26. This much about an infant, which was not yet of an age to speak of the crime committed by others in respect of herself. But the woman who in advanced life and of more mature age secretly crept in among us when we were sacrificing, received not food, but a sword for herself; and as if taking some deadly poison61    “And receiving the blood as if some deadly poison,” etc.; v. l. into her jaws and body, began presently to be tortured, and to become stiffened with frenzy; and suffering the misery no longer of persecution, but of her crime, shivering and trembling, she fell down. The crime of her dissimulated conscience was not long unpunished or concealed. She who had deceived man, felt that God was taking vengeance. And another woman, when she tried with unworthy hands to open her box,62    [They carried the sacred bread in this manner to invalids at home. The idea of “worshipping the host,” therefore, could not have been possible.] in which was the holy (body) of the Lord, was deterred by fire rising from it from daring to touch it. And when one,63    Or, “a certain one.” who himself was defiled, dared with the rest to receive secretly a part of the sacrifice celebrated by the priest; he could not eat nor handle the holy of the Lord, but found in his hands64    [The holy bread was delivered into the hands of the recipient. See Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagog., xxiii. 21.] when opened that he had a cinder. Thus by the experience of one it was shown that the Lord withdraws when He is denied; nor does that which is received benefit the undeserving for salvation, since saving grace is changed by the departure of the sanctity into a cinder. How many there are daily who do not repent nor make confession of the consciousness of their crime, who are filled with unclean spirits!65    [Luke xi. 20. The whole of scriptural teachings concerning these, requires renewed study. Consult Tillotson, Works, ii. 508, ed. 1722.] How many are shaken even to unsoundness of mind and idiotcy by the raging of madness! Nor is there any need to go through the deaths of individuals, since through the manifold lapses occurring in the world the punishment of their sins is as varied as the multitude of sinners is abundant. Let each one consider not what another has suffered, but what he himself deserves to suffer; nor think that he has escaped if his punishment delay for a time, since he ought to fear it the more that the wrath of God the judge has reserved it for Himself.

XXVI. Hoc circa infantem quae ad eloquendum alienum circa se crimen necdum habuit aetatem. At vero ea quae, aetate provecta et in annis adultioribus constituta, sacrificantibus nobis latenter obrepsit, non cibum sed gladium sibi sumens, et velut quaedam venena lethalia intra fauces et pectus admittens, angi et anima exaestuante concludi postmodum coepit. Et pressuram non jam persecutionis sed delicti sui passa, palpitans et tremens concidit. Impunitum diu non fuit nec occultum dissimulatae conscientiae crimen. Quae fefellerat hominem, Deum sensit ultorem. Et 0486B cum quaedam arcam suam, in qua Domini sanctum fuit, manibus indignis tentasset aperire, igne inde surgente deterrita est ne auderet attingere. Et quidem alius , quia et ipse maculatus sacrificio a sacerdote celebrato partem cum caeteris ausus est latenter accipere, sanctum Domini edere et contrectare non potuit, cinerem ferre se apertis manibus invenit. 0487A Documento unius ostensum est Dominum recedere cum negatur, nec immerentibus ad salutem prodesse quod sumitur, quando gratia salutaris in cinerem sanctitate fugiente mutatur. Quam multi quotidie poenitentiam non agentes, nec delicti sui conscientiam confitentes, immundis spiritibus adimplentur, quam multi usque ad insaniam mentis excordes dementiae furore quatiuntur? Nec necesse est ire per exitus singulorum, cum per orbis multiformes ruinas tam delictorum poena sit varia quam delinquentium multitudo numerosa. Unusquisque consideret, non quid alius passus sit, sed quid pati et ipse mereatur. Nec evasisse se credat, si eum interim poena distulerit, cum timere plus debeat quam sibi Dei judicis ira servavit .