| Keywords |
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| ID |
5885 |
| Text |
De gubernatione dei (439 - 451) Salvian of Marseilles |
| Quotation |
Non immerito itaque victi sumus: ad meliora enim se illi subsidia contulere, quam nostri. Nam cum armis nos atque auxiliis superbiremus, a parte hostium nobis liber divinae legis occurrit. Ad hanc enim praecipue opem timor et perturbatio tunc Wandalica confugit, ut seriem nobis coelestis eloquii opponeret et adversum venientes aemulos suos sacri voluminis scripta quasi ipsa quodammodo divinitatis ora reseraret. Hic nunc requiro, quis hoc unquam a nostris partibus fecerit, aut quis non inrisus
fuerat si putasset esse faciendum? inrisus, utique, sicut a nostris omnia ferme religiosa ridentur. Et ideo quid prodesse nobis praerogativa illa religiosi nominis potest, quod nos catholicos esse dicimus, quod fideles esse jactamus, quod Gothos ac Wandalos haeretici nominis exprobratione despicimus, cum ipsi haeretica pravitate vivamus? |
| Translation |
Not without reason are we defeated, for the barbarians
betook themselves to better aids than we. When we took
pride in our armies and auxiliaries, the Book of the divine
Law opposed us on the side of the enemy. The Vandals at
that time in their fear and confusion took refuge especially
in this help. They put a chain of heavenly speech against us,
and against those who came they put, as fighters, the writings
of the Sacred Book, as if they, in a way, unlocked the very
mouth of God.
Here and now I ask: Who on our side ever acted like this?
Who would not have been laughed at if he had thought it
should be done? Laughed at indeed, just as almost all religious
acts are laughed at by us. Therefore, what can that prerogative
of a religious name profit us? That we call ourselves Catholics? That we brag we are the faithful? That we despise
the Goths and Vandals with the reproachful title of heretics,
when we ourselves live in heretical depravity? |
| Quotation source |
Lib. 7, Cap. 11 (p. 92, trans. O'Sullivan, pp. 200-1) |
| Temporal Coverage |
439 - 451 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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