XXXVII.—The Fanatics Who Judaize.

What! art thou half a Jew? wilt thou be half profane?  Whence thou shalt not when dead escape the judgment of Christ.  Thou thyself blindly wanderest, and foolishly goest in among the blind.  And thus the blind leadeth the blind into the ditch.  Thou goest whither thou knowest not, and thence ignorantly withdrawest.  Let them who are learning go to the learned, and let the learned depart.  But thou goest to those from whom thou canst learn nothing.  Thou goest forth before the doors, and thence also thou goest to the idols.  Ask first of all what is commanded in the law.  Let them tell thee if it be commanded to adore the gods; for they are ignored in respect of that which they are especially able to do.  But because they are guilty of that very crime, they relate nothing concerning the commandments of God save what is marvellous.  Then, however, they blindly lead you with them into the ditch.  There are deaths too well known by them to relate, or because the heaping up of the plough closes up the field.  The Almighty would not have them understand their King.  Why such a wickedness?  He Himself took refuge from those bloody men. He gave Himself to us by a superadded law.  Thence now they lie concealed with us, deserted by their King.  But if you think that in them there is hope, you are altogether in error if you worship God and heathen temples.

XXXVII.---QUI JUDAEIDIANT FANATICI.

0229A Quid? medius Judaeus, medius vis esse profanus? Unde non effugies judicium Christi defunctus. Ipse caecus eras, et ad caecos intras, inepte: Idcirco caecum caecus in fossam deducit; Vadis ubi nescis, et inscius inde recedis; Discentes ad doctos eant doctique recedant. At tu ad eos vadis, unde nihil discere possis. Exis pro foribus, inde et ad idola vadis Interroga primum quid sit in lege praeceptum; Dicant illi tibi, si jussum est deos adorare. Ignorantur enim propter quod maxime possunt. At illi quoniam rei sunt, ex ipso delicto Nihil de praeceptis Dei nisi mirabile narrant: 0229B Tunc tamen in fossam secum vos caeci deducunt. Funera sunt, nimium de illis nota referre. Aut quia concludit agrum congestus aratri. Noluit omnipotens illos intelligere regem; A scelere tanto refugit ipse cruentus. Tradidit sese nobis superaddita lege, Inde modo latitant nobiscum rege deserti. Caeterum in illis si spem esse putatis, In totum erratis, si Deum et fana colatis.