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IV.

[1] Hanc igitui si a primordio constat et prohibitam de tot tantisque praeceptis et numquam inpune commissam de tot tantisque documentis nec ullum tam superbum crimen deputari apud deum, quam huiusmodi transgressionem, ultro intellegere debemus diuinarum et denuntiationum et executionum intentionem iam tunc martyriis patrocinatam non modo non dubitandis, uerum etiam sustinendis, quibus scilicet locum fecerat prohibendo idololatrian. Aliter enim martyria non euenirent. Et utique auctoritatem suam praestruxerat uolens ea euenire quibus locum fecerat. [2] Nunc enim de dei uoluntate conpungimur, et ingeminat scorpius plagam, hanc negans, hanc accusans uoluntatem, ut aut alium deum insinuet, cuius haec non sit uoluntas, aut nostrum nihilominus destruat, cuius talis sit uoluntas, aut omnino neget uoluntatem dei, si ipsum negare non poterit. [3] Nos autem de deo alibi dimicantes et de reliquo corpore haereticae cuiusque doctrinae nunc in unam speciem congressionis certas praeducimus lineas, non alterius dei quam Israelis eam defendentes uoluntatem quae martyriis locum fecerit, tam ex praeceptis prohibitae semper quam ex iudiciis punitae idololatriae. Si enim praeceptum obseruando uim patior, hoc erit quodammodo obseruandi praecepti praeceptum, ut id patiar per quod potero obseruare praeceptum, uim scilicet, quaecumque mihi imminet cauenda ab idololatria. [4] Et utique qui inponit praeceptum, extorquet obsequium. Non potuit ergo noluisse ea euenire per quae constabit obsequium. Praescribitur mihi, ne quem alium deum dicam, ne uel dicendo, non minus lingua quam manu, deum fingam neque alium adorem aut quo modo uenerer praeter unicum illum, qui ita mandat, quem et iubeor timere, ne ab eo deserar, et de omni substantia diligere, ut pro eo moriar. [5] Huic sacramento militans ab hostibus prouocor. Par sum illis, nisi illis manus dedero. Hoc defendendo depugno in acie, uulneror, concidor, occidor. Quis hunc militi suo exitum uoluit, nisi qui tali sacramento eum consignauit?

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Chapter IV.

If, therefore, it is evident that from the beginning this kind of worship has both been forbidden--witness the commands so numerous and weighty--and that it has never been engaged in without punishment following, as examples so numerous and impressive show, and that no offence is counted by God so presumptuous as a trespass of this sort, we ought further to perceive the purport of both the divine threatenings and their fulfilments, which was even then commended not only by the not calling in question, but also by the enduring of martyrdoms, for which certainly He had given occasion by forbidding idolatry. For otherwise martyrdoms would not take place. And certainly He had supplied, as a warrant for these, His own authority, willing those events to come to pass for the occurrence of which He had given occasion. At present (it is important), for we are getting severely stung concerning the will of God, and the scorpion repeats the prick, denying the existence of this will, finding fault with it, so that he either insinuates that there is another god, such that this is not his will, or none the less overthrows ours, seeing such is his will, or altogether denies this will of God, if he cannot deny Himself. But, for our part, contending elsewhere about God, and about all the rest of the body of heretical teaching, we now draw before us definite lines ¹ for one form of encounter, maintaining that this will, such as to have given occasion for martyrdoms, is that of not another god than the God of Israel, on the ground of the commandments relating to an always forbidden, as well as of the judgments upon a punished, idolatry. For if the keeping of a command involves the suffering of violence, this will be, so to speak, a command about keeping the command, requiring me to suffer that through which I shall be able to keep the command, violence namely, whatever of it threatens me when on my guard against idolatry. And certainly (in the case supposed) the Author of the command extorts compliance with it. He could not, therefore, have been unwilling that those events should come to pass by means of which the compliance will be manifest. The injunction is given me not to make mention of any other god, not even by speaking,--as little by the tongue as by the hand,--to fashion a god, and not to worship or in any way show reverence to another than Him only who thus commands me, whom I am both bid fear that I may not be forsaken by Him, and love with my whole being, that I may die for Him. Serving as a soldier under this oath, I am challenged by the enemy. If I surrender to them, I am as they are. In maintaining this oath, I fight furiously in battle, am wounded, hewn in pieces, slain. Who wished this fatal issue to his soldier, but he who sealed him by such an oath?