Commodian — Instructiones 35 (folly of the cross)
I have spoken of the double wood, from which death proceeded, and again from there life often proceeds. The King of eternity through the cross foreshadows the dread ones, so that they may not believe him. O fools, living in death! Cain killed the younger, found wicked: from there Canaanites are said born of Noah’s stock. So an unjust race grew in the world, which never changes minds to believe the Lord’s cross. It comes into error, and they say they live rightly. The law was first in wood, and from there the second — it came before the terrible first law with peace. In crooked boasting the cruel wicked rushed: they refuse to recognize the Lord pierced with nails, at whose judgment when he comes they then discern. But Abel’s race now believes the kind Christ.
Latin
35 DE RUCI STULTITIA. De duplici ligno dixi, mors unde processit, Et iterum inde procedere uita<m> frequenter. Rex aeternitatis per crucem diros adumbrat, Ut sibi non credant. O stulti, morte uiuentes! Cain iuniorem occisit nequam repertus: Inde Noe subolis Cananaei nati feruntur. Sic genus iniquum increuit mundo, qui nunquam Transmutat animos in Domini credere crucem. Uenit in errorem, et dicunt se uiuere recte. Lex in ligno fuit prima, et inde secunda Terribilem legem prima<m> cum pace <p>raeuenit. In praua iactatione saeua scelerati ruerunt: Traiectum clauis Dominum cognoscere nolunt, In cuius iudicium cum ue<ne>rit, ibi dignoscunt. Abel genus autem credit modo Christo benigno.