§1Pax ecce, dilectissimi fratres, ecclesiae reddita est et quod difficile nuper incredulis ac perfidis inpossibile uidebatur, ope adque ultione diuina securitas nostra reparata est.
Behold, dearest brothers, peace has been restored to the Church, and what recently seemed difficult to the unbelieving and impossible to the treacherous—our security has been repaired by divine help and vengeance.
in laetitiam mentes redeunt et tempestate pressurae ac nube discussa tranquillitas ac serenitas refulserunt.
Minds return to joy, and the storm of oppression and the cloud having been dispersed, tranquility and serenity have shone forth again.
dandae laudes Deo et beneficia eius ac munera cum gratiarum actione celebranda, quamuis agere gratias nostra uox nec in persecutione cessauerit: neque enim tantum licere inimico potest, ut non qui Deum corde toto et anima et uirtute diligimus benedictiones eius et laudes semper et ubique cum gloria praedicemus. exoptatus uotis omnibus dies uenit et post longae noctis horribilem taetramque caliginem Domini luce radiatus mundus eluxit.
Praises must be given to God and His benefits and gifts celebrated with thanksgiving, although our voice did not cease to give thanks even in persecution: for the enemy cannot have so much power allowed to him, that we who love God with all our heart and soul and strength should not always and everywhere proclaim His blessings and praises with glory.
§2Confessores praeconio boni nominis claros et uirtutis ac fidei laudibus gloriosos laetis conspectibus intuemur, sanctis osculis adhaerentes desideratos diuina et inexplebili cupiditate conplectimur.
The day longed for by all vows has come, and after the horrible and foul darkness of a long night, the world shone out, radiated by the light of the Lord. We behold with joyful looks the confessors, illustrious with the heraldry of a good name and glorious in the praises of virtue and faith; clinging to them with holy kisses, we embrace those long-desired with a divine and insatiable longing.
adest militum Christi cors candida, qui persecutionis urgentis ferociam turbulentam stabili congressione fregerunt, parati ad patientiam carceris, armati ad tolerantiam mortis.
Present is the white cohort of Christ's soldiers, who broke the turbulent ferocity of the pressing persecution with a stable conflict, prepared for the endurance of prison, armed for the tolerance of death.
repugnastis fortiter saeculo, spectaculum gloriosum praebuistis Deo, secuturis fratribus fuistis exemplo.
You resisted the world bravely, you presented a glorious spectacle to God, you were an example to the brothers who are to follow.
religiosa uox Christum locuta est, in quem se semel credidisse confessa est: inlustres manus quae non nisi diuinis operibus adsueuerant sacrificiis sacrilegis restiterunt: sanctificata ora caelestibus cibis post corpus et sanguinem Domini profana contagia et idolorum reliquias respuerunt: ab inpio sceleratoque uelamine quo illic uelabantur sacrificantium capita captiua caput uestrum liberum mansit: frons cum signo Dei pura diaboli coronam ferre non potuit, coronae se Domini reseruauit.
A religious voice spoke of Christ, in whom it confessed that it had once believed: illustrious hands, which had been accustomed to nothing but divine works, resisted the sacrilegious sacrifices: mouths sanctified by heavenly foods, after the body and blood of the Lord, rejected profane contagions and the remains of idols: from the impious and wicked veil with which the captive heads of those sacrificing were veiled there, your free head remained free: the forehead, pure with the sign of God, could not bear the crown of the devil, but reserved itself for the crown of the Lord.
quam uos laeto sinu excipit mater ecclesia de proelio reuertentes! quam beata, quam gaudens portas suas aperit, ut adunatis agminibus intretis de hoste prostrato tropaea referentes! cum triumphantibus uiris et feminae ueniunt quae cum saeculo sexum quoque uicerunt.
How happily mother Church receives you into her bosom as you return from battle! How blessed, how rejoicing she opens her gates, so that with united ranks you may enter, bringing back trophies from the prostrate enemy! With the triumphant men come also women, who with the world have also conquered their sex.
ueniunt et geminata militiae suae gloria uirgines et pueri annos suos uirtutibus transeuntes.
There come also, with the doubled glory of their warfare, virgins and boys transcending their years by their virtues.
nec non et cetera stantium multitudo uestram gloriam sequitur, proximis et paene coniunctis laudis insignibus uestigia uestra comitatur.
Nor indeed does the remaining multitude of those who stood firm fail to follow your glory, accompanying your footsteps with insignias of praise that are very close and almost joined to yours.
eadem et in illis sinceritas cordis, eadem fidei tenacis integritas.
In them is the same sincerity of heart, the same integrity of tenacious faith.
inconcussis praeceptorum caelestium radicibus nixos et euangelicis traditionibus roboratos non praescripta exsilia, non destinata tormenta, non rei familiaris et corporis supplicia terruerunt.
Leaning upon the unshaken roots of the heavenly precepts and strengthened by evangelical traditions, neither prescribed exiles, nor destined torments, nor punishments of estate and body terrified them.
explorandae fidei praefiniebantur dies: sed qui saeculo renuntiasse se meminit nullum saeculi diem nouit, nec tempora terrena iam conputat qui aeternitatem de Deo sperat. §3Nemo, fratres, nemo hanc gloriam mutilet, nemo incorruptam stantium firmitatem maligna obtrectatione debilitet.
Days were prearranged for testing faith; but he who remembers that he has renounced the world knows no day of the world, nor does he now compute earthly times who hopes for eternity from God. Let no one, brothers, let no one mutilate this glory; let no one weaken the incorrupt firmness of those who stood firm with malicious detraction.
cum dies negantibus praestitutus excessit, quisque professus intra diem non est Christianum se esse confessus est.
When the day appointed for those denying has passed, whoever did not register [apostasy] within that day confessed that he was a Christian.
primus est uictoriae titulus gentilium manibus adprehensum Dominum confiteri: secundus ad gloriam gradus est cauta secessione subtractum iam Deo reseruari.
The first title of victory is to confess the Lord when apprehended by the hands of the gentiles: the second step to glory is, having withdrawn by a cautious retreat, to reserve oneself now for God.
illa publica, haec priuata confessio est: ille iudicem saeculi uincit, hic contentus Deo suo iudice conscientiam puram cordis integritate custodit: illic fortitudo promptior, hic sollicitudo securior.
That is a public, this a private confession: the former conquers the judge of the world, the latter, content with God as his judge, guards a pure conscience with integrity of heart: there fortitude is more prompt, here solicitude is more secure.
ille adpropinquante hora sua iam maturus inuentus est, hic fortasse dilatus est qui patrimonio derelicto idcirco secesserit, quia non erat negaturus: confiteretur utique, si fuisset et ipse detentus.
The former, as his hour approached, was found already mature; the latter was perhaps deferred, who, having abandoned his patrimony, withdrew for this reason, because he was not about to deny; he would certainly have confessed, if he too had been detained.