§17Donatista dixit: Numquam latro in lucem protulit praedam, semper operarii noctis gratam bonis omnibus lucem saeuius horruerunt;
Donatista dixit: No thief ever brought his booty into the light; the workers of the night have always dreaded more fiercely the light that is pleasing to all good men.
solus traditor nec dei minis frangitur et in aliena ueste inprobus gloriatur.
Only the traitor is not broken even by God's threats, and wickedly boasts in another's garment.
contra quem per Sophoniam dominus proclamat nec auditur: erit in die, inquit, sacrificii domini et uindicabo in principibus et in omnes uestitos ueste aliena. Catholicus respondit: Tua non timeo crimina, quia mea munita est conscientia.
Against whom the Lord proclaims through Zephaniah, but is not heard: "It shall come to pass on the day," He says, "of the sacrifice of the Lord, and I will punish the princes and all who are clothed with foreign garment." Catholicus respondit: I do not fear your accusations, because my conscience is fortified.
quem dicis tradidisse, nomen locumque traditoris ostende.
Show the name and place of the traitor whom you say handed over.
numquam id ualebis ostendere, sicut nec antea ualuisti.
You will never be able to show it, just as you were not able to before.
sed etsi aliquem protuleris, mihi obesse non poterit, dicente domino: anima patris mea est, anima filii mea est.
But even if you bring forward someone, it will not be able to harm me, for the Lord says: "The soul of the father is mine, the soul of the son is mine.
anima quae peccauerit sola morietur. ego tamen non in aliena ueste congaudeo, qui in catholica fide semper exulto.
The soul that sins, it alone shall die." Yet I do not rejoice in another's garment, who always exult in the Catholic faith.
illa est quam habeo, qua me in die redemptionis misericors et benignus pater in decore ucstiuit: afferte, inquit, stolam illam primam et induite illum, quia hic filius meus mortuus erat et reuixit, perierat et inuentus est, illam nimirum de qua Paulus apostolus dixit: quotquot in Christo baptizati estis, Christum induistis. hanc habeo, in hac gaudeo, in hac semper gloriosior apparebo.
That is the one which I have, with which the merciful and kind Father clothed me in beauty on the day of redemption: "Bring forth," He says, "that best robe and clothe him, because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again, he was lost and is found"—that robe, of course, of which the apostle Paul said: "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This I have, in this I rejoice, in this I shall always appear more glorious.
haec est quam uos aut ut latrones abstulistis aut miseri sordidatis.
This is the one which you have either taken away like thieves or, wretched as you are, defiled.
§18Donatista dixit: In quantum enim inprobitas deuios errores alienis bonis cupit astruere et falsa catholica mendacii nebulas conatur obtegere, per colles tortuosos incedit, cui per Hieremiam dominus contradictor obuiauit: nolite, inquit, fidere uobis in uerbis falsis, quia per omnia non proderunt uobis, dicentes: templum domini templum dei est. et dominus in Deuteronomio: attende tibi, ne offeras holocaustomata in omni loco quemcumque uideris, sed in loco quem elegerit dominus deus tuus in tribu tua, in hac offeres holocaustomata et ibi facies omnia quaecumque praecipio tibi hodie. Catholicus respondit: Optime et saluti tuae multum conueniens testimonium posuisti: attende tibi, ne offeras holocaustomata in omni loco quemcumque uideris, sed in loco quem elegerit dominus deus tuus in tribu tua, in hac offeres holocaustomata et ibi facies omnia quaecumque praecipiet tibi. audi ergo qui sit locus electus et quae tribus domini praedicata.
Donatista dixit: For in so far as wickedness desires to build up its devious errors with the goods of others, and the false Catholic church attempts to cover them with the mists of falsehood, it walks through winding hills; the Lord met it as an opponent through Jeremiah, saying: "Do not trust in false words, because they will not profit you in any way, saying: The temple of the Lord, the temple of God is this." And the Lord in Deuteronomy: "Take heed to yourself, that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the Lord your God shall choose in your tribe, in this you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you today." Catholicus respondit: You have cited an excellent testimony, and one very fitting for your salvation: "Take heed to yourself, that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; but in the place which the Lord your God shall choose in your tribe, in this you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that He shall command you." Hear therefore what is the chosen place, and what is the proclaimed tribe of the Lord.
in psalmo centesimo tricesimo primo habes: quoniam elegit dominus Sion, elegit eam in habitationem sibi; haec requies mea in saeculum saeculi, hic habitabo, quoniam elegi eam. item in psalmo centensimo uicesimo primo: stantes erant pedes nostri in atriis tuis, Hierusalem Hierusalem, quae aedificatur ut ciuitas.
In the hundred and thirty-first Psalm you have: "For the Lord has chosen Zion, He has chosen it for His habitation; this is my rest forever and ever, here will I dwell, because I have chosen it." Likewise in the hundred and twenty-first Psalm: "Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem which is built as a city.
illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus domini testimonium Israhel. hic est locus electus, hic mons sanctificatus, haec ciuitas super montem posita ita ut abscondi -non possit, haec radix catholica, haec uitis fructifera longe lateque diffusa, quae in. Ecclesiastico clamat et dicit: in Sion fundata sum et in Hierusalem potestas mea. sic enim oportuit pati Christum et resurgere a mortuis tertia die, et praedicari in nomine eius paenitentiam et remissionem peccatorum per omnes gentes, incipientibus ab Hierusalem.
For there the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony for Israel." This is the chosen place, this is the sanctified mountain, this is the city set on a mountain so that it cannot be hidden, this is the Catholic root, this is the fruitful vine spread far and wide, which cries out in Ecclesiasticus and says: "In Zion I was established, and in Jerusalem is my power." For thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
recte me argueres, si in hac hereditate maneres.
You would rightly accuse me, if you remained in this inheritance.
at cum in hac dei patris hereditate non maneas, in hac Christi regis tribu non milites, cur desertor corripis militem, cur reus increpas innocentem? et ego tibi dico: attende tibi, ne offeras in omniloco — hoc est in omni haeresi — et dicas: \'et hic est deus et ibi est deus\', sed in loco quem elegerit dominus deustuus in tributua — hoc est in tribu eius —, ibi offeres holocaustomata tua et ibi facies omnia quaecumque praecepta sunt tibi.
But since you do not remain in this inheritance of God the Father, and do not serve as a soldier in this tribe of Christ the King, why do you, a deserter, reprove a soldier? Why do you, a guilty person, rebuke an innocent one? And I say to you: "Take heed to yourself, that you do not offer in every place—that is, in every heresy—and say: 'And here is God, and there is God,' but in the place which the Lord your God shall choose in your tribe—that is, in His tribe—there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that has been commanded you.
hoc fac, et uiues.
Do this, and you shall live."