Of the same class were those who, out of desire for a false martyrdom, hired men to strike and kill them to their own destruction. From amongst these also they were drawn who cast themselves down headlong from the summits of lofty mountains, throwing away their good-for-nothing lives.
See the character of these men, from whom a Bishop, the second Donatus, provided himself with cohorts! |147
Alarmed, then, at this state of terror, those who had brought the treasure to distribute amongst the poor, conceived the plan, in such extreme necessity, of asking for soldiers from the Prefect Silvester, not to do violence to anyone, but to put an end to the violence which had been arranged by the above-mentioned Bishop Donatus.
In this way did it come to pass that soldiers were seen in arms. Now, consider to whom it is right, or possible, to attribute that which followed afterwards. The fanatics had got together an enormous horde, and it is known that they had prepared an ample commissariat. They had turned a basilica into a sort of public granary, where they awaited those upon whom they might expend their savagery; and they would have done whatever their madness might have urged, had not the presence of an armed force stood in their way.
For, when quartermasters were, as is usual, sent ahead of the soldiers, they were not received with due respect ----contrary to the command of the Apostle, who says
'Honour to whom honour is due, custom to whom custom, tribute to whom tribute. Owe no man anything.'
Those who had been sent on horseback were maltreated by the men whose names you have blown about |148 with the fan of hatred. They were the authors of their own wrongs, and. by their example, through the injuries which they inflicted upon others, brought upon themselves whatever sufferings they may have endured. The soldiers who had been thus molested went back to their quarters, and everyone resented that which two or three had endured. All were profoundly stirred up, and not even their officers could hold back these soldiers in their anger. In this way that came to pass, which you have recorded thus, to create prejudice against unity. These events, and others which you have mentioned, have their own causes, and the persons whose names I have given are responsible. We have not even seen them, though we have heard of them, just as you have done.
If to have heard of a thing makes us guilty, we hold you to be partners of our guilt, since you have heard of it likewise; if to know of a thing by hearing gives freedom from responsibility, then that which was done, in consequence of your appeal, by others, ought not to be ascribed to us.
You set down your complaints in due order, saying that under Leontius and under Ursacius a very large number suffered wrongfully, that some were put to |149 death under Paulus and Macarius, that under their successors unnamed individuals were proscribed for a time. What has this to do with us, or with the Catholic Church? It is you who have brought about everything of which you complain, for you refused to accept gladly the peace which had been praised by God, valuing the inheritance of schism more highly than the precepts given us by the Saviour.
You have brought accusations against the makers of unity. Blame unity itself, if you can! For I imagine that you do not deny that unity is the supreme good?
How does the character of the workmen affect us, provided it be certain that they effected a work which is good? For the grape is trodden and pressed underfoot by sinful workmen, yet thence comes the wine with which Sacrifice is offered to God. Oil, too, is made by wretched people, some of whom are men of evil lives and unclean tongues, yet it is used without reproach in condiments, in lamps, even in the holy Chrism.
V. Excuse is made for the severities exercised by the champions of unity.
You say that the makers of unity did evil things. Perhaps this was according to the Will of God, who is sometimes pleased to permit that which He might have prevented. For some evil things are done in an evil way ; some evil things are done in a good way. The murderer does an evil thing in an evil way, the judge does an evil thing in a good way when he punishes the murderer.
For this is the Voice of God:
'Thou shalt not kill' ;
and:
'If any man shall be found sleeping with a woman who has a husband, you shall kill both,'
is also His Voice. |151
One God, and two differing Voices. Thus when Phineas, the priest's son, found an adulterer with an adulteress, he stood with raised sword in his hand and hesitated between the two divine Voices. One sounded in his ears:
'Thou shalt not kill' ;
the other:
You shall kill both.'
Were he to strike, he would act contrary to law. Were he not to strike, he would fail in his duty. He chose the offence which was better ----to strike. And perhaps there were not wanting those who would have wished to brand him as a murderer for inflicting this punishment. But God, that He might show that some evil things are done in a good way, spoke thus:
'Phineas has lessened My wrath.'
Thus God was pleased with the act of homicide, because thereby adultery was punished. What if God has now been pleased with those things which you |152 say that you have suffered----you who refused to have unity, well pleasing to God, with the whole [Catholic] world, and with the 'Shrines' of the Apostles?