§150 si audire eos uelis et uidere, quando adiurantur a nobis, torquentur spiritalibus flagris et uerborum tormentis de obsessis corporibus eiciuntur, quando eiulantes et gementes uoce humana et potestate diuina flagella et uerbera sentientes uenturum iudicium confitentur.
Oh, if you would only hear and see them, when they are adjured by us, they are tortured with spiritual scourges and cast out from the possessed bodies by the torments of words, when, wailing and groaning with a human voice and by divine power feeling the scourges and stripes, they confess the judgment to come.
ueni et cognosce uera esse quae dicimus: et quia sic deos colere te dicis, uel ipsis crede quos colis.
Come and know that what we say is true; and since you say that you so worship the gods, believe at least those very ones whom you worship.
aut si uolueris et tibi credere, de te ipso loquetur audiente te qui nunc tuum pectus obsedit, qui nunc mentem tuam ignorantiae nocte caecauit.
Or if you would also believe yourself, he who has now occupied your breast, who has now blinded your mind with the night of ignorance, shall speak of yourself in your own hearing.
uidebis nos rogari ab eis quos tu rogas, timeri ab eis quos tu adoras: uidebis sub manu nostra stare uinctos et tremere captiuos quos tu suspicis et ueneraris ut dominos.
You will see that we are entreated by those whom you entreat, and feared by those whom you adore: you will see standing bound under our hand and trembling as captives those whom you look up to and venerate as lords.
certe uel sic confundi in istis erroribus tuis poteris, quando conspecxeris et audieris deos tuos quid sint interrogatione nostra statim prodere et praesentibus licet uobis praestigias illas et fallacias suas non posse celare.
Certainly even thus you will be able to be confounded in those errors of yours, when you see and hear your gods immediately betray what they are at our questioning, and, although you are present, be unable to conceal those deceptions and fallacies of theirs.
§16Quae ergo mentis ignauia est, immo quae desipientium caeca et stulta dementia ad lucem de tenebris non uenire et mortis aeternae laqueis uinctos spem nolle inmortalitatis excipere, non metuere Deum conminantem et dicentem: sacrificans diis eradicabitur nisi Domino soli. et iterum: adorauerunt eos quos fecerunt digiti eorum, et curuatus est homo et humiliatus est uir, et non laxabo illis? quid te ad falsos deos humilias et inclinas, quid ante inepta simulacra et figmenta terrena captiuum corpus incuruas? rectum te Deus fecit et cum cetera animalia prona et ad terram situ uergente depressa sint, tibi sublimis status et ad caelum adque ad Dominum susum uultus erectus est.
What sluggishness of mind is it then, nay, what blind and foolish madness of the witless, not to come from darkness to light, and, bound in the snares of eternal death, to refuse to receive the hope of immortality, not to fear God when He threatens and says: "He that sacrifices unto gods shall be rooted out, save unto the Lord only." And again: "They worshipped those things which their own fingers made, and man was bowed down, and the husbandman was humbled, and I will not forgive them." Why do you humble and bend yourself to false gods? Why do you bow down your captive body before foolish images and earthly fabrications? Upright God made you; and while other animals are prone, and depressed with their posture inclining to the earth, to you is given a lofty stature, and your countenance is raised upward to heaven and to the Lord.
illuc intuere, illuc oculos tuos dirige, in supernis Deum quaere.
Look thither, direct your eyes thither, seek God in the heights.
ut carere inferis possis, ad alta et caelestia suspensum pectus adtolle.
That you may be free from hell, lift up your heart suspended to high and heavenly things.
quid te in lapsum mortis cum serpente quem colis sternis? quid in ruinam diaboli per ipsum et cum ipso cadis? sublimitatem serua qua natus es. perseuera talis qualis a Deo factus es.
Why do you prostrate yourself to the fall of death with the serpent whom you worship? Why do you fall into the ruin of the devil through him and with him? Keep the dignity in which you were born; persevere such as you were made by God.
cum statu oris et corporis animum tuum statue.
With the posture of your face and body, establish your mind.
ut cognoscere Deum possis, te ante cognosce.
That you may be able to know God, first know yourself.
relinque idola quae humanus error inuenit.
Leave the idols which human error has invented.
ad Deum conuertere: quem si inploraueris, subuenit.
Turn to God, whom if you implore, He helps.
Christo crede quem uiuificandis ac reparandis nobis pater misit.
Believe in Christ, whom the Father sent to quicken and restore us.
laedere seruos Dei et Christi persecutionibus tuis desine quos laesos ultio diuina defendit.
Cease to hurt the servants of God and of Christ with your persecutions, whom, when injured, divine vengeance defends.
§17Inde est enim quod nemo nostrum quando adprehenditur reluctatur nec se aduersus iniustam uiolentiam uestram quamuis nimius et copiosus noster populus ulciscitur.
For hence it is that none of us, when he is apprehended, makes resistance, nor avenges himself against your unjust violence, although our people are extremely numerous and abundant.
patientes facit de secutura ultione securitas.
Our security concerning the vengeance that is to follow makes us patient.
innocentes nocentibus cedunt, insontes poenis et cruciatibus acquiescunt certi et fidentes quod inultum non remaneat quodcumque perpetimur quantoque maior fuerit persecutionis iniuria tanto iustior fiat et grauior pro persecutione uindicta.
The innocent yield to the harmful, the guiltless acquiesce in punishments and tortures, certain and confident that whatever we suffer does not remain unavenged; and that the greater the injury of persecution has been, the more just and heavy becomes the vengeance for the persecution.
nec umquam impiorum scelere in nostrum nomen exurgitur, ut non statim diuinitus uindicta comitetur.
Nor is there ever a rising up against our name by the wickedness of the impious, but that divine vengeance immediately accompanies it.
ut memorias taceamus antiquas et ultiones pro cultoribus Dei saepe repetitas nullo uocis praeconio reuoluamus, documentum recentis rei satis est quod sic celeriter quodque in tanta celeritate sic granditer nuper secuta defensio est ruinis rerum, iacturis opum, dispendio militum, deminutione castrorum.
To say nothing of ancient memories, and not to turn over with any heraldry of voice the vengeance so often repeated for the worshippers of God, the proof of a recent matter is sufficient, that so quickly and, in such great speed, so grandly of late protection has followed in the ruin of affairs, the loss of wealth, the expenditure of soldiers, and the diminution of camps.
nec hoc casu accidisse aliquis existimet aut fuisse fortuitum putet, cum iam pridem scriptura diuina posuerit et dixerit: mihi uindictam, ego retribuam, dicit Dominus, et iterum Spiritus sanctus praemoneat et dicat: ne dixeris: ulciscar me de inimico meo, sed expecta Dominum ut tibi auxilio sit. unde clarum est adque manifestum quia non per nos sed pro nobis accidunt cuncta ista quae de Dei indignatione descendunt.
Nor let anyone think that this happened by chance, or suppose it to be fortuitous, since long ago the divine Scripture laid down and said: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord"; and again the Holy Spirit forewarns and says: "Do not say, I will avenge myself on my enemy; but wait for the Lord, that He may be a help to you." Whence it is clear and manifest that all those things which descend from the indignation of God happen not through us, but for us.