He concludes thus: And I will feed them with judgment. See, because in this way he alone feeds, feeding with judgment. For what man judges a man? All things are full of rash judgments. He whom we have despaired of suddenly turns and becomes the best. He whom we have greatly presumed on suddenly fails and becomes the worst. Neither is our fear certain, nor is our love certain. What any man is today, scarcely even the man himself knows. Yet, somehow, he knows what he is today. But what he will be tomorrow, not even he himself knows. Therefore, he feeds with judgment, distributing what is proper to each: these things to these, those things to those, what is due to whom it is due, this or that. For he knows what he does. He feeds with judgment those whom he has redeemed by judgment. Therefore, he himself feeds with judgment.
The devil wants all who are wandering to be led astray by any errors.
For in the prophet Jeremiah, a certain partridge cried out, "It gathered what it did not lay, making its riches without justice." Against this partridge making its riches without justice, this shepherd feeds with justice. Why is that one without justice? Because it gathered what it did not lay. Why is this one with justice? Because it nurtures what it laid. However, we speak of the good shepherd. Good shepherds either do not exist, or they are hidden. If they do not exist, what do we do? If they are hidden, why is there silence about them? That partridge understood by some ancients and interpreters of the Scriptures before us as the devil, gathering what it did not lay. For he is not a creator but a deceiver, making his riches without justice. For it does not matter to him in what way someone errs. He wants everyone erring, with any errors. How diverse the heresies, how diverse the errors! He wants men to err in all things. The devil does not say: "Let them be Donatists and not Arians." Whether here or there, they belong to him, gathering without justice. "Let them worship idols," he says, "they are mine; let them remain in Jewish superstition, they are mine; let them go astray from unity into this or that heresy, they are mine." Thus, he gathers without justice, making his riches. But what follows? In the middle of his days, they will forsake him, and in his last days, he will be foolish. That one comes gathering his sheep from everywhere. In the middle of his days, sooner than he hoped, before he thought, they will forsake him, and he will be foolish in his last days. Why was he wise in his beginnings, and in his last days will be foolish? Listen, brethren. Sometimes in the Scriptures wisdom is said for cunning, by abuse of the word, not by its proper meaning. For where is it said: "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Did not God make foolish the wisdom of this world?" And this partridge, the same dragon, the same serpent, was as if wise, when he deceived Adam through Eve. It was thought he spoke the truth, he was considered to give good counsel, he was believed against God. Which indeed is called wisdom by abuse of the word and in evil, by the custom of our Scriptures though as the authors of the world speak, what is that to us? you have in the same book: "The serpent was more cunning than all beasts." This one more cunning than all the beasts was known to be sharp and shrewd to deceive. Later, he is not believed. It is said to him: "We renounce you, it is enough that you first deceived the unwary." Therefore, thus in his last days, he will be foolish. His frauds will be exposed, and therefore no longer frauds. In his last days, he will be foolish, who gathered what he did not lay, and made his riches without justice. Against him, our Redeemer feeds with justice.
Heretic, helper, and son of the devil.
Let also some heretic arise, if not a brother of the devil, certainly his helper and son. And I would call him a quarrelsome partridge. For this animal, as fowlers know, is also captured by the eagerness for quarreling. They quarrel against the truth, and they have quarreled since they divided from it. Now they say: "We do not want to quarrel," because they have already been captured. He does not have to say: "I do not want to quarrel." O captive, at least at times you were the one who in the first periods of your sedition accused the traitors, condemned the innocent, sought the judgment of the Emperor, did not agree with the judgment of the bishops, and when defeated, you appealed so many times, litigated most eagerly before the Emperor himself. You gathered what you did not bear. Where is your neck now? Where is your tongue? Where is your hissing? Certainly in your latest acts you have become foolish, you graze without judgment. For you do not wish to judge truly, whether about your error or about the truth. Christ grazes against you with judgment, He separates His sheep from those that are not His. My sheep, He says, listen to my voice and follow me.
Good shepherds will never be lacking.
Here I find all good shepherds in one shepherd. For truly good shepherds are not lacking, but they are in one. There are many who are divided. This one is proclaimed, because unity is commended. Nor indeed are the shepherds now silent, and it is said "shepherd," because the Lord has not found one to whom He might entrust His sheep. But then He commended, because He found Peter. Moreover, even in Peter himself, He commended unity. There were many Apostles, and it is said to one: Feed my sheep. Let it not be that good shepherds are now lacking, let it not be that they are missing from us, let it not be that by His mercy, He does not beget and establish them. Surely, if there are good sheep, there are also good shepherds, for from good sheep come good shepherds. But all good shepherds are in one, they are one. They feed, Christ feeds. For the friends of the bridegroom do not speak their own voice, but they rejoice greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore, He Himself feeds, when they feed; and He says: I feed, because His voice is in them, His love is in them. For even Peter himself, to whom He was entrusting His sheep as one to another, He wanted to make one with Himself, and thus to commend the sheep to him, so that he would be the head, he would bear the figure of the body, that is, of the Church, and as if the bridegroom and bride were one in one flesh. Therefore, that He might commend the sheep, what does He first say to him, not as to another he might commend? Peter, do you love me? And he responded: I love you. And again: Do you love me? And he responded: I love you. And thirdly: Do you love me? And he responded: I love you. He affirms love, so that He might strengthen unity. Therefore, He Himself feeds as one in them, and they in one. And it is silent about the shepherds, but it is not silent. The shepherds glory, but let he who glories, glory in the Lord. This is to feed Christ, this is to feed in Christ, this is to feed with Christ, and not apart from Christ to feed oneself. For indeed, the Prophet did not say due to the lack of shepherds, as if predicting future bad times: I will feed my sheep, I do not have anyone to whom I may commend them. Even when Peter himself was there, and when the Apostles themselves were still in this flesh and in this life, then that one said, in whom all are one: I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, that there may be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore, let all be in one shepherd, and let them say the one voice of the shepherd that the sheep hear, and follow their shepherd, not this one or that one, but the one. And let all in him say one voice, not have diverse voices. I beseech you, Brothers, that you all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you. Let the sheep hear this voice purged from all division, cleansed from all heresy, and follow their shepherd saying: My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me.
The voice of Christ is not heard among the Donatists.
For do you want to know, heretic, how you do not have the voice of the shepherd, and that sheep follow you perilously, covered in a sheep's garment, but inwardly a rapacious wolf? Let them hear your voice and let us see if it is Christ's. A stray sheep separated from the flock seeks the Church, not knowing where the flock is. It seeks where to go, where to enter. Give your voice: let us hear if it is Christ's. Let us hear whether it is of the lamb, or of the partridge. The sheep of God is seeking its flock. Imagine a sheep coming from the East to Africa seeking its flock. It chances upon you, it chances upon your basilica and wants to enter. You are disturbed by the unfamiliar face, either you or your minister. Standing or sitting at the door, it asks the sheep seeking its flock, indeed the flock of God. It wants to enter with its flock, it thinks it is there. You ask: "Are you a pagan, or a Christian?" It responds: "A Christian", for it is the sheep of God. You ask whether perhaps it is a catechumen, and may rush to the sacraments. It responds: "Faithful". You ask of what communion it is. It responds: "Catholic". You reject the Christian, faithful, catholic. Who are those inside whom you keep? Indeed, cast them out, reject them. Rejected by you, they are approved by Christ. Would that even those who are with you recognize you, and in the middle of your days abandon you. Some of our brothers went yesterday to their basilica. Though to bad brothers, yet to brothers. Attend, my Brothers, to what the difference is between the confidence of truth and the fear of falsity. When you recognize some of them among this people, how you rejoice! Because He who seeks what was lost is in you. Sometimes it is suggested to you: "He will hear and depart". And you: "Let him hear and depart". "He will hear and mock". "Let him hear and mock. Sometimes he becomes wise and sometimes he knows. Sometimes he is abandoned by his people, he remains with his heart. He renounces his error. He gives thanks to his God." But what about them? "Who are you?" "We are Christians." "No, but spies." And they: "We are Catholics." They tried to insult; with better counsel they repented. And would that they repented thus as to remain, as those repented who entered to insult. However, those whom they cast out are Christians, faithful, catholics; whom they kept, I do not wish to say. Whom they cast out, I see; whom they kept, let them say themselves.
Therefore, let them speak their voice. Let us see whether it is the voice of Christ, or the voice of the shepherd, which the sheep follow. Whether this voice is through a good man or through an evil man, let us consider whether it is the voice of the shepherd. The sick one seeks the Church, the wandering one seeks the Church. What do you say? "The Church is of the party of Donatus." I seek the voice of the shepherd. Read this to me from the Prophet, read to me from the Psalm, recite from the Law, recite from the Gospel, recite from the Apostle. From there I will recite to you the Church spread throughout the whole world and the Lord saying: My sheep hear my voice and follow me. What is the voice of the shepherd? And repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Behold the voice of the shepherd, recognize it, and follow if you are a sheep.
The Scriptures testify to a Church spread throughout the whole world.
"But they handed over the codices, and they placed incense for idols, this person and that person." What is it to me about this person and that person? If they did this, they are not shepherds. You should proclaim the voice of the shepherd, because you do not even announce the voice of the shepherd regarding them. You accuse, not the Gospel; you accuse, not the Prophet, not the Apostle; from whom does this voice speak to me, I believe about him; others I do not believe. But you will bring forth Acts; I bring forth Acts. Let's believe yours; you also believe mine. I don't believe yours; don't believe mine. Let human papers be taken away, let divine voices sound. Proclaim to me one voice of Scripture for the part of Donatus; listen to countless others, throughout the world. Who counts them? Who limits them? However, to mention a few, consider the Law, the first Testament of God: "In your seed all nations will be blessed." And in the Psalm: "Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession." All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will worship before Him, for the kingdom is His and He shall rule over the nations. "Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord all the earth." And all the kings of the earth will worship Him, all nations will serve Him. Who could suffice to enumerate them? Almost every page sounds nothing else but Christ, and the Church spread throughout the entire world. Let one voice for the part of Donatus come forth for me: is it such a great thing that I seek? They say the Church spread throughout the whole world was going to perish. Was it predicted to perish by so many lasting testimonies? Not even one voice of these through the Law, the Prophets, the Songs, is from the shepherd - for they could not speak the truth without the Word of God, which is Christ - listen to the voice of the Word, and from the mouth of the Word.
Amazed at the faith of the centurion: "Amen," he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith in Israel. Therefore, I tell you that many will come from the East and from the West and will sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Many will come from the East and from the West. Behold the Church of Christ, behold the flock of Christ. See if you are a sheep. For the flock which is everywhere does not hide from you. You will not have what to answer to your judge, whom you do not want to be your shepherd; you will not have, I say, what to answer to your judge: 'I did not know, I did not see, I did not hear.' What is it that you did not know? Nor is there anyone who can hide from his heat. What is it that you did not see? All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. What is it that you did not hear? Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
Abandon the voice of the wolf, follow the voice of the shepherd.
But rightly from you is sought the voice of Christ, the voice of the shepherd, which the sheep hear and follow. You do not find what to say, you do not have the voice of the shepherd. Hear and follow. Leave the voice of the wolf, follow the voice of the shepherd. Or give the voice of the shepherd. "We give it," they say. Let us hear: "We also give the voice of the shepherd." Let us hear. "In the Song of Songs," they say, "the bride speaks to the bridegroom, the Church to Christ." We know the Song of Songs, holy Songs, love Songs, of holy love, of holy charity, of holy sweetness. Indeed, I want to hear from there the voice of the shepherd, the voice of the sweetest groom. Say, if you have it. Let us hear. "The bride," they say, "says to the bridegroom: Announce to me whom my soul loves, where you pasture, where you lie down. And he, they say, responds: In the midday." I was bringing forth clear testimonies for you; there was no other way you could interpret: Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession. All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. Why do you bring me something from the Song of Songs? Perhaps you do not understand it. For those songs are riddles, known to few who understand, opened to few who knock. Retain and devoutly take the clear words, so that the obscure may rightly be opened to you. How will you be a discerner of the obscure, a despiser of the clear?
The words of Song of Songs 1:6-7 are discussed.
Behold, however, as we are able, Brothers, let us discuss these words. The Lord will be present so that you may see a sound understanding therein. First, what is easily judged by all, even the unlearned, the words themselves are poorly distinguished. Now you will hear, now you will test. For thus the text of the reading itself holds. The bride speaks to the bridegroom: Announce to me whom my soul has loved where you feed, where you rest. That the bride speaks to the bridegroom, that the Church speaks to Christ, neither we doubt nor do they. But all the words of the bride listen. Why do you wish to attribute to the bridegroom a word which still belongs to the bride? Let the bride say everything she says. Then the bridegroom will respond. Hear more clearly with this distinction which I am about to dictate: you will not find anything more. Announce to me whom my soul has loved where you feed, where you rest at midday. She still says: Where you feed, where you rest at midday. And see, because she still speaks. For it follows: Lest I become as one who is veiled over the flocks of your companions. I think all the learned and unlearned can distinguish masculine and feminine. I ask to which gender "veiled" belongs. I ask from any person: Is it masculine or feminine? Announce, she says, to me whom my soul has loved. Whom, when she says, she is addressing a male, she is addressing the bridegroom. Because indeed a female addresses a male, subsequent words indicate: Announce to me where you feed, where you rest at midday, lest I become as one who is veiled. Listen to “veiled,” so that these may become clear to you. Announce to me whom my soul has loved where you feed, where you rest at midday, lest I become as one who is veiled over the flocks of your companions. Up to this point are the words of the bride. Now begin the obvious words of the bridegroom: Unless you know yourself—recognize yourself manfully, woman, know yourself: he says, unless you know yourself; listen also to the following: O beautiful among women— Unless you know yourself, O beautiful among women, go forth in the footsteps of the flocks and feed your kids beside the shepherds' tents, not in the shepherd's tent. See how the bridegroom threatens; see how, while she is in danger, although he is sweet, he removes the endearments from the scene. How sweetly she entreats! "Announce to me whom my soul has loved where you feed, where you rest at midday. For indeed midday comes, when the shepherds gather at their resting places; and perhaps I shall hide from where you feed and where you rest; and I want you to announce to me, lest I become as one who is veiled, that is, as one who is hidden, and not recognized. For I am manifest, but lest as one who is veiled, as one hidden, I fall among the flocks of your companions." For all heretics have departed from Christ; all those who have become evil shepherds, having their own flocks under the name of Christ, were his companions, they received his banquet. For they are called companions, as if partakers of one banquet. In the Latin language, companions are thus called, as if those who eat together, because they eat together. Hear him in the psalm reproving the evil companions, that is, of one banquet: If my enemy, he says, had reviled me, I would surely have endured it, and if he had spoken great things against me. But you, my equal, my acquaintance, my guide, who took sweet foods together with me. Therefore, many ungrateful companions of the Lord’s table went outside; the evil companions have made their own tables, they have raised altars against the altar: in them, she fears to fall.
The overseas Church is concerned about the re-baptizers.
And if you think that the south is Africa - although I could insist that it is more the southern part of the world, parts of Egypt, and those regions scorched by the sun where rain does not appear, because it is the south where the midday great heat is. But there the desert is full of thousands of servants of God. Hence if we wish to turn to the south of the places, why does he not more feed and rest there, when it was previously predicted: The breasts of the desert will be fruitful? - But behold, I agree, let Africa be the south, let Africa be the south. Here are the wicked comrades. The overseas church, concerned lest it errs in any of its own journeying to Africa, invokes her spouse, and says to him: "I hear that heretics abound in Africa, I hear that rebaptizers abound in Africa. But I hear that yours are there also. And I hear that, and I hear that. But who are yours, I wish to hear from you. Announce to me, whom my soul loves, where you pasture, where you lie down at midday, at that midday, where I hear there are two parties, one part with Donatus, the other adhering to your entire body. You tell me where I should go lest by chance I become, as it were, hidden, that is, unknown above the flocks of your comrades, and fall into the flocks of the heretics, who attempt to set stone upon stone which should be destroyed, lest I rush into the rebaptizers, announce to me." And he who commends the unity of the shepherd, who in this reading says: I shall shepherd, but reproves the shepherds who wished to be many, who lost the unity, responding most sternly, not gently, but because of the greatness of the danger: Unless you know yourself, he says, O fairest among women: you are beautiful among women, but acknowledge yourself. Where do you recognize yourself? In the whole world. For if you are beautiful, there is unity in you. Where there is division, there is ugliness, not beauty. Unless you know yourself: you believed in me, acknowledge yourself. How did you believe in me? Just as those wicked companions agreed the Word was made flesh, born of a Virgin, crucified, risen, ascended into heaven: you believed in me such as this, they also proclaim the same. Recognize yourself and me: me in heaven, you in the whole world." Christ addresses any one of the Church as the Church. - For how does the Church seek the Church? I speak according to themselves. Announce to me whom my soul loves, where you pasture, where you lie. What does she seek? The Church. And he as if showing the Church says: At midday, as they wish. Let them answer me, how the Church seeks the Church. Announce to me whom my soul loves. Who speaks? The Church. What does she want announced to her? Where you pasture, where you lie, that is, where the Church is. The Church speaks and asks where the Church is; and he answers, as they think: In the south. If it is only in the south, as they say in Africa, how does she ask where she herself is? Surely the portion of the overseas Church rightly asks about the south, lest she errs here. - Christ addresses each member of his Church, as his Church. And what does he say? Unless you know yourself, O fairest among women, go out. Going out is characteristic of heretics. Either know yourself, or go out, because if you do not know yourself, you will go out. Go out where? In the footsteps of the flocks, following the bad flocks. Lest you think you follow the sheep, if you go out, hear what follows: Go out in the footsteps of the flocks, and pasture your kids, no longer sheep. You know, Brothers, where the kids will be. On the left will be all who have gone out from the Church. To Peter who remains is said: Feed my sheep; to the heretic who goes out: Feed your kids.
The Donatists interpret Habakkuk 3:3 incorrectly.
"There is also, they say, another testimony." Nonetheless, it is against you. Speak, let us hear. It will be against you, just as this which you thought was for you. - "If you interpret the south, they say, as Egypt?". We indeed interpret the south in many ways; we can understand Egypt as a place in the world, and Africa itself as well. Hear what I understand by the south; I understand it as the fervor of the spiritual, burning with the fire of charity, shining with the light of truth. For it is said in a certain psalm: Make known to me your right hand, and teach the wise-hearted in wisdom, the right hand not the goats; and the wise-hearted in wisdom, they are the south. Hence it is said to the Prophet: And your darkness will be as the south. Therefore, we can understand the south in many ways. But I entirely understand Africa, absolutely, I understand Africa. I accept something from you perhaps better than I would have known, unless I recalled it from you. Let Africa be the south. The transmarine Church fears falling into re-baptizers; it fears falling as if unknown into the flocks of sectarians, it seeks from its spouse for him to announce to it where he feeds, where he lies down at noon, for he feeds in some places at noon, and does not feed in others; he lies down in some places, and does not lie down in others. - Let her hear the advice, let her come to the Catholic Church, let her not fall into the flocks of sectarians, let her not feed her goats there. - But say what else you said you would say. "The Prophet, he says: God will come from the south; and now where is the south, surely it is Africa". O testimony! God will come from the south, and from Africa God will come! Heretics announce another Christ is born in Africa and will go throughout the world! I ask what this means: God will come from Africa? If you said: God remained in Africa, for sure you would be speaking shamefully. But now also: You say: He will come from Africa. We know where Christ was born, where he suffered, where he ascended into heaven, where he sent his disciples, where he filled them with the Holy Spirit, where he commanded them to preach throughout the world, and they obeyed, and the world is filled with the Gospel.
Of the origin of the Donatists.
"Therefore, explain to me, he said, what it means: God will come from the South. Speak the whole, and perhaps you will understand. God will come from the South, and the holy one from the shady mountain. Explain to me, if already from Africa, how from the shady mountain? Part of Donatus was born in Numidia. They themselves were first sent into dissension and tumult and scandal, seeking a great wound. The Numidians sent them. Secondarily, the Tigisitanus sent them. Where Tigis is, it is known. Those clerics who were sent were gathered outside from the Church, to approach the clerics of Carthage they did not want, they set up a visitor, they were received by Lucilla. The author of all this evil was the Numidian heretic. In Numidia, whence this evil came here, scarcely a fly is found, they dwell in hutches. How is there a shady mountain in Numidia? Tell me then. Do not recite up to here: God from the South, I demand the following: And the holy one from the shady mountain. But show me part of Donatus coming from Numidia from the shady mountain. You find all bare, indeed the fields are fertile, but in grains, not fertile with olive groves, not pleasant with other groves. Where then is the shady mountain in parts of Numidia? From where did this scandal come?"
Augustine explains the prophecy of Habakkuk 3:3.
"You, he said to me, then explain what it is: God will come from the South, and the holy one from the shady mountain." See how easily I will explain. First, listen to what the Lord says: It was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Behold whence he will come: when he said, beginning, he indeed foretold that he would come to other nations through his saints. Read the division of the land of the sons of Israel to all the tribes in the book of Joshua. It is clearly stated there: Jerusalem from the South. Read, seek, and you will find. Would that when you found it, you would believe; would that you would lay aside pride. Jerusalem from the South. And the Lord: beginning at Jerusalem: that is, God will come from the South. How then from the shady mountain? Read the Gospel already. Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives. Follow. And what is clearer? You hear: from the South; you have heard: from the shady mountain. We recite the Law. We recite the Gospel. You have heard: beginning at Jerusalem; hear: among all nations. In the same Prophet follow those words you have despised, those words you have overlooked: God will come from the South, and the holy one from the shady mountain; his shadow will cover the mountains, and his glory fills the earth. Therefore, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. How, beginning at Jerusalem? God will come from the South, and the holy one from the shady mountain, that is, from the Mount of Olives, where he ascended to heaven, from where he sent his disciples, where, when he was about to ascend, he also said: It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power from on high, and you shall be my witnesses – see how the Gospel begins – and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Therefore, with God coming, Christ, and his name, and the preaching of his Gospel from Jerusalem, that is, from the South, and from the shady mountain, that is, from the Mount of Olives, because the Gospel has been spread among all nations, his shadow covers the mountains, that is, his coolness, his protection, and the earth is full of his praise. Therefore sing a new song with the whole earth, not an old song with a corner of the earth."