§4Cumque reticeret, Augustinus episcopus ecclesiae catholicae dixit: Si ergo sub ueritate tacuisti, non sine causa uenisti, nisi quia istos decipere uoluisti. cumque diu reticeret, Augustinus episcopus ecclesiae catholicae dixit: Uidetis, fratres, diu tacentem;
And when he remained silent, Augustine, bishop of the Catholic church, said: "If therefore you have kept silent under truth, you did not come without cause, except because you wished to deceive these [people]." And when he remained silent for a long time, Augustine, bishop of the Catholic church, said: "You see, brothers, [him] keeping silent for a long time; I advise you to pray that he may come to his senses, I beseech you not to follow him perishing.
moneo ut optetis resipiscentem, obsecro ne sequamini pereuntem. uerumtamen quoniam gesta collationis nostrae commemorauit, ubi apparere posse dixit, utrum ueritate sit uictus an potestate oppressus, multa sunt quidem ubi superfluis et moratoriis proseeutionibus gesta cumularunt, nihil aliud magnis uiribus agentes, nisi ut nihil ageretur; sed domino praesidente et causam suam agente uentum est quo noluerunt.
But nevertheless, since he mentioned the records of our conference, where he said it could appear whether he was defeated by truth or oppressed by power, there are indeed many places where they piled up the records with superfluous and delaying speeches, doing nothing else with great effort except that nothing should be done; but with the Lord presiding and pleading His own cause, they were brought to where they did not wish [to go].
dicta causa atque definita est.
The case was pleaded and decided.
sed si omnia gesta uobis legere uelimus, quamquam praesentibus uobis fratrem et coepiscopum meum Deuterium obstringo, ut, quemadmodum fit apud Carthaginem, apud Tagastem, apud Constantinam, apud Hipponem, apud omnes diligentes ecclesias, sic etiam deinceps facere non pigrescat, ut annis omnibus per ieiuniorum dies, id est quadragesima ante pascha, quando uobis maxime ieiunantibus plus uacat audire, eadem gesta collationis per annos singulos uniuersa a capite in finem recitentur ex ordine, tamen, ut dicere coeperam, quia non omnia uobis modo legere possumus, dignamini prius audire ante collationem quas litteras dederimus ad cognitorem, ubi promisimus uel quemadmodum suscipi uellemus si uicti fuissemus, uel quemadmodum eos susciperemus si uinceremus, ut uideretur non in contentione, sed in humilitate esse uictoria. §5Alypius episcopus ecclesiae catholicae epistulam recitauit: Honorabili ac dilectissimo filio, uiro clarissimo et spectabili, tribuno et notario Marcellino Aurelius, Siluanus et uniuersi episcopi catholici.
But if we should wish to read all the records to you—although in your presence I bind my brother and fellow-bishop Deuterius so that, just as is done at Carthage, at Tagaste, at Constantina, at Hippo, and in all diligent churches, so also he may not be slow to do hereafter, so that every year during the days of fasting, that is, Lent before Easter, when, since you are especially fasting, there is more free time to listen, the same entire records of the conference may be read aloud from beginning to end in order year by year—nevertheless, as I had begun to say, since we cannot read everything to you now, deign to hear first what letter we sent to the commissioner before the conference, wherein we promised either how we wished to be received if we had been defeated, or how we would receive them if we were victorious, so that it might be seen that victory lies not in contention but in humility." Alypius, bishop of the Catholic church, read the letter: "To our honorable and most beloved son, the most distinguished and admirable man, tribune and notary Marcellinus, Aurelius, Silvanus, and all the Catholic bishops [send greeting].
Edicto spectabilitatis tuae, quo nostrae collationis tranquillitati quietique seruandae et ueritati manifestandae ac muniendae consultum est, in omnibus nos consentire, sicut admonere dignatus es, per has litteras intimamus.
By this letter we intimate that we agree in all things with the edict of your Admirability, by which provision was made for preserving the tranquility and peace of our conference and for manifesting and defending the truth, just as you have deigned to admonish us.
illo etiam ueritate confisi nos uinculo condicionis obstringimus, ut, si nobis hi cum quibus agimus demonstrare potuerint, cum secundum dei promissa populi christiani usque quaque crescendo iam magnam partem orbis implessent et in ceteram dilatarentur implendam, subito ecclesiam Christi nescio quorum quos isti accusant peccatorum perisse contagione et in sola parte Donati remansisse, si hoc, ut dictum est, demonstrare potuerint, nullos apud eos honores episcopatus requiremus, sed eorum sequemur pro sola salute consilium, quibus tanti gratiam beneficii pro cognita ueritate debebimus.
Trusting also in the truth, we bind ourselves by that bond of condition, that, if those with whom we deal can show us that, when according to God's promises the Christian peoples by growing everywhere had already filled a great part of the world and were expanding to fill the rest, suddenly the church of Christ perished by the contagion of the sins of I-know-not-whom (whom these men accuse) and remained only in the party of Donatus—if they can show this, as has been said, we will seek no honors of the episcopate among them, but we will follow their counsel for our salvation alone, to whom we shall owe the grace of so great a benefit for the truth made known.
si autem nos potius ualuerimus ostendere ecclesiam Christi omnium non solum Africanarum, sed etiam transmarinarum prouinciarum, multarum gentium spatia feracissima populorum copia iam tenentem et sicut scriptum est toto mundo fructificantem atque crescentem, nullorum hominum sibi commixtorum peccatis perire potuisse, si denique ipsorum, quos tunc accusare uoluerunt potius quam conuincere ualuerunt, quaestionem definitam, quamuis non in eis ecclesia consistat, et Caecilianum innocentem, illos autem uiolentos et calumniosos esse iudicatos ab eo imperatore, ad cuius examen cuius examen crirainationes suas ultro accusando miserunt, postremo si, quidquid de peccatis quorumlibet hominum dixerint, uel humanis documentis uel diuinis probauerimus aut eorum innocentiam falsis criminibus appetitam aut Christi ecclesiam, cuius communioni cohaeremus, nullis eorum delictis esse destructam, sic eius nobiscum teneant unitatem, ut non solum uiam salutis inueniant, sed nec honorem episcopatus amittant.
But if we on the contrary are able to show that the church of Christ—holding already the very fertile expanses of many nations, not only of all African but also of transmarine provinces, and bearing fruit and growing in the whole world just as it is written—could not have perished by the sins of any men mixed with it; if, finally, [we can show] that the question of those very persons whom they then wished to accuse rather than were able to convict was decided, although the church does not consist in them, and that Caecilian was innocent, but they were judged violent and slanderous by that emperor to whose examination they voluntarily sent their accusations by accusing [him/them]; lastly, if, whatever they may say concerning the sins of any men, we shall have proved, either by human or divine documents, either that their innocence was attacked by false accusations or that Christ's church, to whose communion we cling, was not destroyed by any sins of theirs; let them so hold its unity with us that not only may they find the way of salvation, but also not lose the honor of the episcopate.
neque enim in eis diuinae sacramenta ueritatis, sed commenta humani detestamur erroris, quibus sublatis fraternum pectus complectemur christiana nobis caritate coniunctum, quod nunc dolemus dissensione diabolica separatum.
For we do not detest in them the sacraments of divine truth, but the fabrications of human error, which having been removed, we shall embrace a brotherly breast joined to us in Christian charity, which we now grieve is separated by diabolical dissension.
poterit quippe unusquisque nostrum honoris sibi socio copulato uicissim sedere eminentius, sicut peregrino episcopo iuxta considente collega.
For indeed, each of us, with the partner of his honor associated with him, will be able to sit in turn more prominently, just as when a colleague sits next to a foreign bishop.
hoc cum alternis basilicis utrimque conceditur utroque alterum cum honore mutuo praeueniente, quia, ubi praeceptio caritatis dilatauerit corda, possessio pacis non fit angusta, ut uno eorum defuncto deinceps iam singulis singuli pristino more succedant.
When this is granted on both sides in alternating basilicas, with each anticipating the other with mutual honor, because, where the precept of charity has enlarged hearts, the possession of peace does not become narrow, so that, upon the death of one of them, thereafter single [bishops] may now succeed single [bishops] in the ancient manner.
nec nouum aliquid fiet; nam hoc ex ipsius separationis exordio in eis, qui damnato nefariae dissensionis errore unitatis dulcedinem uel sero sapuerunt, catholica dilectio custodiuit.
Nor will anything new be done; for Catholic love has preserved this from the very beginning of the separation itself in those who, having condemned the error of wicked dissension, have tasted the sweetness of unity, even if late.
aut si forte populi christiani singulis delectantur episcopis et duorum consortium inusitata rerum facie tolerare non possunt, utrique de medio discedamus et ecclesiis singulis damnata schismatis causa in unitate pacifica constitutis ab episcopis singulis in ecclesiis singulis annuentibus unitati factae per loca necessaria singuli constituantur episcopi.
Or if by chance the Christian peoples delight in single bishops and cannot tolerate the partnership of two because of the unusual appearance of things, let both of us step aside, and single churches having been established in peaceful unity, the cause of the schism having been condemned, let single bishops be appointed in single churches throughout the necessary places, by single bishops [who are] agreeing to the unity [that has been] made."