Chapter XLIX.

These are what are called presumptuous speculations in our case alone; in the philosophers and poets they are regarded as sublime speculations and illustrious discoveries. They are men of wisdom, we are fools. They are worthy of all honour, we are folk to have the finger pointed at; nay, besides that, we are even to have punishments inflicted on us. But let things which are the defence of virtue, if you will, have no foundation, and give them duly the name of fancies, yet still they are necessary; let them be absurd if you will, yet they are of use: they make all who believe them better men and women, under the fear of never-ending punishment and the hope of never-ending bliss.  It is not, then, wise to brand as false, nor to regard as absurd, things the truth of which it is expedient to presume.  On no ground is it right positively to condemn as bad what beyond all doubt is profitable. Thus, in fact, you are guilty of the very presumption of which you accuse us, in condemning what is useful. It is equally out of the question to regard them as nonsensical; at any rate, if they are false and foolish, they hurt nobody. For they are just (in that case) like many other things on which you inflict no penalties—foolish and fabulous things, I mean, which, as quite innocuous, are never charged as crimes or punished. But in a thing of the kind, if this be so indeed, we should be adjudged to ridicule, not to swords, and flames, and crosses, and wild beasts, in which iniquitous cruelty not only the blinded populace exults and insults over us, but in which some of you too glory, not scrupling to gain the popular favour by your injustice. As though all you can do to us did not depend upon our pleasure.  It is assuredly a matter of my own inclination, being a Christian. Your condemnation, then, will only reach me in that case, if I wish to be condemned; but when all you can do to me, you can do only at my will, all you can do is dependent on my will, and is not in your power. The joy of the people in our trouble is therefore utterly reasonless.  For it is our joy they appropriate to themselves, since we would far rather be condemned than apostatize from God; on the contrary, our haters should be sorry rather than rejoice, as we have obtained the very thing of our own choice.

CAPUT XLIX.

Haec sunt quae in nobis solis praesumptiones vocantur, in Philosophis et Poetis summae scientiae et insignia 0528B ingenia. Illi prudentes, nos inepti ; illi honorandi, 0529A nos irridendi, imo eo amplius et puniendi. Falsa nunc sint quae tuemur, et merito praesumptiones, attamen necessaria; inepta, attamen utilia; si quidem meliores fieri coguntur, qui eis credunt metu aeterni supplicii et spe aeterni refrigerii. Itaque non expedit falsa dici, nec inepta haberi, quae expedit vera praesumi. Nullo titulo damnari licet omnino quae prosunt . In vobis itaque praesumptio est haec ipsa, quae damnat utilia. Proinde nec inepta esse possunt; certe etsi falsa et inepta, nulli tamen noxia; nam et multis aliis similia, quibus nullas poenas irrogatis, vanis et fabulosis, inaccusatis et impunitis, ut innoxiis. Sed in ejusmodi errores (si utique) irrisu judicandum est , non gladiis et ignibus, et crucibus, et bestiis; de qua iniquitate saevitiae non modo caecum hoc vulgus exsultat, 0529B sed et quidam vestrum, quibus favor vulgi de iniquitate captatur, gloriantur, quasi non totum, quod in nos potestis, nostrum sit arbitrium. Certe, si velim, christianus sum: tunc ergo me damnabis, si damnari velim; cum vero quod in me potes, nisi velim, non potes, jam meae voluntatis est quod potes, non tuae potestatis. Proinde et vulgus vane de nostra vexatione gaudet; proinde enim nostrum est gaudium, quod sibi vindicat, qui malumus damnari, quam a Deo excidere: contra, illi qui nos oderunt, dolere, 0530A non gaudere debebant, consecutis nobis quod elegimus .