De vastacione terre Colmensis per Pruthenos.
The Sowing of the Divine Seed
Bishop Christian sows the word among the Prussians, but their hardened hearts yield no fruit.
At the time when that noble and illustrious most Christian prince Conrad held the principality in Masovia, Cuyavia, and Poland, there was a certain bishop from Prussia, Christian by name, of the Cistercian order, who often scattered the seed of the divine word among the Prussians, urging them to abandon idolatry and worship the true God, Jesus Christ.✦ But because this seed fell on ground that was not good, it produced no fruit.✦ For they were so obstinate in their wickedness that no warnings of salvation could call them back from the error of their unbelief.
A Praiseworthy Peace
Despite their unbelief, the Prussians maintain peace with their Christian neighbors.
One thing, however, was praiseworthy among them and deserving of high commendation in many respects: although they themselves were unbelievers and worshipped various gods, they nevertheless kept peace with their Christian neighbors, and neither hindered them in the worship of the living God nor troubled them in any way.
The Enemy Sows Tares
The enemy of humanity sows discord, stirring up persecution against Christians.
But the enemy of the human race, the rival of peace, couldn't long endure this, and sowed tares among them.✦
The Desolation of Culm
The Prussians destroy the land of Culm through slaughter, captivity, and exile.
For he stirred up a most harsh persecution among them, so that within a few years — with the Christian faithful partly slaughtered, some captured and led into perpetual servitude, and only a few saved by the protection of flight — the Prussians utterly destroyed the land of Culm, reducing it to desolation.
Read the original Latin
Tempore, quo nobilis ille ac illustris cristianissimus princeps Conradus (lux principatum tenuit in Masovia, Cuyavia et Polonia, fuit quidam episcopus de Prussia, Cristianus nomine, ordinis Cisterciensis, qui divini verbi semen sepius sparsit inter Pruthenos, exhortans eos, ut relicta ydolatria deum verum colerent Jesum Cristum. Sed quia hoc semen cecidit in terram non bonam fructum nulluma fecit. Tantum enim erant obstinati in malicia sua, quod nulla monita salutis eos ab infidelitatis sue errore poterant revocare. Unum tarnen fuit in eis factum laudabile et multipliciter commendandum, quod licet ipsi essent infideles, et diversos deos colerent, pacem cum Cristianis vicinis nihilominus habuerunt, necb eos in cultura dei vivi impediebant, nec aliqualiter molestabant. Sed hoc inimicus humani generis, pacis emulus, non diu sustinens superseminavit zizania. Excitavit enim persecucionem durissimam inter eos, ut infra paucos annos cristifidelibus partim trucidatis, quibusdam captis et in servitutem perpetuam deductis, paucis fuge presidio salvatis, Pruthenic terram Colmensem penitus destruentes in solitudinem redegerunt.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.13.3-Matt.13.9 — And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, "Look, the sower went out to sow." Matt.13.4 — And as he sowed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Matt.13.5 — but other seed fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly because it had no depth of soil. Matt.13.6 — But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered. Matt.13.7 — But some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Matt.13.8 — But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain—some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matt.13.9 — Whoever has ears, let him hear.
- ↩Matt.13.4 — And as he sowed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
- ↩Matt.13.25 — but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away
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