Edition Masquer
Ad Demetrianum [CSEL]

§ 16

Quae ergo mentis ignauia est, immo quae desipientium caeca et stulta dementia ad lucem de tenebris non uenire et mortis aeternae laqueis uinctos spem nolle inmortalitatis excipere, non metuere Deum conminantem et dicentem: sacrificans diis eradicabitur nisi Domino soli. et iterum: adorauerunt eos quos fecerunt digiti eorum, et curuatus est homo et humiliatus est uir, et non laxabo illis? quid te ad falsos deos humilias et inclinas, quid ante inepta simulacra et figmenta terrena captiuum corpus incuruas? rectum te Deus fecit et cum cetera animalia prona et ad terram situ uergente depressa sint, tibi sublimis status et ad caelum adque ad Dominum susum uultus erectus est. illuc intuere, illuc oculos tuos dirige, in supernis Deum quaere. ut carere inferis possis, ad alta et caelestia suspensum pectus adtolle. quid te in lapsum mortis cum serpente quem colis sternis ? quid in ruinam diaboli per ipsum et cum ipso cadis? sublimitatem serua qua natus es. perseuera talis qualis a Deo factus es. cum statu oris et corporis animum tuum statue. ut cognoscere Deum possis, teantecognosce¹. relinque idola quae humanus error inuenit. ad Dawn² conuertere: quem si inploraueris, subuenit. Christo crede quem uiuificandis ac reparandis nobis pater misit. laedere seruos Dei et Christi persecutionibus tuis desine quos laesos ultio diuina defendit.

Traduction Masquer
An Address to Demetrianus

16.

What, then, is that sluggishness of mind; yea, what blind and stupid madness of fools, to be unwilling to come out of darkness into light, and to be unwilling, when bound in the toils of eternal death, to receive the hope of immortality, and not to fear God when He threatens and says, "He that sacrifices unto any gods, but unto the Lord only, shall be rooted out?" ¹ And again: "They worshipped them whom their fingers made; and the mean man hath bowed down, and the great man hath humbled himself, and I will not forgive them." ² Why do you humble and bend yourself to false gods? Why do you bow your body captive before foolish images and creations of earth? God made you upright; and while other animals are downlooking, and are depressed in posture bending towards the earth, yours is a lofty attitude; and your countenance is raised upwards to heaven, and to God. Look thither, lift your eyes thitherward, seek God in the highest, that you may be free from things below; lift your heart to a dependence on high and heavenly things. Why do you prostrate yourself into the ruin of death with the serpent whom you worship? Why do you fall into the destruction of the devil, by his means and in his company? Keep the lofty estate in which you were born. Continue such as you were made by God. To the posture of your countenance and of your body, conform your soul. That you may be able to know God, first know yourself. Forsake the idols which human error has invented. Be turned to God, whom if you implore He will aid you. Believe in Christ, whom ³ the Father has sent to quicken and restore us. Cease to hurt the servants of God and of Christ with your persecutions, since when they are injured the divine vengeance defends them.