§15Sed luceant, inquit, opera uestra.
"But let your works shine," he says.
at nunc lucent tabernae et ianuae nostrae.
But now our shops and doors are shining.
plures iam inuenias ethnicorum fores sine lucernis et laureis, quam Christianorum.
Now you would find more doors of the heathens without lamps and laurels than of the Christians.
de ista quoque specie quid uidetur? si idoli honor est, sine dubio idoli honor idololatria est.
Concerning this kind also, what is your opinion? If it is an honor to an idol, without doubt the honor of an idol is idolatry.
si hominis causa est, recogitemus omnem idololatrian in hominis causam esse.
If it is for the sake of man, let us consider that all idolatry is for the sake of man.
recogitemus omnem idololatrian in homines esse culturam, cum ipsos deos nationum homines retro fuisse etiam apud suos constet.
Let us consider that all idolatry is worship directed to men, since it is well established, even among their own people, that the gods of the nations themselves were formerly men.
itaque nihil interest, superioris an huius saeculi uiris superstitio ista praestetur.
Therefore it makes no difference whether this superstition is paid to men of a past age or of this present age.
idololatria non propter personas, quae opponuntur, sed propter officia ista damnata est, quae ad daemonas pertinent.
Idolatry is condemned not on account of the persons who are set up, but on account of those offices which belong to demons.
reddenda sunt Caesari quae sunt Caesaris. bene quod apposuit: et quae sunt dei deo. quae ergo sunt Caesaris? scilicet de quibus tunc consultatio mouebatur, praestandusne esset census Caesari an non.
"Render to Caesar what is Caesar's." It is well that he added: "and what is God's to God." What, then, is Caesar's? Namely, that about which the consultation was then being raised, whether tribute should be paid to Caesar or not.
ideo et monetam ostendi sibi dominus postulauit et de imagine, cuius esset, requisiuit, et cum audisset Caesaris, reddite, ait, quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, et quae sunt dei deo, id est imaginem Caesaris Caesari, quae in nummo est, et imaginem dei deo, quae in homine est, ut Caesari quidem pecuniam reddas, deo temetipsum.
For this reason also the Lord demanded that a coin be shown to him, and asked about the image, whose it was; and when he had heard "Caesar's," he said: "Render what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God" — that is, the image of Caesar, which is on the coin, to Caesar, and the image of God, which is in man, to God; so that to Caesar indeed you may render money, but to God yourself.
alioquin quid erit dei, si omnia Caesaris? ergo, inquis, honor.
Otherwise, what will be God's if all things are Caesar's?
. dei est lucernae pro foribus et laurus in postibus? non utique quod dei honor est, sed quod eius, qui pro deo eiusmodi officiis honoratur, quantum in manifesto est, salua operatione, quae est in occulto, ad daemonia perueniens.
"Therefore," you say, "is a lamp before the doors and a laurel on the doorposts an honor... to God?" Certainly not because it is an honor to God, but because it is for him who is honored instead of God by such offices, as far as is visible outwardly, while the action which is in secret remains intact, reaching ultimately to the demons.
certi enim esse debemus, si quos latet per ignorantiam litteraturae saecularis, etiam ostiorum deos apud Romanos, Cardeam a cardinibus appellatam et Forculum a foribus et Limentinum a limine et ipsum Ianum a ianua: et utique scimus, licet nomina inania atque conficta sint, cum tamen in superstitionem deducuntur, rapere ad se daemonia et omnem spiritum inmundum per consecrationis obligamentum.
For we must be certain, even if it is hidden from some through ignorance of secular literature, that there are gods of the doors even among the Romans: Cardea, named from hinges, and Forculus from doors, and Limentinus from the threshold, and Janus himself from the doorway. And indeed we know that, though the names are empty and fictitious, yet when they are drawn into superstition, they attract to themselves the demons and every unclean spirit through the bond of consecration.
alioquin daemonia nullum habent nomen singillatim, sed ibi nomen inueniunt, ubi et pignus.
Otherwise, demons have no name individually, but they find a name where they also find a pledge.
etiam apud Graecos Apollinem Thyraeum et Antelios daemonas ostiorum praesides legimus.
Even among the Greeks we read of Apollo Thyraeus and the Antelioi as demons presiding over doors.
haec igitur ab initio praeuidens spiritus sanctus etiam ostia in superstitionem uentura praececinit per antiquissimum propheten Enoch.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit, possessing foresight of these things from the beginning, foretold through the most ancient prophet Enoch that even doors would come into superstition.
nam et alia ostia in balneis adorari uidemus.
For we also see other doors in baths being adored.
si autem sunt qui in ostiis adorentur, ad eos et lucernae et laureae pertinebunt.
If, however, there are those who are adored in doorways, both lamps and laurels will belong to them.
idolo feceris, quicquid ostio feceris.
Whatever you do to a door, you will have done to an idol.
hoc in loco ex auctoritate quoque dei contestor, quia nec tutum est subtrahere, quodcumque uni fuerit ostensum utique omnium causa.
In this place, I also bear witness by the authority of God, because it is not safe to conceal whatever has been shown to one person, since it was surely for the sake of all.
scio fratrem per uisionem eadem nocte castigatum grauiter, quod ianuam eius subito adnuntiatis gaudiis publicis serui coronassent.
I know of a brother who was severely chastised through a vision on the same night because, when public joys were suddenly announced, his slaves had crowned his door.
et tamen non ipse coronauerat aut praeceperat; nam ante processerat et regressus reprehenderat factum.
And yet he himself had not crowned it or commanded it; for he had gone out beforehand and, having returned, had rebuked the deed.
adeo apud deum in huiusmodi etiam disciplina familiae nostrae aestimamur.
To such an extent are we evaluated before God in this kind of matter, even regarding the discipline of our household.
igitur quod attineat ad honores regum uel imperatorum, satis praescriptum habemus, in omni obsequio esse nos oportere secundum apostoli praeceptum subditos magistratibus et principibus et potestatibus, sed intra limites disciplinae, quousque ab idololatria separamur.
Therefore, as far as concerns the honors of kings or emperors, we have sufficient prescription that we ought to be, in all obedience, according to the apostle's precept subject to magistrates and princes and authorities, but within the limits of discipline, as long as we are separated from idolatry.
propterea enim et illud exemplum trium fratrum praecucurrit, qui alias obsequentes erga regem Nabuchodonosor honorem imaginis eius constantissime respuerunt probantes idololatrian esse, quicquid ultra humani honoris modum ad instar diuinae sublimitatis extollitur.
For on this account also that example of the three brothers preceded, who, though otherwise obedient to King Nebuchadnezzar, most constantly rejected the honor of his image, proving that whatever is exalted beyond the measure of human honor to the likeness of divine sublimity is idolatry.
sic et Daniel cetera Dario subnixus tamdiu fuit in officio, quamdiu a periculo disciplinae uacaret.
So also Daniel, leaning upon Darius in other matters, remained in his office as long as he was free from the danger to discipline.
nam ne id subiret, non magis leones regios timuit, quam illi regios ignes.
Indeed, lest he should undergo that, he feared the royal lions no more than those men feared the royal fires.
accendant igitur quotidie lucernas, quibus lux nulla est, affigant postibus lauros postmodum arsuras, quibus ignes imminent; illis competunt et testimonia tenebrarum et auspicia poenarum.
Therefore let them kindle lamps daily, who have no light; let them fix laurels on their doorposts, which are destined to burn later, for whom fires are imminent; to them belong both the testimonies of darkness and the omens of punishments.
Tu lumen es mundi et arbor uirens semper.
You are the light of the world, and an ever-green tree.
si templis renuntiasti, ne feceris templum ianuam tuam.
If you have renounced temples, do not make your door a temple.
minus dixi: si lupanaribus renuntiasti, ne indueris domui tuae faciem noui lupanaris.
I have said too little: if you have renounced brothels, do not clothe your house with the appearance of a new brothel.