Ave atque vale

Dear visitors,

Thank you for having visited with me over the past 15 months. It has certainly been the unique experience on my part, especially seeing the different countries that have come to view my blog. Unfortunately, I am running up against some time constraints – a publisher has asked me to translate a book and I am way behind schedule on the timetable I had set up for myself. That being the case, I'm afraid I'm giving up my blog as of today. Thank you for visiting with me, and I pray that God will bless you and yours in the months ahead.

In Christ's name,
Ted Mayes

Latin

Quod non dedit Fortuna, non eripit. (Seneca)

Fortune does not take away what she has not given.

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

Italy

Boniface VIII, 1294-1303

- 1300, Boniface decreed a “Great Jubilee”, a big celebration in Rome where special indulgences were offered, and so much money came in that it had to be “raked” into baskets

- 1302, the bull Unam Sanctam in which Boniface decreed that he had the right to make and unmake kings and emperors, “We, moreover, proclaim, declare and pronounce that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human being to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

- 1303, Philip IV of France sent people to arrest him; the French agents had to run for it, but Boniface “died of humiliation”

Luther

“But in things above (that is, with God), God has never allowed nor does He now allow such activity. Rather, here, whatever is to be done ought to be done only with the certain and express command of God, because a human being, of himself, does not know the things that are above him, that is, what God wills, unless He has revealed Himself by His Word,....” Martin Luther, Preface to Breismann, Response to Schatzgeyer, LW, AE, 59:30-31

Latin proverbs

Nos ... beatam vitam in animi securitate ponimus. (Cicero)

In my opinion, happiness lies in peace of mind.

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

Charles VI, 1380-1422

- young when he came to the throne, he also suffered from periods of insanity, so Charles’ uncles held the power - much unrest because of the suffering of the people

Imitation of Christ

Fili, ego debeo esse finis tuus supremus. Ex hac intentione purificabitur affectus tuus, sæpius ad se ipsum, et ad creaturas male incurvatus. Nam si te ipsum in aliquo quæris, statim in te deficies et arescis. Omnia ergo ad me principaliter referas qui omnia sum, qui omnia dedi. Sic singula considera sicut ex summo bono manantia. Et ideo ad me tanquam ad originem suam cuncta sunt referenda.

My son, I must be your Supreme and final end, if you desires to be truly happy. Out of such purpose your affection shall be purified, which too often is sinfully bent upon itself and upon created things. For if you seek yourself in any matter, straightway you will fail within yourself and grow barren. Therefore refer everything to Me first of all, for it is I who gave you all. So look upon each blessing as flowing from the Supreme Good, and thus all things are to be attributed to Me as their source.

Imitation of Christ, III, 9:1

Ecclesiasticus

"Have you heard a word? Let it die with you. Be brave! It will not make you burst!" Ecclesiasticus 19:10

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

Charles V, “the Wise”, 1364-1380

- spent his time during a period of peace to strengthen the country - the basic structure that he set up lasted until the French Revolution in 1789 - got the French parliament (“estates”) to agree that as long as the old taxes weren’t changed, they didn’t need to be renewed by the estates, with the result that the French parliament never developed much power over the king

Patristics

“Now is it not confessedly the greatest impiety, nay, the greatest insults, to place the honor of the Deity at the will and pleasure of human judgment, so that there cannot be a God except the senate permit him?” Tertullian, To the Nations, 10, ANF 3:119

Baier's axioms

Si humana natura Christi non potuit particeps fieri omnipotentiae caeterarumque proprietatum Verbi propter illarum infinitatem, certe propter eandem causam neque ipsius lÒgou potuit esse capax.

If the human nature of Christ was not able to be a partner of the omnipotence and the other properties of the Word on account of their infinity, certainly on account of that cause the same is not able to be capable of the Logos.

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

John II, “the Good Fellow”, 1350-1364

- “good knight and a mediocre king”

 - 1355, England renews the war, defeats France at the battle of Poitiers, captures John and his son - they are taken hostage to England until a ransom is paid - the huge rise in taxes and absence of the king lead to civil chaos and peasant uprisings in France 

- in 1360, John is released on the partial payment of his ransom, but one of the other hostages escaped and John returned to captivity, dying there

Luther

“In things below, God permits even those activities that He Himself does not ordain in Holy Scripture, such as building, pasturing a flock, buying, and, as Peter says [1 Peter 2:13 Vg], to make 'human creatures,' that is, ordinances. In these things it is not necessary that you wait for a word of God,....” Margin Luther, Preface to Briesmann, Response to Schatzgeyer, LW, AE, 59:30

Latin proverbs

Effugere non potes nessitates; potes vincere. (Seneca)

You cannot run away from what is necessary, but you can conquer it.

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

Philip VI, 1328-1350

- France had become one of the great powers of Europe 

- 1338-1453, the Hundred Years War (which lasted so long because England was trying to conquer a country that had 5 times the population and 10 times the wealth of her own)

Imitation of Christ

Benedictus sis Deus meus, quia licet ego omnibus bonis indignus sim, tua tamen nobilitas et infinita bonitas nunquam cessat benefacere etiam ingratis, et longe a te aversis. Converte nos ad te, ut simus grati, humiles, devoti, quia salus nostra es tu, virtus et fortitudo nostra.

Blessed are You, O my God, because though I be unworthy of all Your benefits, Your bountiful and infinite goodness never ceases to do good even to ingrates and to those who are turned far from You. Turn us to yourself, that we may be grateful, humble, and godly, for You art our salvation, our courage, and our strength.

Imitation of Christ, III, 8:3

Ecclesiasticus

"With friend or foe do not report it, and unless it would be a sin for you, do not disclose it; for someone has heard you and watched you, and when the time comes he will hate you." Ecclesiasticus 19:8-9

Murphysboro Centuries, 14th secular

Charles IV, “the Fair”, 1322-1328

- at his death, France passed a law that no woman, or her son, could inherit the throne