§24Monet nos Spiritus sanctus et dicit: quis est homo qui uult uitam et amat uidere dies optimos? contine linguam tuam a malo et labia tua ne loquantur insidiose.
The Holy Spirit admonishes us and says: "Who is the man that desires life and loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and let not your lips speak deceitfully.
declina a malo et fac bonum, quaere pacem et sequere eam. pacem quaerere debet et sequi filius pacis, a dissensionis malo continere linguam suam debet qui nouit et diligit uinculum caritatis.
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." The son of peace ought to seek and pursue peace; he who knows and loves the bond of charity ought to keep his tongue from the evil of dissension.
inter sua diuina mandata et magisteria salutaria passioni iam proximus Dominus addidit dicens: pacem nobis dimitto, pacem meam do uobis. hanc nobis hereditatem dedit, dona omnia suae pollicitationis et praemia in pacis conseruatione promisit.
Among His divine commandments and salutary teachings, the Lord, already close to His passion, added, saying: "Peace I leave to us, my peace I give to you." He gave us this inheritance; He promised all the gifts of His promise and rewards in the preservation of peace.
si heredes Christi sumus, in Christi pace maneamus: si filii Dei sumus, pacifici esse debemus.
If we are heirs of Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are children of God, we ought to be peacemakers.
beati, inquit, pacifici, quoniam ipsi filii Dei uocabuntur. pacificos esse oportet Dei filios, corde mites, sermone simplices, adfectione concordes, fideliter sibi unanimitatis nexibus cohaerentes.
"Blessed," He says, "are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." It behooves the children of God to be peacemakers, mild in heart, simple in speech, concordant in affection, faithfully cohering with one another in the bonds of unanimity.
§25. Haec unanimitas sub apostolis olim fuit: sic nouus credentium populus Domini mandata custodiens caritatem suam tenuit.
This unanimity once existed under the apostles; thus the new people of believers, keeping the Lord's commandments, maintained their charity.
probat scriptura quae dicit: turba autem eorum qui crediderant anima ac mente una agebant. et iterum: et erant perseuerantes omnes unanimes in oratione cum mulieribus et Maria quae fuerat mater Iesu et fratribus eius. et ideo efficacibus precibus orabant, ideo impetrare cum fiducia poterant quodcumque de Dei misericordia postulabant.
Scripture proves this, saying: "And the multitude of them that believed acted with one soul and mind." And again: "And they were all persevering with one mind in prayer, with the women, and Mary who had been the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." And therefore they prayed with effective prayers, and therefore they were able with confidence to obtain whatever they petitioned from God's mercy.
§26In nobis uero sic unanimitas deminuta est, ut et largitas operationis infracta est.
But in us, unanimity has been so diminished that even the generosity of good works has been broken.
domos tunc et fundos uenundabant et thesauros sibi in caelo reponentes distribuenda in usus indigentium pretia apostolis offerebant.
At that time, they sold houses and estates, and, laying up for themselves treasures in heaven, offered the prices to the apostles to be distributed for the uses of the needy.
at nunc de patrimonio nec decimas damus et cum uendere iubeat Dominus, emimus potius et augemus.
But now, we do not even give tithes from our patrimony; and while the Lord commands us to sell, we rather buy and increase.
sic in nobis emarcuit uigor fidei, sic credentium robur elanguit.
Thus the vigor of faith has withered away in us, thus the strength of believers has languished.
et idcirco Dominus tempora nostra respiciens in euangelio suo dicit: filius hominis cum uenerit, putas inueniet fidem in terra? uidemus fieri quod ille praedixit.
And on that account the Lord, looking back upon our times, says in His gospel: "When the Son of Man comes, do you think He will find faith on the earth?" We see that what He foretold is happening.
in Dei timore, in lege iustitiae, in dilectione, in opere fides nulla est.
In the fear of God, in the law of justice, in love, in good works, there is no faith.
nemo futurorum metum cogitat, diem Domini et iram Dei et incredulis uentura supplicia et statuta perfidis aeterna tormenta nemo considerat.
No one thinks of the fear of future things; no one considers the day of the Lord, and the wrath of God, and the punishments to come upon unbelievers, and the eternal torments appointed for the faithless.
quicquid metueret conscientia nostra, si crederet, quia non credit, omnino nec metuit.
Whatever our conscience would fear if it believed, because it does not believe, it does not fear at all.
si autem crederet, et caueret: si caueret, et euaderet.
But if it believed, it would also beware; if it beware, it would also escape.
§27Excitemus nos quantum possumus, dilectissimi fratres, et somno inertiae ueteris abrupto ad obseruanda et gerenda Domini praecepta uigilemus.
Let us arouse ourselves as much as we can, most beloved brothers, and, having broken the sleep of our old inertia, let us watch to observe and perform the precepts of the Lord.
simus tales quales esse nos ipse praecepit dicens: sint lumbi uestri adcincti et lucernae ardentes et uos similes hominibus expectantibus dominum suum, quando ueniat a nuptiis, ut cum uenerit et pulsauerit, aperiant ei.
Let us be such as He Himself commanded us to be, saying: "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be yourselves like men waiting for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him.
beati serui illi quos adueniens Dominus inuenerit uigilantes. adcinctos nos esse oportet, ne cum expeditionis dies uenerit, inpeditos et inplicitos adprehendat.
Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes, shall find watching." We ought to be girded, lest, when the day of march comes, it find us hindered and entangled.
luceat in bonis operibus nostrum lumen et fulgeat, ut ipsum nos ad lucem claritatis aeternae de hac saeculi nocte perducat.
Let our light shine and glow in good works, so that it itself may lead us from the night of this world to the light of eternal brightness.
expectemus solliciti semper et cauti aduentum Domini repentinum, ut quando ille pulsauerit, euigilet fides nostra uigilantiae praemium de Domino receptura.
Let us wait, always anxious and cautious, for the sudden coming of the Lord, so that when He knocks, our faith may wake up, about to receive from the Lord the reward of its vigilance.
si haec mandata seruentur, si haec monita et praecepta teneantur,. opprimi dormientes diabolo fallente non possumus, serui uigiles Christo dominante regnabimus.
If these commandments are kept, if these admonitions and precepts are maintained, we cannot be overcome while sleeping by the deceitful devil; as watchful servants, we shall reign under the dominion of Christ.