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| Chapter IV.
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Chapter IV.
If, therefore, it is evident that from the beginning
this kind of worship has both been forbidden—witness the commands
so numerous and weighty—and that it has never been engaged in
without punishment following, as examples so numerous and impressive
show, and that no offence is counted by God so presumptuous as a
trespass of this sort, we ought further to perceive the purport of both
the divine threatenings and their fulfilments, which was even then
commended not only by the not calling in question, but also by the
enduring of martyrdoms, for which certainly He had given occasion by
forbidding idolatry. For otherwise martyrdoms would not take
place. And certainly He had supplied, as a warrant for these, His own
authority, willing those events to come to pass for the occurrence of
which He had given occasion. At present (it is important), for we
are getting severely stung concerning the will of God, and the scorpion repeats the prick,
denying the existence of this will, finding fault with it, so that he
either insinuates that there is another god, such that this is not his
will, or none the less overthrows ours, seeing such is his will, or
altogether denies this will of God, if he cannot deny Himself.
But, for our part, contending elsewhere about God, and about all the
rest of the body of heretical teaching, we now draw before us definite
lines8250
| 8250 An allusion to
what occurred in the games, there being lines to mark the space within
which the contests were to be waged.—Tr. | for one form of encounter, maintaining that
this will, such as to have given occasion for martyrdoms, is that of
not another god than the God of Israel, on the ground of the
commandments relating to an always forbidden, as well as of the
judgments upon a punished, idolatry. For if the keeping of a
command involves the suffering of violence, this will be, so to speak,
a command about keeping the command, requiring me to suffer that
through which I shall be able to keep the command, violence namely,
whatever of it threatens me when on my guard against idolatry. And
certainly (in the case supposed) the Author of the command extorts
compliance with it. He could not, therefore, have been unwilling that
those events should come to pass by means of which the compliance will
be manifest. The injunction is given me not to make mention of any
other god, not even by speaking,—as little by the tongue as by
the hand,—to fashion a god, and not to worship or in any way show
reverence to another than Him only who thus commands me, whom I am both
bid fear that I may not be forsaken by Him, and love with my whole
being, that I may die for Him. Serving as a soldier under this oath, I
am challenged by the enemy. If I surrender to them, I am as they
are. In maintaining this oath, I fight furiously in battle, am wounded,
hewn in pieces, slain. Who wished this fatal issue to his
soldier, but he who sealed him by such an oath?E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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