Commodian — Carmen de Duobus Populis 672–703
But persevering: We are the elect! saying. Still they make the profane foolish to go to baths, whom they make clean to please the most high God themselves. Water washes filths, not the inward wicked things of the heart, nor will sacred things carefully done be able to wash the sacrilegious. The Lord did not so command sacred things to be carried to the malign; and again a place, to be held clean from idols: Let no one make for himself a demon’s image, he says; for he said also to them: Do not serve idols. If God commanded idols to be strongly avoided, why do they deceive the nations that they are pure by washings? Rather when they receive such, they ought to teach to serve no others, except only to please the Highest. While they seek to overshadow the crime of Christ’s death, they open the doors everywhere so it may be entered to them. From here therefore they perish, who think they can become God’s by water, accomplices before with the robber. Now he worships anything in vain, now he seeks holy things; he does not know where first that unknowing one should meet, and he serves idols, again seeks the thirtieth; now he follows unleavened bread, who had sat chaste before. This did not please God — to be partners of demons — who set the law, that a crossing might be made from there. Two ways are set before you: choose which you will, for you will not split yourself so you can go through both; but yet from them you ought to seek the fit one; and do not fall into robbers’ jaws — be more careful. Seek the one Lord, who seeks no sacrificial victim, so that washed you may rise in a renewed age. Why do you attend to the bad and judge the holy unjust, who show you no word from the law? About God’s power it is reported, which he did among them — ****** Baths do not scrub the heart. Two ways — pick one. Seek the one Lord who wants no victim, and rise in the new age.
Latin
Sed perseuerantes: Nos sumus electi! dicentes. Adhuc infatuant profanos balneis ire, Quos faciunt mundos ipsi Deo summo placere. Aqua lauat sordes, non intima cordis iniqua, Nec sacra sacrilega poterunt lauare curata. Non ita praecepit Dominus sacra ferre malignis; Et locus iterum, ab idolis mundos haberi: Nemo sibi faciat simulacrum daemonis, inquit; Nam dixit et illis: Idolis seruire nolite. Si Deus praecepit ab idolis ualde caueri, Quid illi decipiunt gentes puros esse lauacris? Immo cum recipiunt tales, docere deberent Seruire non aliis, nisi tantum Summo placere. Dum facinus quaerunt obumbrare Christi de morte, Aperiunt ualuas passim, ut intretur ad illos Hinc ergo depereunt, qui se putant puros ab aqua Posse Dei fieri, conscientes ante latroni. Nunc colit in uano quodlibet, nunc sancta requirit, Nescit ubi primum occurrat inscius ille, Ac idolis seruit, iterum tricesima quaerit; Nunc azima sequitur, qui castum sederat ante. Hoc Deo non placuit participes daemonum esse, Qui legem instituit, fieret quo transitus inde. Sunt tibi praepositas duas uias: elige, quam uis, Nec enim te findes, ut possis ire per ambas; Sed tamen ex ipsis opportunam quaerere debes; Nec cadas in fauces latronum, cautior esto. Unum quaere Dominum, qui quaerit hostia nulla, Ut possis abolitus <re>surgere saeclo nouato. Quid malos attendis et iudicas sanctos iniquos, Qui tibi nullum uerbum de lege demonstra<n>t? De uirtute Dei refertur, quam fecit in illos;