Commodian — Instructiones 62
You want to wage war, fool, as if wars are quiet! From the first-formed day there is fighting for us unto the end. Desire throws headlong: it is war — fight it through with it. Luxury urges: refuse it — you have won the war. Spare abundant wine, lest you wander through it; hold back the tongue of cursing, with which you adore the Lord; check fury, make yourself peaceful to all; beware oppressing with miseries the lesser ones; apply terror only and do not harm; lead yourselves by a straight path sincere through the age; in your riches make yourself common to the little ones; give from your labor, clothe the naked: so you conquer. Lay no snares for anyone, you who serve God: look at the beginning, whence the enemy perished by envies. I am not a teacher, but the law itself teaches by crying out. You carry so many empty words, who in one moment seek to take martyrdom idle for Christ.
Latin
62 BELLUM COTTIDIANUM. Belligerare cupis, stulte, quasi bella quiescunt! Ex protoplausto die pugnatur in fine nobis. Libido praecipitat: bellum est, compugna cum illo. Luxuria suadet: abutere, bellum uicisti. Uino copioso parce, ne per illum aberres; Maledicti retinete linguam, unde dominum adoras; Conpescere furiam, pacificum redde te cunctis; Oppressos miseriis depremere caue minores Terrorem adcommoda tantum et noli nocere; Tramite uos recto ducite sincero per saeclum In tuis diuitiis communem te redde pusillis; De labore tuo dona, nudum uesti: sic uincis. Insidias nullo facias qui Deo deseruis: Aspice principium, unde perit inuidiis hostis. Non sum ego doctor, sed lex docet ipsa clamando. Uerba geris tanta uana, qui sub uno momento Martyrium quaeris otiosus tollere Christo. [ 63 Dum cupis, inde peris, dum ardis proximi zelo; Extinguis te ipsum, quando te incendis abactus. Zelaris alium, inuide, de malo lucrantem, Et te parem concupis fieri pecuniae tantae. Lex sic non aspicit; dum illam incumbere quaeris, Omnia suspensus uiuis in ardore lucrorum; Cumque reus tibi sis ipsum te iudice damnans, Oculorum acies nunquam satiatur auara. Nunc ergo si credeas et cogites: uana cupido est Congere<re> nimium sub fragili uita moranti. Unde Deus clamat: Stulte, hanc noctem uocaris! Postea ruina ruit: cuius erint ista talenta? Suggeret cum Dominus unicuique uicta diurna. Congestet alius: tu bono uiuere quaere, Et Deus cor censens agis super omnia uictor; Nec enim dico, ut in timore te mittas, Cum pro die tuo uigilas sine fraude uiuendo. In esca perit auis aut inhaeret inprouida uisco. Arbitrare tibi simpliciter ualde cauendum. Excedant alii, finem tu prospice semper.]