Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 33

by Commodianus

XXXII.—To Self-Pleasers.

If place or time is favourable, or the person has advanced, let there be a new judge.  Why now art thou lifted up thence?  Untaught, thou blasphemest Him of whose liberality thou livest.  In such weakness thou dost not ever regard Him.  Throughout advances and profits thou greedily presumest on fortune.  There is no law to thee, nor dost thou discern thyself in prosperity.  Although they may be counted of gold, let the strains of the pipe always be raving.  If thou hast not adored the crucifixion of the Lord, thou hast perished.^[1]  Both place and occasion and person are now given to thee, if, however, thou believest; but if not, thou shalt fear before Him.  Bring thyself into obedience to Christ, and place thy neck under Him.  To Him remains the honour and all the confidence of things.  When the time flatters thee, be more cautious.  Not foreseeing, as it behoves thee, the final awards of fate, thou art not able ever to live again without Christ.

Footnotes

1. [This is not Patripassianism.  Nor does the “one God” of the next chapter involve this heresy.]