§14Eant nunc isti et adhuc contra christianam religionem, contra uerum dei cultum uanitates pristinas defensitare audeant, ut cum strepitu pereant.
Let them go now and still dare to defend their ancient vanities against the Christian religion, against the true worship of God, that they may perish with a noise.
nam et hoc de illis praedictum est in Psalmis dicente propheta: sedisti super thronum, qui iudicas aequitatem.
For this also was predicted of them in the Psalms, the prophet saying: "You sat upon the throne, who judge justice.
increpasti gentes, et periit inpius; nomen eorum delesti in aeternum et in saeculum saeculi.
You rebuked the nations, and the wicked one perished; You blotted out their name forever and ever.
inimici defecerunt frameae in finem, et ciuitates eorum destruxisti: periit memoria eorum cum strepitu.
The swords of the enemy have failed utterly, and their cities You destroyed; their memory perished with a noise.
et dominus in aeternum manet. necesse est ergo, ut inpleantur haec omnia; nec quod adhuc audent ipsi pauci, qui remanserunt, uaniloquas suas ostentare doctrinas et christianos tamquam inperitissimos inridere, moueri debemus, dum in eis inpleri ea, quae praedicta sunt, uideamus.
But the Lord remains forever." It is necessary, therefore, that all these things be fulfilled; nor ought we to be moved because they, the few who have remained, still dare to display their vain-talking doctrines and to mock Christians as most ignorant, while we see those things which were predicted being fulfilled in them.
ipsa quippe uelut inperitiae stultitia christianorum, quae humilibus et sanctis eiusque diligenter studiosis adparet excelsa et sola uera sapientia, ipsa, inquam, uelut stultitia christianorum eos ad istam paucitatem redigit, quoniam, sicut dicit apostolus, stultam fecit deus sapientiam huius mundi. deinde subiungit rem mirabilem, si quis intellegat, et ita sequitur: nam quoniam in dei sapientia non cognouit mundus per sapientiam deum, placuit deo per stultitiam praedicationis saluos facere credentes; quoniam quidem Iudaei signa petunt et Graeci sapientiam quaerunt, nos autem praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam, ipsis uero uocatis, Iudaeis et Graecis, Christum dei uirtutem et dei sapientiam; quoniam quod stultum est dei, sapientius est hominibus, et quod infirmum est dei, fortius est hominibus. inrideant ergo, quantum possunt, tamquam inperitiam et stultitiam nostram et iactent doctrinam et sapientiam suam.
For that very same, as it were, foolishness of the ignorance of Christians, which to the humble and holy and those diligently studious of it appears as lofty and the only true wisdom, that very same, I say, as it were, foolishness of Christians reduces them to this small number, because, as the apostle says, "God made foolish the wisdom of this world." Then he subjoins a wonderful thing, if anyone understands, and so it follows: "For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe; since indeed the Jews demand signs and the Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God; because that which is foolish of God is wiser than men, and that which is weak of God is stronger than men." Let them, therefore, mock as much as they can, as it were, our ignorance and foolishness, and boast of their doctrine and wisdom.
illud scio, quod isti inrisores nostri pauciores sunt hoc anno, quam fuerunt priore anno.
This I know, that these mockers of ours are fewer this year than they were in the previous year.
ex quo enim fremuerunt gentes, et populi meditati sunt inania aduersus dominum et aduersus Christum eius, quando ab eis fundebatur sanguis sanctorum et uastabatur ecclesia, usque ad hoc tempus et deinceps cotidie minuuntur.
For from the time when the nations raged, and the peoples devised vain things against the Lord and against His Christ, when the blood of the saints was shed by them and the church was laid waste, up to this time and henceforth they are daily diminished.
nos autem aduersus eorum obprobria et superbas inrisiones fortissimos reddunt oracula dei nostri, quae de hac quoque re uidemus et gaudemus inpleri.
But against their reproaches and proud mockings, the oracles of our God make us most strong, which we see and rejoice to be fulfilled in this matter also.
sic enim loquitur propheta: audite me, qui scitis iudicium, populus meus, in quorum corde lex mea est; obprobrium hominum nolite metuere, et detractatione eorum ne superemini, nec quod uos spernant, magni duxeritis.
For thus speaks the prophet: "Hear me, you who know judgment, my people, in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of men, and be not overcome by their detraction, nor think much of their despising you.
sicut enim uestimentum ita per tempus absumentur et sicut lana a tinea comedentur, iustitia autem mea in aeternum manet. legant tamen haec nostra, si dignantur.
For like a garment so in time they shall be consumed, and like wool they shall be eaten by the moth, but my justice remains forever." Yet let them read these writings of ours, if they deign to do so.
cum ad nos contradictiones eorum peruenerint, quantum dominus adiuuat, respondebimus.
When their contradictions reach us, as far as the Lord helps, we shall respond.
§retractationesLOCI LIBR. RETRACTATIONVM.
De diuinatione daemonum pag. 608, 3-5.
LOCI LIBR. RETRACTATIONVM. De diuinatione daemonum pag. 608, 3-5.
Retract.
Retract.
II 30.
II 30.
In eius autem quodam loco, ubi dixi daemones aliquando et hominum dispositiones non solum uoce prolatas, uerum etiam cogitatione conceptas, cum signa quaedam ex animo exprimuntur in corpore, tota facilitate perdiscere, rem dixi occultissimam audaciore asseueratione quam debui.
In a certain passage of it, where I said that demons sometimes learn with all ease even the dispositions of men, not only those uttered by the voice but also those conceived in thought, when certain signs are expressed from the mind in the body, I spoke of a most hidden matter with a bolder assertion than I ought to have.
nam peruenire ista ad notitiam daemonum per nonnulla etiam experimenta compertum est; sed utrum signa quaedam dentur ex corpore cogitantium illis sensibilia, nos autem latentia, an alia ui et ea spiritali ista cognoscant, aut difficillime potest ab hominibus aut omnino non potest inueniri.
For that these things come to the knowledge of demons has been found also through several experiences; but whether some signs are given from the body of those thinking which are sensible to them but latent to us, or whether they know these things by some other power and that a spiritual one, can either only with the greatest difficulty or not at all be found out by men.