De avaris et impiis regibus, et quanta per eosdem populum mala vel ipsos ultio divina consequitur.
The Wickedness and Ruin of Impious Kings
Impious rulers are portrayed as predatory robbers and ministers of evil whose brief glory vanishes under divine judgment.
For now it seems fitting to discuss impious rulers, so that once their wickedness is recognized — and the worst ruin they bring in this age, along with their own perpetual condemnation — anyone who is a prudent ruler may, by keeping himself from evil works, become more cautious and better, and may strive greatly to please the highest Benefactor. What are impious kings, after all, but greater robbers of the lands — as fierce as lions, as savage as bears? Of them it is written: 'a roaring lion and a hungry bear — an impious prince over a poor people.'✦ A king who is impious — acting the part of a lion — answers every question sharply with a worthless word, without the counsel of the wise, and with all manner of wickedness: humiliating good people, exalting the wicked. His days will be cut short, and his memory will perish with a crash — for he has sinned beyond what he was even capable of. Such, then, are the friends of the wicked and the enemies of the good — slaves of lust and greed, servants of every kind of wickedness, ministers of the devil, always laboring and doing nothing, whirlpools of human misery, fuel for the eternal fire of hell: lifted up suddenly like a cedar, but soon cast down into the depths of Tartarus. The psalmist speaks of them: 'I saw the wicked one exalted on high, lifted up like the cedar of Lebanon, and I passed by — and he was no more, and I searched for him, and no trace of him was found.' For they spring up like greens and field grass — which sprouts today with beauty, and the next day, withering, is nowhere to be found. Of them it is said through the prophet: 'They reigned, but not from me; rulers arose, and I did not know it.'✦
Forsaking the Straight Path
Rulers who abandon God's way bring disgrace on themselves and countless evils upon their people.
Those who don't know or want to walk the straight and royal road, but know how to swerve to the right and to the left. To them belongs what the Lord says through Isaiah: 'They have forsaken the Lord of hosts, and walked through crooked ways.' Deceitful in their plans, cruel and lying in their words, wicked in their works — whose end will be according to their works. Of them it is said through the same prophet: 'The Lord of hosts planned this, to strip away the pride of all glory, and to bring into disgrace all the renowned of the earth.' But the blessed Job also says: 'Brief is the praise of the wicked, and the glory of the hypocrite is like a single point.' For this temporal life, set beside eternity, is compared to the tiniest point. But woe to those who, for the tiniest point of present happiness, sell the glory of eternal blessedness! How great are the evils that befall their subjects, or the divine vengeance that overtakes the rulers themselves — it's not within our power to recount; but it's my pleasure to proclaim a few things from among the many in plain sight.
Examples of Divine Vengeance on Persecutors
Historical persecutors from Pharaoh to Theodoric are shown suffering severe divine retribution in this life.
The ungodliness of King Pharaoh, which had grown out of a hardness of heart, brought ten plagues on himself, his own people, and the Egyptians, and then, beyond that, submerged him and his own in the Red Sea and the deepest pit of Tartarean Acheron. As for Antiochus, Herod, and Pontius Pilate — who wouldn't know how great the vengeance of the strict judge struck them down? What should I say about Nero, Egeas, and the most impious Julian, and others like them in wickedness? Didn't all of them, along with their followers, after a most wretched death get devoured by the mouth of the underworld? But so that I may pass over countless others, I'll set forth the unhappy end of Theodoric, the most cruel king in this age. Since he was a follower of Arian treachery and a persecutor of good Christians, finally — just as had been revealed to a certain holy man — he was led away unbelted, unshod, and with his hands bound, between Pope John and Symmachus the patrician, and thrown into a pot of Vulcan. For because he killed Pope John by tormenting him in prison, and also slaughtered Symmachus the patrician with a sword, he appeared, sent by them into the fire — those whom he had unjustly condemned in this life. O how strict and just are the judgments of the Almighty, whose vengeance, disposing by his nod, has followed the savage tyrant as he deserved.
The Twin Ministry of a Tyrant's Death
The unjust death of a persecutor brings eternal punishment to himself and glory to the saints he oppressed.
For anyone who unjustly brought a brief death on the Lord's servants has justly perished by a twofold death — of body and of soul; and the man who had robbed others of this present life was himself stripped of both this fleeting life and eternal life. That same man, then, fulfilled a twin ministry: for he stored up for himself the punishment of hell, where he will be tormented forever, while for the saints he secured the palm of heavenly glory. Those who had been judged unjustly are suddenly crowned and sent by the Lord as judges against the cruel tyrant; but the one who judged unjustly is suddenly himself judged and condemned to the flames of eternal damnation. In this matter a terribly powerful example is set before us, so that no earthly ruler should persecute the servants of the Lord — those whom God almighty avenges with the strong arm of his own power. But let these words about the reprobate suffice for rulers; now let us pass on to better things with the pen that follows.
The Bestial Nature and Final Fate of Wicked Kings
Wicked kings are compared to wild beasts whose brief flourishing ends in fiery judgment, while the just receive eternal glory.
Kings of the earth whose wicked deeds disgrace them—do they look any different from wild boars, bears, and tigers? Are these men any greater brigands among those born of the earth, or any more like mad lions—rapacious hunters with talons and claws? It happened to Antiochus, to Pharaoh, to Herod, and to wretched Pilate: they lost their fleeting kingdoms and descended to the underworld with their companions. So it always is—evil losses crush the wicked too severely, both here and forever. Why do you flourish like leafy seasons, burning and adorned in purple? A furnace of fire awaits them—one that no dewy rain will ever harm—and you do not love the Lord of light. You outcasts will go into the darkness; there your glory will wither, parched and drooping endlessly. But the just will be glorified with a lofty crown and blessed light.
Read the original Latin
Modo consequens esse videtur, quatinus de impiis rectoribus nonnulla disseramus, ut agnita illorum malitia et pessimo in hoc saeculo fine perpetuaque damnatione, qui prudens est rector, a malis operibus se abstinendo cautior et melior fiat atque summo benefactori placere magnopere procuret. Quid sunt autem impii reges, nisi maiores terrarum latrones, feroces ut leones, rabidi sicut ursi? De quibus scriptum est: "leo rugiens et ursus esuriens princeps impius super populum pauperem". Rex siquidem impius tamquam leonis personam habens ad omne responsum acriter verbum nequam sine prudentium consilio cum omni malitia profert, bonos humilians, malos exaltans; cuius dies adbreviantur, et eius memoria cum sonitu peribit; peccavit enim plus quam potuit. Tales itaque sunt amici malorum, inimici bonorum, servi libidinis et avaritiae, servi totius nequitiae, ministri diaboli, semper laborantes ac nihil facientes, gurgites, humani generis miseriae, pabula aeternae gehennae, ut cedrus subito exaltati, sed in profunda tartari mox praecipitati. Hinc psalmista dicit: "vidi impium superexaltatum et elevatum ut cedrus Libani, et transivi et ecce non erat, et quaesivi eum et non est inventus locus eius". Florent enim sicut holera et foenum agri, quod hodie cum speciositate oritur et in crastino arescens non reperitur. De quibus per prophetam dicitur: "ipsi regnaverunt, et non ex me; principes extiterunt, et ego ignoravi".
Qui neque recta et regia via sciunt seu volunt incedere, sed ad dexteram sinistramque norunt declinare. Quibus competit illud quod per Esaiam Dominus loquitur dicens: "dereliquerunt Dominum Sabaoth, et ambulaverunt per vias distortas". Dolosi in consiliis, atroces et mendosi in verbis, maligni in operibus, quorum finis erit secundum opera eorum. De quibus per eundem prophetam dicitur: "Dominus exercituum cogitavit hoc, ut detraheret superbiam omnis gloriae, et ad ignominiam deduceret omnes inclitos terrae". Sed et beatus Iob: "laus, inquit, impiorum brevis est, et gloria hipocritae est instar puncti". Haec etenim vita temporalis in comparatione aeternitatis minimo puncto comparatur. Vae autem illis qui pro parvo puncto praesentis felicitatis vendunt aeternae beatitudinis gloriam! Quanta vero per eosdem subditos mala vel ipsos rectores ultio divina consequitur, non est nostrae facultatis enarrare; sed pauca de multis placet in manifestum propalare.
Regis Pharaonis impietas, quae ex cordis duritia inoleverat, sibi suisque Aegyptiis decem plagas intulit, atque insuper rubro mari Tartareique Acherontis imo ipsum suosque submersit. Antiochum et Herodem ac Pontium Pilatum, quis nesciat quanta destricti iudicis ultio perculit? Quid dicam de Nerone, Egea et impiissimo Iuliano aliisque eorum in nequitia consimilibus? Nonne omnes cum suis sequacibus post mortem pessimam os inferni devoravit? Sed ut innumeros praeteream, Theodorici crudelissimi regis de hoc saeculo exitum infelicem explicabo. Qui cum esset Arrianae sectator perfidiae ac bonorum insecutor Christianorum, postremo, sicuti cuidam sancto viro revelatum fuerat, inter Iohannem papam et Symmachum patricium discinctus atque discalciatus et vinctis manibus deductus, in Vulcani ollam iactatus est. Nam quia Iohannem papam affligendo in custodia occidit, Symmachum quoque patricium ferro trucidavit, ab illis in ignem missus apparuit, quos in hac vita iniuste iudicavit. O quam destricta et iusta sunt Omnipotentis iudicia, cuius disponente nutu digna ultio inmitem secuta est tyrannum.
Nam qui servis Domini iniuste transitoriam mortem intulit, duplici morte corporis et animae iuste disperiit, qui alios praesenti vita spoliaverat, ipse tam momentanea quam aeterna vita spoliatus fuit. Idem itaque geminum peregit ministerium; nam sibi gehennae supplicium, ubi cruciabitur in saecula saeculorum, sanctis vero supernae gloriae palmam administravit. Iniuste iudicati fiunt repente coronati atque iudices a Domino contra crudelem tyrannum transmissi; at vero iniuste iudicans fit subito iudicatus atque aeternae damnationis flammis addictus. Qua in re nimis terribile exemplum proponitur, ne terrae potentes servos Domini persequantur, quos valido virtutis suae brachio Deus omnipotens ulciscitur. Sed haec de reprobis dicta sint rectoribus; nunc ad potiora stilo consequenti transeamus.
Reges terrae, quos male gesta Dedecorant, similesne videntur Apris, ursis tigridibusque? Hi maiores suntne latrones Terrigenum, rabidive leones, Unguibus accipitresque rapaces? Contigit Antiocho, Pharaoni, Herodi miseroque Pilato Momentanea perdere regna, Cum sociis Acheronta subire: Sic semper reprobos mala damna Affligunt nimis hic et in aevum. Quid floretis tempora fronde Ardentes ostroque decori? Quos exspectat clibanus ignis, Quem nec laedet roscidus imber, Qui dominum lucis nec amatis, In tenebras vos exteriores Ibitis; illic gloria vestra Arens marcebit sine fine; Iustos vero celsa corona Glorificabit luxque beata.
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