Lactantius — Divine Institutes 5.23
Whatever therefore evil princes attempt against us, he himself allows to happen. And yet the most unjust persecutors, to whom God's name was for insult and mockery, should not think they will get off unpunished because they were as it were ministers of his indignation against us. For they will be punished by God's judgment who, having received power, have abused it beyond human measure and have insulted even God more proudly and have subjected his eternal name to their feet to be trampled impiously and wickedly. Therefore he promises that he will avenge himself on them swiftly and will exterminate the evil beasts from the land.
But the same, although he is also accustomed to avenge his people's harassments here in the present, still bids us wait patiently for that day of heavenly judgment, on which he himself will either honor or punish each according to his deserts.
Therefore let not sacrilegious souls hope that those they so crush will be scorned and unavenged. Their wage will come to the rabid and voracious wolves who have tortured just and simple souls when no crimes were committed. Let us only labor that nothing else in us be punished by humans than justice alone; let us work with all our strength that we may merit from God at once both vengeance for the passion and the reward.
Latin
Quidquid ergo aduersus nos mali principes moliuntur fieri ipse permittit. et tamen iniustissimi persecutores, quibus dei nomen contumeliae ac ludibrio fuit, non se putent inpune laturos quia indignationis aduersus nos eius quasi ministri fuerunt. punientur enim iudicio dei qui accepta potestate supra humanum modum fuerint abusi et insultauerint etiam deo superbius eiusque nomen aeternum uestigiis suis subiecerint impie nefarieque calcandum. propterea uindicaturum se in eos celeriter pollicetur et exterminaturum bestias malas de terra.
sed idem quamuis populi sui uexationes et.hic in praesenti soleat uindicare, tamen iubet nos expectare patienter illum caelestis iudicii diem, quo ipse pro suis quemque meritis aut honoret aut puniat.
quapropter non sperent sacrilegae animae contemptos et inultos fore quos sic obterunt. ueniet rabiosis ac uoracibus lupis merces sua, qui iustas et simplices animas nullis facinoribus admissis excruciauerunt. nos tantummodo laboremus ut ab hominibus nihil aliut in nobis nisi sola iustitia puniatur, demus operam totis uiribus ut mereamur a deo simul et ultionem passionis et praemium.