Chapter XLI.

You, therefore, are the sources of trouble in human affairs; on you lies the blame of public adversities, since you are ever attracting them—you by whom God is despised and images are worshipped. It should surely seem the more natural thing to believe that it is the neglected One who is angry, and not they to whom all homage is paid; or most unjustly they act, if, on account of the Christians, they send trouble on their own devotees, whom they are bound to keep clear of the punishments of Christians. But this, you say, hits your God as well, since He permits His worshippers to suffer on account of those who dishonour Him. But admit first of all His providential arrangings, and you will not make this retort. For He who once for all appointed an eternal judgment at the world’s close, does not precipitate the separation, which is essential to judgment, before the end.  Meanwhile He deals with all sorts of men alike, so that all together share His favours and reproofs. His will is, that outcasts and elect should have adversities and prosperities in common, that we should have all the same experience of His goodness and severity. Having learned these things from His own lips, we love His goodness, we fear His wrath, while both by you are treated with contempt; and hence the sufferings of life, so far as it is our lot to be overtaken by them, are in our case gracious admonitions, while in yours they are divine punishments. We indeed are not the least put about: for, first, only one thing in this life greatly concerns us, and that is, to get quickly out of it; and next, if any adversity befalls us, it is laid to the door of your transgressions. Nay, though we are likewise involved in troubles because of our close connection with you, we are rather glad of it, because we recognize in it divine foretellings, which, in fact, go to confirm the confidence and faith of our hope. But if all the evils you endure are inflicted on you by the gods you worship out of spite to us, why do you continue to pay homage to beings so ungrateful, and unjust; who, instead of being angry with you, should rather have been aiding and abetting you by persecuting Christians—keeping you clear of their sufferings?

CAPUT XLI.

Vos igitur importuni rebus humanis, vos reipublicorum incommodorum, vos malorum illices semper, apud quos Deus spernitur, statuae adorantur. Utique enim credibilius haberi debet, eum irasci qui negligatur, quam qui coluntur: aut nae illi iniquissimi, si propter Christianos etiam cultores suos laedunt, quos separare deberent a meritis Christianorum. Hoc, inquitis, et in Deum 0488B vestrum repercutere est, qui et ipse patiatur propter profanos etiam cultores suos laedi. Admittite prius dispositiones ejus, et non retorquebitis. Qui 0489A enim semel aeternum judicium destinavit post saeculi finem, non praecipitat discretionem, quae est conditio judicii, ante saeculi finem. Aequalis est interim super omne hominum genus et indulgens et increpans; communia voluit esse et commoda profanis et incommoda suis, ut pari consortio omnes et lenitatem ejus et severitatem experiremur. Quia haec ita didicimus apud ipsum, diligimus lenitatem, metuimus severitatem, vos contra utramque despicitis; et sequitur, ut omnes saeculi plagae nobis, si forte, in admonitionem, vobis in castigationem a Deo obveniant. Atquin nos nullo modo laedimur: imprimis quia nihil nostra refert in hoc aevo, nisi de eo quam celeriter excedere; dehinc, quia si quid adversi infligitur, vestris id meritis deputatur. 0489B Sed etsi aliqua nos quoque perstringunt ut vobis cohaerentes, laetamur magis recognitione divinarum praedicationum, confirmantium scilicet fiduciam et fidem spei nostrae. Si vero ab eis quos colitis omnia vobis mala eveniunt nostri caussa, quid colere perseveratis 0490A tam ingratos, tam injustos, qui magis vos in dolorem Christianorum juvare et asserere debuerant ?