Stelle Nullum volo ad condolendum mecum ha...; (Historia persecutionis Africanae provinciae (475 - 489), Historia persecutionis Africanae provinciae, III, 65, 67-70 (p. 56-8), trans.: Victor of Vita: History of the Vandal Persecution, 62, translation by Jo [5698]

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ID 5698
Text Historia persecutionis Africanae provinciae (475 - 489) Victor of Vita
Quotation Nullum volo ad condolendum mecum haereticum convenire, qui forte addere concupiscit super dolorem vulnerum meorum et gratulatur cotidie malis meis. Nolo, nolo ego extraneum, sed fraternum quaero adfectum, nolo filiorum alienorum, quorum os locutum est vanitatem, et dextera eorum dextera iniquetatis: quia filii alieni semper mentiti sunt mihi, qui inveteraverunt et claudicaverunt a semitis suis. Isti dicunt mihi cotidie: ubi est deus tuus, dum adfligitur populus pretioso agni sanguine conparatus? Inter quorum obprobria ego ad flagella paratus cantare non desisto domino flagellanti: amove a me flagella tua, quia defeci, non a fortitudine manus tuae, sed a persecutione haeresis Arrianae. ... Adestote angeli dei mei, qui numquam deestis eonstituti in ministerio vestro, propter eos qui hereditatem capessuri sunt aeternae salutis, et videte Africeam totam, dudum tantarum ecelesiarum cuneis fultam, nune ab omnibus desolatam: tantis ordinibus sacerdotum ornatam, modo sedentem viduam et abiectam. Sacerdotes eius et seniores in desertis locis et in insulis defecerunt quaerendo sibi escas ad mandueandum, et non inveniunt. Considerate et videte, quia Sion civitas dei nostri facta est vilis, faeta quasi polluta menstruis inter inimicos suos. Manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia eius, quia vidit gentes invadere et ingredi atria sua, de quibus praeceperas ne introirent ecclesiam tuam. Viae eius lugent, eo quod nemo conveniat in die festo. Egressus est a facie eius omnis decor et deliciae: didicerunt vias asperas ambulare virgines et iuvenes eius, in aulis educati monasteriorum, abierunt in captivitatem Maurorum, dum lapides sancti eius disperguntur, non tantum in capitibus omnium platearum, sed etiam in locis squalidis metallorum. ... Deprecamini patriarchae, de quorum stirpe generis nata est, quae nunc laborat in terris: orate sancti prophetae cognoscentes adflictam, quam antea vaticinante praeconio cecinistis: estote apostoli suffragatores eius, quam ut congregaretis, universum orbem ascendente in vobis domino ut equi velocissimi cursitastis. Praecipue tu, Petre beate, quare siles pro ovibus et agnis, a communi domino magna tibi cautela et sollicitudine commendatis? "Tu, sancte Paule, gentium magister, qui ab Hierusalem usque ad Illyricum praedicasti evangelium dei, cognosce quid Wandali faciunt Arriani, et filii tuj gemunt lugendo captivi: universique ingemiscite sancti simul pro nobis apostoli. Sed scimus quia indignum est vobis pro nobis orare, quia ista, quae evenerunt nobis ad probationem, non quomodo sanctis, sed malis meritis supplicia debebantur. Sed et pro malis orate iam filiis, quia et Christus oravit etiam pro inimicis Iudaeis. sufficiant castigationi quae iuste inlata sunt nobis et iam iamque delinquentibus venia postuletur: dicatur angelo pereutienti: sufficit, iam cohibe manum tuam. Quis ignoret haec nobis probrorum nostrorum scelera proeurasse, aberrantibus a mandatis dei et in lege eius nolentibus ambulare? Sed prostrati rogamus, ut non spernatis vestros miseros peccatores, per eum qui vos ad apostolicum culmen provexit humiles piscatores.
Translation 65 I wish for no heretic to come and mourn with me, because he might aspire 'to add to the pain of my wounds' (Ps 68:27) and daily 'take joy in my misfortunes' (Ps 34:26). I do not want, no, I do not want the sympathy of strangers, but I seek that of brothers; I do not want that 'sons of strangers whose mouth has spoken vanity and their right hands are the right hands of iniquity' (Ps 143:7-8), because 'the sons of strangers have' ever 'lied to me', those who 'became old and limped away from their paths.' (Ps 17:46 Vulg) They 'say to me daily "Where is your God?"' (Ps 41:4,11) while that people purchased by the precious Blood of the Lamb is struck down. Amid their reproaches I, 'prepared for the whips' (cf. Ps 37:11f Vulg), do not cease to sing to the Lord as he whips me, "Take your whips away from me, for 'I have been laid low', not 'by the strength of your hand' (Ps 38:12 Vulg), but by the persecution of the Arian heresy. 67 Be present, angels of my God, you who never fail, established as you are in your ministry for the sake of those who have taken hold of the inheritance of eternal salvation, and look upon all Africa, formerly supported by companies of great churches, now deprived of them all; then adorned with great ranks of priests, now sitting as a downcast widow. 'Its priests and elders have perished' in uninhabited places and islands 'from seeking food to eat' (Lam 1:9), but they did not find any. 'Pay attention and see' (cf. Lam 1:11) that Zion the city of our God 'has become contemptible and, as it were, polluted by menses in the midst of those hostile to her.' (cf Lam 1:17) 'The enemy has set his hand against all her desirable things, and so she sees the nations invading and entering into her courts, people who, you have ordered, are not to enter into your church.' (Lam 1:10) 68 'All comeliness and charm has departed' (Lam 1:6) from her face; 'her virgins' have learned to walk along bitter paths, 'and her young men', brought up in the halls of monasteries; they 'have gone away into captivity' (lam 1:8) among the Moors, while 'her holy stones are scattered,' not only 'at the corners of all the streets' ( Lam 4:1), but also in the foul places of the mines. ... 69 Intercede, you patriarchs, from whose lineage she who now labours on the earth was born; pray, you holy prophets, who see afflicted the one of whom you formerly sang in prophetic utterance; be her supporters, you apostles, you who ran to and fro across the whole world like swift horses so that you might bring her together as the Lord ascended over you. Especially you, blessed Peter, why do you not speak on behalf of the sheep and lambs entrusted to you by the Lord of all, in his great care and concern? You, holy Paul, teacher of the gentiles, who preached the gospel of God 'from Jerusalem as far as Illyricum' (Rom 15:19), recognize what the Arian Vandals are doing and your captive sons who groan in lamentation; and all you holy apostles, groan for us in unison! 70 But we know that we are unworthy of your prayers, because these torments which have taken place to test us were the deserts, not of the holy, but of those who deserved ill. But pray now for your evil sons, because Christ, too, prayed, even for his enemies the Jews. may these things which have been justly imposed on us suffice for our correction, and may mercy for the wrongdoer be asked for at this very moment; may the 'persecuting angel' be told '"Enough, now stay your hand"' (II Sam 24:16) Who can fail to understand that our sinful and shameful acts brought these things upon us, wandering away as we did from the commandments of God and 'not wishing to walk in his law' (Ps 77:10). But, prostrate, we ask, through the one who moved you forward from being humble fishermen to your exalted position as apostles, that you do not spurn your wretched sinners.
Quotation source Historia persecutionis Africanae provinciae, III, 65, 67-70 (p. 56-8), trans.: Victor of Vita: History of the Vandal Persecution, 62, translation by John Moorhead, Translated Texts for Historians, vol. 10 (Liverpool University Press: 1992), p. 90-2
Temporal Coverage 474 - 484
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