADVERSUS EOS QUI IDOLIS SACRIFICANT.

 CAP. IV.---NON FACILE IGNOSCERE DEUM IDOLOLATRIS.

 CAP. V.--- QUOD SIC IDOLOLATRIAE INDIGNETUR DEUS, UT PRAECEPERIT ETIAM EOS INTERFICI QUI SACRIFICARE ET SERVIRE IDOLIS SUASERINT.

 CAP. VI.---QUOD, REDEMPTI ET VIVIFICATI CHRISTI SANGUINE, NIHIL CHRISTO PRAEPONERE DEBEAMUS.

 CAPUT VII.---EREPTOS DE FAUCIBUS DIABOLI, ET DE LAQUEIS SAECULI LIBERATOS, NON DEBERE DENUO AD SAECULUM REVERTI, NE PERDANT QUOD EVASERINT.

 CAPUT VIII.---INSISTENDUM ESSE ET PERSEVERANDUM IN FIDE ET VIRTUTE, ET COELESTIS AC SPIRITALIS GRATIAE CONSUMMATIONE, UT AD PALMAM ET CORONAM POSSIT P

 CAPUT IX.---AD HOC PRESSURAS ET PERSECUTIONES FIERI, UT PROBEMUR.

 CAPUT X.---TIMENDAS NON ESSE INJURIAS ET POENAS PERSECUTIONUM, QUIA MAJOR EST DOMINUS AD PROTEGENDUM, QUAM DIABOLUS AD IMPUGNANDUM.

 CAPUT XI.---ANTE PRAEDICTUM ESSE QUOD NOS MUNDUS ODIO HABITURUS ESSET, ET QUOD PERSECUTIONES ADVERSUM NOS EXCITARET, ET QUOD NIHIL NOVUM CHRISTIANIS A

 CAPUT XII.---QUAE SPES ET MERCES MANEAT JUSTOS ET MARTYRES POST CONFLICTATIONES HUJUS TEMPORIS ET PASSIONES.

 CAPUT XIII.---PLUS NOS ACCIPERE IN PASSIONIS MERCEDE, QUAM QUOD HIC SUSTINEMUS IN IPSA PASSIONE.

6. That, being redeemed and quickened by the blood of Christ, we ought to prefer nothing to Christ.41    The Oxford edition adds, “because neither did He account of anything before us.”

In the Gospel the Lord speaks, and says:  “He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not his cross and followeth me, is not worthy of me.”42    Matt. x. 37, 38. So also it is written in Deuteronomy: “They who say to their father and their mother, I have not known thee, and have not acknowledged their own children, these have kept Thy precepts, and have observed Thy covenant.”43    Deut. xxxiii. 9. Moreover, the Apostle Paul says: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, Because for Thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we overcome on account of Him who hath loved us.”44    Rom. viii. 35–37. And again: “Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body.”45    1 Cor. vi. 20. And again: “Christ died for all, that both they which live may not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”46    2 Cor. v. 15.

CAP. VI.---QUOD, REDEMPTI ET VIVIFICATI CHRISTI SANGUINE, NIHIL CHRISTO PRAEPONERE DEBEAMUS.

In Evangelio Dominus loquitur et dicit: Qui diligit patrem aut matrem super me , non est me dignus. Et qui diligit filium aut filiam super me, non est me dignus . Et qui non accipit crucem suam et sequitur me, non est me dignus (Matth. X, 37). Sic et in Deuteronomio scriptum est : Qui dicunt patri et matri, «Non novi te, «et filios suos non agnoverunt, hi custodierunt praecepta tua, et testamentum tuum servaverunt (Deut. 0660B XXXIII, 9). Item apostolus Paulus: Quis nos, inquit, separabit a charitate Christi? pressura an angustia, an persecutio, an fames, an nuditas, an periculum, an gladius? Sicut scriptum est: Quia propter te occidimur tota die, aestimati sumus ut oves victimae , sed in his omnibus superamus propter eum qui dilexit nos (Rom. VIII, 35). Et iterum: Non estis vestri: empti enim estis pretio magno , glorificate et portate Deum in corpore vestro (I Cor. VI, 20). Et iterum: Pro omnibus mortuus est Christus, ut et qui vivunt, jam non sibi vivant, sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est et resurrexit (II Cor. V, 15).