Book III.—Of the Harmony of the Fathers of the Old and New Testaments.

Now hath the mother, formerly surnamed Barren, giv'n birth: ^[1461] now a new people, born From the free woman, ^[1462] joys: (the slave expelled, Deservedly, with her proud progeny; 5 Who also leaves ungratefully behind The waters of the living fount, ^[1463] and drinks— Errant on heated plains—'neath glowing star: ^[1464] ) Now can the Gentiles as their parent claim Abraham; who, the Lord's voice following, 10 Like him, have all things left, ^[1465] life's pilgrimage To enter. "Be glad, barren one;" conceive The promised people; "break thou out, and cry," Who with no progeny wert blest; of whom Spake, through the seers, the Spirit of old time: 15 She hath borne, out of many nations, one; With whose beginning are her pious limbs Ever in labour. Hers "just Abel" ^[1466] was, A pastor and a cattle—master he; Whom violence of brother's right hand slew 20 Of old. Her Enoch, signal ornament, Limb from her body sprung, by counsel strove To recall peoples gone astray from God And following misdeed, (while raves on earth The horde of robber-renegades, ^[1467] ) to flee 25 The giants'sacrilegious cruel race; Faithful in all himself. With groaning deep ^[1468] Did he please God, and by deserved toil Translated ^[1469] is reserved as a pledge, With honour high. Perfect in praise, and found 30 Faultless, and just—God witnessing ^[1470] the fact— In an adulterous people, Noah (he Who in twice fifty years ^[1471] the ark did weave) By deeds and voice the coming ruin told. Favour he won, snatched out of so great waves 35 Of death, and, with his progeny, preserved. Then, in the generation ^[1472] following, Is Abraham, whose sons ye do deny Yourselves to be; who first—race, country, sire, All left behind—at suasion of God's voice 40 Withdrew to realms extern: such honours he At God's sublime hand worthily deserved As to be father to believing tribes And peoples. Jacob with the patriarchs (Himself their patriarch) through all his own 45 Life's space the gladdest times of Christ foresang By words, act, virtue, toil. Him follows—free From foul youth's stain—Joseph, by slander feigned, Doomed to hard penalty and gaol: his groans Glory succeeds, and the realm's second crown, so 50 And in dearth's time large power of furnishing Bread: so appropriate a type of Christ, So lightsome type of Light, is manifest To all whose mind hath eyes, that they may see In a face-mirror ^[1473] their sure hope. Himself 55 The patriarch Judah, see; the origin Of royal line, ^[1474] whence leaders rose, nor kings Failed ever from his seed, until the Power To come, by Gentiles looked for, promised long, Came. Moses, leader of the People, (he 60 Who, spurning briefly—blooming riches, left The royal thresholds,) rather chose to bear His people's toils, afflicted, with bowed neck, By no threats daunted, than to gain himself Enjoyments, and of many penalties 65 Remission: admirable for such faith And love, he, with God's virtue armed, achieved Great exploits: smote the nation through with plagues; And left their land behind, and their hard king Confounds, and leads the People back; trod waves; 70 Sunk the foes down in waters; through a "tree" ^[1475] Made ever-bitter waters sweet; spake much (Manifestly to the People) with the Christ, ^[1476] From whose face light and brilliance in his own Reflected shone; dashed on the ground the law 75 Accepted through some few, ^[1477] —implicit type, And sure, of his own toils!—smote through the rock; And, being bidden, shed forth streams; and stretched His hands that, by a sign, ^[1478] he vanquish might The foe; of Christ all severally, all ^[1479] 80 Combined through Christ, do speak. Great and approved, He ^[1480] rests with praise and peace. But Joshua, The son of Nun, erst called Oshea—this man The Holy Spirit to Himself did join As partner in His name: ^[1481] hence did he cleave 85 The flood; constrained the People to pass o'er; Freely distributed the land—the prize Promised the fathers!—stayed both sun and moon While vanquishing the foe; races extern And giants' progeny outdrave; razed groves; 90 Altars and temples levelled; and with mind Loyal ^[1482] performed all due solemnities: Type of Christ's name; his virtue's image. What Touching the People's Judges shall I say Singly? whose virtues, ^[1483] if unitedly 95 Recorded, fill whole volumes numerous With space of words. But yet the order due Of filling out the body of my words, Demands that, out of many, I should tell The life of few. Of whom when Gideon, guide 100 Of martial band, keen to attack the foe, (Not keen to gain for his own family, By virtue, ^[1484] tutelary dignity, ^[1485] ) And needing to be strengthened ^[1486] in the faith Excited in his mind, seeks for a sign 105 Whereby he either could not, or could, wage Victorious war; to wit, that with the dew A fleece, exposèd for the night, should be Moistened, and all the ground lie dry around (By this to show that, with the world, ^[1487] should dry ^[1488] 110 The enemies' palm); and then again, the fleece Alone remaining dry, the earth by night Should with the self-same ^[1489] moisture be bedewed: For by this sign he prostrated the heaps Of bandits; with Christ's People 'countering them 115 Without much soldiery, with cavalry ^[1490] Three hundred—the Greek letter Tau, in truth, That number is ^[1491] —with torches armed, and horns Of blowers with the mouth: then ^[1492] was the fleece, The people of Christ's sheep, from holy seed 120 Born (for the earth means nations various, And scattered through the orb), which fleece the word Nourishes; night death's image; Tau the sign Of the dear cross; the horn the heraldings Of life; the torches shining in their stand ^[1493] 125 The glowing Spirit: and this testing, too, Forsooth, an image of Christ's virtue was: ^[1494] To teach that death's fierce battles should not be By trump angelic vanquished before Th' indocile People be deservedly 130 By their own fault left desolate behind, And Gentiles, flourishing in faith, received In praise. Yea, Deborah, a woman far Above all fame, appears; who, having braced Herself for warlike toil, for country's sake, 135 Beneath the palm-tree sang how victory Had crowned her People; thanks to whom it was That the foes, vanquisht, turned at once their backs, And Sisera their leader fled; whose flight No man, nor any band, arrested: him, 140 Suddenly renegade, a woman's hand— Jael's ^[1495] —with wooden weapon vanquished quite, For token of Christ's victory. With firm faith Jephthah appears, who a deep-wounding vow Dared make—to promise God a grand reward 145 Of war: him ^[1496] then, because he senselessly Had promised what the Lord not wills, first meets The pledge ^[1497] dear to his heart; who suddenly Fell by a lot unhoped by any. He, To keep his promise, broke the sacred laws 150 Of parenthood: the shade of mighty fear Did in his violent mind cover his vow Of sin: as solace of his widowed life For ^[1498] wickedness, renown, and, for crime, praise, He won. Nor Samson's strength, all corporal might 155 Passing, must we forget; the Spirit's gift Was this; the power was granted to his head. ^[1499] Alone he for his People, daggerless, Armless, an ass-jaw grasping, prostrated A thousand corpses; and no bonds could keep 160 The hero bound: but after his shorn pride Forsook him thralled, he fell, and, by his death,— Though vanquisht,—bought his foes back 'neath his power. Marvellous Samuel, who first received The precept to anoint kings, to give chrism 165 And show men-Christs, ^[1500] so acted laudably In life's space as, e'en after his repose, To keep prophetic rights. ^[1501] Psalmographist David, great king and prophet, with a voice Submiss was wont Christ's future suffering 170 To sing: which prophecy spontaneously His thankless lawless People did perform: Whom ^[1502] God had promised that in time to come, Fruit of his womb, ^[1503] a holy progeny, He would on his sublime throne set: the Lord's 175 Fixt faith did all that He had promised. Corrector of an inert People rose Emulous ^[1504] Hezekiah; who restored Iniquitous forgetful men the Law: ^[1505] All these God's mandates of old time he first 180 Bade men observe, who ended war by prayers, ^[1506] Not by steel's point: he, dying, had a grant Of years and times of life made to his tears: Deservedly such honour his career Obtained. With zeal immense, Josiah, prince 185 Himself withal, in like wise acted: none So much, before or after!—Idols he Dethroned; destroyed unhallowed temples; burned With fire priests on their altars; all the bones Of prophets false updug; the altars burned, 190 The carcases to be consumed did serve For fuel! To the praise of signal faith, Noble Elijah, (memorable fact!) Was rapt; ^[1507] who hath not tasted yet death's dues; Since to the orb he is to come again. 195 His faith unbroken, then, chastening with stripes People and frenzied king, (who did desert The Lord's best service), and with bitter flames The foes, shut up the stars; kept in the clouds The rain; showed all collectively that God 200 Is; made their error patent;—for a flame, Coming with force from heaven at his prayers, Ate up the victim's parts, dripping with flood, Upon the altar: ^[1508] —often as he willed, So often from on high rushed fire; ^[1509] the stream 205 Dividing, he made pathless passable; ^[1510] And, in a chariot raised aloft, was borne To paradise's hall. Disciple his Elisha was, succeeding to his lot: ^[1511] Who begged to take to him Elijah's lot ^[1512] 210 In double measure; so, with forceful stripe, The People to chastise: ^[1513] such and so great A love for the Lord's cause he breathed. He smote Through Jordan; made his feet a way, and crossed Again; raised with a twig the axe down—sunk 215 Beneath the stream; changed into vital meat The deathful food; detained a second time, Double in length, ^[1514] the rains; cleansed leprosies; ^[1515] Entangled foes in darkness; and when one Offcast and dead, by bandits'slaughter slain 220 His limbs, after his death, already hid In sepulchre, did touch, he—light recalled— Revived. Isaiah, wealthy seer, to whom The fount was oped,—so manifest his faith! Poured from his mouth God's word forth. Promised was 225 The Father's will, bounteous through Christ; through him It testified before the way of life, And was approved: ^[1516] but him, though stainless found, And undeserving, the mad People cut With wooden saw in twain, and took away 230 With cruel death. The holy Jeremy Followed; whom the Eternal's Virtue bade Be prophet to the Gentiles, and him told The future: who, because he brooded o'er His People's deeds illaudable, and said 235 (Speaking with voice presaging) that, unless They had repented of betaking them To deeds iniquitous against their slaves, ^[1517] They should be captived, bore hard bonds, shut up In squalid gaol; and, in the miry pit, 240 Hunger exhausted his decaying limbs. But, after he did prove what they to hear Had been unwilling, and the foes did lead The People bound in their triumphal trains, Hardly at length his wrinkled right hand lost 245 Its chains: it is agreed that by no death Nor slaughter was the hero ta'en away. Faithful Ezekiel, to whom granted was Rich grace of speech, saw sinners' secrets; wailed His own afflictions; prayed for pardon; saw 250 The vengeance of the saints, which is to be By slaughter; and, in Spirit wrapt, the place Of the saints' realm, its steps and accesses, And the salvation of the flesh, he saw. Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, too, 255 With Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, come; Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, And Zechariah who did violence Suffer, and Malachi—angel himself! Are here: these are the Lord's seers; and their choir, 260 As still they sing, is heard; and equally Their proper wreath of praise they all have earned. How great was Daniel! What a man! What power! Who by their own mouth did false witnesses Bewray, and saved a soul on a false charge 265 Condemned; ^[1518] and, before that, by mouth resolved The king's so secret dreams; foresaw how Christ Dissolves the limbs of kingdoms; was accused For his Lord's was made the lions' prey; And, openly preserved ^[1519] before all eyes, 270 Rested in peace. His Three Companions, scarce With due praise to be sung, did piously Contemn the king's iniquitous decree, Out of so great a number: to the flames Their bodies given were; but they preferred, 275 For the Great Name, to yield to penalties Themselves, than to an image stretch their palms On bended knees. Now their o'erbrilliant faith, Now hope outshining all things, the wild fires Hath quencht, and vanquisht the iniquitous! 280 Ezra the seer, doctor of Law, and priest Himself (who, after full times, back did lead The captive People), with the Spirit filled Of memory, restored by word of mouth All the seers' volumes, by the fires and mould ^[1520] 285 Consumèd. Great above all born from seed Is John whose praises hardly shall we skill To tell: the washer ^[1521] of the flesh: the Lord's Open forerunner; washer, ^[1522] too, of Christ, Himself first born again from Him: the first 290 Of the new convenant, last of the old, Was he; and for the True Way's sake he died, The first slain victim. See God-Christ! behold Alike, His Twelve-Fold Warrior-Youth! ^[1523] in all One faith, one dove, one power; the flower of men; 295 Lightening the world ^[1524] with light; comrades of Christ And apostolic men; who, speaking truth, Heard with their ears Salvation, ^[1525] with their eyes Saw It, and handled with their hand the late From death recovered body, ^[1526] and partook 300 As fellow-guests of food therewith, as they Themselves bear witness. Him did Paul as well (Forechosen apostle, and in due time sent), When rapt into the heavens, ^[1527] behold: and sent By Him, he, with his comrade Barnabas, 305 And with the earlier associates Joined in one league together, everywhere Among the Gentiles hands the doctrine down That Christ is Head, whose members are the Church, He the salvation of the body, He 310 The members' life perennial; He, made flesh, He, ta'en away for all, Himself first rose Again, salvation's only hope; and gave The norm to His disciples: they at once All variously suffered, for His Name, 315 Unworthy penalties. Such members bears With beauteous body the free mother, since She never her Lord's precepts left behind, And in His home hath grown old, to her Lord Ever most choice, having for His Name's sake 320 Penalties suffered. For since, barren once, Not yet secure of her futurity, She hath outgiven a people born of seed Celestial, and ^[1528] been spurned, and borne the spleen ^[1529] Of her own handmaid; now 'tis time to see 325 This former-barren mother have a son The heir of her own liberty; not like The handmaid's heir, yoked in estate to her, Although she bare him from celestial seed Conceived. Far be it that ye should with words 330 Unlawful, with rash voice, collectively Without distinction, give men exemplary (Heaven's glowing constellations, to the mass Of men conjoined by seed alone or blood), The rugged bondman's ^[1530] name; or that one think 335 That he may speak in servile style about A People who the mandates followèd Of the Lord's Law. No: but we mean the troop Of sinners, empty, mindless, who have placed God's promises in a mistrustful heart; 340 Men vanquisht by the miserable sweet Of present life: that troop would have been bound Capital slavery to undergo, By their own fault, if sin's cause shall impose Law's yoke upon the mass. For to serve God, 345 And be whole-heartedly intent thereon, Untainted faith, and freedom, is thereto Prepared spontaneous. The just fathers, then, And holy stainless prophets, many, sang The future advent of the Lord; and they 350 Faithfully testify what Heaven bids To men profane: with them the giants, ^[1531] men With Christ's own glory satiated, made The consorts of His virtue, filling up The hallowed words, have stablished our faith; 355 By facts predictions proving. Of these men Disciples who succeeded them throughout The orb, men wholly filled with virtue's breath, And our own masters, have assigned to us Honours conjoined with works. Of whom the first 360 Whom Peter bade to take his place and sit Upon this chair in mightiest Rome where he Himself had sat, ^[1532] was Linus, great, elect, And by the mass approved. And after him Cletus himself the fold's flock undertook; 365 As his successor Anacletus was By lot located: Clement follows him; Well known was he to apostolic men: ^[1533] Next Evaristus ruled without a crime The law. ^[1534] To Sixtus Sextus Alexander 370 Commends the fold: who, after he had filled His lustral times up, to Telesphorus Hands it in order: excellent was he, And martyr faithful. After him succeeds A comrade in the law, ^[1535] and master sure: 375 When lo! the comrade of your wickedness, Its author and forerunner—Cerdo hight— Arrived at Rome, smarting with recent wounds: Detected, for that he was scattering Voices and words of venom stealthily: 380 For which cause, driven from the band, he bore This sacrilegious brood, the dragon's breath Engendering it. Blooming in piety United stood the Church of Rome, compact By Peter: whose successor, too, himself, 385 And now in the ninth place, Hyginus was, The burden undertaking of his chair. After him followed Pius—Hermas his Own brother ^[1536] was; angelic "Pastor" he, Because he spake the words delivered him: ^[1537] 390 And Anicetus ^[1538] the allotted post In pious order undertook. 'Neath whom Marcion here coming, the new Pontic pest, (The secret daring deed in his own heart Not yet disclosed,) went, speaking commonly, 395 In all directions, in his perfidy, With lurking art. But after he began His deadly arrows to produce, cast off Deservedly (as author of a crime So savage), reprobated by the saints, 400 He burst, a wondrous monster! on our view.