登陆注册
5214200000359

第359章

But the devil, seeing the temples of the demons deserted, and the human race running to the name of the liberating Mediator, has moved the heretics under the Christian name to resist the Christian doctrine, as if they could be kept in the city of God indifferently without any correction, just as the city of confusion indifferently held the philosophers who were of diverse and adverse opinions.Those, therefore, in the Church of Christ who savor anything morbid and depraved, and, on being corrected that they may savor what is wholesome and right, contumaciously resist, and will not amend their pestiferous and deadly dogmas, but persist in defending them, become heretics, and, going without, are to be reckoned as enemies who serve for her discipline.For even thus they profit by their wickedness those true catholic members of Christ, since God makes a good use even of the wicked, and all things work together for good to them that love Him.(1) For all the enemies of the Church, whatever error blinds or malice depraves them, exercise her patience if they receive the power to afflict her corporally; and if they only oppose her by wicked thought, they exercise her wisdom: but at the same time, if these enemies are loved, they exercise her benevolence, or even her beneficence, whether she deals with them by persuasive doctrine or by terrible discipline.And thus the devil, the prince of the impious city, when he stirs up his own vessels against the city of God that sojourns in this world, is permitted to do her no harm.For without doubt the divine providence procures for her both consolation through prosperity, that she may not be broken by adversity, and trial through adversity, that she may not be corrupted by prosperity; and thus each is tempered by the other, as we recognize in the Psalms that voice which arises from no other cause, "According to the multitude of my griefs in my heart, Thy consolations have delighted my soul."(2) Hence also is that saying of the apostle, "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation."(3)For it is not to be thought that what the same teacher says can at any time fail, "Whoever will live piously in Christ shall suffer persecution."(4) Because even when those who are without do not rage, and thus there seems to be, and really is, tranquillity, which brings very much consolation, especially to the weak, yet there are not wanting, yea, there are many within who by their abandoned manners torment the hearts of those who live piously, since by them the Christian and catholic name is blasphemed;and the dearer that name is to those who will live piously in Christ, the more do they grieve that through the wicked, who have a place within, it comes to be less loved than pious minds desire.

The heretics themselves also, since they are thought to have the Christian name and sacraments, Scriptures, and profession, cause great grief in the hearts of the pious, both because many who wish to be Christians are compelled by their dissensions to hesitate, and many evil-speakers also find in them matter for blaspheming the Christian name, because they too are at any rate called Christians.By these and similar depraved manners and errors of men, those who will live piously in Christ suffer persecution, even when no one molests or vexes their body; for they suffer this persecution, not in their bodies, but in their hearts.

Whence is that word, "According to the multitude of my griefs in my heart;" for he does not say, in my body.Yet, on the other hand, none of them can perish, because the immutable divine promises are thought of.And because the apostle says, "The Lord knoweth them that are His;(5) for whom He did foreknow, He also predestinated [to be] conformed to the image of His Son,"(6)none of them can perish; therefore it follows in that psalm, "Thy consolations have delighted my soul."(7) But that grief which arises in the hearts of the pious, who are persecuted by the manners of bad or false Christians, is profitable to the sufferers, because it proceeds from the charity in which they do not wish them either to perish or to hinder the salvation of others.

Finally, great consolations grow out of their chastisement, which imbue the souls of the pious with a fecundity as great as the pains with which they were troubled concerning their own perdition.Thus in this world, in these evil days, not only from the time of the bodily presence of Christ and His apostles, but even from that of Abel, whom first his wicked brother slew because he was righteous,(8) and thenceforth even to the end of this world, the Church has gone forward on pilgrimage amid the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God CHAP.52.--WHETHER WE SHOULD BELIEVE WHAT SOME THINK, THAT, AS THE TENPERSECUTIONS WHICH ARE PAST HAVE BEEN FULFILLED, THERE REMAINS NO OTHERBEYOND

THE ELEVENTH, WHICH MUST HAPPEN IN THE VERY TIME OF ANTICHRIST.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 路人甲的弃神之路

    路人甲的弃神之路

    本文又名不知不觉勾搭大神的故事,没毅力,好幻想的主人公秋天在某网站当着一名透明的写手,一边深夜里在大神的文下面疯狂盖楼,各种痴汉的表情轮番上阵,直炸的大神面瘫脸撕裂……日常轻松向,无虐
  • 千古丹青:墓室壁画(文化之美)

    千古丹青:墓室壁画(文化之美)

    它们是被尘封在地下的美术陈列馆,它们以自己的方式向人们讲述着神秘高深的艺术,也为我们了解古人打开了一扇窗。
  • 二三十岁要懂的博弈论诡计

    二三十岁要懂的博弈论诡计

    迄今为止最实用的博弈手法及案例解读。博弈在人生中就像一个策略,不同的策略选择会出现不同的结果。而每一个人都会对自己的策略慎之又慎,这就是博弈能够带给我们的乐趣,让我们在生活中收获更多的精彩。
  • 那些年被妖王追的日子

    那些年被妖王追的日子

    凡医医人,鬼医医鬼,妖生病了咋办,找巫医,可医天下众生。妖王帝尊:嫁给本王吧,本王封你为第一妖后。安若晴:滚!道门天才:我愿意一生一世陪你降妖伏魔,你愿意吗?安若晴:滚!绝世美男:今生今世只想默默守护你,你若安好,便是晴天!安若晴:滚!绝色巫医妖王追,霸道红颜美男随。人生只求一知己,红烛成灰蝶纷飞。
  • 记得当年草上飞

    记得当年草上飞

    牛山和七个基干民兵就隐藏在这蒿草边的地埂上。他们一边儿四个,一字儿排开,像打仗时的对垒一样。不过他们拿的不是枪,而是每个人手里紧紧地攥着一条粗麻绳,两人拽一头,共两条,如冻僵的两条蛇横在路中间。他们不时地拽一拽,生怕会断掉似的。另外,每人怀里还有一根五尺长的木棍,有娃娃的胳臂那么粗。他们一个个高度警惕,屏声敛息,眼睛都发红了,像猎犬一般死死地盯着眼前的小路,这路的一头盘来绕去,一直通往北山的后梁,一头蜿蜿蜒蜒伸向坡下的村庄。这路上的任何蛛丝马迹风吹草动,都牵动着他们绷紧的神经。这是一次秘密的抓捕行动,负责这次抓捕任务的是民兵连长,牛山。
  • 无限速

    无限速

    赛车团体花式赛是一种新式的赛车方式,顾名思义就是团体对抗,两支或更多车队在同一赛道pk,运用变化队形、高难度动作、甚至碰撞挤压等方法,阻挡对手车队超车,两车队中任何一辆车先超过终点视为比赛结束,第一个超过终点的车所属车队拿到最高起评分,再以此类推。综合视觉效果,动作难度,队员默契程度给定最后分数。比赛分为单人、双人……七人赛,所得分数最高者夺得冠军。一个车队往往七到八人,队员既是车手,也是军师和维修员……由于比赛太过危险,队员上场之前必须签订协议,一切后果将自己负责……一旦夺得冠军,车队的价值,将不是用钱衡量的问题。因此吸引无数人加入这个危险的极限运动。然而车轮下的阴谋你看到了吗?
  • 赠卢大夫将军

    赠卢大夫将军

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大周新译大方广佛华严经序

    大周新译大方广佛华严经序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 行走社会100诀

    行走社会100诀

    1部值得传世的经典着作;100条社会生存的必备法则该怎么在社会上行走,才能够平安稳健?有没有什么样的行为准则,能够立足社会,永保不败?《社会行走100诀》的作者李赫,以其犀利的文字,将社会行走必备的观念、行为准则,以及社会上普遍存在的现象、人与人之间互动的原则做了十分详尽且精准的剖析,甚至还进一步探讨了人的心态。这不是一本教人诈术的书,书中也没有取巧、投机的行为和心态,书中的100条法则,不但条理分明,且字字珠玑,即便是充满人生哲理的书,在作者的笔下,也仍然处处透着恒常不变的智慧,是一本值得传世的智慧之书。
  • 凤还巢:盛后归来

    凤还巢:盛后归来

    昏暗的地宫,阴潮的湿气扑面而来,冰冷的墙体将其中的一切禁锢,无尽的黑暗恐惧涌向角落里残破的身影。“公主,您的囚期已满,请吧………”地宫内阴暗冷寂,地宫外艳阳明媚。妖术被封印,在这弱肉强食的妖界便是死路。 一位是冷血战王,另一位是她身后的操纵者,他们一个教会她恨,一个教会她狠。要生存,便要竞争,权位相争,便是你死我活。 当她的真实身份被揭穿,妖界已无她的容身之地,一朝叛变,她带领百万傀儡军团霸气归来。原来,从她进入皇城开始——这一切的一切, 都是一场精心筹划的阴谋……(妖界)