'And,' He says, 'they whiten it.' That is to say that you judge yourselves alone to be saints. You complain that you have had some sufferings (though we had nothing to do with them). Therefore it is certain that these were sufferings which you endured alone, for the time of peace is different from the time of persecution.
If you consider that it was a persecution, tell us, what had all the Provinces, of which the Catholic Church is composed, to suffer together with you?
Since it was 'punishment,' not persecution, the wall suffered alone, against which God threatened storm, rain, thunderbolts and accusations, for thus did He speak:
'Why have you built up a ruin? Why have you made it white? Why have you painted it? This is against My Will, saith the Lord.'
You are displeased with the days of a Leontius, of an Ursacius, of a Macarius and the rest. Put right the Will of God, if you can, who has said: |168
'I will rise against the wall in My wrath, and will send upon it much storm and rain, floods and thunderbolts, and I will strike the wall that is ready to fall, and its joints shall be loosened.'
And do not let any of your party object with the question:
'If unity is a good thing, how is it that, after having been so often brought about, it has not been able to last?'
For this reason, that the matter has been arranged thus by God, who threatened storm, rain, stones and accusations. Now these four things could not happen at the same time. First there was a storm |169 under Ursacius. The wall was then shaken, but did not fall, so that rain might have an opportunity to work. Rain then followed under Gregory. The wall was made wet, but was not swamped, so that the stones might have their opportunity. Under the makers of unity the stones followed after the rain. The wall was scattered about, but built itself up again from its foundations. Three things have already been accomplished. Accusations are still due to you, but how they are to come and when, is known to Him, who has been pleased to make these declarations concerning you.
XI. It is shown that the Donatists are deceivers.
And that no one might doubt as to the meaning of this, God has added these words:
'The things which I speak concern not the clay or the side [of the wall] or the wall [itself], but false prophets who deceive My people.'
Consider whom this word 'deceive' fits. All were in communion with us. You rushed in upon us in our absence, but, in order to possess those whom you coveted, you had to beguile them----and all men know what are your words of beguilement. |170
You are wont to say:
'Look behind you.'
You are wont to say:
'Redeem your souls.'
You are wont to say to Christian men----even to clerics:
'Be ye Christians.'
But in saying 'Look behind you,' you are acting against the gospel, in which it has been written:
'No man who holds the handle of the plough and looks behind him shall enter the kingdom of heaven.'
And do you wish to know what was the fate of the one who looked behind, and of the one who looked before? Remember those who escaped from Sodom ----Lot and his wife. She looked behind her and was changed into a pillar of salt, whilst he who looked before him escaped free. Why then do you say 'Look behind you '? Moreover, when you say 'Redeem your souls,' I would ask from whom did you buy them, that you should sell them? Who is that angel who deals in souls as in the market-place? When you say 'Redeem your souls' you are renouncing the Redeemer, for Christ alone is the Redeemer of souls, which before His coming were possessed by the Devil. These Christ our Saviour redeemed in His Blood, as the Apostle says:
'You have been bought at a great price.' |171
For it is certain that we have been all redeemed by the Blood of Christ. Christ has not sold those whom He redeemed. Souls bought by Christ cannot be sold, to be redeemed again----as you would have it ----by you.
Again, how can a soul have two Lords? Or, is there, perhaps, a second Redeemer? What prophets have announced that a second is to come? What Gabriel has spoken a second time to a second Mary? What Virgin has a second time given birth to a Child? Who has worked new or second deeds of power?