§19Quos imitantur scilicet adque sectantur qui Dei traditione contempta alienas doctrinas adpetunt et magisteria humanae institutionis inducunt: quos increpat Dominus et obiurgat in euangelio suo dicens: reicitis mandatum Dei, ut traditionem uestram statuatis. peius hoc crimen est quam quod admisisse lapsi uidentur, qui tamen in paenitentia criminis constitute Deum plenis satisfactionibus deprecantur.
Those are indeed imitated and followed by those who, having despised God's tradition, seek foreign doctrines and introduce magisterial teachings of human institution: whom the Lord rebukes and chides in His gospel, saying: 'You reject the commandment of God, that you may establish your own tradition.' This crime is worse than that which the lapsed seem to have committed, who, nevertheless, established in penance for their crime, entreat God with full satisfactions.
hic ecclesia quaeritur et rogatur, illic ecclesiae repugnatur: hic potest necessitas fuisse, illic uoluntas tenetur in scelere: hic qui lapsus est sibi tantum nocuit, illic qui haeresin uel schisma facere conatus est multos secum trahendo decepit: hic animae unius est damnum, illic periculum plurimorum.
In the former case, the church is sought and petitioned; in the latter, the church is opposed. In the former, there may have been necessity; in the latter, the will is held in crime. In the former, he who lapsed harmed only himself; in the latter, he who attempted to make a heresy or schism deceived many by dragging them along with him. In the former, there is the loss of a single soul; in the latter, the danger of very many.
certe peccasse se hic et intellegit et lamentatur et plangit, ille tumens in peccato suo et in ipsis sibi delictis placens a matre filios segregat, oues a pastore sollicitat, Dei sacramenta disturbat.
Certainly, the former both understands that he has sinned, and laments and bewails it; the latter, puffed up in his sin and pleasing himself in his very transgressions, separates children from their mother, entices sheep from their shepherd, disrupts the sacraments of God.
et cum lapsus semel peccauerit, ille cottidie peccat.
And whereas the lapsed sinned once, the latter sins daily.
postremo lapsus martyrium postmodum consecutus potest regni promissa percipere: ille si extra ecclesiam fuerit occisus, ad ecclesiae non potest praemia peruenire.
Finally, the lapsed, having afterwards obtained martyrdom, can receive the promises of the kingdom; the latter, if he is killed outside the church, cannot attain to the rewards of the church.
§20Nec quisquam miretur, dilectissimi fratres, etiam de confessoribus quosdam ad ista procedere, inde quoque aliquos tam nefanda, tam grauia peccare.
Nor let anyone wonder, most beloved brothers, that even of the confessors some proceed to these things, that from thence also some commit such unspeakable, such grave sins.
neque enim confessio inmunem facit ab insidiis diaboli aut contra temptationes et pericula et incursus adque impetus saeculares adhuc in saeculo positum perpetua securitate defendit: ceterum numquam in confessoribus fraudes et stupra et adulteria postmodum uideremus quae nunc in quibusdam uidentes ingemescimus et dolemus.
For neither does confession make one immune to the snares of the devil, nor does it defend one still placed in the world with perpetual security against temptations and dangers and the incursions and attacks of the world; otherwise we should never see in confessors frauds and rapes and adulteries afterwards, which now seeing in some we groan and grieve.
quisque ille confessor est Salomone maior aut melior aut Deo carior non est: qui tamen quamdiu in uiis Domini ambulauit, tamdiu gratiam quam de Domino fuerat consecutus obtinuit, postquam dereliquit Domini uiam, perdidit et gratiam Domini.
Whoever that confessor is, he is not greater or better or dearer to God than Solomon; who, nevertheless, as long as he walked in the ways of the Lord, so long retained the grace which he had obtained from the Lord; but after he abandoned the way of the Lord, he lost also the grace of the Lord.
et ideo scriptum est: tene quod habes, ne alius accipiat coronam tuam. quod utique Dominus non minaretur auferri posse coronam iustitiae, nisi quia recedente iustitia recedat necesse est et corona.
And therefore it is written: 'Hold fast that which you have, lest another take your crown.' Which indeed the Lord would not threaten that the crown of justice could be taken away, unless because, when justice departs, it is necessary that the crown also depart.
§21Confessio exordium gloriae est, non meritum iam coronae, nec perficit laudem sed initiat dignitatem, cumque scriptum sit: qui perseuerauerit usque in finem hic saluus erit, quicquid ante finem fuerit gradus est quo ad fastigium salutis ascenditur, non terminus quo iam culminis summa teneatur.
Confession is the beginning of glory, not yet the merit of the crown, nor does it perfect praise, but initiates dignity. And since it is written: 'He who perseveres unto the end, the same shall be saved,' whatever is before the end is a step by which one ascends to the summit of salvation, not the terminus where the highest peak of the summit is already held.
confessor est: sed post confessionem periculum maius est, quia plus aduersarius prouocatus est.
He is a confessor: but after confession the danger is greater, because the adversary is more provoked.
confessor est: hoc magis stare debet cum Domini euangelio per euangelium gloriam consecutus a Domino.
He is a confessor: for this very reason he ought the more to stand with the Lord's gospel, as one who through the gospel has obtained glory from the Lord.
cui multum datur, multum quaeritur ab eo: et cui plus dignitatis adscribitur, plus de illo exigitur seruitutis.
To whom much is given, much is required of him; and to whom more of dignity is ascribed, more of service is demanded of him.
nemo per confessoris exemplum pereat, nemo iniustitiam, nemo insolentiam, nemo perfidiam de confessoris moribus discat.
Let no one perish through the example of a confessor; let no one learn injustice, let no one insolence, let no one faithlessness from the behavior of a confessor.
confessor est: sit humilis et quietus, sit in actu suo cum disciplina modestus, ut qui Christi confessor dicitur Christum quem confitetur imitetur.
He is a confessor: let him be humble and quiet, let him be modest in his action with discipline, so that he who is called a confessor of Christ may imitate Christ whom he confesses.
nam cum dicat ille: qui se extollit humiliabitur, et qui humiliat se exaltabitur, et ipse a patre exaltatus sit, quia se in terris sermo et uirtus et sapientia Dei patris humiliauit, quomodo potest extollentiam diligere qui et nobis humilitatem sua lege mandauit et ipse a patre amplissimum nomen praemio humilitatis accepit? confessor est Christi: sed si non postea blasphemetur per ipsum maiestas et dignitas Christi.
For since He says: 'He who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted,' and He Himself was exalted by the Father, because on earth the Word and Power and Wisdom of God the Father humbled Himself, how can he love haughtiness, who both commanded us humility by His law, and Himself received from the Father the most excellent name as the reward of humility? He is a confessor of Christ: but only if the majesty and dignity of Christ be not afterwards blasphemed through him.
lingua Christum confessa non sit maledica, non turbulenta, non conuiciis et litibus perstrepens audiatur, non contra fratres et Dei sacerdotes post uerba laudis serpentis uenena iaculetur.
Let not a tongue that has confessed Christ be abusive, nor turbulent, nor be heard clamoring with insults and strife, nor, after words of praise, let it cast the poisons of a serpent against brothers and the priests of God.
ceterum si culpabilis et detestabilis postmodum fuerit, si confessionem suam mala conuersatione prodegerit, si uitam suam turpi foeditate maculauerit, si ecclesiam denique ubi confessor factus est derelinquens et unitatis concordiam scindens fidem primam perfidia posteriore mutauerit, blandiri sibi per confessionem non potest quasi electus ad gloriae praemium, quando ex hoc ipso magis creuerint merita poenarum.
Otherwise, if he is culpable and detestable afterwards, if he has squandered his confession by bad behavior, if he has defiled his life with disgraceful foulness, if finally abandoning the church where he became a confessor and tearing the concord of unity, he has changed his former faith for a later faithlessness, he cannot flatter himself through his confession as if elected to the reward of glory, since from this very thing the deserts of punishments will have increased the more.