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De lapsis (PL)

XXIII.

Accipe potius et admitte quae loquimur. Quid surdae aures salutaria praecepta non audiunt quae monemus? quid caeci oculi poenitentiae iter non vident [Col. 0484B] quod ostendimus? quid perculsa et alienata mens remedia vitalia non percipit quae de Scripturis coelestibus et discimus et docemus? Aut si incredulis quibusdam minor fides est futurorum, vel praesentibus terreantur. Ecce eorum qui negaverunt quae supplicia conspicimus, quos eorum tristes exitus flemus? Nec hic esse sine poena possunt, quamvis necdum dies venerit poenae. Plectuntur interim quidam, quo caeteri corrigantur. Exempla sunt omnium tormenta paucorum.

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On the Lapsed

23.

Receive rather, and admit what we say. Why do your deaf ears not hear the salutary precepts with which we warn you? Why do your blind eyes not see the way of repentance which we point out? Why does your stricken and alienated mind not perceive the lively remedies which we both learn and teach from the heavenly Scriptures? ¹ Or if some unbelievers have little faith in future events, let them be terrified with present ones. Lo, what punishments do we behold of those who have denied! what sad deaths of theirs do we bewail! Not even here can they be without punishment, although the day of punishment has not yet arrived. Some are punished in the meantime, that others may be corrected. The torments of a few are the examples of all.