Chapter 2.—6. I would add, moreover, that they themselves, by making it the subject of an accusation, referred the case of Cæcilianus to the decision of the Emperor Constantine; and that, even after the bishops had pronounced their judgment,2480
finding that they could not
crush Cæcilianus, they brought him in person before the above-named
emperor for
trial, in the most determined spirit of persecution. And so they were themselves the first to do what they censure in us, in order that they may
deceive the
unlearned, saying that
Christians ought not to demand any assistance from
Christian emperors against the
enemies of
Christ. And this, too, they did not
dare to deny in the conference which we held at the same
time in Carthage: nay, they even venture to make it a matter of boasting that their fathers had laid a criminal indictment against Cæcilianus before the
emperor; adding furthermore a
lie, to the effect that they had there worsted him, and procured his condemnation. How then can they be otherwise than persecutors, seeing that when they
persecuted Cæcilianus by their
accusations, and were overcome by him, they sought to claim false
glory for themselves by a most shameless
life; not only
considering it no
reproach, but glorying in it as conducive to their
praise, if they could
prove that Cæcilianus had been
condemned on the
accusation of their fathers? But in regard to the manner in which they were overcome at every turn in the conference itself, seeing that the records are exceedingly voluminous, and it would be a serious matter to have them read to you while you are occupied in other matters that are essential to the
peace of
Rome, perhaps it may be possible to have a digest
2481
| 2481
This digest will be found in the 9th volume of Benedictine edition of Augustin’s Works. Breviculus collationis cum Donatistis, p. 371 sqq., reproduced in Migne 613, sqq.
|
of them read to you, which I believe to be in the possession of my
brother and fellow-
bishop Optatus; or if he has not a copy, he might easily procure one from the
church at Sitifa; for I can well believe that even that volume will
prove wearisome enough to you from its lengthiness, amid the burden of your many cares.
7. For the Donatists met with the same fate as the accusers of the holy Daniel.2482
For as the
lions were turned against them, so the
laws by which they had proposed to
crush an
innocent victim were turned against the Donatists;
save that, through the
mercy of
Christ, the
laws which seemed to be opposed to them are in reality their truest
friends; for through their operation many of them have been, and are
daily being reformed, and return
God thanks that they are reformed, and
delivered from their ruinous madness. And those who used to
hate are now filled
with
love; and now that they have
recovered their right minds, they congratulate themselves that these most wholesome
laws were brought to bear against them, with as much fervency as in their madness they
detested them; and are filled with the same spirit of ardent
love towards those who yet remain as ourselves, desiring that we should
strive in like manner that those with whom they had been like to
perish might be
saved. For both the
physician is irksome to the raging madman, and a
father to
his undisciplined son,—the former because of the restraint, the latter because of the
chastisement which he
inflicts; yet both are acting in
love. But if they were to neglect their charge, and allow them to
perish, this mistaken
kindness would more truly be accounted
cruelty. For if the
horse and mule, which have no understanding,
resist with all the force of bites and kicks the efforts of the men who treat their
wounds in order to
cure them; and yet the men, though they are often exposed to
danger from their teeth and heels, and sometimes meet with actual hurt, nevertheless do not
desert them till they restore them to
health through the
pain and annoyance which the healing process gives,—how much more should man refuse to
desert his fellow-man, or
brother to
desert his
brother, lest he should
perish everlastingly, being himself now able to comprehend the vastness of the boon accorded to himself in his
reformation, at the very time that he complained of suffering
persecution?
8. As then the apostle says, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, not being weary in well-doing,"2483
so let all be called to
salvation, let all be recalled from the path of
destruction,—those who may, by the sermons of Catholic
preachers; those who may, by the edicts of Catholic
princes; some through those who obey the warnings of
God, some through those who obey the
emperor’s commands. For, moreover, when
emperors enact bad
laws on the side of
falsehood, as against the
truth, those who hold a right
faith are approved, and, if they persevere, are
crowned; but when the
emperors enact good
laws on behalf of the
truth against
falsehood, then those who
rage against them are put in
fear, and those who understand are reformed. Whosoever, therefore, refuses to obey the
laws of the
emperors which are enacted against the
truth of
God, wins for himself a great
reward; but whosoever refuses to obey the
laws of the
emperors which are enacted in behalf of
truth, wins for himself great condemnation. For in the times, too, of the
prophets, the kings who, in dealing with
the people of
God, did not prohibit nor annul the
ordinances which were issued contrary to
God’s commands, are all of them censured; and those who did prohibit and annul them are
praised as deserving more than other men. And king Nebuchadnezzar, when he was a
servant of
idols, enacted an impious
law that a certain
idol should be worshipped; but those who refused to obey his impious command acted piously and faithfully. And the very same king, when
converted by a
miracle from
God, enacted a
pious and praiseworthy
law on behalf of the
truth, that every one who should speak anything
amiss against the true
God, the
God of
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, should
perish utterly, with all his
house.
2484
If any persons disobeyed this
law, and justly
suffered the penalty imposed, they might have said what these men say, that they were
righteous because they
suffered persecution through the
law enacted by the king: and this they certainly would have said, had they been as
mad as these who make
divisions between the members of
Christ, and spurn the sacraments of
Christ, and take credit for being
persecuted, because they are prevented from doing such things by the
laws which
the
emperors have passed to
preserve the
unity of
Christ and
boast falsely of their
innocence, and
seek from men the
glory of martyrdom, which they cannot receive from our
Lord.
9. But true martyrs are such as those of whom the Lord says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake."2485
It is not, therefore, those who
suffer persecution for their
unrighteousness, and for the
divisions which they impiously introduce into
Christian unity, but those who
suffer for
righteousness’ sake, that are truly martyrs. For Hagar also
suffered persecution at the
hands of
Sarah;
2486
and in that case she who
persecuted was
righteous, and she
unrighteous who
suffered persecution. Are we to compare with this persecution which Hagar
suffered the case of holy
David, who was
persecuted by
unrighteous Saul?
2487
Surely there is in essential difference, not in respect of his suffering, but because he
suffered for
righteousness’ sake. And the
Lord Himself was crucified with two
thieves;
2488
but those who were joined in their suffering were separated by the difference of its cause. Accordingly, in the psalm, we must
interpret of the true martyrs, who wish to be distinguished from false martyrs, the verse in which it is said, "
Judge me, O
Lord, and distinguish
2489
| 2489
Discerne causam meam. The Eng. Vers. has, "plead my cause against an ungodly nation."
|
my cause from an
ungodly nation."
2490
He does not say, Distinguish my
punishment, but "Distinguish my cause." For the
punishment of the impious may be the same; but the cause of the martyrs is always different. To whose mouth also the words are suitable, "They
persecute me wrongfully; help Thou me;"
2491
in which the Psalmist claimed to have a right to be helped in
righteousness, because his
adversaries persecuted him wrongfully; for if they had been right in persecuting him, he would have deserved not help, but correction.
10. But if they think that no one can be justified in using violence,—as they said in the course of the conference that the true Church must necessarily be the one which suffers persecution, not the one inflicting it,—in that case I no longer urge what I observed above; because, if the matter stand as they maintain that it does, then Cæcilianus must have belonged to the true Church, seeing that their fathers persecuted him, by pressing his accusation even to the
tribunal of the emperor himself. For we maintain that he belonged to the true Church, not merely because he suffered persecution, but because he suffered it for righteousness’ sake; but that they were alienated from the Church, not merely because they persecuted, but because they did so in unrighteousness. This, then, is our position. But if they make no inquiry into the causes for which each person inflicts persecution, or for which he suffers it, but think that it is a sufficient sign of a
true Christian that he does not inflict persecution, but suffers it, then beyond all question they include Cæcilianus in that definition, who did not inflict, but suffered persecution; and they equally exclude their own fathers from the definition, for they inflicted, but did not suffer it.
11. But this, I say, I forbear to urge. Yet one point I must press: If the true Church is the one which actually suffers persecution, not the one which inflicts it, let them ask the apostle of what Church Sarah was a type, when she inflicted persecution on her hand-maid. For he declares that the free mother of us all, the heavenly Jerusalem, that is to say, the true Church of God, was prefigured in that woman who cruelly entreated her hand-maid.
2492
But if we investigate the
story further, we shall find that the
handmaid rather
persecuted Sarah by her haughtiness, than
Sarah the
handmaid by her severity: for the
handmaid was doing wrong to her mistress; the mistress only imposed on her a proper
discipline in her haughtiness. Again I ask, if good and holy men never
inflict persecution upon any one, but only
suffer it, whose words they think that those are in the psalm where we read, "I have pursued mine
enemies, and
overtaken them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed?"
2493
If, therefore, we wish either to declare or to recognize the
truth, there is a persecution of
unrighteousness, which the impious
inflict upon the
Church of
Christ; and there is a
righteous persecution, which the
Church of
Christ inflicts upon the impious. She therefore is
blessed in suffering persecution for
righteousness’ sake; but they are
miserable, suffering persecution for
unrighteousness. Moreover, she
persecutes in the spirit of
love, they in the spirit of
wrath;
she that she may correct, they that they may
overthrow: she that she may recall from error, they that they may drive
headlong into error. Finally, she
persecutes her
enemies and arrests them, until they become weary in their
vain opinions, so that they should make advance in the
truth; but they, returning
evil for good, because we take measures for their good, to
secure their
eternal salvation, endeavor even to strip us of our temporal
safety, being so in
love with
murder, that they
commit it
on their own persons, when they cannot find victims in any others. For in proportion as the
Christian charity of the
Church endeavors to
deliver them from that
destruction, so that none of them should
die, so their madness endeavors either to
slay us, that they may
feed the
lust of their own cruelty, or even to kill themselves, that they may not seem to have lost the power of putting men to death.
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