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On Idolatry

Chapter XXI.--Of Silent Acquiescence in Heathen Formularies.

But it is a mark of timidity, when some other man binds you in the name of his gods, by the making of an oath, or by some other form of attestation, and you, for fear of discovery, ¹ remain quiet. For you equally, by remaining quiet, affirm their majesty, by reason of which majesty you will seem to be bound. What matters it, whether you affirm the gods of the nations by calling them gods, or by hearing them so called? Whether you swear by idols, or, when adjured by another, acquiesce? Why should we not recognize the subtleties of Satan, who makes it his aim that, what he cannot effect by our mouth, he may effect by the mouth of his servants, introducing idolatry into us through our ears? At all events, whoever the adjurer is, he binds you to himself either in friendly or unfriendly conjunction. If in unfriendly, you are now challenged unto battle, and know that you must fight. If in friendly, with how far greater security will you transfer your engagement unto the Lord, that you may dissolve the obligation of him through whose means the Evil One was seeking to annex you to the honour of idols, that is, to idolatry! All sufferance of that kind is idolatry. You honour those to whom, when imposed as authorities, you have rendered respect. I know that one (whom the Lord pardon!), when it had been said to him in public during a law-suit, "Jupiter be wroth with you," answered, "On the contrary, with you." What else would a heathen have done who believed Jupiter to be a god? For even had he not retorted the malediction by Jupiter (or other such like), yet, by merely returning a curse, he would have confirmed the divinity of Jove, showing himself irritated by a malediction in Jove's name. For what is there to be indignant at, (if cursed) in the name of one whom you know to be nothing? For if you rave, you immediately affirm his existence, and the profession of your fear will be an act of idolatry. How much more, while you are returning the malediction in the name of Jupiter himself, are you doing honour to Jupiter in the same way as he who provoked you! But a believer ought to laugh in such cases, not to rave; nay, according to the precept, ² not to return a curse in the name of God even, but dearly to bless in the name of God, that you may both demolish idols and preach God, and fulfil discipline.

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De Idololatria

XXI.

[1] Timiditatis est autem, cum te alius per deos suos obligat iuratione uel aliqua testificatione et tu, ne intellegaris, quiescis. Nam aeque quiescendo confirmas maiestatem eorum, cuius causa uideberis obligatus. [2] Quid refert, deos nationum dicendo deos an audiendo confirmes ? Iures per idola, an ab alio adiuratus acquiescas ? Cur non agnoscamus uersutias satanae, qui, quod ore nostro perficere non potest, id agit, ut suorum ore perficiat per aures inferens nobis idololatriam ? Certe quisquis ille est, aut amica aut inimica congressione adstringit. [3] Si inimica, iam ad pugnam uocaris et scis tibi dimicandum esse : si amica, quanto securius in dominum transferes sponsionem tuam, ut dissoluas obligationem eius, per quem te malus honori idolorum id est idololatriae quaerebat annectere. [4] Omnis patientia eiusmodi idololatria. Honoras eos, quibus impositis obsequium praestitisti. Scio quendam, cui dominus ignoscat, cum illi in publico per litem dictum esset: Iupiter tibi sit iratus, respondisse : immo tibi. Quid aliter fecisset ethnicus, qui Iouem deum credidit ? Etiamsi non per eundem retorsisset maledictum nec per ullum Iouis similem, confirmauerat Iouem deum, per quem se maledictum indigne tulisse demonstrauerat remaledicens. [5] Ad quid enim indigneris per eum, quem scis nihil esse ? Iam si insanis, iam esse confirmas, et erit idololatria professio timoris tui : quanto magis, cum per ipsum remaledicis, eodem Iouis honorem facis, quo et ille, qui te prouocauit? Fidelis autem in eiusmodi ridere debet, non insanire, immo, secundum praeceptum, ne per deum quidem remaledicere, sed plane benedicere per deum, ut et idola destruas et deum praedices et adimpleas disciplinam.