§31Ananias, Azarias et Misahel inlustres ac nobiles pueri quominus exomologesim Deo faciant nec inter flammas et camini exaestuantis incendia quieuerunt.
Ananias, Azarias, and Misahel, those illustrious and noble youths, did not cease from making their confession to God even amidst the flames and the fires of the burning furnace.
bene sibi [licet] conscii et Dominum fidei ac timoris obsequio saepe promeriti humilitatem tamen tenere et Deo satisfacere nec inter ipsa gloriosa uirtutum suarum martyria destiterunt.
Although they were fully conscious of their own innocence, and had often deserved well of the Lord by the obedience of their faith and fear, they did not cease, even in the midst of the glorious martyrdom of their virtues, to maintain humility and to make satisfaction to God.
loquitur scriptura diuina, stans, inquit, Azarias precatus est et aperuit os suum et exomologesim faciebat Deo simul cum sodalibus suis in medio igni. Daniel quoque post fidei adque innocentiae suae multiplicem gratiam, post dignationem Domini circa. uirtutes ac laudes suas saepe repetitam ieiuniis adhuc promereri Deum nititur, in sacco ac cinere uolutatur exomologesim faciens dolenter et dicens: Domine Deus magnus et fortis et metuendus qui seruas testamentum et miserationem eis qui te diligunt et conseruant inperia tua, peccauimus, facinus admisimus, inpii fuimus, transgressi sumus ac deseruimus praecepta tua et iudicia tua, non audiuimus puerorum tuorum prophetarum quae locuti sunt in nomine tuo super reges nostros et omnes gentes et super omnem terram.
Divine Scripture speaks: "Azarias stood up," it says, "and prayed, and opened his mouth, and made confession to God, together with his companions, in the midst of the fire." Daniel also, after the manifold grace of his faith and innocence, after the Lord's esteem for his virtues and praises, which had been so often repeated, still strove to merit God's favor by fastings, and wallowed in sackcloth and ashes, making confession with sorrow and saying: "O Lord God, great and strong and terrible, who keepest covenant and mercy with those who love Thee and keep Thy commandments; we have sinned, we have committed iniquity, we have been ungodly, we have transgressed and departed from Thy precepts and Thy judgments; we have not listened to the words of Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, and to all nations, and to all the earth.
tibi, Domine, tibi iustitia, nobis autem confusio. §32Haec mites, haec simplices, haec innocentes in promerenda Dei maiestate fecerunt: et nunc satisfacere Domino ac precari detrectant qui Dominum negauerunt! quaeso uos, fratres, adquiescite salutaribus remediis, consiliis oboedite melioribus, cum lacrimis nostris uestras lacrimas iungite, cum nostro gemitu uestros gemitus copulate.
To Thee, O Lord, to Thee belongs justice, but to us confusion." These things the meek, the simple, and the innocent did to deserve the majesty of God; and now those who have denied the Lord refuse to make satisfaction to the Lord and to pray! I beseech you, brethren, acquiesce in these saving remedies, obey better counsels, join your tears with our tears, and couple your groans with our groans.
rogamus uos ut pro uobis Dominum rogare possimus, preces ipsas ad uos prius uertimus quibus Deum pro uobis ut misereatur oramus.
We beg you that we may be able to pray to the Lord for you; we first turn those very prayers to you, with which we pray God to have mercy on you.
agite paenitentiam plenam, dolentis ac lamentantis animi probate maestitiam! I
Perform a full repentance, and prove the sorrow of a grieving and lamenting mind!
§33Nec uos quorundam moueat aut error inprouidus aut stupor uanus, qui cum teneantur in tam graui crimine percussi sunt animi caecitate, ut nec intellegant delicta nec plangant.
And let not either the improvident error or the vain stupor of certain persons move you, who, although they are bound in so grave a crime, have been struck with blindness of mind, so that they neither understand their sins nor lament them.
indignantis Dei maior haec plaga est sicut scriptum est: et dedit illis Deus spiritum transpunctionis, et iterum: dilectum ueritatis non receperunt ut salui fierent.
This is a greater plague of an angry God, as it is written: "And God gave them the spirit of stupor"; and again: "They received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
ac propterea mittit illis Deus operationem erroris ut credant mendacio, ut iudicentur omnes qui non crediderunt ueritati, sed sibi placent in iniustitia. iniuste sibi placentes et transpunctae mentis alienatione dementes Domini praecepta contemnunt, medellam uulneris neclegunt, agere paenitentiam nolunt.
And for this cause God sends them the working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Unjustly pleasing themselves, and mad with the alienation of a stupefied mind, they contemn the Lord's precepts, neglect the medicine of their wound, and refuse to perform repentance.
ante admissum facinus inprouidi, post facinus obstinati, nec prius stabiles nec postmodum supplices, quando debuerant stare, iacuerunt, quando iacere et prosternere se Deo debent, stare se opinantur.
Improvident before the crime was committed, obstinate after the crime, neither stable before nor suppliant afterwards, when they ought to have stood, they lay; and when they ought to lie and prostrate themselves before God, they think that they stand.
pacem sibi ultro nemine dante sumpserunt, falsa pollicitatione seducti et apostatis ac perfidis iuncti errorem pro ueritate suscipiunt, communicationem non communicantium ratam ducunt, hominibus contra Deum credunt qui contra homines Deo non crediderunt.
They have taken peace of their own accord, when no one gave it; seduced by a false promise and joined with apostates and faithless men, they accept error for truth; they regard the communion of those who do not communicate as valid, and they believe men against God, they who did not believe God against men.
§34Eiusmodi homjnes quantum potestis etfugite, perniciosis contactibus adhaerentes salubri cautione uitate.
Avoid men of this kind as much as you can, and with saving caution shun those who cling to their ruinous contacts.
sermo eorum sicut cancer serpit, conloquium uelut contagium transilit, noxia et uenenata persuasio persecutione ipsa peius interficit.
Their word creeps like a cancer, their speech leaps like a contagion, and their noxious and poisoned persuasion kills more disastrously than persecution itself.
illic superest paenitentia quae satisfaciat.
In the Church, indeed, there remains penance which makes satisfaction.
qui autem paenitentiam criminis tollunt satisfactionis uiam cludunt.
But they who do away with penance for crime, close the way of satisfaction.
ita fit ut dum temeritate quorundam uel promittitur salus falsa uel creditur, spes uerae salutis adimatur.
Thus it happens that, while through the rashness of some a false salvation is either promised or believed, the hope of true salvation is taken away.