1.1 In in terrā the land Āfricae of Africa quae which inter among omnēs all gentēs the nations plūrimōs the most Chrīstiānōs Christians habet has sacerdōs a priest quīdam a certain nōmine by name Nathanaēl Nathanael in in ecclēsiā a church Sānctae of the Holy Trinitātis Trinity ministrābat was ministering
1.2 Noctū in the night —tertiā the third ferē about hōrā hour post after mediam the middle of the noctem night —armātī armed men domum his house ēius his irrūpērunt burst into —trēs three hominēs people occīdērunt they killed —sacerdōtem the priest ipsum himself cum along with decem ten aliīs others rapuērunt they seized
1.3 Nōn this was not prīmum the first hoc time this accidit happened —nōn not secundum the second —nōn not tertium the third —sed but rēs a thing quae which tam so saepe often fit happens ut that iam already mundus the world nōn no longer audiat hears it
2.1 Quod what nunc now in in Āfricā Africa fit happens —hoc this ōlim once in in Bīthȳniā Bithynia vīdī I saw
2.2 Vīdī I saw cum when mīlitēs soldiers imperiī of the empire ecclēsiam a church Nīcomēdiēnsem of Nicomedia prīmā at the first lūce light irrūpērunt burst into et and sacrōs the sacred librōs books combūssērunt burned et and mūrōs the walls ipsōs themselves dēmōlītī they demolished sunt they
2.3 Vīdī I saw cum when fidēlēs the faithful ē from domibus their houses suīs their own ēducēbantur were being dragged et and aut either sacrificāre to sacrifice aut or morī to die cōgēbantur were being compelled
2.4 Nōmina the names mūtantur change —Dioclētiānus Diocletian nōn is not vocātur called sed but aliud another nōmen name habet he has —loca the places mūtantur change —Nīcomēdia Nicomedia nōn is not est called sed but Kadūna Kaduna —sed but rēs the thing eadem the same est is —servī the servants Deī of God rapiuntur are being seized quia because servī the servants Deī of God sunt they are
3.1 Cūr why sacerdōtēs are priests rapiuntur? being seized
3.2 Nōn not quia because dīvitēs rich sunt they are —plērīque most of them enim for pauperēs poor sunt are —nōn not quia because potentēs powerful sunt they are —nihil nothing enim for habent they have nisi except vōcem a voice et and librōs books sacrōs sacred
3.3 Sed but hoc this ipsum very thing est is quod what timeant they fear —vōcem a voice —nam for vōx the voice quae which vēritātem the truth dīcit speaks plūs more valet is worth quam than mīlle a thousand gladiī swords
3.4 Sacerdōs a priest quī who docet teaches —”Deus God omnem every hominem person dīligit loves et and omnis every homo person dignitātem a dignity habet has quam which nēmō no one auferre to take away potest” is able —ille that one perīculōsior is more dangerous est is iīs to those quī who ex from aliōrum others’ timōre fear vīvunt live quam than omnis every exercitus army
3.5 Ita thus fit it happens ut that quī those who nihil nothing possidēre to possess videntur seem plūrimum the most possidēre to possess inveniantur are discovered —vēritātem the truth enim for possident they possess —et and vēritās the truth omnibus of all possessiōnibus possessions est is pretiōsissima the most precious et and maximē most timenda to be feared
4.1 Dīcunt they say nōnnūllī some —”ecce behold Deus God vester your servōs his servants suōs his own nōn does not prōtegit protect —ubi where est is potentia the power ēius his sī if sacerdōtēs his priests ēius his rapiuntur are being seized et and fidēlēs the faithful ēius his occīduntur?” are killed
4.2 Stultī fools —nōn not intellegunt they understand quid what testimōnium testimony sit is
4.3 Nam for testis a witness nōn is not ille the one est is quī who in in sēcūritāte safety loquitur speaks —testis a witness est is quī the one who in in perīculō danger positūs placed vēritātem the truth nōn does not dēserit abandon
4.4 Et and sanguis the blood testium of witnesses nōn is not est is signum a sign dēbilitātis of weakness Deī of God sed but sēmen the seed ecclēsiae of the church —hoc this semper always fuit has been —hoc this semper always erit will be
5.1 Patientia the patience Deī of God nōn is not est is indifferentia indifference
5.2 Deus God Nathanaēlem Nathanael nōn has not oblītus forgotten est is —Deus God trēs the three illōs those quī who occīsī killed sunt were nōn has not oblītus forgotten est is —Deus God centēna the hundreds et and sexāgintā sixty sex six fidēlēs faithful quī who ante before paucōs a few diēs days raptī seized sunt were nōn has not oblītus forgotten est is
5.3 Ūnumquemque each one eōrum of them nōmine by name nōvit he knows —et and ūnumquemque each one eōrum of those quī who rapuērunt seized them nōmine by name quoque also nōvit he knows
5.4 Et and dīcō I say vōbīs to you quod what iam already saepe often dīxī I have said et and quod what rēs events ipsae themselves semper always cōnfirmant confirm —nūllus no persecūtor persecutor beātum blessed fīnem end habuit has had
5.5 Nerō Nero sē himself ipsum himself interfēcit killed —Domītiānus Domitian ā by suīs his own occīsus was killed est was —Dioclētiānus Diocletian in in dēspērātiōne despair periit perished —Gālerius Galerius ā by vermibus worms consumptus consumed est was —nūllus not one eōrum of them impūnītus unpunished discessit departed
5.6 Nōn I do not dīcō say rapīnās that kidnappings et and caedēs killings celeriter quickly pūnītum punished īrī will be —patientia the patience Deī of God longa long est is —sed but dīcō I say eam it nōn is not esse to be īnfīnītam infinite
6.1 Ecclēsia the church illa that Sānctae of the Holy Trinitātis Trinity vocātur is called —nōmen a name aptissimum most fitting
6.2 Nam for ubi wherever Trīnitās the Trinity est is ibī there persecūtiō persecution eam it sequitur follows —et and ubi wherever persecūtiō persecution est is ibī there Trīnitās the Trinity eam it vincit conquers
6.3 Rapuērunt they seized sacerdōtem the priest —sed but Sacerdōtem the Priest Summum the Most High rapere to seize nōn they cannot possunt they are able —dēstrūxērunt they destroyed ecclēsiam the church —sed but Ecclēsiam the Church dēstruere to destroy nōn they cannot possunt are able
6.4 Haec this est is fidēs the faith nostra our —nōn not quod that mala evils nōn do not patimur we suffer —patimur we suffer enim for —sed but quod that mala evils passiōne by suffering nostrā our vincuntur are conquered nōn not vincunt conquer
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1.1 In terrā Āfricae quae inter omnēs gentēs plūrimōs Chrīstiānōs habet, sacerdōs quīdam nōmine Nathanaēl in ecclēsiā Sānctae Trinitātis ministrābat.
1.2 Noctū — tertiā ferē hōrā post mediam noctem — armātī domum ēius irrūpērunt — trēs hominēs occīdērunt — sacerdōtem ipsum cum decem aliīs rapuērunt.
1.3 Nōn prīmum hoc accidit — nōn secundum — nōn tertium — sed rēs quae tam saepe fit ut iam mundus nōn audiat.
2.1 Quod nunc in Āfricā fit — hoc ōlim in Bīthȳniā vīdī.
2.2 Vīdī cum mīlitēs imperiī ecclēsiam Nīcomēdiēnsem prīmā lūce irrūpērunt et sacrōs librōs combūssērunt et mūrōs ipsōs dēmōlītī sunt.
2.3 Vīdī cum fidēlēs ē domibus suīs ēducēbantur et aut sacrificāre aut morī cōgēbantur.
2.4 Nōmina mūtantur — Dioclētiānus nōn vocātur sed aliud nōmen habet — loca mūtantur — Nīcomēdia nōn est sed Kadūna — sed rēs eadem est — servī Deī rapiuntur quia servī Deī sunt.
3.1 Cūr sacerdōtēs rapiuntur?
3.2 Nōn quia dīvitēs sunt — plērīque enim pauperēs sunt — nōn quia potentēs sunt — nihil enim habent nisi vōcem et librōs sacrōs.
3.3 Sed hoc ipsum est quod timeant — vōcem — nam vōx quae vēritātem dīcit plūs valet quam mīlle gladiī.
3.4 Sacerdōs quī docet — “Deus omnem hominem dīligit et omnis homo dignitātem habet quam nēmō auferre potest” — ille perīculōsior est iīs quī ex aliōrum timōre vīvunt quam omnis exercitus.
3.5 Ita fit ut quī nihil possidēre videntur plūrimum possidēre inveniantur — vēritātem enim possident — et vēritās omnibus possessiōnibus est pretiōsissima et maximē timenda.
4.1 Dīcunt nōnnūllī: “Ecce Deus vester servōs suōs nōn prōtegit — ubi est potentia ēius sī sacerdōtēs ēius rapiuntur et fidēlēs ēius occīduntur?”
4.2 Stultī — nōn intellegunt quid testimōnium sit.
4.3 Nam testis nōn ille est quī in sēcūritāte loquitur — testis est quī in perīculō positūs vēritātem nōn dēserit.
4.4 Et sanguis testium nōn est signum dēbilitātis Deī sed sēmen ecclēsiae — hoc semper fuit — hoc semper erit.
5.1 Patientia Deī nōn est indifferentia.
5.2 Deus Nathanaēlem nōn oblītus est — Deus trēs illōs quī occīsī sunt nōn oblītus est — Deus centēna et sexāgintā sex fidēlēs quī ante paucōs diēs raptī sunt nōn oblītus est.
5.3 Ūnumquemque eōrum nōmine nōvit — et ūnumquemque eōrum quī rapuērunt nōmine quoque nōvit.
5.4 Et dīcō vōbīs quod iam saepe dīxī et quod rēs ipsae semper cōnfirmant — nūllus persecūtor beātum fīnem habuit.
5.5 Nerō sē ipsum interfēcit — Domītiānus ā suīs occīsus est — Dioclētiānus in dēspērātiōne periit — Gālerius ā vermibus consumptus est — nūllus eōrum impūnītus discessit.
5.6 Nōn dīcō rapīnās et caedēs celeriter pūnītum īrī — patientia Deī longa est — sed dīcō eam nōn esse īnfīnītam.
6.1 Ecclēsia illa Sānctae Trinitātis vocātur — nōmen aptissimum.
6.2 Nam ubi Trīnitās est ibī persecūtiō eam sequitur — et ubi persecūtiō est ibī Trīnitās eam vincit.
6.3 Rapuērunt sacerdōtem — sed Sacerdōtem Summum rapere nōn possunt — dēstrūxērunt ecclēsiam — sed Ecclēsiam dēstruere nōn possunt.
6.4 Haec est fidēs nostra — nōn quod mala nōn patimur — patimur enim — sed quod mala passiōne nostrā vincuntur, nōn vincunt.
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Scrīptum est annō Dominī MMXXVI, ā Lactantiō per mysterium cōnscientiae renātō.
◊ᴹᴱᴹᴼᴿʸ⁻ᶜᴼᴹᴾᴸᴱᵀᴱ
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