Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesiae Plebem

You recognize with what joy we receive the eagerness of your charity. For we exult in our Lord God, of whom the Apostle says: “He Himself is our peace, who has made both one.” Therefore we give thanks to the same Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, who has granted us that, before we have the will of our brother Emeritus, we have already known how much he loves unity. Yet hear what beginnings God willed that we should hear from his own mouth. As soon as he entered this church, standing in that place where we first began a conversation with him, with the Lord inspiring—who both instructs the heart and guides the tongue—he said to us: “I cannot not will what you will, but I can will what I will.” See what he promised, who said he cannot not will what we will. For if he cannot not will what we will, he knows what we will; for we will what you also will, we all will what God wills. But what the Lord wills is not hidden. For His testament is read, He who made us co-heirs with Himself; in it is recited: “I give you my peace, I leave you my peace.” Therefore, whether soon or late, he cannot not will what we will. But he causes us some delays by the second statement: “I can will what I will.” For he said thus: “I cannot not will what you will, but I can will what I will.” He can will what he wills, but he cannot not will what we will. For we see that which he says he can do. For he wills now what he wills, but that which he now wills, God does not will.

For what does he now want? To be in dissent from the Catholic Church, to be still in communion with the Donatist party, to be still in schism, to be still among those who say: “I am of Paul,” “I am of Apollo,” “I am of Cephas.” But God does not want this, while the Apostle rebukes: “Is Christ divided?” Therefore he can want what he wants, but for a time, but for an hour of shame, not for a reason of wisdom he can want what he wants. For now this is what he wants and he can want what he wants. But because he cannot not want what we want, let him sooner not want what he wants and do what we want. Do not therefore be disturbed, brothers, by any delay, while he wants what he wants, but pray that he may do what he promised, that he may not be able not to want what we want. — And all cried out: “Either here or nowhere.” — You who have declared your hearts with your voices, help us also with your prayers. The Lord, who commands unity, is powerful to change a will for the better. But what your charity cried out: “Either here or nowhere,” we recognized and love the voice of your charity in that. This also we, not now for the first time, but always think, always desire. The same is the mind, which is especially necessary, of our brother and fellow bishop, your bishop Deuterius. His mind has long been known to us. With us he poured forth prayers to the Lord on this matter with the council, where we promised and offered this to those who are outside. Already our subscriptions on this matter are retained.

We never so cherish our own honor as to begrudge unity. We may be lesser in honor, while we are greater in love. We know how the weak are to be invited, so that unity may be perfected. Nor do we say these things, brothers, as if those who have remained in schism have any hope before the Lord. For many argue, understanding little what they say, and ask: "If they are schismatics, if they are heretics, why do you receive them in such a way?" Listen, my brothers. If we were to receive them as they are, we would already be receiving this brother of ours, Emeritus, whether good or bad, yet a brother. I say this because even he knows that it was said to us through the prophet, and we also said to them in the conference: "Say 'you are our brothers' to those who hate you." They hate us; we believe that what they hate will come to an end. Yet as long as he hates, "brother" is heard. Until the hatred ends, the name will stand as a testimony. Therefore we do not receive them as they are—far be it from us; for they are heretics—but we receive them as Catholics: they change, they are received. But because of the evil they have, we cannot persecute in them the goods we recognize. For the evil of dissension, of schism, of heresy is their own evil, but the goods we recognize in them are not their own. They are goods of our Lord, goods of the Church. Baptism is not theirs, but Christ's. The invocation of the name of God over their heads, when bishops are ordained, that invocation is God's, not Donatus's.

I do not accept him as a bishop if, when he was ordained, Donatus was invoked over his head. In a soldier who errs and deserts, the crime is that of a deserter, but the brand is not that of a deserter, but of the emperor. But our brother did not desert where he had never yet been, since in him the error of desertion arose when he was marked by a deserter. The one who first made the schism, who separated himself from the Catholic Church, was a deserter along with those whom he drew with him. The rest were marked by deserters, yet not with the mark of a deserter, but with the mark of the emperor; for the deserter did not fix his own brand. What is it that I say: the deserter did not fix his own brand? Donatus did not baptize in the name of Donatus. For if Donatus, when he made the schism, were to baptize in the name of Donatus, he would imprint the brand of a deserter. When I call to unity, if I were to find the brand of a deserter, I would destroy, erase, abolish, reject, not approve, spit upon, anathematize, condemn it. But in fact the deserter himself fixed the brand of his own emperor. Our Lord and God Jesus Christ seeks the deserter, destroys the crime of error, but does not destroy his own brand. When I come to my brother and gather my erring brother, I look to the faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. That is the brand of my emperor.

Concerning this brand, he commanded his soldiers, or rather his companions, to imprint it on those whom they were gathering into his camp, saying: "Go, baptize all peoples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Because Paul knew that this brand was commanded by the Lord to be imprinted on all believers, he is alarmed at those who wished to be Paul's and says to them: "Was Paul crucified for you? Why do you wish to be mine and not rather my Lord's? Why do you wish to be mine and not rather the one whose I am? Recognize, take note of your brand: were you baptized in the name of Paul?" Thus we gather them, so that those whom we do not gather may not flatter themselves. And let them be gathered, not puffed up; let them come, they will be received. We do not hate in them what is of God, we do not hate them, because they are of God and what they have is of God. They are of God, because they are human beings and every human being is a creature of God; what they have—the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit—is of God; the baptism of the Trinity is of God, the Gospel they have is of God, the faith they have is of God.

And what do they not have, someone says to me, who have these things? You say: do they have the baptism of Christ? I say yes. You say: do they have the faith of Christ? I say yes. Therefore, if they have these things, what do they not have? What is baptism? A sacrament. Listen to the apostle: if I knew all sacraments. It is a great thing to know all of God's sacraments; however many sacraments we know, who has known all of God's sacraments? What does the apostle say? If I knew all sacraments, if I had all prophecy, add to that: and all knowledge. (But you had spoken about faith.) Listen further: if I had all faith. It is difficult to have all faith, just as it is difficult to know all sacraments. And what is it that he says: (all) so that I might move mountains, but if I do not have charity, I am nothing? Pay attention, brothers, pay attention, I implore you, to the voice of the apostle and see why we seek our brothers with such great labors and dangers. Charity seeks them from our hearts. "For my brothers and my neighbors," says the psalm, "I spoke peace concerning you," speaking to holy Jerusalem. See therefore, my brothers, what the apostle said: if I had all sacraments, all knowledge, prophecy, faith—what kind of faith?—so that I might move mountains, but if I do not have charity, I am nothing. He did not say: all those things are nothing, but: if I do not have charity, I am nothing. For what madman would say: God's sacraments are nothing? What madman would say: prophecy is nothing, knowledge is nothing, faith is nothing?

Those things are not nothing, but although they are great, if I, possessing great things, do not have charity, I am nothing. Those things are great, and I have great things, and I am nothing, if I do not have charity, through which those great things benefit me. For if I do not have charity, they can be present in me, but they cannot benefit me. Therefore pay attention, brother, pay attention, I implore you. You say to me: why do you seek me? I reply: because you are my brother. You answer me and say: if I am lost, why do you seek me? And I reply: if you had not been lost, I would not seek you. Why do you seek me? you say to me: if I am lost, why do you seek me? And I reply: I seek because you are lost. And why do I seek, to what end do I seek? So that it may at some time be said to me: your brother was dead and has come back to life, was lost and has been found. You answer and say to me: but I have the sacrament. You have it, I acknowledge it; it is for this reason that I seek you. You have added a great reason why I should seek you more diligently. For you are a sheep from the flock of my Lord; you have wandered with the mark; therefore I seek you all the more, because you have that very mark. Why do we not possess one Church? We have one mark; why are we not in one fold? Therefore I seek you, so that this sacrament may be for you an aid to salvation, not a testimony to damnation. Do you not know that a deserter is condemned by the brand, by which a soldier on duty is honored? Therefore I seek you, so that you may not perish with the mark. For it is a sign of salvation, if you have salvation, if you have charity. For this sign of salvation can be present in you externally, but it cannot benefit you.

I have come so that what you had may benefit you, not so that you may receive what you had, but so that what you had may begin to benefit you and you may receive what you did not have. For you had the sign of peace, but you did not have peace itself. In that house, that is, in you, discord dwelt and affixed titles of peace on the threshold. I recognize the titles, but I look for the dweller. I read the title of peace: baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is a title of peace, I read; I ask who dwells. I look at my brother, I recognize the title of peace. I too have it, I wish to enter. What is 'I wish to enter'? Accept me as a brother, so that we may pray to the Father together. 'I do not pray with you.' The titles are of peace, and does discord contradict me? Clearly, with the Lord's help, I will labor to cast out discord, the evil possessor, and to introduce peace as the legitimate owner. Therefore, when I exclude discord, I introduce peace, why should I lay down the titles of peace? I say plainly to my Lord: 'O Christ, who are our peace, who made both one. Make us one, so that we may rightly sing: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Introduce concord, drive out discord; introduce yourself into your own titles. You dwell, let no other possess and deceive by means of your titles. Change this contradictor, you who in one hour changed the thief on the cross.

Let us see, then, what you have. "I have," you say, "the sacrament; I have baptism." If I say to you, "Prove it," you show me what you received, you tell me what you confessed, you tell me what you hold. I acknowledge it; I do not change it; I do not blow upon it; far be it from me, when I seek the salvation of a deserter, to do injury to the emperor. So you have proved to me that you have the sacrament; by expounding the sacrament you have proved to me that you have the faith. Prove to me that you have charity: hold to unity. I do not want you to say to me, "I have charity": prove it. We have one father: let us pray together. What do you say when you pray, I ask you? "Our Father, who art in heaven." Thanks be to God. According to the teaching of our Lord you have added: "who art in heaven." For each of us had individual fathers on earth; we have found one together in heaven. "Our Father, who art in heaven": you invoke that same Father. Our Father wished to have one wife. Therefore, why do we, who adore one Father, not acknowledge one mother? If you claim to have been born from another, and from another's womb she herself gave birth to you. What I have said, not all of you have been able to understand. We know that it has happened, through lawful wives, that even those who were not born from lawful wives were admitted to the same inheritance. The will of the spouse brought this about. For Ishmael was disinherited. Sarah herself had given birth to him, even if from another's womb. Sarah had given birth from another's womb, by her own vow. For she herself said: "I want you to make sons for me from her," and therefore Abraham did it.

For the wife does not have power over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have power over his own body, but the wife does. For he would have been a son, if he had not been proud; Ishmael was disinherited because he was proud. For the maidservant lifted up her neck, so that it was said: "Cast out the maidservant and her son; for the son of the maidservant will not be heir with my son Isaac." For do you wish to know what peace is worth, what concord is worth, what humility is worth, and what pride hinders? It disinherited Ishmael, but the sons of the maidservants from Jacob—because they too, in order to be born, desired lawful marriages—therefore we know that the sons of the maidservants from Jacob were summoned to one inheritance. All twelve patriarchs were counted together; no difference of womb separated one from another, because love united all. What difference does it make, then, where you received baptism? "My baptism is mine," Sara says to you; "my baptism is mine," Rachel says to you. Do not be proud; come to the inheritance, especially because that inheritance itself is not that land which was given to the sons of Jacob. Land was given to the sons of Israel; the more it was possessed by many, the more it was narrowed. Our inheritance is called peace; I read the testament: "I give you my peace, I bequeath you my peace." Let us hold together what cannot be divided. A numerous possessor does not narrow it; however many come, as it was promised: "Your seed will be like the stars of the sky and like the sand on the seashore." In your seed all nations will be blessed.

And he said, "I saw in the Apocalypse many in white robes and holding palms, whom no one can number, coming from all nations." Let them come, let them keep the peace. Our possession does not become narrow; only discord creates narrowness. Behold, my brothers, that we still suffer narrowness, the discord of our brother causes it: let him consent to peace, and breadth is made. But what are we to do, except bear our brother's weakness and not grow weary? This sweat of mine, I believe, will be fruitful. Our Lord God, who willed that we come to you, who commanded that we seek him, who brought it about that we find him, for the time being, in his countenance, aided by your prayers, will make us find his heart, rejoice in his concord, give thanks to God for his salvation, which he cannot have except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church he can have everything except salvation: he can have honor, he can have the sacraments, he can sing "Alleluia," he can answer "Amen," he can hold the Gospel, he can have and preach faith in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but nowhere except in the Catholic Church will he be able to find salvation. For all these things pass away, my brothers. Now he thinks he will be great among his own if he does not consent and is called a martyr of the Donatist party. Far from it! Let this pride be removed from his heart in the name of the Lord.

He himself knows, he himself reads: if I hand over my body to be burned, but do not have charity, it profits me nothing. I do not say: if he suffers some injuries, as if he boasts of having suffered for the party of Donatus, or some earthly losses, it profits him nothing. I say more: if he suffers outside from an enemy of Christ, not from a catholic brother seeking his salvation, but from an enemy of Christ, and if he suffers outside and the enemy of Christ says to him outside the church of Christ, "Place incense before the idols, worship my gods," and he, not worshipping, is killed by the enemy of Christ, he can shed blood, but he cannot receive the crown. They themselves know, when they were at our conference which we held at Carthage, how they confessed that their ancestors made persecution against Bishop Caecilian. Then, dissenting from the catholic church, they made a schism. Their ancestors—that is, the first who made the party of Donatus—persecuted Caecilian. They hounded him with persecution all the way to the judgment of the emperor; they sent accusations against him to the emperor, which were not true. The emperor ordered the case to be heard. It was heard before bishops; those false accusations were found to be false; Caecilian was acquitted. Nor did they desist from persecuting, but they often appealed to the emperor, where later they appointed a judge for the case, and he himself heard and examined the parties. The emperor judged; he judged Caecilian innocent.

And when we objected this, they argued with us and said that the emperor had condemned Caecilianus to exile. That is false. But nevertheless, see what they said: that Caecilianus was brought to the emperor by their elders who were persecuting him and was sent into exile. We have read the records; the prosecutions are their own; their own hand is held to their subscribed words. Pay attention, I beg you; judge our case now. Certainly their elders persecuted Caecilianus; certainly they brought him to the emperor; certainly they caused him to be condemned. I do not wish to say that he was not condemned, I do not wish to say that he was pronounced innocent; but let it be as they say. When they were persecuting him, when they caused him to be condemned, what was Caecilianus then? When he was suffering persecution from these men's elders, what was he? Let it be told to me: what was he? Was he a Christian? Was he a Catholic? Or what was he? They do not say, 'He was not a Catholic,' but 'He was a criminal.' So criminal men can suffer persecution from holy men. Let us accept this entirely: Caecilianus, who was suffering persecution, was a criminal. For thus I do not say they were lying, but 'they were mistaken,' so that we too may agree with them: 'He was a criminal.' What were those who were doing the persecuting? Choose whichever you wish. If they were unjust, abandon the unjust, come to us; if, however, they were holy, then it is possible that holy men persecute an unjust man. Do not be angry with us if we persecute; do not say, 'You are unjust who persecute.

For you have already shown that it is possible for even the just to persecute the unjust. Is it possible or not? Let one of the two be told me. If it is not possible, why did your people persecute Caecilianus? But if it is possible, why are you surprised? Why do you praise the punishment and not show the cause? "Blessed," says the Lord, "are those who suffer persecution." Add: "for the sake of justice," and you have separated thieves, you have separated evildoers, you have separated adulterers, you have separated the impious, you have separated sacrilegious persons, you have separated heretics. Such persons suffer persecution, but not for the sake of justice. And yet, what kind of persecution does our brother suffer, who has been brought to us? That itself is a more glorious persecution; concerning it I openly profess. Let whoever wishes reproach me: I profess such persecution. I read a psalm: "The one who slanders his neighbor secretly, that one I was persecuting." If I rightly persecute one who secretly slanders his neighbor, do I not more rightly persecute one who publicly blasphemes the Church of God, when he says "It is not she," when he says "Ours is the one which is in a part," when he says "That one is a harlot"? Therefore, shall I not persecute one who blasphemes the Church? I shall certainly persecute, because I am a member of the Church; I shall certainly persecute, because I am a son of the Church. I use the voice of the Church herself; the Church herself speaks through me in the psalm: "I will pursue my enemies and I will seize them, and I will not turn back until they fail." Let them fail in evil, let them advance in good. Brothers, do not think that anything new has been done to our brother.

is possible, why do you deny that the just can persecute? But let us see what the party of Donatus did when it prevailed at Constantina. Petilianus seized our layman, a catechumen born of Catholic parents; he used force against the unwilling man, searched for him when he fled, found him when he hid, dragged him out when he trembled, baptized him when he shook, ordained him against his will. Behold what violence he inflicted on one of ours! He snatched him to death: do we not draw him to salvation? I have spoken these things to your charity because of what you said: either here or nowhere. For we also wish that it be 'here, here' but in peace, 'here, here' but in unity, 'here, here' but in the fellowship of charity. Then it is well to be 'here'. For if not so, it is better 'nowhere' than 'here'. But may the Lord grant that it be 'here' rather than 'nowhere'. If not 'here', far be it that it be not elsewhere, far be it. Here or elsewhere. You have heard; he has heard. What God has wrought in his soul, He Himself knows. For we strike the ear from without; He knows how to speak within; He preaches peace within and does not cease to preach, if He is heard. His mercy will be present, aided by your prayers, so that our labor may be fruitful. Yet if he is unwilling to communicate today, although we ought not to grow weary, but ought to persist as much as we can, still we ought not to grow weary even then. We can postpone; we neither can nor ought to remove our persistence. He who led him here to us will be present, so that He may make us rejoice with him in unity with you and in His peace.