§12#1Quod pertineat, frater, ad tuum problema, habes sententiae nostrae responsionem et exhortationem.
As far as what pertains to your problem, brother, you have the answer and exhortation of our opinion.
Porro qui quaerit, an persecutio fugienda sit, sequentem quaestionem quoque iam prospiciat necesse est, an, si fugienda non est, redimenda certe sit.
Furthermore, he who asks whether persecution is to be fled must also now foresee the following question, whether, if it is not to be fled, it should at least be redeemed.
Ultro igitur et de hoc tibi suggeram, definiens persecutionem, quam constat non esse fugiendam, proinde nec redimendam.
Voluntarily, therefore, I will also suggest to you concerning this, defining that persecution, which it is established must not be fled, consequently must not be redeemed either.
Pretium interest; ceterum sicut fuga redemptio gratuita est, ita redemptio nummaria fuga est.
The price makes a difference; otherwise, just as flight is a free redemption, so monetary redemption is a flight.
Certe et huius timiditatis consilium est.
Certainly this too is the counsel of timidity.
Quod times, redimis, ergo fugis.
What you fear, you redeem; therefore you flee.
Pedibus stetisti, curristi nummis.
You stood on your feet, you ran with coins.
Hoc ipso, quod stetisti, ex redemptione fugisti.
By this very thing, that you stood, you fled by means of redemption.
Ut autem redimas hominem tu nummis, quem sanguine suo redemit Christus, quam indignum deo et dispositionibus eius, qui filio suo non pepercit pro te, ut fieret maledictum pro nobis, quia maledictus qui pependerit in ligno, qui tamquam ovis ad victimam ductus est et tamquam agnus ante tondentem, sic non aperuit os, sed posuit dorsum suum in flagella, maxillas autem in palmas, et faciem non avertit a sputaminibus, et inter iniquos deputatus est, et traditus est in mortem, mortem autem crucis.
But that you should redeem with coins a man whom Christ redeemed with His own blood—how unworthy of God and of His dispensations, who did not spare His own Son for you, so that He might become a curse for us, because cursed is he who hangs on a tree, who was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer, so He did not open His mouth, but gave His back to the scourges, and His cheeks to buffetings, and did not turn His face away from spittings, and was numbered among the transgressors, and was delivered unto death, even death on a cross.
Totum hoc, ut nos a peccatis lucraretur.
All this, so that He might win us from our sins.
Sol cessit diem emptionis nostrae.
The sun withdrew on the day of our purchase.
Apud inferos remancipatio nostra est et stipulatio nostra in caelis.
Among the dead is our remancipation, and our contract is in heaven.
Sublevatas sunt portae sempiternae, ut introiret rex gloriae, dominus virtutum, hominem de terris, immo ab inferis mercatus in caelos.
The everlasting gates were lifted up, so that the King of glory might enter, the Lord of hosts, having purchased man from the earth, nay, from the underworld, into heaven.
Quis est nunc, qui adversus illum reluctatur, immo depr(??)tiat mercem eius tam magno comparatam, pretiosissime scilicet sanguine, et commaculat? Iam ergo melius fugere quam fieri viliorem, si non tanto(??)sihi constabit homo, quanti constitit domino.
Who is there now who struggles against Him, nay, depreciates His merchandise, purchased at so great a price—namely, His most precious blood—and defiles it? Now therefore, it is better to flee than to become cheaper, if a man will not cost himself as much as he cost the Lord.
Et dominus quidem illum redemit ab angelis munditenentibus potestatibus, a spiritualibus nequitiae, a tenebris huius aevi, a iudicio aeterne, a morte perpetua.
And the Lord indeed redeemed him from the angels who are world-ruling powers, from the spiritual forces of wickedness, from the darkness of this age, from eternal judgment, from perpetual death.
Tu autem pro eo pacisceris cum delatore vel milite vel furunculo aliquo praeside sub tunica et sinu, quod aiunt, ut furtivo, quem ceram toto mundo Christus emit, immo et manumisit.
Why then do you, on his behalf, bargain with an informer, or a soldier, or some petty thief of a governor, 'under the tunic and bosom', as they say, as though he were a stolen thing—him, whom Christ purchased, nay, even manumitted, in the face of the whole world?
Hunc ergo liberum pretio aestimabis et pretio possidebis, nisi eodem, quanto, ut diximus, domino constitit, sanguine sue scilicet? Ut quid ergo de homine Christum redimis in homine, in quo Christus est? Non aliter et Simon facere temptavit, cum pecuniam apostolis obtulit pro spiritu Christi.
Will you then value this free man at a price, and possess him for a price, except at that same price, as we have said, which he cost the Lord—namely, His own blood? Why then do you redeem Christ from a man, in the man in whom Christ is? In no other way did Simon also attempt to act, when he offered money to the apostles for the Spirit of Christ.
Audict ergo et iste, qui se redimens Christi spiritum redemit: Pecunia tua tecum sit in interitum, quoniam gratiam dei pretio consequendam putasti. Quis tamen abnegatorem spernat? Quid enim dicit ille concussor? Da mihi pecuniam.
Therefore he too, who in redeeming himself redeems the Spirit of Christ, will hear: 'May your money perish with you, because you thought that the grace of God could be obtained with money.' Yet who would despise a denier? For what does that extortioner say?
Certe ne eum tradat, siquidem non aliud venditat, quam quod praestaturus est praemio tuo.
'Give me money.' Certainly so that he may not hand him over, since he sells nothing else than what he is going to perform because of your reward.
Cum das, utique ne tradaris voluisti.
When you give, you certainly wished not to be handed over.
Non traditus autem traduci habebas? Ergo dum nolendo tradi non vis traduci, nolendo negasti, quod te esse traduci noluisti.
But, not being handed over, were you to be publicised? Therefore, while by not wishing to be handed over you do not wish to be publicised, by not wishing you have denied that which you did not wish to be publicised as being.
Immo, inquis, dum nolo traduci quod sum, sum confessus id esse quod nolo traduci, id est Christianum.
Nay, you say, while I am unwilling to be publicised as what I am, I have confessed that I am that which I am unwilling to be publicised as being—that is, a Christian.
Potest itaque te martyrem vindicare constanter ostendisse Christus? Redimens non ostendit.
Is Christ then able to claim you as a martyr, as one who has steadfastly shown himself? He who redeems himself does not show himself.
Apud unum, si forte, confessus es, ergo et apud plures nolendo confiteri negasti.
Before one person, perhaps, you have confessed; therefore before many, by being unwilling to confess, you have denied.
Ipsa salus iudicabit hominem excidisse, dum evadit.
Safety itself will judge that a man has fallen away while he escapes.
Excidit ergo qui maluit evasisse.
He therefore has fallen away who preferred to have escaped.
Negatio est etiam martyrii recusatio.
The refusal of martyrdom is also a denial.