§11Omnia autem ista credo ignota eis, qui ad nostra turbantur, aut sola forsitan lectione, non etiam intentione comperta secundum maiorem uim imperitorum apud gloriosissimam scilicet multitudinem psychicorum.
But all those things, I believe, are unknown to them who are disturbed at our practices, or perhaps understood by reading alone, and not also with attention, according to the greater influence of the ignorant among the most glorious multitude, of course, of the psychics.
propterea per singulas direximus species ieiunationum, xerophagiarum, stationum, ut, dum recensemus secundum utriusque testamenti paraturam,. quantum proficiant recusati uel recisi uel retardati pabuli officia, eos retundamus, qui haec uelut uacantia infirmant, item dum pariter ostendimus, quo semper in ordine fuerint religionis, eos reuincamus, qui haec ut noua accusant; nec nouum enim quod semper nec uacuum quod utile.
Therefore we have directed our discourse through the individual classes of fasts, xerophagies, and stations, so that, while we review them according to the preparation of both Testaments, to show how much profit the duties of refused or cut off or delayed food bring, we may blunt those who weaken these as if they were useless; and likewise, while we equally show in what order of religion they have always been, we may refute those who accuse them as novelties; for neither is that novel which has always been, nor is that useless which is useful.
sed et illud in medio est, quaedam ex his officiis a deo homini imperata legem constituisse, quaedam ab homine deo oblata uotum expunxisse.
But that also is obvious, that some of these duties, commanded by God to man, established a law, while some, offered by man to God, discharged a vow.
tamen et uotum, cum a deo acceptatum est, legem in posterum facit. per auctoritatem acceptatoris; exinde enim faciendum mandauit qui factum comprobauit.
Yet even a vow, when it has been accepted by God, makes a law for the future through the authority of the accepter; for henceforth He commanded it to be done, who approved it when done.
itaque et hinc in alia specie altercatio diuersae partis obducitur, cum dicunt: aut pseudoprophetia est, si spiritalis uox sollemnia ista constituit, aut haeresis, si humana! praesumptio adinuenit. eam enim formam reprehendentes, qua et uetera decucurrerunt, et ex ea retorquentes, quae et aduersarii ueterum aduersus illa poterunt retractare, aut et illa recusare debebunt aut exerta ista suscipere; necessarie maxime cum et ista, a quocumque institutore sunt siue spiritali siue tantum fideli, eidem deo currant, cui et uetera.
And so from here, in another form, the dispute of the opposite party is brought forward, when they say: "Either it is pseudo-prophecy, if a spiritual voice appointed these solemnities, or heresy, if human presumption invented them." For in reproving that pattern by which also ancient things ran their course, and in twisting back from it those things which even the adversaries of ancient things would be able to bring against them, they must either also reject those ancient things or accept these open practices; which is especially necessary, since these also, from whomsoever institutor they are, whether spiritual or only faithful, run to the same God to whom also the ancient things run.
indubitate enim et haeresis et pseudoprophetia diuinitatis diuersitate iudicabuntur apud nos omnes unici dei creatoris et Christi eius antistites, adeoque indifferenter hanc partem defendo illis offerens in quo uelint gradum figere.
For undoubtedly both heresy and pseudo-prophecy will be judged by a difference of divinity among us who are all priests of the one God the Creator and of His Christ; and so I defend this side fearlessly, offering to them whereon they wish to make their stand.
spiritus diaboli est, dicis, o psychice.
"It is the spirit of the devil," you say, O psychic.
et quomodo dei nostri officia indicit nec alii offerenda quam deo nostro? aut contende diabolum cum deo facere nostro aut satanas paracletus habeatur.
And how does he command duties of our God, nor to be offered to any other than our God? Either maintain that the devil acts with our God, or let Satan be held as the Paraclete.
sed hominem antichristum adfirmas; hoc enim uocantur haeretici nomine penes Iohannem.
But you assert that he is an antichristian man; for by this name heretics are called by John.
et quomodo, quisquis ille est, in Christo nostro haec erga dominum nostrum officia disposuit, cum et antichristi erga deum, aduersum nostrum processerint Christum? quo itaque putas laterum confirmatum apud nos spiritum, cum imperat an cum probat, quae deus noster et imperauit semper et probauit? sed rursus palos terminales figitis deo, sicut de gratia, ita de disciplina, sicut de charismatibus, ita et de sollemnibus, ut perinde officia cessauerint, quemadmodum et beneficia eius, atque ita negetis usque adhuc eum munia imponere, quia et hic lex et prophetae usque ad Iohannem. superest ut totum auferatis, quantum in uobis, tam otiosum.
And how, whoever he is, did he arrange these duties toward our Lord in our Christ, since even antichrists, though speaking of God, proceed against our Christ? By which of the two sides, therefore, do you think the spirit is confirmed among us—when he commands, or when he approves those things which our God both always commanded and approved? But again you fix boundary posts for God, as concerning grace, so concerning discipline, as concerning charisms, so also concerning solemnities, so that duties have likewise ceased just as also His benefits, and thus you deny that He imposes duties even until now, because here also "the law and the prophets were until John." It remains that you take away the whole, as much as lies in you, as being so useless.