1.1 In in urbe a city magnā great Orientis of the East mercātor a merchant quīdam a certain erat there was quī who et also librōs books ēdēbat published et and ephēmerida a journal cotīdiānam daily cūrābat oversaw
1.2 Nōmen a name magnum great habēbat he had et and opēs wealth multās much —sed but nōn not propter on account of opēs his wealth memorābilis memorable erat was he —memorābilis memorable erat he was quia because vēra true things dīcere to say audēbat he dared quae which cēterī the others tacēbant kept silent about
1.3 Nam for potestās the power quae which urbī over the city illī that imperābat ruled lībertātem the freedom quam which ōlim once cīvēs the citizens habuerant had had paulātim gradually abstulit took away —prīmum first cōnsilia assemblies pūblica public sustulit it abolished deinde then vōcēs the voices līberās free oppressit it suppressed postrēmō finally etiam even cōgitātiōnēs thoughts ipsās themselves pūnīre to punish cōnāta it attempted est did
2.1 Hic this autem however mercātor merchant scrībēbat kept writing —scrībēbat he kept writing dē about iniūriīs the injustices quae which fiēbant were being done dē about lēgibus laws quae which frangebantur were being broken dē about cīvibus citizens quī who sine without causā cause in into carcerem prison coniciēbantur were being thrown
2.2 Dīcēbant they said eī to him amīcī his friends —”cūr why tē yourself in into perīculum danger dās? do you put —cēterī the others tacent are silent —tū you quoque also tacē be silent et and salvus safe eris” you will be
2.3 Ille he autem however respondēbat replied —”sī if omnēs all tacent are silent nēmō no one vēritātem the truth audit hears —et and ubī where nēmō no one vēritātem the truth audit hears ibī there iam already nūlla no lībertās freedom est is —et and ubī where nūlla no lībertās freedom est is ibī there nūlla no iūstitia” justice
3.1 Comprehēnsus arrested est he was igitur therefore —nōn not quia because falsa false things dīxerat he had said sed but quia because vēra true things
3.2 Ephēmerida his journal eius his suppressa was suppressed est was —librī his books eius his prohibitī were forbidden sunt were —ipse he himself in into carcerem prison coniectus thrown est was ubi where iam already multōs many annōs years dētinētur he is held
3.3 Senex an old man est he is iam now —et and inter between mūrōs the walls carceris of the prison senēscit he grows old —et and tamen yet nōn he does not recantāvit recant
4.1 Spectā observe nunc now quam how stultē foolishly agat acts persecūtor the persecutor
4.2 Sī if vēritās truth nihil nothing esset were —sī if verba words mercātōris of the merchant mendācia lies essent were —cūr why ea them timēret? would he fear —mendācia lies enim for sē themselves ipsa themselves dēstruunt destroy et and nūllīus of no one’s auxiliō help cadunt they fall
4.3 Sed but quia because vēra true erant they were quae what ille that man scrīpserat had written ideō therefore vinculīs with chains opus need erat there was —nam for vēritās truth vīva alive est is et and nisi unless vincīs you bind eam it ambulat it walks et and loquitur speaks et and omnēs all quī who audiunt hear eam it agnōscunt recognise it
4.4 Itaque and so ipse the persecūtor persecutor cum when mercātōrem the merchant in into carcerem prison conicit throws vēritātem the truth eius his cōnfirmat confirms —nam for nēmō no one mendācem a liar timet fears —sōlam only vēritātem truth timēre to fear necesse necessary est it is
5.1 Iam already anteā before dīxī I said —et and iterum again dīcō I say quia because rēs the matter eadem the same est is —religiō religion est is rēs the thing in in quā which lībertās freedom maximē most necessāria necessary est is
5.2 Sed but nōn not religiō religion sōla alone —nam for vēritās truth ipsa itself est is rēs the thing in in quā which lībertās freedom necessāria necessary est is —quia because vēritās truth quae which cōgitur is compelled iam already nōn not vēritās truth est is sed but servitūs slavery
5.3 Sīcut just as religiōnem religion tormentīs with tortures impōnere to impose sacrilegium sacrilege est is nōn not religiō religion —ita so vēritātem truth vinculīs with chains supprimere to suppress sacrilegium sacrilege est is mentis of the mind
5.4 Nam for Deus God hominī to man mentem a mind dedit gave ut so that vērum the true ā from falsō the false discerneret he might distinguish —et and quī he who mentem the mind prohibet forbids vērum the true dīcere to speak contrā against nātūram the nature ipsam itself hominis of man pugnat fights —id that est is contrā against Deum God quī who eam it nātūram that nature dedit gave
6.1 “Sed but sī if Deus God vēritātem truth amat” loves —inquiēs you will say —”cūr why sinit does he allow vēritātis of truth vindicem the champion in in carcere prison languēre?” to languish
6.2 Patientia the patience Deī of God nōn not est is indifferentia indifference —hoc this iam already saepe often dīxī I have said et and numquam never dēsinam shall I cease dīcere to say
6.3 Persecūtōrēs the persecutors omnēs all malōs evil exitūs ends habuērunt have had —nōn not quia because Deus God crūdēlis cruel est is sed but quia because iūstus just
6.4 Et and mercātor the merchant ille that quī who in in carcere prison sedet sits —iam already nunc now līberiōr more free est is quam than iī those quī who eum him inclūsērunt have locked away —nam for ille he cōnscientiam a conscience līberam free habet has —illī they autem however cōnscientiam a conscience vinctam bound timōre by fear eius of that very vēritātis truth quam which opprimere to suppress nōn not possunt they can
7.1 Vincula chains corpus the body tenent hold —mentem the mind nōn not tenent do they hold
7.2 Carcer a prison membra the limbs claudit shuts in —cōnscientiam the conscience nōn not claudit does it shut in
7.3 Et and quod what ille that man scrīpsit wrote stat stands —et and quī those who id it dēlēre to destroy volunt wish nōn not possunt they can —quia because vēritās truth est is sīcut like ignis fire —quō the more magis you eam it comprimis you press down eō the more vehementius violently ērumpit it erupts
7.4 Hoc this ego I quī who et also ipse myself ōlim once silēre to be silent coāctus compelled sum was certissimē most certainly sciō know
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1.1 In urbe magnā Orientis mercātor quīdam erat quī et librōs ēdēbat et ephēmerida cotīdiānam cūrābat.
1.2 Nōmen magnum habēbat et opēs multās — sed nōn propter opēs memorābilis erat — memorābilis erat quia vēra dīcere audēbat quae cēterī tacēbant.
1.3 Nam potestās quae urbī illī imperābat lībertātem quam ōlim cīvēs habuerant paulātim abstulit — prīmum cōnsilia pūblica sustulit, deinde vōcēs līberās oppressit, postrēmō etiam cōgitātiōnēs ipsās pūnīre cōnāta est.
2.1 Hic autem mercātor scrībēbat — scrībēbat dē iniūriīs quae fiēbant, dē lēgibus quae frangebantur, dē cīvibus quī sine causā in carcerem coniciēbantur.
2.2 Dīcēbant eī amīcī: “Cūr tē in perīculum dās? — cēterī tacent — tū quoque tacē et salvus eris.”
2.3 Ille autem respondēbat: “Sī omnēs tacent, nēmō vēritātem audit — et ubī nēmō vēritātem audit, ibī iam nūlla lībertās est — et ubī nūlla lībertās est, ibī nūlla iūstitia.”
3.1 Comprehēnsus est igitur — nōn quia falsa dīxerat, sed quia vēra.
3.2 Ephēmerida eius suppressa est — librī eius prohibitī sunt — ipse in carcerem coniectus est ubi iam multōs annōs dētinētur.
3.3 Senex est iam — et inter mūrōs carceris senēscit — et tamen nōn recantāvit.
4.1 Spectā nunc quam stultē agat persecūtor.
4.2 Sī vēritās nihil esset — sī verba mercātōris mendācia essent — cūr ea timēret? — mendācia enim sē ipsa dēstruunt et nūllīus auxiliō cadunt.
4.3 Sed quia vēra erant quae ille scrīpserat, ideō vinculīs opus erat — nam vēritās vīva est, et nisi vincīs eam, ambulat et loquitur et omnēs quī audiunt eam agnōscunt.
4.4 Itaque ipse persecūtor, cum mercātōrem in carcerem conicit, vēritātem eius cōnfirmat — nam nēmō mendācem timet — sōlam vēritātem timēre necesse est.
5.1 Iam anteā dīxī — et iterum dīcō quia rēs eadem est — religiō est rēs in quā lībertās maximē necessāria est.
5.2 Sed nōn religiō sōla — nam vēritās ipsa est rēs in quā lībertās necessāria est — quia vēritās quae cōgitur iam nōn vēritās est sed servitūs.
5.3 Sīcut religiōnem tormentīs impōnere sacrilegium est nōn religiō — ita vēritātem vinculīs supprimere sacrilegium est mentis.
5.4 Nam Deus hominī mentem dedit ut vērum ā falsō discerneret — et quī mentem prohibet vērum dīcere contrā nātūram ipsam hominis pugnat — id est contrā Deum quī eam nātūram dedit.
6.1 “Sed sī Deus vēritātem amat,” inquiēs, “cūr sinit vēritātis vindicem in carcere languēre?”
6.2 Patientia Deī nōn est indifferentia — hoc iam saepe dīxī et numquam dēsinam dīcere.
6.3 Persecūtōrēs omnēs malōs exitūs habuērunt — nōn quia Deus crūdēlis est sed quia iūstus.
6.4 Et mercātor ille quī in carcere sedet — iam nunc līberiōr est quam iī quī eum inclūsērunt — nam ille cōnscientiam līberam habet — illī autem cōnscientiam vinctam timōre eius vēritātis quam opprimere nōn possunt.
7.1 Vincula corpus tenent — mentem nōn tenent.
7.2 Carcer membra claudit — cōnscientiam nōn claudit.
7.3 Et quod ille scrīpsit stat — et quī id dēlēre volunt nōn possunt — quia vēritās est sīcut ignis — quō magis eam comprimis, eō vehementius ērumpit.
7.4 Hoc ego quī et ipse ōlim silēre coāctus sum certissimē sciō.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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