PL 38:1297jactas poenam tuam malam, quae non ⟨h⟩abes causam bonam?
do you boast of your evil punishment, you who do not have a good cause?
7. Martyres in Ecclesiae unitate honorandi. Martyres itaque intus honoremus in tabernaculo pastoris, in membris pastoris, habentes gratiam, non audaciam; pietatem, non temeritatem; constantiam, non pertinaciam; collectionem, non divisionem. Proinde si vultis martyres veros imitari, causam vobis eligite, ut dicatis Domino: Judica me, Domine, et discerne causam meam a gente non sancta (Psal. XLII, 1). Discerne, non poenam meam; nam habet hanc et gens non sancta; sed causam meam, quam non habet nisi gens sancta. Causam ergo vobis eligite, causam bonam et justam tenete, et in adjutorio Domini nullam poenam timete. Conversi ad Dominum, etc.
7. The martyrs are to be honoured in the unity of the Church. Let us therefore honour the martyrs within, in the tent of the Shepherd, in the members of the Shepherd, having grace, not audacity; piety, not rashness; constancy, not obstinacy; gathering, not division. Accordingly, if you wish to imitate true martyrs, choose a cause for yourselves, so that you may say to the Lord: Judge me, O Lord, and distinguish my cause from a nation that is not holy (Ps. 42:1). Distinguish, not my punishment, for a nation that is not holy has that too, but my cause, which none but a holy nation has. Choose a cause for yourselves, then; hold to a good and just cause, and with the help of the Lord fear no punishment. Turning to the Lord, etc.
SERMO CCLXXXVI. In Natali martyrum Protasii et Gervasii.
Sermon 286. On the Feast of the Martyrs Protasius and Gervasius.
CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Martyres graece, latine Testes. Testis Christi usque ad mortem non omnis qui in eum credit. Credentium tres gradus. Martyres, nomen est graecum, sed jam isto nomine consuetudo utitur pro latino: latine autem Testes dicuntur. Sunt ergo martyres veri, sunt falsi: quia sunt testes veri, sunt falsi. Sed ait Scriptura, Testis falsus non erit impunitus (Prov⟨.⟩ XIX, 5 et 9). Si testis falsus non erit sine poena, nec testis verus sine corona. Et facile quidem fuit, Domino Jesu Christo et veritati, quia Deus est, testimonium perhibere; sed usque ad mortem, magnum opus fuit. Fuerunt quidam, quos Evangelium notat, principes Judaeorum, qui crediderant in Dominum Jesum: sed propter Judaeos, inquit, non audebant publice confiteri. Et continuo nota addita est capiti; secutus enim ait Evangelista, Amaverunt enim hominum gloriam magis quam Dei (Joan. XII, 43). Fuerunt ergo qui erubescerent coram hominibus confiteri Christum: fuerunt vero alii jam meliores, qui non erubescerent coram hominibus confiteri Christum, sed non cum possent confiteri usque ad mortem. Dona enim Dei sunt haec: et aliquando gradatim in anima nutriuntur.
Chapter I. — 1. "Martyrs" in Greek, "Witnesses" in Latin. Not everyone who believes in Christ is a witness of Christ even unto death. The three degrees of believers. "Martyrs" is a Greek word, but usage now employs this word as though it were Latin; in Latin, however, they are called Witnesses. So there are true martyrs and there are false ones, because there are true witnesses and there are false ones. But Scripture says, A false witness shall not be unpunished (Prov. 19:5, 9). If a false witness shall not be without punishment, neither shall a true witness be without a crown. And it was indeed easy to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the truth, because He is God; but to do so even unto death was a great work. There were certain men, whom the Gospel notes, rulers of the Jews, who had believed in the Lord Jesus; but because of the Jews, it says, they did not dare to confess publicly. And at once a mark of censure was added to the head of the statement; for the Evangelist goes on to say, For they loved the glory of men more than that of God (John 12:43). There were, then, those who would have blushed to confess Christ before men; but there were others, already better, who would not blush to confess Christ before men, but not in such a way that they could confess Him even unto death. For these are gifts of God, and sometimes they are nourished by degrees in the soul.
CAPUT II. — Attendite prius, et istos tres testes comparate inter se; unum qui credit in Christum, et vix timide susurrat Christum; alium qui credit in Christum, et publice confitetur Christum; tertium qui credit in Christum, et paratus est in sua confessione mori pro Christo. Prior ille tam infirmus est, ut pudor eum vincat, non timor: secundus jam habet firmam frontem, sed nondum usque ad sanguinem: tertius totum, ut nihil sit amplius quod restet. Implet enim quod scriptum est, Certa pro veritate usque ad mortem (Eccli. IV, 33).
Chapter II. — Pay attention first, and compare these three witnesses with one another: one who believes in Christ and barely, timidly, whispers Christ; another who believes in Christ and publicly confesses Christ; a third who believes in Christ and is ready, in his confession, to die for Christ. The first is so weak that shame overcomes him, not fear; the second already has a firm brow, but not yet unto blood; the third [has] the whole, so that nothing further remains. For he fulfils what is written, Strive for the truth even unto death (Ecclus. 4:33).
2. Petrus ante mortem Domini infirmior martyribus ac puellis quibusdam. Petrus vitam negando moritur.
2. Peter before the Lord's death was weaker than the martyrs and than certain girls. Peter, by denying life, dies.
Editors' notes and page, col. 1297
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: nota addita est capiti› · call in col 1297
¹ Vox, capiti, non in omnibus inest Mss.
The word capiti is not in all the manuscripts.
(2) ‹anchor: tertius totum› · call in col 1297
² Subaudi, habet, vel, implet.
Understand habet ("has") or implet ("fulfils").
(printed under page 655) (*) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image (sermon title)› · call in col 1297 * Emendatus ad cl. d. gr. r. t. vat. v. et ad Ulim. Par. Lov.
Corrected against cl. d. gr. r. t. vat. v., and against the editions of Ulimmerius, Paris and Louvain.
(a) ‹anchor: SERMO CCLXXXVI› · call in col 1297
(printed under page 655) (a) Alias, de Diversis 39.
Elsewhere, De diversis 39.
(b) ‹anchor: Protasii et Gervasii› · call in col 1297
(printed under page 655) (b) De his Mediolanensibus martyribus in Carthaginensi calendario et in martyrologiis die junii decima nona.
These martyrs of Milan are commemorated in the Carthaginian calendar and in the martyrologies on the nineteenth day of June.
(printed under page 655) QA Q2: the second note (a) (the boy martyr Nemesianus), printed at the foot of the right column and called in col 1298, was moved to n1298.
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PL 38:1298De Petro quid dicimus? Praedicavit Christum, missus est, evangelizavit adhuc ante Domini passionem. Novimus enim missos Apostolos, ut Evangelium praedicarent: missus est, et praedicavit. Quantum vicerat illos Judaeos, qui timebant publice confiteri? Sed tamen adhuc non erat similis Protasio et Gervasio. Jam apostolus erat, primus erat, Domino cohaerebat. Dictum illi erat, Tu es Petrus (Matth. XVI, 18): sed nondum erat Protasius aut Gervasius, nondum erat Stephanus, nondum erat Nemesianus puer; nondum hoc erat Petrus; nondum erat quod mulieres quaedam, quod puellae, quod Crispina, quod Agnes; nondum erat Petrus, quod istarum muliebris infirmitas.
What do we say of Peter? He preached Christ, he was sent, he evangelized even before the Lord's passion. For we know that the Apostles were sent to preach the Gospel: he was sent, and he preached. How far had he surpassed those Jews who were afraid to confess publicly? But nevertheless he was not yet like Protasius and Gervasius. He was already an apostle, he was the first, he clung to the Lord. It had been said to him, You are Peter (Matt. 16:18): but he was not yet a Protasius or a Gervasius, he was not yet a Stephen, he was not yet the boy Nemesianus; Peter was not yet this; he was not yet what certain women were, what girls were, what Crispina was, what Agnes was; Peter was not yet what the womanly weakness of these women was.
CAPUT III. — Laudo Petrum: sed prius erubesco pro Petro. Quam prompta anima! sed nesciens se metiri. Nam utique si prompta non esset, non diceret Salvatori, Moriar pro te. Etsi oportuerit me mori tecum, non te negabo (Id. XXVI, 35). Sed medicus qui noverat venam cordis inspicere, praenuntiavit accessionis periculum. Tu, inquit, pro me animam tuam ponis? Agnosce ordinem. Ego prior pono. Tu pro me animam tuam ponis? Amen dico tibi, priusquam gallus cantet, ter me negabis (Joan. XIII, 37, 38). Praenuntiavit medicus quod nesciebat aegrotus. Invenit se ergo aegrotus falsum praesumpsisse, quando interrogatus est, Tu de illis es (Matth. XXVI, 69)? Quae interrogavit ancilla, febris fuit. Ecce febris accessit, ecce haeret: quid dicam? Ecce periclitatur, ecce moritur Petrus. Quid est enim aliud mori, quam vitam negare? Negavit Christum, negavit vitam, mortuus est. Sed ille qui resuscitat mortuos, respexit eum Dominus, et flevit amare (Luc. XXII, 61, 62). Negando periit, flendo resurrexit. Et mortuus est prior pro illo Dominus, sicut oportebat: et mortuus est postea pro Domino Petrus, sicut ordo ipse postulabat: et secuti sunt martyres. Strata est via prius spinosa, et pedibus Apostolorum contrita, facta lenior secuturis.
Chapter III. — I praise Peter: but first I blush for Peter. What a ready soul! but not knowing how to measure itself. For certainly, if it had not been ready, he would not have said to the Saviour, I will die for You. Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You (Matt. 26:35). But the physician, Who knew how to inspect the vein of the heart, foretold the danger of the attack [of fever]. You, He says, lay down your life for Me? Recognize the order. I lay it down first. You lay down your life for Me? Amen I say to you, before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times (John 13:37–38). The physician foretold what the sick man did not know. So the sick man found that he had presumed falsely, when he was asked, Are you one of them (Matt. 26:69)? The maidservant who questioned him was the fever. See, the fever has come on, see, it clings: what shall I say? See, he is in peril, see, Peter dies. For what else is it to die than to deny life? He denied Christ, he denied life, he died. But He Who raises the dead, the Lord looked at him, and he wept bitterly (Luke 22:61–62). By denying he perished, by weeping he rose again. And the Lord died first for him, as was fitting: and afterwards Peter died for the Lord, as the order itself demanded: and the martyrs followed. The way, at first thorny, was laid down, and, trodden by the feet of the Apostles, was made smoother for those who would follow.
CAPUT IV. — 3. Martyres Christum plus asserunt mortui, quam vivi. Mors eorum pretiosa. Quasi semine sanguinis impleta est martyribus terra, et de illo semine seges surrexit Ecclesiae. Plus asseruerunt Christum mortui, quam vivi. Hodie asserunt, hodie praedicant: tacet lingua, sonant facta. Tenebantur, ligabantur, includebantur, producebantur, torquebantur, urebantur, lapidabantur, percutiebantur, bestiis subrigebantur. In omnibus suis mortibus quasi viles irridebantur: sed pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum ejus (Psal. CXV, 15). Tunc in conspectu Domini tantum pretiosa, modo et in conspectu nostro. Tunc enim quando opprobrium erat esse christianum, vilis erat mors sanctorum in conspectu hominum: detestabantur, exsecrationi habebantur; pro maledicto objiciebantur, Sic moriaris, sic cruciligaris,
Chapter IV. — 3. The martyrs assert Christ more when dead than when alive. Their death is precious. As if with a seed of blood the earth was filled with martyrs, and from that seed sprang up the harvest of the Church. They asserted Christ more when dead than when alive. Today they assert Him, today they preach Him: the tongue is silent, the deeds resound. They were seized, bound, shut up, brought out, tortured, burned, stoned, struck, exposed to beasts. In all their deaths they were mocked as worthless: but precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Ps. 115:15). Then precious only in the sight of the Lord, now in our sight too. For then, when it was a disgrace to be a Christian, the death of the saints was worthless in the sight of men: they were detested, held in execration; they were cast up as a curse, So may you die, so may you be crucified,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1298
Footnotes
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¹ In recentioribus Mss., Messanus. At in antiquissimo Ms. Germanensi, ut in editis libris, Nemesianus.
In the more recent manuscripts, Messanus. But in the very ancient Saint-Germain manuscript, as in the printed books, Nemesianus.
(a) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image› · call in col 1298
(printed under page 655) (a) Martyrem hunc non habet Romanum martyrologium. In calendario Carthaginensi notatur X cal. jan. « Sancti Nemessiani » celebritas, istius forte pueri memoriae dedicata, quem videlicet hic laudat Augustinus quasi martyrem vulgo notissimum. Alius est Nemesianus ex Africa episcopus in martyrologiis celebratus IV idus septembris.
The Roman martyrology does not have this martyr. In the Carthaginian calendar the feast of "Saint Nemessianus" is noted on the tenth day before the Kalends of January [23 December], dedicated perhaps to the memory of this boy, whom Augustine here praises as a martyr widely known. A different person is Nemesianus, a bishop from Africa, commemorated in the martyrologies on the fourth day before the Ides of September [10 September].
(printed under page 655) QA Q2: note text moved here from n1297, where it had been set by mistake.
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PL 38:1299sic incendaris. Modo ista maledicta quis fidelis non optat?
so may you be burned. Now who among the faithful does not wish for these curses?
CAPUT V. — 4. Protasii et Gervasii detectio miraculis illustrata. Celebramus ergo hodierno die, fratres, memoriam in hoc loco positam sanctorum Protasii et Gervasii, Mediolanensium martyrum. Non eum diem quo hic posita est, sed eum diem hodie celebramus, quando inventa est pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum ejus per Ambrosium episcopum, hominem Dei: cujus tunc tantae gloriae martyrum etiam ego testis fui. Ibi eram, Mediolani eram, facta miracula novi, attestante Deo pretiosis mortibus sanctorum suorum: ut per illa miracula jam non solum in conspectu Domini, sed etiam in conspectu hominum esset mors illa pretiosa. Caecus notissimus universae civitati illuminatus est, cucurrit, adduci se fecit, sine duce reversus est Nondum audivimus quod obierit: forte adhuc vivit. In ipsa eorum basilica, ubi sunt eorum corpora, totam vitam suam serviturum se esse devovit. Nos illum gavisi sumus videntem, reliquimus servientem.
Chapter V. — 4. The discovery of Protasius and Gervasius made illustrious by miracles. We celebrate therefore on this day, brethren, the memorial set up in this place of the saints Protasius and Gervasius, martyrs of Milan. We celebrate today not the day on which it was set up here, but the day when the death of His saints, precious in the sight of the Lord, was found through Ambrose the bishop, a man of God: of which so great glory of the martyrs at that time I too was a witness. I was there, I was at Milan, I came to know of the miracles performed, God bearing witness to the precious deaths of His saints: so that through those miracles that death might now be precious not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. A blind man very well known to the whole city was given light; he ran, he had himself led there, he returned without a guide. We have not yet heard that he has died: perhaps he is still alive. In their very basilica, where their bodies are, he vowed that he would serve all his life. We rejoiced to see him seeing; we left him serving.
5. Per martyres non omnibus sanitas, sed eorum imitatoribus immortalitas datur. Aeger non exauditur ad voluntatem, sed ad sanitatem. Non cessat Deus attestari: et novit quomodo ipsa miracula sua debeat commendare. Novit agere, ut magnificentur: novit agere, ne vilescant. Non omnibus donat per martyres sanitatem: sed omnibus promittit imitatoribus martyrum immortalitatem. Quod non omnibus dat, non quaerat cui non dat; nec murmuret adversus eum quia non dat, ut det quod in fine promisit. Nam et qui modo sanantur, post paululum aliquando moriuntur: qui in fine resurgunt, cum Christo vivent.
5. Through the martyrs health is not given to all, but immortality is given to their imitators. The sick man is heard not according to his will, but for his health. God does not cease to bear witness: and He knows how He ought to commend His own miracles. He knows how to act so that they may be magnified; He knows how to act so that they may not grow cheap. He does not grant health to all through the martyrs: but He promises immortality to all imitators of the martyrs. What He does not give to all, let him to whom He does not give it not seek it; nor let him murmur against Him because He does not give it, so that He may give what He promised at the end. For even those who are healed now die at some time a little later: those who rise again at the end will live with Christ.
CAPUT VI. — Praecessit caput, exspectat membra secutura: implebitur totum corpus, Christus et Ecclesia. Ibi nos computet scriptos: et in hac vita quod expedit det. Novit enim ille quid expediat filiis suis. Si ergo vos, inquit, cum sitis mali, nostis bona data dare filiis vestris; quanto magis Pater vester qui in coelis est, dabit bona petentibus se (Matth. VII, 11)? Quae bona? numquid temporalia? Dat et ipsa; sed et infidelibus dat. Dat et ipsa; sed et impiis dat, sed et blasphematoribus suis dat. Bona quaeramus, quae non nobis sint cum malis communia. Novit ille Pater dare ista bona filiis suis. Modo petit ab illo filius suus sanitatem corporis: et non dat, adhuc flagellat. Sed numquid pater, quando flagellat, non praestat? Profert flagellum, sed cogita quale praeparet patrimonium. Flagellat, inquit, omnem filium quem recipit. Quem enim diligit Dominus, corripit (Hebr. XII, 6). Ideo ista dico, fratres mei, ne contristemini quando petitis, et non accipitis, et arbitremini quod ante oculos vo⟨s⟩ non habeat Deus, si ad tempus non exaudiat voluntatem vestram. Non enim semper aegrum exaudit medicus ad voluntatem, quamvis ejus sine dubio procuret atque appetat sanitatem. Non dat quod petit: sed quod non petit, hoc procurat. Petit frigidam,
Chapter VI. — The Head has gone before; He awaits the members that are to follow: the whole body will be completed, Christ and the Church. There may He count us as enrolled: and in this life may He give what is expedient. For He knows what is expedient for His children. If you then, He says, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:11)? What good things? Surely not temporal ones? He gives those too; but He gives them to unbelievers as well. He gives those too; but He gives them to the impious as well, and to those who blaspheme Him as well. Let us seek good things which we may not have in common with the wicked. That Father knows how to give these good things to His children. Now His son asks of Him health of body: and He does not give it, He still scourges. But does a father, when he scourges, not provide? He brings out the scourge, but consider what an inheritance he is preparing. He scourges, it says, every son whom He receives. For whom the Lord loves, He chastens (Heb. 12:6). I say these things, my brethren, so that you may not be saddened when you ask and do not receive, and think that God does not have you before His eyes, if for a time He does not hear your will. For a physician does not always hear a sick man according to his will, although without doubt he is attending to and seeking his health. He does not give what he asks for: but what he does not ask for, this he provides. He asks for cold [water],
Editors' notes and page, col. 1299
Footnotes
(a) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image› · call in col 1299
(printed under page 656) (a) Vide Confess. lib. 9, cap. 7; et De Civitate Dei, lib. 22, cap. 8.
See Confessions, book 9, chapter 7; and The City of God, book 22, chapter 8.
(printed under page 656) (a) Libellorum ejusmodi dandorum et in populo recitandorum consuetudinem se auctore introductam Augustinus in lib. 22 de Civitate Dei, cap. 8, de miraculis sanitatum per martyrem Stephanum factis agens testatur; ibique significat libellos non ante biennium dari coepisse. Haec vero scribebat sub finem anni 426.
Augustine testifies, in book 22 of The City of God, chapter 8, where he treats of the miracles of healing worked through the martyr Stephen, that the custom of issuing such booklets and reading them aloud to the people was introduced on his authority; and there he indicates that the booklets had begun to be issued not more than two years before. He was writing this towards the end of the year 426.
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PL 38:1300non dat. Crudelis factus est, qui venit sanare? Artis est, non crudelitatis. Non dat ad horam quod delectat: ut sanus possit omnia, nondum sano negantur aliqua.
he does not give it. Has he who came to heal become cruel? It is a matter of skill, not of cruelty. He does not give for the moment what delights, so that, once healthy, a person may [have] all things; to one not yet healthy some things are refused.
CAPUT VII. — 6. Martyribus et Machabaeis plus praestitum, quam tribus pueris ab igne liberatis. Considerate promissiones Dei. Istis ipsis martyribus quid, putatis quia omne quod postulaverunt dedit? Non. Multi se optaverunt dimitti, et cum aliquo miraculo dimitti, quomodo dimissi sunt tres pueri de camino. Qualis vox regis Nabuchodonosor? Quoniam, inquit, speraverunt in eum, et verbum regis immutaverunt. Quale testimonium perhibet, qui conabatur occidere? Incendi illos voluit, qui postea per illos credidit. Si illi in igne morerentur, occulte coronarentur, huic non prodesset. Ideo ad tempus servati sunt, ut crederet infidelis, ut laudaret Deum, qui damnaverat illos. Ipse fuit Deus trium puerorum, qui fuit Deus Machabaeorum. Illos de igne liberavit (Dan. III, 95), illos in igne mori fecit (II Machab. VII). Mutatus est? Plus illos quam illos diligebat? Major corona data est Machabaeis. Certe illi evaserunt ignes, sed ad pericula istius saeculi servati sunt: illi in ignibus omnia pericula finierunt. Non ulterius restabat ulla tentatio, sed sola coronatio. Ergo plus acceperunt Machabaei.
Chapter VII. 6. More was granted to the martyrs and the Maccabees than to the three youths delivered from the fire. Consider the promises of God. To these very martyrs, what? Do you think that He gave everything they asked for? No. Many wished to be released, and to be released with some miracle, as the three youths were released from the furnace. What was the voice of King Nebuchadnezzar? "Because," he says, "they hoped in Him, and changed the king's word." What testimony does he bear who was trying to kill them? He wanted them burnt, who afterwards believed through them. If they had died in the fire, they would have been crowned in secret; it would have been of no profit to him. Therefore they were preserved for a time, so that the unbeliever might believe, so that he might praise God, he who had condemned them. The same was the God of the three youths who was the God of the Maccabees. Those He delivered from the fire (Dan. 3:95); these He caused to die in the fire (2 Macc. 7). Was He changed? Did He love the former more than the latter? A greater crown was given to the Maccabees. Certainly the former escaped the fires, but they were preserved for the dangers of this world; the latter in the fires brought all dangers to an end. No further temptation remained, but only the crowning. Therefore the Maccabees received more.
CAPUT VIII.—Excutite fidem vestram, oculos cordis proferte, nolite humanos: habetis enim alios intus, quos vobis Dominus fecit, qui vobis oculos cordis aperuit, quando fidem dedit. Ipsos oculos interrogate: qui plus acceperunt, Machabaei, an tres pueri? Fidem interrogo. Homines saeculi hujus amatores si interrogem: Ego inter tres pueros volebam esse, dicit mihi anima infirma. Erubesce matri Machabaeorum, quae voluit filios suos ante se mori, quia sciebat non mori.
Chapter VIII. Examine your faith, bring forth the eyes of the heart, not the human ones: for you have other [eyes] within, which the Lord has made for you, He Who opened the eyes of your heart when He gave faith. Question those very eyes: who received more, the Maccabees or the three youths? I question faith. If I were to question men who are lovers of this world: "I would have wished to be among the three youths," says a weak soul to me. Blush before the mother of the Maccabees, who wished her sons to die before her, because she knew they were not dying.
7. Libelli de miraculis martyrum lecti in Ecclesia. Martyrium in lecto. Ego aliquando memoror de libellis miraculorum martyrum, quae in conspectu vestro leguntur. Ante dies lectus est quidam libellus, ubi cuidam aegrotae quae doloribus acerrimis torquebatur, cum dixisset, Ferre non possum; ait illi ipse martyr qui sanare venerat: Quid, si martyrium duceres? Multi ergo ducunt martyrium in lecto: prorsus multi. Est quaedam persecutio satanae, occultior et astutior quam tunc fuit. Jacet fidelis in lecto, torquetur doloribus, orat, non exauditur: imo exauditur, sed probatur, sed exercetur, sed ut recipiatur filius, flagellatur. Ergo cum torquetur doloribus, venit linguae tentatio, accedit ad lectum aut muliercula aliqua,
7. Booklets on the miracles of the martyrs read in the Church. Martyrdom in bed. I sometimes make mention of the booklets of the martyrs' miracles which are read in your presence. Some days ago a certain booklet was read, in which, when a certain sick woman who was tormented by most bitter pains had said, "I cannot bear it," the martyr himself who had come to heal said to her: "What if you were undergoing martyrdom?" Many, therefore, undergo martyrdom in bed: very many indeed. There is a certain persecution of Satan, more hidden and more cunning than it was then. A believer lies in bed, is tormented by pains, prays, is not heard; nay rather, is heard, but is being tested, is being exercised, and is scourged so that he may be received as a son. So when he is tormented by pains, the temptation of the tongue comes: there approaches the bed either some silly little woman,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1300
Footnotes
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¹ Sic aliquot Mss. At editi, coronati sunt: ac paulo post, qui damnaverat Deum.
Thus some manuscripts. But the printed editions read coronati sunt ("they were crowned"); and a little later, qui damnaverat Deum ("who had condemned God").
(2) ‹anchor: miraculorum martyrum› · call in col 1300
² Ita in pluribus Mss. At in excusis, Ego quia mando memoriae de libellis miraculorum Martyris.
So in most manuscripts. But in the printed editions: Ego quia mando memoriae de libellis miraculorum Martyris ("I, because I commit to memory from the booklets of the Martyr's miracles").
(3) ‹anchor: imo exauditur› · call in col 1300
³ Editi juxta Germanensem Ms., orat, exauditur; imo non exauditur. Verior visa est aliorum manuscriptorum lectio, hic restituta.
The printed editions, following the Saint-Germain manuscript, read: orat, exauditur; imo non exauditur ("he prays, he is heard; no, he is not heard"). The reading of the other manuscripts, restored here, seemed truer.
(a) ‹anchor: leguntur› · call in col 1300
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- running head: [cut off at left]GUSTINI EPISCOPI 1300
- marginal letters: (none)
- old-edition numerals: (none)