§19Hinc et illa soluitur quaestio, quomodo martyres ipsis beneficiis, quae dantur orantibus, indicant se interesse rebus humanis, si nesciunt mortui, quid agant uiui.
Hence also that question is resolved: how do the martyrs, by the very benefits which are given to those who pray, indicate that they are present in human affairs, if the dead do not know what the living do?
non enim solis beneficiorum effectibus, uerum ipsis etiam hominum aspectibus confessorem adparuisse Felicem, cuius inquilinatum pie diligis, cum a barbaris Nola obpugnaretur, audiuimus non incertis rumoribus, sed testibus certis.
For that the confessor Felix, whose residence you piously love, appeared when Nola was being besieged by the barbarians, not only by the effects of benefits, but even to the very sight of men, we have heard not by uncertain rumors, but from sure witnesses.
uerum ista diuinitus exhibentur longe aliter, quam sese habet usitatus ordo singulis creaturarum generibus adtributus.
But these things are displayed divinely far otherwise than the usual order assigned to each genus of creatures behaves.
non enim quia in uinum aqua, cum uoluit dominus, repente conuersa est, ideo non debemus, quid aqua ualeat in elementorum ordine proprio, ab istius diuini operis raritate uel potius singularitate discernere; nec quoniam Lazarus resurrexit, ideo mortuus omnis, quando uult, surgit aut eo modo exanimis a uiuente quomodo a uigilante dormiens excitatur.
For it is not the case that, because water was, when the Lord willed, suddenly turned into wine, we ought not therefore to distinguish what water can do in its own proper order of elements from the rarity or rather singularity of this divine work; nor, because Lazarus rose, does every dead person therefore rise when he wants, or in that manner is a lifeless person excited by a living as a sleeper is by a sleeper's waker.
alii sunt humanarum limites rerum, alia diuinarum signa uirtutum; alia sunt, quae naturaliter, alia, quae mirabiliter fiunt, quamuis et naturae deus adsit, ut sit, et miraculis natura non desit.
Some are the limits of human affairs, others the signs of divine virtues; some are the things that happen naturally, others that happen wonderfully, although God is present both to nature, so that it exists, and nature is not lacking to miracles.
non igitur ideo putandum est uiuorum rebus quoslibet interesse posse defunctos, quoniam quibusdam sanandis uel adiuuandis martyres adsunt, sed ideo potius intellegendum est, quod per diuinam potentiam martyres uiuorum rebus intersunt, quoniam defuncti per naturam propriam uiuorum rebus interesse non possunt.
Therefore, it is not on that account to be thought that any of the deceased can be present in the affairs of the living because the martyrs are present to heal or help some, but on that account it is rather to be understood that the martyrs are present in the affairs of the living through divine power, since the deceased through their own proper nature cannot be present in the affairs of the living.
§20Quamquam ista quaestio uires intellegentiae meae uincit, quemadmodum opitulentur martyres his, quos per eos certum est adiuuari: utrum ipsi per se ipsos adsint uno tempore tam diuersis locis et tanta inter se longinquitate discretis, siue ubi sunt eorum memoriae siue praeter suas memorias, ubicumque adesse sentiuntur, an ipsis in loco suis meritis congruo ab omni mortalium conuersatione remotis et tamen generaliter orantibus pro indigentia supplicantum — sicut nos oramus pro mortuis, quibus utique non praesentamur nec ubi sint uel quid agant scimus — deus omnipotens, qui est ubique praesens nec concretus nobis nec remotus a nobis. exaudiens martyrum preces, per angelica ministeria usquequaque diffusa praebeat hominibus ista solacia, quibus in huius uitae miseria iudicat esse praebenda, et suorum martyrum merita ubi uult, quando uult, quomodo uult, maximeque per eorum memorias, quoniam hoc nouit expedire nobis ad aedificandam fidem Christi, pro cuius illi confessione sunt passi, mirabili atque ineffabili potestate ac bonitate commendet.
Although this question surpasses the strength of my understanding, how the martyrs help those whom it is certain are aided by them: whether they themselves are present by themselves at one time in places so diverse and separated by so great a distance from one another, whether where their memorials are, or besides their memorials, wherever they are felt to be present; or whether, while they themselves are removed from all conversation of mortals in a place suitable to their merits, and yet praying generally for the needs of those who supplicate—just as we pray for the dead, to whom indeed we are not present, nor do we know where they are or what they do—almighty God, who is everywhere present, neither mixed with us nor removed from us, hearing the prayers of the martyrs, through angelic ministries diffused everywhere, grants to men those consolations which He judges ought to be granted in the misery of this life, and commends the merits of His martyrs where He wills, when He wills, how He wills, and especially through their memorials, since He knows this is expedient for us to build up the faith of Christ, for whose confession they suffered, by a wonderful and ineffable power and goodness.
res est haec altior, quam ut a me possit adtingi, et abstrusior, quam ut a me ualeat perscrutari.
This matter is higher than can be reached by me, and more abstruse than can be searched out by me.
et ideo quid horum duorum sit, an uero fortassis utrumque sit, ut aliquando ista fiant per ipsam praesentiam martyrum, aliquando per angelos suscipientes personam martyrum, definire non audeo.
And therefore, which of these two it is, or whether perhaps both are the case, so that sometimes these things happen through the very presence of the martyrs, sometimes through angels assuming the persona of the martyrs, I do not dare to define.
mallem ab scientibus ista perquirere.
I would prefer to inquire of those who know these things.
neque enim nemo est, qui haec sciat, non qui sibi scire uideatur et nesciat.
For there is not no one who knows these, not who seems to himself to know and does not know.
dona enim dei sunt his alia et illis alia largientis secundum apostolum, qui dicit unicuique dari manifestationem spiritus ad utilitatem.
For these are the gifts of God who distributes some to these and others to those, according to the Apostle, who says that to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for utility.
alii quidem, inquit, datur per spiritum sermo sapientiae; alii sermo scientiae secundum eundem spiritum; alteri autem fides in eodem spiritu; alii donatio curationum in uno spiritu; alii operationes uirtutum; alii prophetia; alii diiudicatio spirituum; alii genera linguarum;
"To one indeed," he says, "is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith in the same Spirit; to another the gift of healing in the one Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
alii interpretatio sermonum: omnia autem haec operatur unus atque idem spiritus diuidens propria unicuique prout uult. horum omnium spiritalium donorum, quae commemorauit apostolus, cuicumque data est diiudicatio spirituum, ipse scit ista sicut scienda sunt.
But all these things one and the same Spirit works, dividing proper things to each as He wills." Whosoever of all these spiritual gifts which the Apostle commemorated has been given the discerning of spirits, he knows these things as they ought to be known.