Migne Reading Room
PL 35 · cols. 1425–1437
Augustinus, In Joannis Evangelium tractatus I-VI, cum admonitione et praefatione incerti auctoris
Tractate VI
implerem; adjuvante etiam atque etiam pia intentione et votis bonis, et illud apparebit vobis, quare Joannes quod didicit in Domino, quia ipse est qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto, et nulli servo suo translegavit potestatem baptizandi, non debuit discere nisi per columbam.
I might fulfil; with your devout intention and good prayers helping again and again, this too will become clear to you: why John ought not to have learned except through the dove what he learned in the Lord, namely that He it is Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, and that He has transferred the power of baptizing to no servant of His.
TRACTATUS VI.
Tractate VI.
In eumdem Evangelii locum. Quare Deus per columbae speciem ostendere voluerit Spiritum sanctum. Cap. I, ℣℣. 32, 33.
On the same passage of the Gospel. Why God willed to show the Holy Spirit through the form of a dove. Ch. 1, vv. 32, 33.
1. Fateor Sanctitati vestrae, timueram ne frigus hoc frigidos vos ad conveniendum faceret: sed quia ista celebritate et frequentia vestra, spiritu vos fervere demonstratis, non dubito quia etiam orastis pro me, ut debitum vobis exsolvam. Promiseram enim in nomine Christi disserere hodie, cum angustia temporis tunc impediret, ne id possemus explicare tractando, quare Deus per columbae speciem ostendere voluerit Spiritum sanctum. Hoc ut explicetur, illuxit nobis dies hodiernus; et sentio audiendi cupiditate et pia devotione vos celebrius congregatos. Exspectationem vestram Deus impleat ex ore nostro. Amastis enim ut veniretis: sed amastis, quid? Si nos, et hoc bene; nam volumus amari a vobis, sed nolumus in nobis. Quia ergo in Christo vos amamus, in Christo nos redamate, et amor noster pro invicem gemat ad Deum: ipse enim gemitus columbae est.
1. I confess to Your Holiness that I had feared this cold might make you cold about coming together; but since by this crowd and this attendance of yours you show that you are fervent in spirit, I do not doubt that you have also prayed for me, that I may discharge my debt to you. For I had promised to discuss today, in the name of Christ, since the shortness of time then prevented us from being able to unfold it by treating it, why God willed to show the Holy Spirit through the form of a dove. That this may be unfolded, today's day has dawned on us; and I perceive that you have gathered in greater numbers out of eagerness to hear and out of devout piety. May God fulfil your expectation from our mouth. For you loved to come: but you loved what? If us, this too is well; for we wish to be loved by you, but we do not wish [to be loved] in ourselves. Since therefore we love you in Christ, love us in return in Christ, and let our love for one another groan to God: for that is the groaning of the dove.
2. Si ergo gemitus columbae est, quod omnes novimus, gemunt autem columbae in amore; audite quid dicat Apostolus, et nolite mirari quia in columbae specie voluit demonstrari Spiritus sanctus: Quid enim oremus, sicut oportet, inquit, nescimus: sed ipse Spiritus interpellat pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilibus (Rom. VIII, 26). Quid ergo, fratres mei, hoc dicturi sumus, quia Spiritus gemit, ubi perfecta et aeterna beatitudo est ei cum Patre et Filio? Spiritus enim sanctus Deus, sicut Dei Filius Deus, et Pater Deus. Ter dixi Deus, sed non dixi tres deos: magis enim Deus ter, quam dii tres; quia Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus unus Deus: hoc optime nostis. Non ergo Spiritus sanctus in semetipso apud semetipsum in illa Trinitate, in illa beatitudine, in illa aeternitate substantiae gemit: sed in nobis gemit, quia gemere nos facit. Nec parva res est, quod nos docet Spiritus sanctus gemere: insinuat enim nobis quia peregrinamur, et docet nos in patriam suspirare, et ipso desiderio gemimus. Cui bene est in hoc saeculo, imo qui putat quod ei bene sit, qui laetitia rerum carnalium, et abundantia temporalium, et vana felicitate exsultat, habet vocem corvi: vox enim corvi clamosa est, non gemebunda. Qui autem novit in pressura se esse mortalitatis hujus, et peregrinari se a Domino (II Cor. V, 6), nondum tenere illam perpetuam quae nobis promissa est beatitudinem, sed habere illam in spe, habiturus in re, cum Dominus venerit in manifestatione praeclarus, qui prius in humilitate venit occultus; qui hoc novit, gemit. Et quamdiu propter hoc gemit, bene gemit: Spiritus illum docuit gemere, a columba didicit gemere. Multi enim gemunt in infelicitate terrena, vel quassati damnis, vel aegritudine corporis
2. If therefore it is the groaning of the dove, as we all know, and doves groan in love, hear what the Apostle says, and do not wonder that the Holy Spirit willed to be shown in the form of a dove: For what we should pray for as we ought, he says, we do not know; but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unutterable groanings (Rom. 8:26). What then, my brothers, are we to say of this, that the Spirit groans, where He has perfect and eternal blessedness with the Father and the Son? For the Holy Spirit is God, just as the Son of God is God, and the Father is God. Three times I have said God, but I have not said three gods: for it is rather God three times than three gods; because the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God: this you know very well. The Holy Spirit, then, does not groan in Himself, with Himself, in that Trinity, in that blessedness, in that eternity of substance; but He groans in us, because He makes us groan. Nor is it a small thing that the Holy Spirit teaches us to groan: for He intimates to us that we are pilgrims, and teaches us to sigh towards our homeland, and with that very longing we groan. He who is well off in this world, or rather who thinks that he is well off, who exults in the gladness of carnal things, and in an abundance of temporal things, and in empty happiness, has the voice of the raven: for the voice of the raven is clamorous, not groaning. But he who knows that he is under the pressure of this mortality, and that he is a pilgrim away from the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6), that he does not yet hold that everlasting blessedness which has been promised to us, but has it in hope, being destined to have it in reality when the Lord comes, glorious in manifestation, Who first came hidden in humility; he who knows this, groans. And so long as he groans on account of this, he groans well: the Spirit has taught him to groan, he has learned to groan from the dove. For many groan in earthly unhappiness, either shaken by losses, or by sickness of body
Editors' notes and page, col. 1425
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praegravati, vel carceribus inclusi, vel catenis colligati, vel fluctibus maris jactati, vel aliquibus inimicorum insidiis circumsepti gemunt: sed non columbae gemitu gemunt, non amore Dei gemunt, non spiritu gemunt. Ideo tales cum ab ipsis pressuris fuerint liberati, exsultant in grandibus vocibus: ubi apparet quia corvi sunt, non columbae. Merito de arca missus est corvus, et non est reversus; missa est columba; et reversa est: illas duas aves misit Noe (Gen. VIII, 6-9). Habebat ibi corvum, habebat et columbam; utrumque hoc genus arca illa continebat: et si arca figurabat Ecclesiam, videtis utique quia necesse est ut in isto diluvio saeculi utrumque genus contineat Ecclesia, et corvum, et columbam. Qui sunt corvi? Qui sua quaerunt. Qui columbae? Qui ea quae Christi sunt quaerunt (Philipp. II, 21).
weighed down, or shut up in prisons, or bound in chains, or tossed by the waves of the sea, or hemmed in by some ambushes of enemies, groan: but they do not groan with the groaning of the dove, they do not groan with love of God, they do not groan in the spirit. Therefore such men, when they have been set free from those very afflictions, exult with loud voices: whereby it appears that they are ravens, not doves. Fittingly was the raven sent out from the ark, and it did not return; the dove was sent out, and it returned: those two birds Noah sent out (Gen. 8:6–9). He had a raven there, he had also a dove; that ark held both these kinds: and if the ark figured the Church, you surely see that it is necessary that in this flood of the world the Church should hold both kinds, both the raven and the dove. Who are the ravens? Those who seek their own. Who are the doves? Those who seek the things that are Christ's (Phil. 2:21).
3. Propterea ergo cum mitteret Spiritum sanctum, duobus modis eum ostendit visibiliter; per columbam, et per ignem: per columbam, super Dominum baptizatum; per ignem, super discipulos congregatos. Cum enim ascendisset Dominus in coelum post resurrectionem, peractis cum discipulis suis quadraginta diebus, impleto die Pentecostes, misit eis Spiritum sanctum, sicut promiserat. Spiritus ergo tunc veniens implevit locum illum, factoque primo sonitu de coelo tanquam ferretur flatus vehemens, sicut in Actibus Apostolorum legimus, Visae, inquit, illis sunt linguae divisae velut ignis, qui et insedit super unumquemque eorum; et coeperunt linguis loqui, sicut Spiritus dabat eis pronuntiare (Act. II, 1-4). Hac vidimus columbam super Dominum, hac linguas divisas super discipulos congregatos: ibi simplicitas, hic fervor ostenditur. Sunt enim qui dicuntur simplices, et pigri sunt: vocantur simplices, sunt autem segnes. Non talis erat Stephanus plenus Spiritu sancto: simplex erat, quia nemini nocebat; fervens erat, quia impios arguebat. Non enim tacuit Judaeis: ejus sunt verba illa flammantia, Dura cervice, et non circumcisi corde et auribus, vos semper restitistis Spiritui sancto. Magnus impetus: sed columba sine felle saevit. Nam ut noveritis quia sine felle saeviebat, illi auditis his verbis qui corvi erant, ad lapides statim adversus columbam cucurrerunt; coepit Stephanus lapidari: et qui paulo ante fremens et fervens spiritu, tanquam in inimicos impetum fecerat, et tanquam violentus invectus erat in verbis igneis atque ita flammantibus, ut audistis, Dura cervice, et non circumcisi corde et auribus: ut qui ea verba audiret, putaret Stephanum, si ei liceret, statim illos velle consumi: venientibus in se lapidibus ex manibus eorum, genu fixo ait, Domine, ne statuas illis hoc delictum (Act. VII, 51, 59). Inhaeserat unitati columbae. Prior enim illud fecerat magister, super quem descendit columba; qui pendens in cruce ait. Pater, ignosce illis, quia nesciunt quid faciunt (Luc. XXIII, 34). Ergo ne Spiritu sanctificati dolum habeant, in columba demonstratum est: ne simplicitas frigida remaneat, in igne demonstratum est. Nec moveat,
3. For this reason, then, when He sent the Holy Spirit, He showed Him visibly in two ways: by a dove, and by fire: by a dove, upon the Lord when He had been baptized; by fire, upon the disciples gathered together. For when the Lord had ascended into heaven after the resurrection, forty days having been spent with His disciples, when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, He sent them the Holy Spirit, as He had promised. The Spirit, then, coming at that time filled that place, and when first a sound had come from heaven as though a mighty wind were borne along, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, There appeared to them, it says, tongues divided as of fire, which also sat upon each one of them; and they began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them to utter (Acts 2:1–4). In this way we saw a dove upon the Lord, in this way divided tongues upon the disciples gathered together: there simplicity, here fervour is shown. For there are those who are called simple, and they are sluggish: they are called simple, but they are idle. Not such was Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit: he was simple, because he harmed no one; he was fervent, because he rebuked the ungodly. For he did not keep silent to the Jews: his are those flaming words, Stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you have always resisted the Holy Spirit. A great onslaught: but the dove rages without gall. For that you may know that he raged without gall, those who were ravens, having heard these words, at once ran to stones against the dove; Stephen began to be stoned: and he who a little before, roaring and fervent in spirit, had made an onslaught as if upon enemies, and as if violent had inveighed in fiery and thus flaming words, as you have heard, Stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, so that whoever heard those words would think that Stephen, if it were permitted him, wished them to be consumed at once: as the stones came upon him from their hands, with knee planted he said, Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge (Acts 7:51, 59). He had clung to the unity of the dove. For the master upon Whom the dove descended had done that before him; Who, hanging on the cross, said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34). Therefore, that those sanctified by the Spirit should not have guile, it was shown in the dove: that simplicity should not remain cold, it was shown in the fire. Nor let it trouble [you],
Editors' notes and page, col. 1426
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: Judaeis : ejus› · call in col 1426
Sic legendum ex Mss. [cujus.]
So it should be read from the manuscripts. [The printed editions have "cujus" (whose).]
(printed under page 61)
(2) ‹anchor: genu fixo ait› · call in col 1426
Apud Er. Lugd. Ven. Lov., genu flexo ait. M.
In Erasmus, Lyons, Venice and Louvain: "genu flexo ait" (he said, with knee bent). M.
(printed under page 61)
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quia linguae divisae sunt. Distant enim linguae, ideo divisis linguis apparuit. Linguae, inquit, divisae velut ignis, qui et insedit super unumquemque eorum. Distant inter se linguae, sed linguarum distantia non sunt schismata. In linguis divisis noli dissipationem timere, unitatem cognosce in columba.
because the tongues are divided. For tongues differ, and so it appeared with divided tongues. Tongues, it says, divided as of fire, which also settled upon each one of them. The tongues differ among themselves, but the differences of tongues are not schisms. In divided tongues do not fear scattering; recognize unity in the dove.
4. Sic ergo, sic oportebat demonstrari Spiritum sanctum venientem super Dominum, ut intelligat unusquisque, si habet Spiritum sanctum, simplicem se esse debere sicut columbam; habere cum fratribus veram pacem, quam significant oscula columbarum. Habent enim oscula et corvi, sed in corvis falsa pax, in columba vera pax. Non omnis ergo qui dicit, Pax vobiscum, quasi columba audiendus est. Unde ergo discernuntur oscula corvorum ab osculis columbarum? Osculantur corvi, sed laniant; a laniatu innocens est natura columbarum: ubi ergo laniatus, non est vera in osculis pax; illi habent veram pacem, qui Ecclesiam non laniaverunt. Nam corvi de morte pascuntur, hoc columba non habet; de frugibus terrae vivit, innocens ejus victus est: quod vere, fratres, mirandum est in columba. Sunt passeres brevissimi, vel muscas occidunt: nihil horum columba; non enim de morte pascitur. Qui laniaverunt Ecclesiam, de mortibus pascuntur. Potens est Deus, rogemus ut reviviscant qui devorantur ab eis et non sentiunt. Multi agnoscunt, quia reviviscunt; nam ad eorum adventum quotidie gratulamur in nomine Christi. Vos tantum sic estote simplices, ut sitis ferventes; et fervor vester in linguis sit. Nolite tacere; ardentibus linguis loquentes, accendite frigidos.
4. So then, so it was fitting that the Holy Spirit should be shown coming upon the Lord, that each one might understand that, if he has the Holy Spirit, he ought to be simple like a dove; to have true peace with the brethren, which the kisses of doves signify. For ravens too have kisses, but in ravens the peace is false, in the dove the peace is true. Not everyone, then, who says, Peace be with you, is to be heard as a dove. How then are the kisses of ravens distinguished from the kisses of doves? Ravens kiss, but they tear; the nature of doves is innocent of tearing: where then there is tearing, there is no true peace in the kisses; those have true peace who have not torn the Church. For ravens feed on death; this the dove does not have; it lives on the fruits of the earth, its food is innocent: which, brethren, is truly to be marvelled at in the dove. Sparrows are very small, yet they kill at least flies: the dove none of these things; for it does not feed on death. Those who have torn the Church feed on deaths. God is mighty; let us pray that those who are being devoured by them and do not feel it may come back to life. Many acknowledge that they come back to life; for at their coming we rejoice daily in the name of Christ. Only be simple in such a way that you are fervent; and let your fervour be in your tongues. Do not be silent; speaking with burning tongues, kindle the cold.
5. Quid enim, fratres mei? quis non videat quod illi non vident? Nec mirum; quia qui inde reverti nolunt, sicut corvus qui de arca emissus est. Quis enim non videat quod illi non vident? Et ipsi Spiritui sancto ingrati sunt. Ecce columba descendit super Dominum, et super Dominum baptizatum; et apparuit ibi sancta illa et vera Trinitas, quae nobis unus Deus est. Ascendit enim Dominus ab aqua, sicut in Evangelio legimus: Et ecce aperti sunt ei coeli, et vidit Spiritum descendentem velut columbam, et mansit super eum: et statim vox consecuta est, Tu es Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complacui (Matth. III, 16 et 17). Apparet manifestissima Trinitas, Pater in voce, Filius in homine, Spiritus in columba. In ista Trinitate quo missi sunt Apostoli, videamus quod videmus, et quod mirum est quia illi non vident: non enim vere non vident, sed ad id quod facies eorum ferit, oculos claudunt. Quo missi sunt discipuli, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti, ab illo de quo dictum est, Hic est qui baptizat. Dictum est enim ministris ab eo qui sibi tenuit hanc potestatem.
5. For what, my brethren? Who does not see what they do not see? No wonder; because those who will not return from there are like the raven that was sent out of the ark. For who does not see what they do not see? They are ungrateful even to the Holy Spirit Himself. Behold, the dove descended upon the Lord, and upon the Lord baptized; and there appeared there that holy and true Trinity, which for us is one God. For the Lord went up from the water, as we read in the Gospel: And behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit descending as a dove, and it remained upon Him: and at once a voice followed, Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased (Matt. 3:16–17). The Trinity appears most manifestly: the Father in the voice, the Son in the man, the Spirit in the dove. In this Trinity, into which the Apostles were sent, let us see what we see, and what is marvellous, that they do not see: for they do not truly fail to see, but they shut their eyes to that which strikes their faces. Into which the disciples were sent, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, by Him of Whom it was said, This is He Who baptizes. For it was said to the ministers by Him Who kept this power for Himself.
6. Hoc enim in illo vidit Joannes, et cognovit quod non noverat: non quia eum non noverat Filium Dei, aut eum non noverat Dominum, aut non noverat
6. For this John saw in Him, and came to know what he had not known: not that he had not known Him as the Son of God, or had not known Him as Lord, or had not known
Editors' notes and page, col. 1427
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1427
Editi, distantiae. At Mss., distantia.
The printed editions have "distantiae"; but the manuscripts have "distantia".
(printed under page 62)
(2) ‹anchor: sitis ferventes› · call in col 1427
Editi : Ut sitis prudentes et ferventes. Abest a Mss., prudentes et.
The printed editions: "that you may be prudent and fervent". The manuscripts lack "prudent and".
(printed under page 62)
(3) ‹anchor: arca emissus est› · call in col 1427
Er. et Lov.: Nec mirum; quia inde reverti nolunt, sicut corvus qui de arca emissus est. M.
Erasmus and Louvain: "No wonder, for they refuse to return from there, like the raven that was sent out of the ark." M.
(printed under page 62)
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Christum, aut vero et hoc non noverat quia ipse baptizaturus esset in aqua et Spiritu sancto; nam et hoc noverat: sed quia ita ut sibi teneret ipsam potestatem, et in nullum ministrorum eam transferret, hoc est quod didicit in columba. Per hanc enim potestatem, quam Christus solus sibi tenuit, et in neminem ministrorum transfudit, quamvis per ministros suos baptizare dignatus sit, per hanc stat unitas Ecclesiae, quae significatur in columba, de qua dictum est: Una est columba mea, una est matri suae (Cant. VI, 8). Si enim, ut jam dixi, fratres mei, transferretur potestas a Domino ad ministrum, tot baptismata essent, quot ministri essent, et jam non staret unitas Baptismi.
Christ, or indeed that he did not know this too, that He Himself was to baptize in water and the Holy Spirit; for this too he knew: but that He was to do so in such a way as to keep the power itself for Himself, and to transfer it to none of His ministers, this is what he learned in the dove. For through this power, which Christ alone kept for Himself and poured over into none of His ministers, although He has deigned to baptize through His ministers, through this stands the unity of the Church, which is signified in the dove, of which it has been said: One is My dove, one is she to her mother (Song 6:8). For if, as I have already said, my brothers, the power were transferred from the Lord to the minister, there would be as many baptisms as there were ministers, and the unity of Baptism would no longer stand.
7. Intendite, fratres: antequam veniret Dominus noster Jesus Christus ad baptismum (nam post baptismum descendit columba in qua cognovit Joannes quiddam proprium, cum ei dictum esset, Super quem videris Spiritum descendentem sicut columbam, et manentem super eum, ivse est qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto), noverat quia ipse baptizat in Spiritu sancto; sed quia tali proprietate, ut potestas ab eo non transiret in alterum, quamvis eo donante, hoc ibi didicit. Et unde probamus quia jam et hoc noverat Joannes, quia baptizaturus erat Dominus in Spiritu sancto; ut hoc intelligatur didicisse in columba, quod ita erat baptizaturus Dominus in Spiritu sancto, ut in neminem alium hominem potestas illa transiret? unde probamus? Columba jam baptizato Domino descendit: ante autem quam veniret Dominus ut baptizaretur a Joanne in Jordane, diximus quia noverat eum, illis vocibus ubi ait: Tu ad me venis, baptizari? ego a te debeo baptizari. Sed ecce Dominum noverat, noverat Filium Dei: unde probamus quod jam noverat quia ipse baptizaret in Spiritu sancto? Antequam veniret ad fluvium, cum multi ad Joannem concurrerent baptizari, ait illis, Ego quidem baptizo vos in aqua: qui autem post me venit, major me est, cujus non sum dignus corrigiam calceamenti solvere; ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu sancto et igni (Matth. III, 14, 11): jam et hoc noverat. Quid ergo per columbam didicit, ne mendax postea inveniatur (quod avertat a nobis Deus opinari); nisi quamdam proprietatem in Christo talem futuram, ut quamvis multi ministri baptizaturi essent, sive justi, sive injusti, non tribueretur sanctitas Baptismi, nisi illi super quem descendit columba, de quo dictum est, Hic est qui baptizat in Spiritu sancto? Petrus baptizet, hic est qui baptizat; Paulus baptizet, hic est qui baptizat; Judas baptizet, hic est qui baptizat.
7. Pay attention, brothers: before our Lord Jesus Christ came to baptism (for it was after the baptism that the dove descended, in which John recognized something proper to Him, since it had been said to him, He upon Whom you see the Spirit descending like a dove, and remaining upon Him, He it is Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit), he knew that He Himself baptizes in the Holy Spirit; but that He does so with such a property that the power would not pass from Him to another, even though He grants it, this he learned there. And from where do we prove that John already knew this too, that the Lord was to baptize in the Holy Spirit, so that what he is understood to have learned in the dove is this, that the Lord was to baptize in the Holy Spirit in such a way that that power would pass to no other man? From where do we prove it? The dove descended when the Lord had already been baptized; but before the Lord came to be baptized by John in the Jordan, we have said that he knew Him, by those words where he says: Do You come to me to be baptized? I ought to be baptized by You. But see, he knew the Lord, he knew the Son of God: from where do we prove that he already knew that He Himself would baptize in the Holy Spirit? Before He came to the river, when many were flocking to John to be baptized, he said to them, I indeed baptize you in water: but He Who comes after me is greater than I, the strap of Whose sandal I am not worthy to loose; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:14, 11): already he knew this too. What then did he learn through the dove, lest he be found afterwards to be a liar (which God forbid that we should think), except that there would be a certain property in Christ such that, although many ministers would baptize, whether righteous or unrighteous, the holiness of Baptism would be attributed to none but Him upon Whom the dove descended, of Whom it was said, This is He Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit? Let Peter baptize, this is He Who baptizes; let Paul baptize, this is He Who baptizes; let Judas baptize, this is He Who baptizes.
8. Nam si pro diversitate meritorum Baptisma sanctum est, quia diversa sunt merita, diversa erunt baptismata; et tanto quisque aliquid melius putatur accipere, quanto a meliore videtur accepisse. Ipsi sancti, intelligite fratres, boni pertinentes ad columbam, pertinentes ad sortem civitatis illius Jerusalem, ipsi boni in Ecclesia, de quibus dicit Apostolus, Novit Dominus qui sunt ejus (II Tim. II, 19); diversarum gratiarum sunt, non omnes paria merita habent: sunt alii aliis sanctiores, sunt alii aliis meliores. Quare ergo si unus ab illo, verbi gratia, justo sancto baptizetur,
8. For if Baptism is holy according to the diversity of merits, then since merits are diverse, baptisms will be diverse; and each person is thought to receive something the better, the better the one from whom he is seen to have received it. The saints themselves, understand, brothers, the good who belong to the dove, who belong to the lot of that city Jerusalem, the good themselves in the Church, of whom the Apostle says, The Lord knows who are His (2 Tim. 2:19), are of diverse graces, not all have equal merits: some are holier than others, some are better than others. Why then, if one is baptized by that one, for example, a righteous holy man,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1428
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- other: transfudit and ministrorum have damaged letters in the print but read clearly enough; the stop after the last "hic est qui baptizat" at the end of section 7 is faint and uncertain; the mark after the final word "baptizetur" is blurred and taken as a comma; no editors' matter and no full-width line in this column.
alius ab alio inferioris meriti apud Deum, inferioris gradus, inferioris continentiae, inferioris vitae, unum tamen et par et aequale est quod acceperunt, nisi quia hic est qui baptizat? Quomodo ergo cum baptizat bonus et melior, non ideo iste bonum accepit, et ille melius; sed quamvis bonus et melior fuerint ministri, unum et aequale est quod acceperunt, non est melius in illo, et inferius in isto: sic et cum baptizat malus ex aliqua vel ignorantia Ecclesiae, vel tolerantia (aut enim ignorantur mali, aut tolerantur, toleratur palea, quousque in ultimo ventiletur area), illud quod datum est, unum est, nec impar propter impares ministros; sed par et aequale, propter, Hic est qui baptizat.
and another by another of lower merit before God, of lower rank, of lower continence, of lower life, yet what they have received is one and equal and the same, if not because He it is who baptizes? As therefore, when a good man and a better man baptize, the one has not on that account received something good and the other something better, but, however good and better the ministers may have been, what they have received is one and the same, it is not better in the one and lower in the other: so also when a bad man baptizes, through some ignorance or some tolerance of the Church (for either the bad are not known, or they are tolerated; the chaff is tolerated until at the last the threshing-floor is winnowed), that which has been given is one, and not unequal because of unequal ministers, but equal and the same, because of This is He who baptizes.
9. Ergo, dilectissimi, videamus quod videre illi nolunt; non quod non videant, sed quod se videre doleant: quasi clausum sit contra illos. Quo missi sunt discipuli, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti, ut baptizarent tanquam ministri? quo missi sunt? Ite, dixit, baptizate gentes. Audistis, fratres, quomodo venit illa haereditas, Postula a me, et dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuam, et possessionem tuam terminos terrae (Psal. II, 8). Audistis quomodo a Sion prodiit lex, et verbum Domini ab Jerusalem (Isai. II, 3): ibi enim audierunt discipuli, Ite, baptizate gentes in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti (Matth. XXVIII, 19). Intenti facti sumus, cum audiremus, Ite, baptizate gentes. In cujus nomine? In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti. Iste unus Deus, quia non, in nominibus Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti; sed, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti. Ubi unum nomen audis, unus est Deus: sicut de semine Abrahae dictum est, et exponit Paulus apostolus, In semine tuo benedicentur omnes gentes: non dixit, In seminibus, tanquam in multis; sed tanquam in uno, Et semine tuo, quod est Christus (Gen. XXII, 18; Gal. III, 16). Sicut ergo quia ibi non dicit, in seminibus, docere te voluit Apostolus, quia unus est Christus: sic et hic cum dictum est, in nomine, non, in nominibus; quomodo ibi, in semine, non, in seminibus; probatur unus Deus Pater et Filius et Spiritus sanctus.
9. Therefore, dearly beloved, let us see what those men are unwilling to see; not that they do not see it, but that they are pained to see it: as though it were shut against them. Whither were the disciples sent, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, to baptize as ministers? Whither were they sent? Go, He said, baptize the nations. You have heard, brethren, how that inheritance came: Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the nations for Thy inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Thy possession (Ps. 2:8). You have heard how the law went forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3): for there the disciples heard, Go, baptize the nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). We became attentive when we heard, Go, baptize the nations. In whose name? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is one God, because [it says] not, in the names of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, but, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Where you hear one name, there is one God: just as was said of the seed of Abraham, and as Paul the apostle expounds it, In your seed all nations shall be blessed: he did not say, In seeds, as of many, but as of one, And in your seed, which is Christ (Gen. 22:18; Gal. 3:16). As therefore, because it does not say there, in seeds, the Apostle wished to teach you that Christ is one: so also here, when it is said, in the name, not, in the names, just as there, in the seed, not, in the seeds, it is proved that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God.
10. Sed, Ecce, inquiunt discipuli ad Dominum, audivimus in quo nomine baptizemus, ministros nos fecisti, et dixisti nobis, Ite, baptizate in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti: quo ibimus? Quo? non audistis? Ad haereditatem meam. Interrogatis, Quo ibimus? Ad id quod emi sanguine meo. Quo ergo? Ad gentes, inquit. Putavi quia dixit, Ite, baptizate Afros in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti. Deo gratias: solvit Dominus quaestionem, docuit columba. Deo gratias: ad gentes Apostoli missi sunt; si ad gentes, ad omnes linguas. Hoc significavit Spiritus sanctus divisus in linguis, unitus in columba. Hac linguae dividuntur, hac columba copulat. Linguae gentium concordarunt, et una lingua Africae discordavit? Quid evidentius, fratres mei? In columba unitas, in linguis gentium societas. Aliquando enim et linguae per superbiam discordaverunt, et tunc sunt factae linguae ex una multae. Post diluvium enim superbi
10. But, Behold, say the disciples to the Lord, we have heard in what name we are to baptize; Thou hast made us ministers, and Thou hast said to us, Go, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: whither shall we go? Whither? Have you not heard? To My inheritance. You ask, Whither shall we go? To that which I bought with My blood. Whither then? To the nations, He says. I thought He had said, Go, baptize the Africans in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God: the Lord has solved the question, the dove has taught it. Thanks be to God: the Apostles were sent to the nations; if to the nations, to all tongues. This the Holy Spirit signified, divided in tongues, united in the dove. Here the tongues are divided, here the dove joins together. The tongues of the nations have agreed, and has one tongue, that of Africa, disagreed? What is plainer, my brethren? In the dove unity, in the tongues of the nations fellowship. For once the tongues too disagreed through pride, and then from one tongue many were made. For after the flood proud
Editors' notes and page, col. 1429
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: linguae dividuntur› · call in col 1429
In quatuor Mss., dividunt.
In four manuscripts, "dividunt" (divide) [for "dividuntur", are divided].
(printed under page 63)
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- running head: 1429 TRACTATUS VI. CAP
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quidam homines, velut adversus Deum se munire conantes, quasi aliquid esset excelsum Deo, aut aliquid tutum superbiae, erexerunt turrim; quasi ne diluvio, si postea fieret, delerentur. Audierant enim et recensuerant quia omnis iniquitas erat deleta diluvio: ab iniquitate temperare nolebant; altitudinem turris contra diluvium requirebant; aedificaverunt turrim excelsam. Vidit Deus superbiam ipsorum, et hunc errorem illis immitti fecit, ut non se cognoscerent loquentes; et factae sunt diversae linguae per superbiam (Gen. XI, 1-9). Si superbia fecit diversitates linguarum, humilitas Christi congregavit diversitates linguarum. Jam quod illa turris dissociaverat, Ecclesia colligit. De una lingua factae sunt multae; noli mirari, superbia hoc fecit: de multis linguis fit una; noli mirari, charitas hoc fecit. Quia etsi soni diversi linguarum sunt, in corde unus Deus invocatur, una pax custoditur. Unde debuit ergo, charissimi, demonstrari Spiritus sanctus, unitatem quamdam designans, nisi per columbam, ut pacatae Ecclesiae diceretur, Una est columba mea? Unde debuit humilitas, nisi per avem simplicem et gementem, non per avem superbam et exaltantem se sicut corvus?
certain men, as if trying to fortify themselves against God, as though anything were lofty to God, or anything safe for pride, raised up a tower; as if so that they might not be destroyed by a flood, should one occur afterwards. For they had heard and recounted that all iniquity had been wiped out by the flood: they were unwilling to refrain from iniquity; they sought the height of a tower against the flood; they built a lofty tower. God saw their pride, and caused this error to be sent upon them, that they should not understand one another as they spoke; and diverse tongues came about through pride (Gen. 11:1–9). If pride made diversities of tongues, the humility of Christ has gathered together the diversities of tongues. Now what that tower had split apart, the Church gathers together. From one tongue many were made; do not wonder, pride did this: from many tongues one is made; do not wonder, charity did this. For although the sounds of the tongues are diverse, in the heart one God is invoked, one peace is kept. How then, dearly beloved, ought the Holy Spirit to have been shown, signifying a certain unity, except through a dove, so that it might be said to the Church at peace, One is my dove? How ought humility [to have been shown], except through a bird simple and moaning, not through a bird proud and exalting itself like the raven?
11. Et forte dicent: Quia ergo columba, et una columba, praeter unam columbam Baptismus esse non potest: ergo si apud te est columba, vel tu es columba, quando ad te venio, tu da mihi quod non habeo. Scitis hoc ipsorum esse: modo vobis apparebit non esse de voce columbae, sed de clamore corvi. Nam paululum attendat Charitas vestra, et timete insidias: imo cavete, et excipite verba contradicentium respuenda, non transglutienda et visceribus danda. Facite inde quod fecit Dominus, quando illi obtulerunt amarum potum; gustavit, et respuit (Matth. XXVII, 34): sic et vos, audite, et abjicite. Quid enim dicunt? videamus. Ecce, inquit, tu es columba, o Catholica, tibi dictum est, Una est columba mea, una est matri suae: tibi certe dictum est. Exspecta, noli me interrogare: si mihi dictum est, proba primum; si mihi dictum est, cito volo audire. Inquit, Tibi dictum est. Respondeo voce Catholicae, Mihi. Hoc autem, fratres, quod ore meo solius sonuit, sonuit, ut arbitror, et de cordibus vestris, et omnes pariter diximus, Ecclesiae catholicae dictum est, Una est columba mea, una est matri suae. Praeter ipsam columbam, inquit, Baptismus non est; ego praeter ipsam columbam sum baptizatus; ergo non habeo Baptismum: si Baptismum non habeo, quare mihi non das quando ad te venio?
11. And perhaps they will say: Since, then, it is a dove, and one dove, apart from the one dove there cannot be Baptism: therefore if the dove is with you, or you are the dove, when I come to you, give me what I do not have. You know that this is their saying: presently it will become clear to you that it comes not from the voice of the dove, but from the cawing of the raven. For let Your Charity pay attention a little, and fear snares: rather, beware, and take up the words of the gainsayers as things to be spat out, not to be swallowed down and given to your inward parts. Do in this what the Lord did when they offered Him a bitter drink; He tasted, and spat it out (Matt. 27:34): so you too, listen, and cast it away. For what do they say? Let us see. Look, he says, you are the dove, O Catholic Church, to you it was said, One is my dove, she is the only one of her mother: to you certainly it was said. Wait, do not question me: if it was said to me, prove it first; if it was said to me, I want to hear it quickly. He says, It was said to you. I answer with the voice of the Catholic Church, To me. And this, brethren, which sounded from my mouth alone, sounded, I think, from your hearts too, and we all said together, To the Catholic Church it was said, One is my dove, she is the only one of her mother. Apart from that dove, he says, there is no Baptism; I was baptized apart from that dove; therefore I do not have Baptism: if I do not have Baptism, why do you not give it to me when I come to you?
12. Et ego interrogo: interim sequestremus, cui dictum sit, Una est columba mea, una est matri suae; adhuc quaerimus: aut mihi dictum est, aut tibi dictum est; sequestremus cui dictum sit. Hoc ergo quaero, si columba est simplex, innocens, sine felle, pacata in osculis, non saeva in unguibus; quaero utrum ad hujus columbae membra pertineant avari, raptores, subdoli, ebriosi, flagitiosi: membra sunt columbae hujus? Absit,
12. And I ask: for the moment let us set aside to whom it was said, One is my dove, she is the only one of her mother; we are still inquiring: either it was said to me, or it was said to you; let us set aside to whom it was said. This, then, I ask: if the dove is simple, innocent, without gall, peaceable in its kisses, not savage in its claws, I ask whether the covetous, robbers, the deceitful, drunkards, the shameful belong to the members of this dove: are they members of this dove? Far from it,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1430
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1430
Sic Mss. At editi, aut aliquid tutum, superbia erexerunt turrim.
So the manuscripts. But the printed editions: "or something safe, in pride they raised a tower".
(printed under page 63)
(2) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1430
Mss. prope omnes, divisae linguae de superbia.
Nearly all the manuscripts: "tongues divided out of pride".
(printed under page 63)
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- running head: [cut off at left] …TATUS VI. CAPUT I. 1430
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inquit. Et revera, fratres, quis hoc dixerit? Ut nihil aliud dicam, raptores solos si dicam, membra accipitris possunt esse, non membra columbae: milvi rapiunt, accipitres rapiunt, corvi rapiunt; columbae non rapiunt, non dilaniant: ergo raptores non sunt membra columbae. Non apud vos fuit vel unus raptor? Quare manet Baptismus quem dedit accipiter, non columba? Quare non baptizatis apud vos ipsos post raptores et adulteros et ebriosos, post avaros apud vos ipsos? An isti omnes membra columbae sunt? Sic dehonestatis columbam vestram, ut ei membra vulturina faciatis. Quid ergo, fratres, quid dicimus? Mali et boni sunt in Ecclesia catholica: ibi autem soli mali sunt. Sed forte inimico animo hoc dico: et hoc postea requiratur. Et ibi certe dicunt quia sunt boni et mali: nam si dixerint solos bonos se habere; credant illis sui, et subscribo. Non sunt apud nos, dicant, nisi sancti, justi, casti, sobrii; non adulteri, non feneratores, non fraudatores, non perjuri, non vinolenti: dicant; non enim attendo linguas ipsorum, sed tango corda ipsorum. Cum autem noti sint nobis et vobis et suis, sicut et vos et vobis in Catholica et illis noti estis; nec nos eos reprehendamus, nec illi se palpent. Nos fatemur in Ecclesia et bonos et malos esse, sed tanquam grana et paleam. Aliquando qui baptizatur a grano, palea est; et qui baptizatur a palea, granum est. Alioquin si qui baptizatur a grano, valet; et qui baptizatur a palea, non valet: falsum est, Hic est qui baptizat. Si autem verum est, Hic est qui baptizat: et quod ab illo datur, valet; et quomodo columba, baptizat. Non enim malus ille columba est, aut ad membra columbae pertinet: nec hic potest dici in Catholica, nec apud illos, si illi dicunt, columbam esse Ecclesiam suam. Quid ergo intelligimus, fratres? Quoniam manifestum est, et omnibus notum, et si nolint convincuntur: quia et ibi quando dant mali, non post illos baptizatur; et hic quando dant mali, non post illos baptizatur. Columba non baptizat post corvum: corvus quare vult baptizare post columbam?
he says. And truly, brothers, who would say this? To say nothing else, if I name robbers alone, they can be members of the hawk, not members of the dove: kites seize, hawks seize, crows seize; doves do not seize, do not tear to pieces: therefore robbers are not members of the dove. Was there not among you even one robber? Why does the baptism remain which the hawk gave, not the dove? Why do you not baptize among yourselves after robbers and adulterers and drunkards, after the avaricious among yourselves? Are all these members of the dove? So you dishonour your dove, that you make vulturine members for her. What then, brothers, what do we say? Bad and good are in the Catholic Church: but there only the bad are. But perhaps I say this with a hostile mind: let this too be inquired into later. And there certainly they say that there are good and bad: for if they should say that they have only the good, let their own people believe them, and I subscribe. There are none among us, let them say, but the holy, the just, the chaste, the sober; no adulterers, no usurers, no defrauders, no perjurers, no winebibbers: let them say it; for I do not attend to their tongues, but I touch their hearts. But since they are known to us and to you and to their own, just as you too are known both to yourselves in the Catholic [Church] and to them, let us not reproach them, nor let them flatter themselves. We confess that in the Church there are both good and bad, but as grains and chaff. Sometimes he who is baptized by the grain is chaff; and he who is baptized by the chaff is grain. Otherwise, if for him who is baptized by the grain it is valid, and for him who is baptized by the chaff it is not valid, then it is false: This is He Who baptizes. But if it is true: This is He Who baptizes, then what is given by that man is also valid; and he baptizes just as the dove does. For that bad man is not the dove, nor does he belong to the members of the dove: neither can this be said here in the Catholic [Church], nor among them, if they say that their Church is the dove. What then do we understand, brothers? Since it is manifest and known to all, and even if they are unwilling they are convicted: that both there, when bad men give [baptism], there is no baptizing after them; and here, when bad men give it, there is no baptizing after them. The dove does not baptize after the crow: why does the crow wish to baptize after the dove?
13. Intendat Charitas vestra: et quare designatum est nescio quid per columbam, ut baptizato Domino veniret columba, id est, Spiritus sanctus in specie columbae, et maneret super eum, cum in adventu columbae hoc cognosceret Joannes, propriam quamdam potestatem in Domino ad baptizandum? Quia per hanc propriam potestatem, sicut dixi, pax Ecclesiae firmata est. Et potest fieri ut habeat aliquis Baptismum praeter columbam: ut prosit ei Baptismus praeter columbam, non potest. Intendat Charitas vestra, et intelligat quod dico: nam et ista circumventione saepe seducunt fratres nostros qui pigri et frigidi sunt. Simus simpliciores et ferventiores. Ecce, inquiunt, ego accepi, an non accepi? Respondeo, Accepisti. Si ergo accepi, non est quod mihi des; securus sum, etiam testimonio tuo: et ego enim me dico accepisse, et tu me fateris accepisse; utriusque lingua securum me facit: quid ergo mihi promittis? quare me vis catholicum facere, quando non mihi aliquid daturus es amplius, et me jam accepisse fateris quod te habere dicis? Ego
13. Let your Charity attend: why also was something or other signified by the dove, so that when the Lord had been baptized the dove came, that is, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and remained upon Him, when at the coming of the dove John recognized this, a certain proper power in the Lord for baptizing? Because through this proper power, as I have said, the peace of the Church has been made firm. And it can happen that someone has baptism apart from the dove: that baptism apart from the dove should profit him is not possible. Let your Charity attend, and understand what I say: for by this circumvention too they often lead astray our brothers who are sluggish and cold. Let us be simpler and more fervent. See, they say, have I received or have I not received? I answer, You have received. If then I have received, there is nothing for you to give me; I am secure, even by your testimony: for I say that I have received, and you admit that I have received; the tongue of each of us makes me secure: what then do you promise me? why do you want to make me a Catholic, when you are not going to give me anything more, and you admit that I have already received what you say you have? But I,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1431
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1431 or 1432 (note printed under col 1432)
Editi, sacramentum. Mss., sacramenta.
The printed editions have "sacramentum" (the sacrament); the manuscripts "sacramenta" (the sacraments).
(printed under page 64)
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- running head: 1431 IN JOANNIS EVANGELIUM,
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- other: column opens with "sit," which may be a complete word or the end of a word broken from the column before; first-line "fratres" shows a mark over the a, taken as a blemish; section numeral read as 13 (print is ambiguous between 13 and 15, but the next column has 14 and 15); column ends mid-sentence at "Ego"; no marginal letters visible; page-foot notes belong to the right column and are not set
autem quando dico, Veni ad me, dico quia non habes tu, qui fateris quia habeo: quare dicis, Veni ad me?
when I say, Come to me, say that you do not have [it], you who confess that I have [it]: why do you say, Come to me?
14. Docet nos columba. Respondet enim de capite Domini, et dicit: Baptismum habes, charitatem autem qua gemo non habes. Quid est hoc, inquit, Baptismum habeo, charitatem non habeo? Sacramenta habeo, et char⟨i⟩tatem non? Noli clamare; ostende mihi quomodo habeat charitatem, qui dividit unitatem. Ego, inquit, habeo Baptismum. Habes, sed Baptismus ille sine charitate nihil tibi prodest; quia sine charitate tu nihil es. Nam Baptismus ille, etiam in illo qui nihil est, non est nihil: Baptisma quippe illud aliquid est, et magnum aliquid est; propter illum de quo dictum est, Hic est qui baptizat. Sed ne putares illud quod magnum est, tibi aliquid prodesse posse si non fueris in unitate, super baptizatum columba descendit, tanquam dicens: Si Baptismum habes, esto in columba, ne non tibi prosit quod habes. Veni ergo ad columbam, dicimus: non ut incipias habere quod non habebas, sed ut prodesse tibi incipiat quod habebas. Foris enim habebas Baptismum ad perniciem: intus si habueris, incipit prodesse ad salutem
14. The dove teaches us. For it answers from the head of the Lord, and says: You have baptism, but the charity by which I groan you do not have. What is this, he says: I have baptism, I do not have charity? I have the sacraments, and not charity? Do not shout; show me how he has charity who divides unity. I, he says, have baptism. You have it, but that baptism without charity profits you nothing; for without charity you are nothing. For that baptism, even in him who is nothing, is not nothing: for that baptism is something, and something great; on account of Him of whom it was said, This is He Who baptizes. But lest you should think that what is great could profit you anything if you were not in unity, the dove descended upon the Baptized, as if saying: If you have baptism, be in the dove, lest what you have should not profit you. Come therefore to the dove, we say: not that you may begin to have what you did not have, but that what you had may begin to profit you. For outside you had baptism to your ruin: if you have it inside, it begins to profit you to salvation
15. Non enim tantum tibi non proderat Baptisma, et non etiam oberat. Et sancta possunt obesse: in bonis enim sancta ad salutem insunt; in malis ad judicium. Certe enim, fratres, novimus quid accipiamus, et utique sanctum est quod accipimus, et nemo dicit, non esse sanctum: et quid ait Apostolus? Qui autem manducat et bibit indigne, judicium sibi manducat et bibit (I Cor. XI, 29). Non ait quia illa res mala est: sed quia ille malus, male accipiendo, ad judicium accipit bonum quod accipit. Num enim mala erat buccella quae tradita est Judae a Domino (Joan. XIII, 26)? Absit. Medicus non daret venenum: salutem medicus dedit; sed indigne accipiendo, ad perniciem accepit qui non pacatus accepit. Sic ergo et qui baptizatur. Habeo, inquit, mihi. Fateor, habes: observa quod habes; eo ipso quod habes damnaberis. Quare? Quia rem columbae praeter columbam habes. Si rem columbae in columba habeas, securus habes. Puta te esse militarem: si characterem imperatoris tui intus habeas, securus militas; si extra habeas, non solum tibi ad militiam non prodest character ille, sed etiam pro desertore punieris. Veni ergo, veni, et noli dicere: Jam habeo, jam sufficit mihi. Veni; columba te vocat, gemendo te vocat. Fratres mei, vobis dico; gemendo vocate, non rixando: vocate orando, vocate invitando, vocate jejunando; de charitate intelligant quia doletis illos. Non dubito, fratres mei, quia si videant dolorem vestrum, confundentur, et reviviscent. Veni ergo, veni: noli timere; time si non venis: imo non time, sed plange. Veni, gaudebis si veneris: gemes quidem in tribulationibus peregrinationis; sed gaudebis in spe. Veni ubi est columba, cui dictum est, Una est columba mea, una
15. For baptism was not only not profiting you, but was also harming you. Even holy things can harm: for in the good holy things are present unto salvation; in the wicked unto judgement. For certainly, brethren, we know what we receive, and assuredly what we receive is holy, and no one says that it is not holy: and what does the Apostle say? But he who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgement to himself (1 Cor. 11:29). He does not say that that thing is evil, but that that man, being evil, by receiving it evilly, receives unto judgement the good thing that he receives. For was the morsel which was handed to Judas by the Lord evil (John 13:26)? Far from it. A physician would not give poison: the physician gave health; but by receiving it unworthily, he who received it not at peace received it to his ruin. So it is, then, with him also who is baptized. I have it, he says, for myself. I grant, you have it: consider what you have; by the very fact that you have it you will be condemned. Why? Because you have the thing of the dove outside the dove. If you have the thing of the dove in the dove, you have it in safety. Suppose that you are a soldier: if you have the mark of your emperor inside, you serve in safety; if you have it outside, not only does that mark not profit you for military service, but you will even be punished as a deserter. Come therefore, come, and do not say: I already have it, it is already enough for me. Come; the dove calls you, by groaning it calls you. My brethren, I say to you: call by groaning, not by quarrelling; call by praying, call by inviting, call by fasting; let them understand from your charity that you grieve for them. I do not doubt, my brethren, that if they see your grief, they will be put to shame and will come back to life. Come therefore, come: do not fear; fear if you do not come: nay rather, do not fear, but lament. Come, you will rejoice if you come: you will groan indeed in the tribulations of your pilgrimage, but you will rejoice in hope. Come where the dove is, to whom it was said, One is My dove, one
Editors' notes and page, col. 1432
Footnotes
(2) ‹anchor: de charitate› · call in col 1432
Editi, vocate jejunando in charitate. At Mss. habent, de charitate; et omittunt, vocate jejunando, exceptis paucis.
The printed editions: "call by fasting in charity". But the manuscripts have "de charitate" (out of charity), and, except for a few, omit "call by fasting".
(printed under page 64)
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est matri suae. Columbam unam vides super caput Christi, linguas non vides in toto orbe terrarum? Idem Spiritus per columbam, idem et per linguas: si per columbam idem Spiritus, et per linguas idem Spiritus, Spiritus sanctus orbi terrarum datus est, a quo te praecidisti, ut clames cum corvo, non ut gemas cum columba. Veni ergo.
is to her mother. Do you see the one dove above the head of Christ, and not see the tongues in the whole world? The same Spirit through the dove, the same also through the tongues: if the same Spirit through the dove, and the same Spirit through the tongues, then the Holy Spirit has been given to the whole world, from which you have cut yourself off, so that you cry out with the raven, not moan with the dove. Come, then.
16. Sed sollicitus es forte, et dicis: Foris baptizatus, timeo ne inde sim reus, quia foris accepi. Jam coepisti cognoscere quid gemendum sit: verum dicis, quia reus es; non quia accepisti, sed quia foris accepisti. Tene ergo quod accepisti, emenda quod foris accepisti: accepisti rem columbae, praeter columbam: duo sunt quae audis; Accepisti, et, Praeter columbam accepisti: quod accepisti, approbo; quia foris accepisti, improbo. Tene ergo quod accepisti; non mutatur, sed agnoscitur: character est Regis mei, non ero sacrilegus; corrigo desertorem, non immuto characterem.
16. But perhaps you are anxious, and say: Having been baptized outside, I fear lest I be guilty on that account, because I received it outside. You have now begun to recognize what is to be moaned over: you say truly that you are guilty; not because you received, but because you received outside. Hold fast, then, what you received; amend the fact that you received it outside: you received the thing of the dove apart from the dove: there are two things which you hear; You received, and, You received apart from the dove: that you received, I approve; that you received outside, I disapprove. Hold fast, then, what you received; it is not changed, but acknowledged: it is the mark of my King, I will not be sacrilegious; I correct the deserter, I do not alter the mark.
17. Noli de Baptismate gloriari, quia dico, ipsum est; ecce dico, ipsum est; tota Catholica dicit, ipsum est: advertit columba, et agnoscit, et gemit, quia ipsum foris habes; videt ibi quod agnoscat, videt et quod corrigat. Ipsum est, veni. Gloriaris quia ipsum est, et non vis venire? Quid ergo mali, qui non pertinent ad columbam? Ait tibi columba: Et mali inter quos gemo, qui non pertinent ad membra mea, et necesse est ut inter illos gemam, nonne habent quod te habere gloriaris? nonne multi ebriosi habent Baptismum? nonne multi avari? nonne multi idololatrae, et quod est pejus, furtim? nonne Pagani ad idola eunt, vel ibant publice? nunc occulte Christiani sortilegos quaerunt, mathematicos consulunt. Et isti habent Baptismum, sed columba gemit inter corvos. Quid ergo gaudes, quia habes? hoc habes quod habet et malus. habeto humilitatem, charitatem, pacem: habeto bonum quod nondum habes, ut prosit tibi bonum quod habes.
17. Do not glory in Baptism because I say, It is the same; see, I say, It is the same; the whole Catholic [Church] says, It is the same: the dove notices, and acknowledges, and moans, because you have the same thing outside; she sees there what she may acknowledge, she sees also what she may correct. It is the same: come. Do you glory that it is the same, and yet you will not come? What then of the wicked, who do not belong to the dove? The dove says to you: And the wicked among whom I moan, who do not belong to my members, and among whom I must needs moan, do they not have what you glory in having? Do not many drunkards have Baptism? Do not many covetous men? Do not many idolaters, and, what is worse, in secret? Do not the pagans go, or did they not use to go, to idols publicly? Now Christians secretly seek out fortune-tellers and consult astrologers. And these men have Baptism, but the dove moans among ravens. Why then do you rejoice that you have it? You have this, which even the wicked man has. Have humility, charity, peace: have the good which you do not yet have, so that the good which you have may profit you.
18. Nam quod habes, habuit et Simon magus: Actus Apostolorum testes sunt, ille liber canonicus omni anno in Ecclesia recitandus. Anniversaria solemnitate post passionem Domini nostis illum librum recitari, ubi scriptum est quomodo conversus sit Apostolus, et ex persecutore praedicator factus (Act. IX, 1-30): ubi etiam die Pentecostes missus est Spiritus sanctus in linguis divisis velut ignis (Id. II, 1-4). Ibi legimus multos credidisse in Samaria per praedicationem Philippi: intelligitur autem sive unus ex Apostolis, sive ex diaconis; quia septem ibi diaconos legimus ordinatos, inter quos est etiam nomen Philippi (Id. VI, 3-6). Per Philippi ergo praedicationem crediderunt Samaritae; Samaria coepit abundare fidelibus: ibi erat iste Simon magus; per magicas factiones suas dementaverat populum, ut eum virtutem Dei putarent: commotus tamen signis quae a Philippo fiebant, etiam ipse credidit; sed quomodo ipse crediderit, posteriora sequentia demonstraverunt: baptizatus est autem et Simon. Audierunt hoc Apostoli,
18. For what you have, Simon the magician also had: the Acts of the Apostles are witnesses, that canonical book which is to be read aloud in the Church every year. You know that in the yearly solemnity after the Lord's passion that book is read aloud, where it is written how the Apostle was converted, and from a persecutor was made a preacher (Acts 9:1–30); where also on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent in tongues divided as of fire (Acts 2:1–4). There we read that many believed in Samaria through the preaching of Philip: he is understood to be either one of the Apostles or one of the deacons; for we read there that seven deacons were ordained, among whom is also the name of Philip (Acts 6:3–6). Through the preaching of Philip, then, the Samaritans believed; Samaria began to abound with believers: there was this Simon the magician; by his magical practices he had bewitched the people, so that they thought him the power of God: moved, however, by the signs which were done by Philip, he too believed; but how he believed, what followed afterwards showed: now Simon too was baptized. The Apostles heard this,
Editors' notes and page, col. 1433
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1433
Editi : Spiritus sanctus per orbem terrarum. At Mss., orbi terrarum.
The printed editions: "the Holy Spirit throughout the world". But the manuscripts have "orbi terrarum" (to the world).
(printed under page 65)
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qui erant Jerusalem; missi sunt ad illos Petrus et Joannes, invenerunt multos baptizatos: et quia nullus ipsorum adhuc acceperat Spiritum sanctum, sicut tunc descendebat, ad ostendendam significationem gentium crediturarum, ut linguis loquerentur in quos descendebat Spiritus sanctus; imposuerunt illis manus orantes pro eis, et acceperunt Spiritum sanctum. Simon ille, qui non erat in Ecclesia columba, sed corvus, quia ea quae sua sunt quaerebat, non quae Jesu Christi (Philipp. II, 21); unde in Christianis potentiam magis amaverat quam justitiam, vidit per impositionem manuum Apostolorum dari Spiritum sanctum (non quia ipsi dabant, sed quia ipsis orantibus datus est), et ait Apostolis, Quid vultis a me accipere pecuniae, ut et per impositionem manuum mearum detur Spiritus sanctus? Et ait illi Petrus, Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem; quoniam donum Dei putasti pecunia comparandum. Cui dicit, Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem? Utique baptizato. Jam Baptisma habebat: sed columbae visceribus non haerebat. Audi quia non haerebat; verba ipsa Petri apostoli adverte: sequitur enim, Non est tibi pars neque sors in hac fide; in felle enim amaritudinis video te esse (Act. VIII, 5-23). Columba fel non habet: Simon habebat; ideo separatus erat a columbae visceribus. Baptisma illi quid proderat? Noli ergo de Baptismate gloriari, quasi ex ipso salus tibi sufficiat: noli irasci, depone fel, veni ad columbam; hic tibi proderit quod foris non solum non proderat, sed etiam oberat.
who were at Jerusalem; Peter and John were sent to them, they found many baptized: and because none of them had yet received the Holy Spirit, in the way He was then descending, to show the signification of the nations that were to believe, so that those on whom the Holy Spirit descended spoke in tongues, they laid hands on them, praying for them, and they received the Holy Spirit. That Simon, who was not a dove in the Church but a raven, because he sought the things that are his own, not those that are Jesus Christ's (Phil. 2:21), whence among Christians he had loved power more than righteousness, saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands (not because they themselves were giving Him, but because He was given while they prayed), and said to the apostles, How much money do you wish to receive from me, so that through the laying on of my hands too the Holy Spirit may be given? And Peter said to him, Your money be with you unto perdition; since you thought the gift of God was to be acquired with money. To whom does he say, Your money be with you unto perdition? To a baptized man, certainly. He already had baptism: but he did not cling to the bowels of the dove. Hear that he did not cling; mark the very words of the apostle Peter: for he goes on, You have neither part nor lot in this faith; for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness (Acts 8:5–23). The dove has no gall: Simon had; therefore he was separated from the bowels of the dove. What did baptism profit him? Do not, then, glory in baptism, as though salvation from it alone suffices you: do not be angry, put away gall, come to the dove; here that will profit you which outside not only did not profit, but even did harm.
19. Neque dicas: Non venio, quia foris sum baptizatus. Ecce incipe habere charitatem, incipe habere fructum, inveniatur in te fructus, mittet te columba intro. Invenimus hoc in Scriptura. Imputribilibus lignis arca fuerat fabricata (Gen. VI, 14): imputribilia ligna sancti sunt, fideles pertinentes ad Christum. Quomodo enim in templo lapides vivi de quibus aedificatur templum, homines fideles dicti sunt; sic ligna imputribilia homines perseverantes in fide. In ipsa ergo arca ligna imputribilia erant; arca enim Ecclesia est: ibi baptizat columba; arca enim illa in aqua ferebatur: ligna imputribilia intus baptizata sunt. Invenimus quaedam ligna foris baptizata, omnes arbores quae erant in mundo. Ipsa tamen aqua erat, non erat altera: omnis de coelo venerat, et de abyssis fontium: ipsa erat aqua in qua baptizata sunt ligna imputribilia quae erant in arca, in qua baptizata sunt ligna foris. Missa est columba, et primo non invenit requiem pedibus suis: rediit ad arcam; plena enim erant aquis omnia, et maluit redire quam rebaptizari. Corvus autem ille emissus est antequam siccaret aqua: rebaptizatus redire noluit; mortuus est in his aquis. Avertat Deus corvi illius mortem. Nam quare non est reversus, nisi quia aquis interceptus est? At vero columba non inveniens requiem pedibus suis, cum ei undique clamaret aqua, Veni, veni, hic tingere; quomodo clamant isti haeretici, Veni, veni, hic habes: non inveniens illa requiem pedibus
19. And do not say: I do not come, because I was baptized outside. See, begin to have charity, begin to have fruit, let fruit be found in you, and the dove will send you in. We find this in Scripture. The ark had been built of incorruptible timbers (Gen. 6:14): the incorruptible timbers are the saints, the faithful who belong to Christ. For just as in the temple the faithful have been called the living stones of which the temple is built, so men persevering in the faith are the incorruptible timbers. In the ark itself, then, there were incorruptible timbers; for the ark is the Church: there the dove baptizes; for that ark was borne upon the water: the incorruptible timbers were baptized within. We find certain timbers baptized outside, all the trees that were in the world. Yet it was the same water, it was not another: all of it had come from heaven, and from the depths of the springs: it was the same water in which the incorruptible timbers that were in the ark were baptized, and in which the timbers outside were baptized. The dove was sent out, and at first did not find rest for her feet: she returned to the ark; for all things were full of waters, and she preferred to return rather than to be rebaptized. But that raven was sent out before the water dried up: rebaptized, he refused to return; he died in those waters. May God avert the death of that raven. For why did he not return, unless because he was overtaken by the waters? But the dove, finding no rest for her feet, while the water cried out to her on every side, Come, come, dip yourself here, just as these heretics cry out, Come, come, here you have it: she, not finding rest for her feet
Editors' notes and page, col. 1434
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: fructus, mittet› · call in col 1434
Editi, mittat. Mss., mittet.
The printed editions have "mittat" (may send); the manuscripts "mittet" (will send).
(printed under page 65)
(2) ‹anchor: antequam siccaret› · call in col 1434
Sic in Mss. At in editis, siccaretur.
So in the manuscripts. But in the printed editions, "siccaretur" (was dried up).
(printed under page 65)
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suis, reversa est ad arcam. Et misit illam Noe iterum, sicut vos mittit arca, ut loquamini illis : et quid fecit postea columba? Quia erant ligna foris baptizata, reportavit ad arcam ramum de oliva. Ramus ⟨i⟩lle et folia et fructum habebat (Gen. VIII, 6-11) : non sint in te sola verba, non sint in te sola folia; sit fructus, et redis ad arcam, non per teipsum, columba te revocat. Gemite foris, ut illos intro revocetis.
returned to the ark. And Noah sent it out again, just as the ark sends you, that you may speak to them: and what did the dove do afterwards? Because there were trees outside that had been baptized, it brought back to the ark a branch from the olive. That branch had both leaves and fruit (Gen. 8:6–11): let there not be in you words alone, let there not be in you leaves alone; let there be fruit, and you return to the ark, not by yourself; the dove calls you back. Groan outside, that you may call them back within.
20. Etenim fructus iste olivae, si discutiatur, invenies quid erat. Olivae fructus, charitatem significat. Unde hoc probamus? Quomodo enim oleum a nullo humore premitur, sed disruptis omnibus exsilit et supereminet : sic et charitas non potest premi in ima; necesse est ut ad superna emineat. Propterea de illa dicit Apostolus, Adhuc supereminentiorem viam vobis demonstro. Quia diximus de oleo, quia supereminet, ne forte non de charitate dixerit Apostolus, Supereminentiorem viam vobis demonstro, audiamus quid sequitur : Si linguis hominum loquar et angelorum, charitatem autem non habeam, factus sum tanquam aeramentum sonans, aut cymbalum tinniens (I Cor. XII, 31, XIII, 1). I nunc, Donate, et clama, Disertus sum : i nunc, et clama, Doctus sum. Quantum disertus? quantum doctus? numquid linguis Angelorum locutus es? Et tamen si linguis Angelorum loquereris, charitatem non habens, audirem aera sonantia et cymbala tinnientia. Soliditatem aliquam quaero, fructum in foliis inveniam : non sint sola verba, habeant olivam, redeant ad arcam.
20. For indeed, if this fruit of the olive be examined, you will find what it was. The fruit of the olive signifies charity. Whence do we prove this? For just as oil is pressed down by no liquid, but bursts through all and leaps up and rises above: so too charity cannot be pressed down into the depths; it must rise up to the heights. Therefore the Apostle says of it, "Yet I show you a still more excellent way." Since we have said of oil that it rises above, lest perhaps the Apostle did not say "I show you a more excellent way" about charity, let us hear what follows: "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I have become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal" (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:1). Go now, Donatus, and cry out, "I am eloquent"; go now, and cry out, "I am learned." How eloquent? How learned? Have you spoken with the tongues of Angels? And yet if you were to speak with the tongues of Angels, not having charity, I would hear sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. I seek some solidity; let me find fruit among the leaves: let there not be words alone, let them have the olive, let them return to the ark.
21. Sed, inquies, habeo sacramentum. Verum dicis : Sacramentum divinum est; habes Baptisma, et ego confiteor. Sed quid dicit idem apostolus? Si sciero omnia sacramenta, et habuero prophetiam et omnem fidem, ita ut montes transferam : ne forte et hoc diceres, Credidi, sufficit mihi. Sed quid dicit Jacobus? Et daemones credunt, et contremiscunt (Jacobi II, 19). Magna est fides, sed nihil prodest si non habeat charitatem. Confitebantur et daemones Christum. Ergo credendo, sed non diligendo dicebant, Quid nobis et tibi (Marc. I, 24)? Fidem habebant, charitatem non habebant : ideo daemones erant. Noli de fide gloriari; adhuc daemonibus comparandus es. Noli dicere Christo, Mihi et tibi quid est? Unitas enim Christi tibi loquitur. Veni, cognosce pacem, redi ad viscera columbae. Foris baptizatus es; habeto fructum, et redis ad arcam.
21. "But," you will say, "I have the sacrament." You speak truly: the sacrament is divine; you have Baptism, and I too acknowledge it. But what does the same apostle say? "If I know all sacraments, and have prophecy and all faith, so that I move mountains": lest perhaps you should say this too, "I have believed, it is enough for me." But what does James say? "The demons also believe, and tremble" (Jas. 2:19). Faith is a great thing, but it profits nothing if it does not have charity. The demons too confessed Christ. So believing, but not loving, they said, "What have we to do with Thee?" (Mark 1:24). They had faith, they did not have charity: therefore they were demons. Do not boast of faith; so far you are to be compared to the demons. Do not say to Christ, "What have I to do with Thee?" For the unity of Christ speaks to you. Come, acknowledge peace, return to the bowels of the dove. You have been baptized outside; have fruit, and you return to the ark.
22. Et tu : Quid nos quaeritis, si mali sumus? Ut boni sitis. Ideo vos quaerimus, quia mali estis : nam si mali non essetis, invenissemus vos, non vos quaereremus. Qui bonus est, jam inventus est : qui malus est, adhuc quaeritur. Ideo vos quaerimus; redite ad arcam. Sed jam habeo Baptismum. Si omnia sacramenta sciero, et habuero prophetiam et omnem fidem, ita ut montes transferam, charitatem autem non habeam, nihil sum. Fructum ibi videam, olivam ibi videam, et revocaris ad arcam.
22. And you say: "Why do you seek us, if we are bad?" That you may be good. We seek you for this reason, because you are bad: for if you were not bad, we would have found you, we would not be seeking you. He who is good has already been found; he who is bad is still sought. Therefore we seek you; return to the ark. "But I already have Baptism." "If I know all sacraments, and have prophecy and all faith, so that I move mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing." Let me see fruit there, let me see the olive there, and you are called back to the ark.
23. Sed quid ais? Ecce nos multa mala patimur.
23. But what do you say? "Behold, we suffer many evils."
Editors' notes and page, col. 1435
Footnotes
(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 1435
In omnibus fere Mss., emicet.
In almost all the manuscripts, "emicet" (let it shine forth).
(printed under page 66)
(2) ‹anchor: dicere Christo› · call in col 1435
Sic Mss. At editi : Noli dicere christiano.
So the manuscripts. But the printed editions: "Do not say to a Christian".
(printed under page 66)
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Haec si pro Christo pateremini, non pro honoribus vestris. Audite quod sequitur: jactant se enim aliquando, quia eleemosynas multas faciunt, dant pauperibus; quia patiuntur molestias: sed pro Donato, non pro Christo. Vide quomodo patiaris: nam si pro Donato pateris, pro superbo pateris; non es in columba, si pro Donato pateris. Non erat ille amicus sponsi: nam si amicus esset sponsi, gloriam sponsi quaereret, non suam (Joan. III, 29). Vide amicum sponsi dicentem, Hic est qui baptizat. Ille non erat amicus sponsi, pro quo pateris. Non habes vestem nuptialem; et si ad convivium venisti, foras habes mitti (Matth. XXII, 11-13); imo quia foras missus es, ideo miser es: redi aliquando, et noli gloriari. Audi quid dicat Apostolus: Si distribuero omnia mea pauperibus, et tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam, charitatem autem non habeam. Ecce quod non habes. Si tradidero, inquit, corpus meum ut ardeam; et utique pro nomine Christi: sed quia sunt multi qui jactanter illud faciunt, non cum charitate, ideo, Si tradidero corpus meum ut ardeam, charitatem autem non habeam, nihil mihi prodest (I Cor. XIII, 2, 3). Charitate fecerunt martyres illi qui in tempore persecutionis passi sunt; charitate fecerunt: isti autem de tumore et de superbia faciunt; nam cum persecutor desit, seipsos praecipitant. Veni ergo, ut habeas charitatem. Sed nos habemus martyres. Quos martyres? Non sunt columbae, ideo volare conati sunt, et de petra ceciderunt.
If only you suffered these things for Christ, not for your own honours. Hear what follows: for they sometimes boast that they give many alms, that they give to the poor; that they suffer hardships: but for Donatus, not for Christ. See how you suffer: for if you suffer for Donatus, you suffer for a proud man; you are not in the dove, if you suffer for Donatus. He was not the friend of the bridegroom: for if he were the friend of the bridegroom, he would seek the glory of the bridegroom, not his own (John 3:29). See the friend of the bridegroom saying, This is He Who baptizes. He for whom you suffer was not the friend of the bridegroom. You do not have the wedding garment; and if you have come to the banquet, you are to be put outside (Matt. 22:11–13); nay rather, because you have been put outside, therefore you are wretched: come back at last, and do not boast. Hear what the Apostle says: If I distribute all my goods to the poor, and hand over my body to be burned, but have not charity. See what you do not have. If I hand over, he says, my body to be burned; and that, surely, for the name of Christ: but because there are many who do it boastfully, not with charity, therefore, If I hand over my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profits me nothing (1 Cor. 13:2–3). Those martyrs who suffered in the time of persecution did it with charity; they did it with charity: but these do it out of swelling pride and out of arrogance; for when a persecutor is lacking, they throw themselves down headlong. Come, therefore, that you may have charity. But we have martyrs. What martyrs? They are not doves; therefore they tried to fly, and fell from the rock.
24. Omnia ergo, fratres mei, videtis, quia clamant adversus illos, omnes paginae divinae, omnis prophetia, totum Evangelium, omnes apostolicae litterae, omnis gemitus columbae; et nondum evigilant, nondum expergiscuntur. Sed si columba sumus, gemamus, toleremus, speremus; aderit misericordia Dei, ut efferveat ignis Spiritus sancti in simplicitate vestra; et venient. Non est desperandum; orate, praedicate, diligite; prorsus potens est Dominus. Jam coeperunt cognoscere frontem suam: multi cognoverunt, multi erubuerunt; aderit Christus, ut cognoscant et caeteri. Et certe, fratres mei, vel palea sola ibi remaneat, omnia grana colligantur: quidquid ibi fructificavit, redeat ad arcam per columbam.
24. You see, therefore, my brothers, that all things cry out against them: all the divine pages, all prophecy, the whole Gospel, all the apostolic letters, every groan of the dove; and still they do not wake up, still they do not rouse themselves. But if we are the dove, let us groan, let us endure, let us hope; the mercy of God will be at hand, so that the fire of the Holy Spirit may blaze up in your simplicity; and they will come. There is no cause for despair; pray, preach, love; the Lord is entirely powerful. Already they have begun to recognize their own forehead: many have recognized it, many have blushed; Christ will be at hand, so that the rest also may recognize it. And surely, my brothers, let only the chaff remain there, let all the grains be gathered: whatever has borne fruit there, let it return to the ark by means of the dove.
25. Modo deficientes ubique, quid nobis proponunt, non invenientes quid dicant? Villas nostras tulerunt, fundos nostros tulerunt. Proferunt testamenta hominum. Ecce ubi Gaius Seius donavit fundum Ecclesiae, cui praeerat Faustinus. Cujus episcopus erat Faustinus Ecclesiae? quid est Ecclesia? Ecclesiae, dixit, cui praeerat Faustinus: sed non Ecclesiae praeerat Faustinus, sed parti praeerat. Columba autem Ecclesia est. Quid clamas? Non devoravimus villas, columba illas habeat: quaeratur quae sit columba, et ipsa habeat. Nam nostis, fratres mei, quia villae istae non sunt Augustini: et si non nostis, et putatis me gaudere in possessione villarum, Deus novit, ipse scit quid ego de illis villis sentiam, vel quid ibi sufferam; novit gemitus meos, si mihi aliquid de columba impertire dignatus est. Ecce sunt villae: quo jure defendis villas? divino an humano? Respondeant: Divinum jus in Scripturis
25. Now, failing everywhere, what do they put before us, finding nothing to say? They have taken our estates, they have taken our farms. They bring forward the wills of men. See, here Gaius Seius gave a farm to the Church over which Faustinus presided. Of what Church was Faustinus bishop? What is the Church? To the Church, he said, over which Faustinus presided: but Faustinus did not preside over the Church, he presided over a part. But the dove is the Church. Why do you cry out? We have not devoured the estates; let the dove have them: let it be asked which is the dove, and let her have them. For you know, my brothers, that these estates are not Augustine's: and if you do not know it, and think that I rejoice in the possession of estates, God knows, He Himself knows what I feel about those estates, or what I suffer on their account; He knows my groans, if He has deigned to impart to me something of the dove. See, there are the estates: by what law do you defend the estates? by divine or by human? Let them answer: Divine law in the Scriptures
Editors' notes and page, col. 1436
Page
- running head: [...]VANGELIUM. S. AUGUSTINI 1436 (left part of the head cut off at the image edge)
- marginal letters: (none)
- old-edition numerals: (none)
- other: column begins mid-sentence with "Haec"; the first letter is blurred in the scan (looks like "Ilaec"), read as Haec. Scripture reference set as printed "(I Cor. XIII, 2, 3)". Last word "Scri-" is hyphenated across the column break. Text is Tractate 6 on John, sections 23 (end) to 25. No full-width line and no editors' matter in this column.
- other: the word Scripturis was split at the column break and stands whole here (joined on receipt); check that the English reads whole across the break into col 1437
habemus, humanum jus in legibus regum. Unde quisque possidet quod possidet? nonne jure humano? Nam jure divino, Domini est terra et plenitudo ejus (Psal. XXIII, 1): pauperes et divites Deus de uno limo fecit, et pauperes et divites una terra supportat. Jure tamen humano dicit, Haec villa mea est, haec domus mea, hic servus meus est. Jure ergo humano, jure imperatorum. Quare? Quia ipsa jura humana per imperatores et reges saeculi Deus distribuit generi humano. Vultis legamus leges imperatorum, et secundum ipsas agamus de villis? Si jure humano vultis possidere, recitemus leges imperatorum: videamus si voluerunt aliquid ab haereticis possideri. Sed quid mihi est imperator? Secundum jus ipsius possides terram. Aut tolle jura imperatorum, et quis audet dicere: Mea est illa villa, aut meus est ille servus, aut domus haec mea est? Si autem ut teneantur ista ab hominibus, jura acceperunt regum, vultis recitemus leges, ut gaudeatis quia vel unum hortum habetis, et non imputetis nisi mansuetudini columbae, quia vel ibi vobis permittitur permanere? Leguntur enim leges manifestae, ubi praeceperunt imperatores, eos qui praeter Ecclesiae catholicae communionem usurpant sibi nomen Christianum, nec volunt in pace colere pacis auctorem, nihil nomine Ecclesiae audeant possidere.
we have, human law in the laws of kings. Whence does each one possess what he possesses? Is it not by human law? For by divine law, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof (Ps. 23:1): the poor and the rich God made from one clay, and the poor and the rich one earth bears up. Yet by human law one says, This estate is mine, this house is mine, this slave is mine. By human law, therefore, by the law of the emperors. Why? Because God has distributed these very human laws to the human race through the emperors and kings of the world. Do you want us to read the laws of the emperors, and to act according to them concerning the estates? If you wish to possess by human law, let us recite the laws of the emperors: let us see whether they willed that anything be possessed by heretics. But what is the emperor to me? It is according to his law that you possess land. Or take away the laws of the emperors, and who dares to say: That estate is mine, or that slave is mine, or this house is mine? But if, so that these things may be held by men, they have received the laws of kings, do you want us to recite the laws, so that you may rejoice that you have even one garden, and may attribute it to nothing but the gentleness of the dove that even there you are permitted to remain? For plain laws are read, in which the emperors have commanded that those who, outside the communion of the Catholic Church, usurp to themselves the name of Christian, and are not willing to worship in peace the Author of peace, should dare to possess nothing in the name of the Church.
26. Sed quid nobis et imperatori? Sed jam dixi, de jure humano agitur. Et tamen Apostolus voluit serviri regibus, voluit honorari reges, et dixit: Regem reveremini (I Petr. II, 17). Noli dicere: Quid mihi et regi? Quid tibi ergo et possessioni? Per jura regum possidentur possessiones. Dixisti, Quid mihi et regi? noli dicere possessiones tuas; quia ad ipsa jura humana renuntiasti, quibus possidentur possessiones. Sed de divino jure ago, ait. Ergo Evangelium recitemus; videamus quo usque Ecclesia catholica Christi est, super quem venit columba, quae docuit, Hic est qui baptizat. Quomodo ergo jure divino possideat, qui dicit, Ego baptizo; cum dicat columba, Hic est qui baptizat; cum dicat Scriptura, Una est columba mea, una est matri suae? Quare laniastis columbam? Imo laniastis viscera vestra: nam vobis laniatis, columba integra perseverat. Ergo, fratres mei, si ubique non habent quod dicant, ego dico quod faciant: veniant ad Catholicam, et nobiscum habebunt non solum terram, sed etiam illum qui fecit coelum et terram.
26. But what have we to do with the emperor? But I have already said, it is a matter of human law. And yet the Apostle wished kings to be served, wished kings to be honoured, and said: Revere the king (1 Pet. 2:17). Do not say: What have I to do with the king? What then have you to do with possession? It is through the laws of kings that possessions are possessed. You have said, What have I to do with the king? Then do not call the possessions yours; for you have renounced those very human laws by which possessions are possessed. But I argue from divine law, he says. Then let us recite the Gospel; let us see how far the Catholic Church is Christ's, upon Whom the dove came, which taught, This is He Who baptizes. How then can he possess by divine law who says, I baptize, when the dove says, This is He Who baptizes; when Scripture says, My dove is one, she is the only one of her mother? Why have you torn the dove to pieces? Rather, you have torn your own entrails: for while you are torn to pieces, the dove remains whole. Therefore, my brothers, if they have nowhere anything to say, I tell them what to do: let them come to the Catholic [Church], and with us they will have not only the land, but also Him Who made heaven and earth.
Editors' notes and page, col. 1437
Page
- running head: 1437 TRACTATUS VII. C (cut off at the image edge)
- marginal letters: (none)
- old-edition numerals: (none)
- other: column begins with "pturis", the rest of "Scripturis" broken from the previous column; column ends with "de-" (debetis) broken across the column break; "Psal LXXIII" printed without a full stop, set as printed; "teneantur" printed with a weak e, reads like "tencantur", set teneantur; damaged initial in "Haec" (first "Haec villa") read as H; "habemus" (first line) and "mihi est imperator" show h with damaged type reading like "babemus"/"mibi", taken as damaged h, UNSURE; the partly visible right-hand column belongs to the next column and is not set; no editors' matter
- other: the column continues with TRACTATUS VII. (another unit); not set here