The Project Gutenberg eBook of Epistola ad Coroticum This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: Epistola ad Coroticum Author: Saint Patrick Release date: October 21, 2024 [eBook #74616] Language: Latin Original publication: Paris: D'Amboise, Pres La Barriere D'Enfer, ou Petit-Montrouge *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EPISTOLA AD COROTICUM *** EPISTOLA AD COROTICUM. --- I. Patricius, peccator, indoctus scilicet Hiberione constitutum episcopum me esse fateor. Certissime reor, a Deo accepi id quod sum. Inter barbaros itaque habito proselytus et profuga, ob amorem Dei Testis est ille, si ita est: non quod optabam tam dure et tam aspere, ex ore meo effundere, sed cogor zelo Dei et veritatis Christi, (_qui_) excitavit me pro dilectione proximorum atque filiorum, pro quibus tradidi patriam et parentes et animam meam usque ad mortem, si dignus sum. Vovi Deo meo docere gentes, etsi contenmor a quibus manu mea scripsi atque condidi verba ista danda et tradenda militibus mittenda Corotico, non dico civibus meis, neque civibus sanctorum Romanorum, sed civibus daemoniorum, ob mala opera ipsorum, ritu hostili. In morte vivunt socii Scottorum atque Pictorum apostatarum, quasi sanguine volentes saginari innocentium Christianorum, quos ego innumeros Deo genui atque in Christo confirmavi. II. Postera die qua chrismati neophyti in veste candida, dum (fides) flagrabat in fronte ipsorum, crudeliter trucidati atque mactati (sunt) gladio a supradictis, misi epistolam cum sancto presbytero, quem ego ex infantia docui cum clericis, ut nobis aliquid indulgerent de praeda vel de captivis baptizatis quos ceperunt: (_sed_) cachinnos fecerunt de illis. Idcirco nescio quos magis lugeam, an qui interfecti, vel quos ceperunt, vel quos graviter zabulus illaqueavit, (qui) perenni poena gehennae pariter cum ipso mancipabuntur. Quia utique peccati, qui facit peccatum, servus est (_I Joan_. III, 8), et fllius zabuli nuncupatur. III. Quapropter sciat omnis homo timens Deum quod a me alieni sunt et a Christo Domino meo pro quo legatione fungor, patricidae, fratricidae, lupi rapaces, _devorantes plebem Domini, ut cibum panis_ (_Psal_. XIII, 4), sicut ait; _Iniqui dissipaverunt legem tuam, Domine_ (_Psal_. CXVIII, 126), qua in supremis temporibus Hiberione optime et benigne plantata atque instructa erat favente Deo. Non usurpo (aliena: sed) partem habeo cum his quos advocavit, et praedestinavit Evangelium praedicare in persecutionibus non parvis usque ad extremum terrae. Etsi invidet inimicus per tyrannidem Corotici, qui Deum non veretur, nec sacerdotes ipsius quos elegit et indulsit illis summam, divinam, sublimem potestatem, _quos ligarent super terram, ligatos esse et in coelis_ (_Matth_. XVIII, 18). IV. Unde ergo quaeso plurimum, sancti et humiles corde, adulari talibus non licet, nec cibum nec potum sumere cum ipsis, nec eleemosynas ipsorum recipere debere, donec crudeliter effusis lacrymis satis Deo faciant et liberent servos Dei et ancillas Christi baptizatas, pro quibus mortuus est et crucifixus. _Dona iniquorum reprobat Altissimus. Qui offert sacrificium ex substantia pauperum, quasi qui victimat filium in conspectu patris sui_ (_Eccli_. XXXIV, 23, 24). _Divitiae_, inquit, _quas congregabit injustus, evomentur de ventre ejus; trahit illum angelus mortis: ira draconum multabitur: interficiet illum lingua colubri_ (_Job_ XX, 15, 16). Comedet autem eum ignis inexstinguibilis. Ideoque vae qui replent se (his) quae non sum sua. Vel, _quid prodest homini, ut totum mundum lucretur, et animae suae detrimentum patiatur_ (_Matth_. XVI, 26)? Longum est per singula discutere vel insinuare, per totam legem carpere testimonia de tali cupiditate. Avaritia mortale crimen. _Non concupisces rem proximi tui. Non occides_ (_Exod_. XX, 17, 13). Homicida non potest esse cum Christo. _Qui odit fratrem suum, homicida ascribitur_; vel, _qui non diligit fratrem suum in morte manet_ (_I Joan_. III, 14, 15). Quanto magis reus est qui manus suas coinquinavit in sanguine filiorum Dei, quos nuper acquisivit in ultimis terrae, per exhortationem parvitatis nostrae? V. Nunquid sine Deo vel secundum carnem Hiberione veni? Quis me compulit? alligatus sum spiritu, ut non videam aliquem de cognatione mea. Nunquid piam misericordiam ago erga gentem illam quae me aliquando ceperunt, et devastaverunt servos et ancillas domus patris mei? Ingenuus fui secundum carnem: decorione patre nascor. Vendidi enim nobilitatem meam (non erubesco, neque me poenitet) pro utilitate aliorum. Denique servus sum in Christo Jesu Domino nostro, etsi mei me non cognoscunt. _Propheta in patria sua honorem, non habet_ (_Marc_. VI, 4). Forte non sumus ex uno ovili, neque unum Deum patrem habemus, sicut ait: _Qui non est mecum contra me est, et qui non congregat mecum spargit_ (_Luc_. XI, 23). Non convenit, _Unus destruit, alter aedificat_ (_Eccli_. XXXIV, 28). Non quaero quae mea sunt. VI. Non mea gratia; sed Deus quidem hanc sollicitudinem (dedit) in corde meo, ut unus essem de venatoribus sive piscatoribus quos olim Deus in novissimis diebus ante praenuntiavit (_Jer_. XXVI, 16). Invidetur mihi: Quid faciam Domine? Valde despicior. Ecce oves tuae circa me laniantur atque depraedantur a supradictis latrunculis, jubente Corotico, hostili mente (longe est a caritate Dei traditor Christianorum), in manus Scottorum atque Pictorum. Lupi rapaces deglutierunt gregem Domini, qui utique Hiberione cum summa diligentia optime crescebat; et filii Scottorum et filiae regulorum monachi fiebant et virgines Christi; quos enumerare nequeo. Quamobrem injuria justorum non tibi placeat, etiam usque ad inferos non placebit. VII. Quis sanctorum non horreat jocundare vel convivio frui cum talibus? De spoliis defunctorum Christianorum repleverunt domos suas; de rapinis vivunt, nesciunt miseri. Venenum bibunt, lethalem cibum porrigunt ad amicos et filios suos. Sicut Eva non intellexit quod mortem tradidit viro suo; sic sunt omnes qui male agunt, mortem perennem poenamque perpetuam operantur. Consuetudo Romanorum et Gallorum Christianorum (est): mittunt viros sanctos idoneos ad Francos et caeteras gentes cum tot millibus solidorum ad redimendos captivos baptizatos. Tu omnes interficis, et vendis illos genti exterae ignoranti Deum: quasi in lupanar tradis membra Christi. Qualem spem habes in Deum? VIII. Qui tecum sentit, aut qui communicat verbis alienis et adulationis, Deus judicabit. Scriptum est enim: _Non solum facientes mala, sed etiam consentientes damnandi sunt_ (_Rom_. I, 32). Nescio quid dicam aut quid loquar amplius de defunctis filiorum Dei, quos gladius supra modum dure tetigit. Scriptum est enim: _Flere cum flentibus_ (_Rom_. XII, 15); et iterum: _Si dolet unum membrum, condoleant omnia membra_ (_I Cor_. XII, 26). Quapropter Ecclesia plorat et plangit filios et filias suas quas adhuc gladius nondum interfecit, sed prolongati et exportati (sunt) in longa terrarum spatia...Ut peccatum manifeste gravetur impudentiae, impudens ibi habitat et abundat. Ibi venundati ingenui homines Christiani in servitutem redacti sunt, praesertim indignissimorum, pessimorum, apostatarumque Pictorum. IX. Idcirco cum tristitia et maerore vociferabor: O speciosissimi atque amantissimi fratres et filii quos in Christo genui, enumerare nequeo quid faciam vobis! Non sum dignus Deo neque hominibus subvenire. Praevaluit iniquitas iniquorum super nos. Quasi extranei facti sumus. Forte non credunt (quod) unum baptismum percipimus, vel, unum Deum patrem habemus. Indignum est illis; Hiberia nati sumus, sicut ait: nonne unum Deum habetis? Quid dereliquistis unusquisque proximum suum? Idcirco doleo pro vobis, doleo, carissimi mihi; sed iterum gaudeo intra meipsum; non gratis laboravi, vel peregrinatio mea in vacuum non fuit; et contigit scelus tam horrendum, ineffabile. Deo gratias, creduli baptizati de saeculo recessistis ad paradisum. Cerno: vos migrare coepistis ubi _nox non erit neque luctus, neque mors amplius_ (_Apoc_. XXI, 4); sed exsultabitis sicut vituli ex vinculis resoluti, et conculcabitis iniquos, et erunt cinis sub pedibus vestris. X. Vos ergo regnabitis cum apostolis et prophetis atque martyribus, et aeterna regna capietis, sicut ipse testatur (qui inquit): _Venient ab Oriente et Occidente, et recumbent cum Abraham et Isaac et Jacob in regno coelorum_ (_Matth_. VIII, 11). _Foris canes, et venefici, et homicidae, et mendaces_ (_Apoc_. XXII, 15), perjuri: _Pars eorum in stagnum ignis aeternum_ (_Apoc_. XXI, 8). Non immerito ait Apostolus: _Ubi justus vix salvus erit, peccator et impius transgressor legis, ubi se recognoscit_ (_II Petr_. IV, 18). Ubi enim Coroticus cum suis sceleratissimis rebellatoribus Christi? Ubi se videbunt, qui mulierculas baptizatas et praedia orphanorum spurcissimis satellitibus suis distribuunt ob miserum regnum temporale, quod utique in momento transeat, sicut nubes, vel fumus qui utique vento dispergitur? Ita peccatores et fraudulenti a facie Domini peribunt: justi autem epulabuntur in magna constantia cum Christo: judicabunt nationes et regibus iniquis dominabuntur in saecula saeculorum. Amen. XI. Testificor coram Deo et angelis suis, quod ita erit sicut intimavit imperitia mea. Non mea verba, sed Dei, et apostolorum atque prophetarum (quod ego in Latinum exposui), qui nunquam enim mentiti sunt. _Qui crediderit, salvus erit; qui vero non crediderit condemnabitur_ (_Marc_. XVI, 16). Deus locutus est. Quaeso plurimum, ut quicunque famulus Dei, ut promptus fuerit, ut sit gerulus litterarum harum, ut neutiquam subtrahatur a nemine, sed magis potius legatur coram cunctis plebibus, et coram ipso Corotico. Quod si Deus inspirat illos ut quandoque Deo resipiscant, et vel sero poeniteant quod tam impie gesserunt homicidae erga fratres Domini, et liberent captivas baptizatas quas ante ceperunt, ita ut mereantur Deo vivere, et sani efficiantur hic et in aeternum. Pax Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui sancto. Amen. *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EPISTOLA AD COROTICUM *** Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. 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