§20Nobis quoque ipsis minimis et extremis quotiens reuelatum est, quam frequenter adque manifeste de Dei dignatione praeceptum est, ut contestarer adsidue, ut publice praedicarem fratres nostros non esse lugendos arcessitione dominica de saeculo liberatos, cum sciamus non amitti sed praemitti, recedentes praecedere, ut proficiscentes, ut nauigantes solent, desiderari eos debere, non plangi nec accipiendas esse hic atras uestes, quando illi ibi indumenta alba iam sumpserint, occasionem dandam non esse gentilibus, ut nos merito ac iure reprehendant, quod quos uiuere aput Deum dicimus ut extinctos et perditos lugeamus et fidem quam sermone et uoce depromimus cordis et pectoris testimonio non probemus.
To us also, the least and the last, how often has it been revealed, how frequently and manifestly has it been commanded by the condescension of God, that I should constantly protest, that I should publicly preach that our brethren who are freed from the world by the Lord's summons are not to be lamented, since we know that they are not lost but sent before, and that those who depart precede us; that, just as those who travel or sail are wont to be, they should be longed for, not bewailed, and that black garments should not be assumed here when they have already taken white robes there; and that no occasion should be given to the Gentiles that they may deservedly and rightly censure us for mourning those whom we say are living with God as if they were extinct and lost, and for not proving the faith which we utter with speech and voice by the testimony of our heart and breast.
spei nostrae et fidei praeuaricatores sumus, si simulata, si ficta, si fucata uidentur esse quae dicimus.
We are prevaricators of our hope and faith if what we say appears to be simulated, feigned, and painted.
nihil prodest uerbis praeferre uirtutem et factis destruere ueritatem.
It profits nothing to show forth virtue in words and to destroy truth in deeds.
§21Inprobat denique apostolus Paulus et obiurgat et culpat, si qui contristentur excessu suorum.
Finally, the apostle Paul disapproves, rebukes, and blames if any are saddened by the departure of their own.
nolumus, inquit, ignorare uos, fratres, de dormientibus, ne contristemini sicut et ceteri qui non habent spem.
'We would not,' he says, 'have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, lest you be saddened even as others who have no hope.
si enim credimus quia Iesus mortuus est et resurrexit, sic et Deus eos qui dormierunt in Iesu adducet cum eo. eos contristari dicit in excessu suorum qui spem non habent.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.' He says that those are saddened at the departure of their own who have no hope.
qui autem spe uiuimus et in Deum credimus et Christum passum esse pro nobis et resurrexisse confidimus in Christo manentes et per ipsum adque in ipso resurgentes quid aut ipsi recedere istinc de saeculo nolumus aut nostros recedentes quasi perditos lugemus et dolemus? ipso Christo Domino et Deo nostro monente et dicente: ego sum resurrectio.
But we who live in hope, and believe in God, and trust that Christ suffered for us and rose again, abiding in Christ and rising through Him and in Him, why are we either themselves unwilling to depart from here out of the world, or why do we mourn and grieve for our departing ones as if they were lost? Since Christ Himself, our Lord and God, warns and says: 'I am the resurrection.
qui credit in me, licet moriatur, uiuet et omnis qui uiuit et credit in me non morietur in aeternum. si in Christo credimus, fidem uerbis et promissis eius habeamus: ut non morituri in aeternum ad Christum, cum quo et uicturi et regnaturi semper sumus, laeta securitate ueniamus.
He who believes in me, though he die, shall live; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die eternally.' If we believe in Christ, let us have faith in His words and promises, so that, not to die eternally, we may come with joyful security to Christ, with whom we are both to live and to reign forever.
§22Quod interim morimur, ad inmortalitatem morte transgredimur nec potest uita aeterna succedere, nisi hinc contigerit exire.
That we die in the meantime, we pass by death to immortality, nor can eternal life succeed unless it has happened to depart from here.
non est exitus iste sed transitus et temporali itinere decurso ad aeterna transgressus.
This is not an end, but a passage, and, the temporal journey being run, a crossing over to eternal things.
quis non ad meliora festinet? quis non mutari et reformari ad Christi speciem et ad caelestis gratiae dignitatem citius exoptet? Paulo apostolo praedicante, nostra autem conuersatio, inquit, in caelis est, unde et Dominum expectamus Iesum Christum qui transformabit corpus humilitatis nostrae conformatum corpori claritatis suae. tales nos futuros et Christus Dominus pollicetur, quando ut cum illo simus et cum illo in aeternis sedibus adque in regnis caelestibus gaudeamus patrem pro nobis precatur dicens: pater, quos mihi dedisti uolo ut ubi ego sum et ipsi sint mecum et uideant claritatem quam mihi dedisti priusquam mundus fieret. uenturus ad Christi sedem, ad regnorum caelestium claritatem lugere non debet et plangere sed potius secundum pollicitationem Domini, secundum fidem ueri in profectione hac sua et translatione gaudere.
Who would not hasten to better things? Who would not long to be changed and reformed more quickly to the likeness of Christ and to the dignity of heavenly grace? As the apostle Paul preaches: 'Our citizenship,' he says, 'is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall transform the body of our humility, conformed to the body of His glory.' Christ the Lord also promises that we shall be such, when, that we may be with Him and rejoice with Him in eternal dwellings and in heavenly kingdoms, He prays to the Father for us, saying: 'Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, and that they may see the glory which thou hast given me before the world was made.' He who is about to come to the seat of Christ, to the glory of the heavenly kingdoms, ought not to mourn and lament, but rather, according to the promise of the Lord, according to the faith of the truth, to rejoice in this his departure and translation.
§23Sic denique inuenimus et Enoch translatum esse qui Deo placuit, sicut in Genesi testatur et loquitur scriptura diuina: et placuit Enoch Deo et non est inuentus postmodum, quia Deus illum transtulit. hoc fuit placuisse in conspectu Dei de hoc contagio saeculi meruisse transferri.
Thus, finally, we find that Enoch also was translated, who pleased God, as in Genesis the divine Scripture testifies and speaks: 'And Enoch pleased God, and he was not found afterward, because God translated him.' This was to have pleased in the sight of God, to have deserved to be translated from this contagion of the world.
sed et per Salomonem docet Spiritus sanctus eos qui Deo placeant maturius istinc eximi et citius liberari, ne dum in isto mundo diutius inmorantur mundi contactibus polluantur: raptus est [inquit] ne malitia mutaret intellectum illius.
But also through Solomon the Holy Spirit teaches that those who please God are more maturely taken from here and more quickly delivered, lest, while they delay longer in this world, they should be polluted by the contacts of the world: 'He was snatched away,' he says, 'lest wickedness should alter his understanding.
placita enim erat Deo anima eius. propter hoc properauit educere eum de media iniquitate. sic et in psalmis ad Deum properat spiritali fide Deo suo anima deuota, sicut scriptum est: quam dilectissimae habitationes tuae, Deus uirtutum.
For his soul was pleasing to God; therefore He hasted to bring him out of the midst of iniquity.' Thus also in the Psalms, the soul devoted to its God hastens to God with spiritual faith, as it is written: 'How beloved are thy dwellings, O God of hosts!
desiderat et properat anima mea ad atria Dei.
My soul desires and hastens to the courts of God.'