§52. Wars, &c., roused by demons, lulled by Christianity.
Who then is He that has done this, or who is He
that has united in peace men that hated one another, save the beloved
Son of the Father, the common Saviour of all, even Jesus Christ, Who by
His own love underwent all things for our salvation? For even from of
old it was prophesied of the peace He was to usher in, where the
Scripture says: “They shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, and their pikes into sickles, and nation
shall not take the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more.” 2. And this is at least not incredible, inasmuch as
even now those barbarians who have an innate savagery of manners, while
they still sacrifice to the idols of their country, are mad against one
another, and cannot endure to be a single hour without weapons: 3. but
when they hear the teaching of Christ, straightway instead of fighting
they turn to husbandry, and instead of arming their hands with weapons
they raise them in prayer, and in a word, in place of fighting among
themselves, henceforth they arm against the devil and against evil
spirits, subduing these by self-restraint and virtue of soul. 4. Now
this is at once a proof of the divinity of the Saviour, since what men
could not learn among idols they have learned from Him; and no small
exposure of the weakness and nothingness of demons and idols. For
demons, knowing their own weakness, for this reason formerly set men to
make war against one another, lest, if they ceased from mutual strife, they should turn to battle against demons. 5. Why, they who become disciples of Christ, instead of warring with each other, stand arrayed against demons by their habits and their virtuous actions: and they rout them, and mock at their captain the devil; so that in youth they are self-restrained, in temptations endure, in labours persevere, when insulted are patient, when robbed make light of it: and, wonderful as it is, they despise even death and become martyrs of Christ.