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On the Ruin of Britain
St Gildas, tr. Williams, 1899
But let us see what a true disciple of Christ, Paul the teacher of the gentiles, utters …
But let us see what a true disciple of Christ, Paul the teacher of the gentiles, utters in such a matter when he says in his first epistle1—Paul, who should be imitated by every ecclesiastical teacher as he himself exhorts: Be ye imitators of me as I also am of Christ; because, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God nor gave thanks, but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was blinded, saying that they were wise, they became fools. Although this appears to be said to the gentiles, observe it nevertheless, as it will apply fully to the priest together with the people (Christians) of this age. After a few words we read: Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever; for this cause God gave them up unto passions of vileness. Again: And even as they did not approve to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not fitting; being fitted with all unrighteousness, wickedness, unchasteness, fornication, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder—that is of the souls of the people—strife, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, hateful unto God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents; without understanding, covenant-breakers, without mercy, without natural affection: who knowing the justice of God did not understand that those who do such things are worthy of death.
Notes
- Prima epistola. “First epistle” must mean first of the series of epistles, as was becoming common through the influence of the Vulgate—the order, for instance, in the Codex Amiatinus—Gospels, Acts, Romans. Had Gildas the old order in mind, prima epistola would have meant, first of the Pauline epistles. The order in the list given by Cassiodorus, secundum antiquam translationem, places the Catholic epistles between Acts and Romans; so also Isidore of Seville, and, of course, the leading Greek codices except ℵ. An incidental mention of this kind, just as the position assigned to Isaiah and Jeremiah (though not to Ezekiel), in the Old Testament, shows how the Hieronymian Bible was gradually making its way into general use in Britain.