Commodian — Instructiones 54
Of the seed of tares, who stand mixed in the church — when times are fulfilled the harvest is separated from the fruit. Tare was born that the Lord did not sow; the farmer gathers every tare and separates it. The law is a field for us: whoever has done good in it, the Dominator himself grants us true rest, where the tare is burned with fire. If therefore you thought, when they linger under one, you err: I mark you sterile Christians. The fig tree without fruit was cursed; at the Lord’s word it at once withered. You do not do works, you do not prepare a gift from the treasury — and so empty do you think to deserve the Lord?
Latin
54 DE LOLII SEMINE. De semine lolii, qui stant in ecclesia mixti Expletis temporibus messis separatur a fructu. Lolium est natum, quod non <in>miserat dominus; Omne lolium agricola collectum separat illud. Lex ager nobis est: qui fecerit bonum in illa, Ipsam uti<que> nobis prestat requiem ueram Ipse Dominator, qua lolium igne crematur. Si ergo putastis, quando sub uno morantur Erratis: sterelis Christianos uos esse designo Maledicta fuit arbor sine fructu ficulna In uerbo Domini et statim exaruit illa. Non operas facitis, non donum gazo paratis: Et sic promereri Dominum putatis inanes?