Salvian of Marseilles
On the Governance of God (De gubernatione Dei), 3.8
Written c. 440-450 CE.
Source: The
Presbyter Salvian (of Marseilles). 2010. The Writings of Salvian, the
Presbyter, p. 79. Translated by Jeremiah F. O’ Sullivan. The Fathers of the
Church: A New Translation, Volume 3. CUA Press.
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Let me come to an agreement with those who do not wish
me to speak of God's greater commandments because they think, perhaps, they are
fulfilling the lesser precepts. It is not sufficient for our salvation to
perform the lesser and scorn the greater, according to that saying:" and
whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty
of all.' Because of this, although it is not sufficient for us to observe the
commandments relating to small and little things, yet I agree to talk only of
the smaller, so that I may point out that the majority of Christians have not
lived up to even the little and smallest of the commandments.
Our Saviour ordered Christians not to swear. You will
find more men who perjure themselves more frequently than you will find men who
do not swear at all. He also commanded that nobody should curse. Who speaks
without cursing? Curses are forever the first outbursts of anger, and whatever
we cannot accomplish in our weakness we hope for in our anger. Thus, in every
beat of our angry hearts we make use of evil desires instead of actual weapons.
Therefore everyone very visibly shows that whatever he hopes will happen to his
enemies, he would do them if he could.
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