SANCTI AMBROSII MEDIOLANENSIS EPISCOPI DE EXCESSU FRATRIS SUI SATYRI LIBRI DUO .

 LIBER PRIMUS.

 1289 1113 1. Deduximus, fratres dilectissimi, hostiam meam, hostiam incontaminatam, hostiam Deo placentem, 1290 domnum et fratrem meum Satyrum. Memine

 11. Ille nostro, non suo lacrymavit affectu neque enim divinitas lacrymas habet: sed lacrymavit eo, quo tristis fuit (Matth. XXVI, 38): lacrymavit eo

 21. Sentio equidem quod repetendis officiis tuis, recensendisque virtutibus, afficiatur animus: sed tamen in ipsa mei affectione requiesco, atque hae

 31. Ego vero te, frater, cum vitae tuae flore, tum mortis commoditate beatum arbitror. Non enim nobis ereptus es, sed periculis: non vitam amisisti, s

 41. Nam si quando aliquid cum sancta sorore 1125 mihi conferendum fuit, utra melior videretur sententia, te judicem sumebamus, qui nullius laederes os

 51. Qua vero prosecutione simplicitatem ejus edisseram? Ea est enim quaedam morum temperantia, mentisque sobrietas. Date, quaeso, veniam, et permittit

 61. Unde non immerito quantus fuerit, hodie quoque per vocem lectoris parvuli, Spiritus sanctus 1309D expressit: Innocens manibus, et mundo corde, qui

 71. Certe si illi sibi aliqua solatia repererunt, qui finem sensus, defectumque naturae mortem arbitrati sunt quanto magis nos, quibus meliora post m

 LIBER SECUNDUS. DE FIDE RESURRECTIONIS.

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 11. Sit tamen patiens dolor, sit in tristibus modus, qui exigitur in secundis. An si immoderate gaudere non convenit, lugere convenit? Non enim medioc

 21. Scimus tamen quod corpori supervivat, et ea, jam depositis proprii sensus repagulis expedita, libero cernat obtutu, quae ante sita in corpore non

 31. Et quis hoc dixit, nisi ille qui sapientiam poposcit et impetravit (Sap. VII, 7) ut sciret compositionem orbis terrarum, et virtutem elementorum,

 41. Sed quod remedium? Quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus? Gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum (Ibid., 24, 25). Habemus medicum, sequ

 51. Et quidem omnia aut usu, aut ratione, aut exemplo, aut eo quia decorum sit ea esse, ideo esse creduntur et ad fidem singula suffragantur. Usus, q

 61. Tamen antequam tempus veniat, nec illa creduntur non enim omne tempus accommodum ad resuscitanda semina. Alio triticum seminatur, alio nascitur:

 71. Sed jam ipsum audiamus prophetam sic enim ait: Et facta est super me manus Domini, et eduxit me in spiritu Dominus, et posuit me in medio campo,

 81. Nec hoc solum exemplum edidit Dominus 1156 noster Jesus Christus sed alios quoque resuscitavit, ut nos vel exemplis uberioribus crederemus. Resus

 91. Ergo resurrexit homo, quoniam homo mortuus est: resuscitatus homo, sed resuscitans Deus. Tunc secundum carnem homo, nunc per omnia Deus: nunc enim

 1161 101. Videmus igitur coelum patere virtuti, nec hoc esse paucorum: Multi enim venient ab Oriente, et ab Occidente, et Aquilone et Austro, et recum

 111. Nec tamen omnium est utraque canere tuba, nec est omnium universam colligere synagogam: sed solis sacerdotibus, et ministris Dei canentibus 1348B

 121. Et ideo beatus qui custodit verba prophetiae hujus (Apoc. XXIII, 7), quae nobis resurrectionem 1350C Et vidi mortuos magnos et pusillos stantes a

 131. Sed videro quid vos de vobis, gentes, opinionis habeatis neque enim mirum debet videri, quod creditis vos in bestias posse mutari, qui bestias a

131. But I have seen what you, Gentiles, think of each other, and indeed it ought not to seem strange that you who worship beasts should believe that you can be changed into beasts. But I had rather that you judged better concerning what is due to you, that you may believe that you will be not in the company of wild beasts, but in the companionship of angels.

132. The soul has to depart from the surroundings of this life, and the pollutions of the earthly body, and to press on to those heavenly companies, though it is for the saints alone, to attain to them, and to sing praise to God (as in the prophet’s words we hear of those who are harping202    Rev. xiv. 2. and saying: “For great are Thy marvellous works, O Lord God Almighty, just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations; who shall not fear and magnify Thy Name, for Thou only art holy, for all nations shall come and worship before Thee”),203    Rev. xv. 3, 4. and to see Thy marriage feast, O Lord Jesus, in which the Bride is led from earthly to heavenly things, while all rejoice in harmony, for “to Thee shall all flesh come,”204    Ps. lxv. [lxiv.] 3. now no longer subject to transitory things, but joined to the Spirit, to see the chambers adorned with linen, roses, lilies, and garlands. Of whom else is the marriage so adorned? For it is adorned with the purple stripes of confessors, the blood of martyrs, the lilies of virgins, and the crowns of priests.

133. Holy David desired beyond all else for himself that he might behold and gaze upon this, for he says: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and see the pleasure of the Lord.”205    Ps. xxvii. [xxvi.] 4.

134. It is a pleasure to believe this, a joy to hope for it; and certainly, not to have believed it is a pain, to have lived in this hope a grace. But if I am mistaken in this, that I prefer to be associated after death with angels rather than with beasts, I am gladly mistaken, and so long as I live will never suffer myself to be cheated of this hope.

135. For what comfort have I left but that I hope to come quickly to thee, my brother, and that thy departure will not cause a long severance between us, and that it may be granted me, through thy intercessions, that thou mayest quickly call me who long for thee. For who is there who ought not to wish for himself beyond all else that “this corruptible should put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality”?206    1 Cor. xv. 53. that we who succumb to death through the frailty of the body, being raised above nature, may no longer have to fear death.

131. Sed videro quid vos de vobis, gentes, opinionis habeatis; neque enim mirum debet videri, quod creditis vos in bestias posse mutari, qui bestias adoratis. Ego tamen malim de vestro merito melius judicetis; ut non inter coetus ferarum, sed inter angelorum consortia vos credatis futuros.

132. Habet animus ex hoc jam vitae anfractu, et 1354A terreni corporis colluvione discedere, et ad illa concilia superna contendere, etsi sanctorum sit pervenire, laudem dicere Deo (quam 1170 citharizantes illos (Apoc. XIV, 2) dicere prophetica lectione (Apoc. XV, 3, 4) comperimus: Quia magna mirabilia opera tua, Domine Deus omnipotens: justae et verae viae tuae, Rex gentium! Quis non timebit et magnificabit nomen tuum; quia solus sanctus es, quia omnes gentes venient et adorabunt ante te; videre quoque tuas, Jesu, nuptias, in quibus de terrenis ad coelestia, concinentibus omnium gaudiis sponsa deducitur; ad te enim omnis caro veniet (Psal. LXIV, 3), jam non saeculo obnoxia, sed spiritui copulata: videre thalamos ornatos byssino, rosis, liliis, et coronis. Cujus enim alterius sic ornantur nuptiae? Ornantur 1354B enim confessorum livore, martyrum sanguine, lillis virginum, coronis etiam sacerdotum?

133. Hoc sibi prae caeteris David sanctus optavit, ut haec spectaret et cerneret. Denique ait: Unam petivi a Domino, hanc requiram; ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnes dies vitae meae, et videam voluptatem Domini (Ps. XXVI, 4, 5).

134. Juvat hoc credere, sperare delectat: certe non credidisse poena est, sperasse gratia. Quod si in hoc erro, quia angelis me post mortem sociari malo, quam bestiis; libenter in hoc erro, neque umquam hac me opinione, dum vivo, fraudari patiar.

135. Quid enim mihi superest solatii, quam quod me citius ad te, frater, spero venturum, nec digressus 1354C tui inter nos longa divortia fore; tuisque intercessionibus mihi hoc posse conferri, ut citius desiderantem tui advoces. Quis enim est, qui non sibi debeat istud optare prae caeteris; ut corruptibile hoc induat incorruptelam, et mortale hoc induat immortalitatem (I Cor. XV, 53)? ut qui nunc morti corporis fragilitate succumbimus, supra naturam siti, mortem jam timere nequeamus.