§19Donatista dixit: Baptisma itaque dici non potest quod aquarum turba dispersit, quod ab ecclesiae fonte malitia separauit, quod sterilis unda siccauit, quod nec angelum uidit nec prophetam qui se mederi posset inuenit, sicut in libro Regnorum quarto letales aquas Helisaeus sanctissimus discussa morte sanauit et maritante sermone in fetus uberes meare permisit: et dixerunt uiri ciuitatis ad Helisaeum: ecce commoratio ciuitatisbona, sicutet tu, domine, uides, sed aquae malae et steriles sunt hic. et dixit Helisaeus: accipite mihi unum uas fictile et mittite in eum sale. et acceperunt illud, et uenit ad exitus aquarum et proiecit sal et dixit: haec dicit dominus: sanaui aquas istas et non erit mors in eis neque sterilitas. et sanatae sunt aquae usque in hanc diem.
Donatista dixit: Therefore, that cannot be called baptism which a multitude of waters has dispersed, which malice has separated from the fountain of the church, which a barren wave has dried up, which has neither seen an angel nor found a prophet who could heal it, just as in the fourth book of Kings the most holy Elisha healed the deadly waters, casting away death, and by a uniting word permitted them to flow into fertile offspring: and the men of the city said to Elisha: "Behold, the dwelling of the city is good, as you also, my lord, see; but the water is bad and barren here." And Elisha said: "Bring me a new earthen vessel, and put salt in it." And they took it, and he went to the spring of the waters, and cast in the salt, and said: "Thus says the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall not be in them death or barrenness anymore." And the waters were healed to this day.
Catholicus respondit: Gratias deo patri, qui quod futurum ostendit in nobis fidelis impleuit.
Catholicus respondit: Thanks be to God the Father, who, as one who is faithful, has fulfilled in us what He showed would come to pass.
gratias, inquam, deo patri, qui nobis non angelos solum, non prophetas, sicut prius, in Hiericho nostram, id est in hunc mundum, sed proprium filium destinauit, dominum uidelicet angelorum et principem prophetarum, qui aquarum sterilitatem, hoc est gentium infecunditatem, discussa morte sanaret.
Thanks, I say, to God the Father, who destined for us in our Jericho—that is, in this world—not angels only, nor prophets as before, but His own Son, namely the Lord of angels and the prince of prophets, to heal the barrenness of the waters—that is, the fruitlessness of the gentiles—by casting away death.
accepit uas fictile, hoc est corpus fragilitatis humanae, sal misit, id est sapientia diuina repleuit, in aquam proiecit, hoc est in Iordane descendit, aquas suo descensu sanauit, id est gentes suo aduentu redemit, et maritante sermone ecclesiam ex gentibus congregauit et in fetus uberes longe lateque diffudit.
He took an earthen vessel—that is, the body of human fragility— put in salt—that is, filled it with divine wisdom—cast it into the water—that is, descended into the Jordan—healed the waters by His descent—that is, redeemed the gentiles by His coming—and by a uniting word gathered the church from the gentiles and spread it far and wide into fertile offspring.
hoc in nobis impletum qui non uidet caecus, qui non credit insanus est.
He who does not see this fulfilled in us is blind; he who does not believe it is insane.
attende uberes fetus, dic ubi haec non sit ecclesia, dic ubi tua praeter in angulo Africae inueniatur male collecta tamquam sarmentum inutile.
Behold the fertile offspring, tell me where this church is not, tell me where yours is found, except in a corner of Africa, poorly gathered like a useless branch.
ex hac ubi praecisa est ibi remansit; ultra extendi non potuit, quia de radice praecisa statim exaruit.
Where it was cut off from this, there it remained; it could not extend further, because having been cut off from the root, it immediately withered.
§20Donatista dixit: Accepit una ciuitas saluatoris aquae substantiam, accepit et olei dona una cum liberis uidua nec beneficium diuinum passim propheta commisit nisi ei, quam unum uas olei habere cognouit, Regnorum ueritate probante: et mulier una ex mulieribus prophetarum clamabat post Helisaeum dicens: seruus tuus uir meus mortuus est, et tu scis quoniam seruus tuus erat timens deum.
Donatista dixit: A single city received the substance of the saving water, and a widow with her children received the gifts of oil; nor did the prophet bestow the divine benefit here and there except upon her whom he knew to have one vessel of oil, as the truth of Kings proves: "And a certain woman of the wives of the prophets cried after Elisha, saying: 'Your servant, my husband, is dead; and you know that your servant was one who feared God.
et ecce quibus debeo uenerunt accipere duos filios meos in seruos. et dixit Helisaeus: quid faciam? indica mihi quid est tibi in domo tua.
And behold, those to whom I am indebted have come to take my two sons to be servants.' And Elisha said: 'What shall I do?
at illa dixit: non est mihi ancillae tuae aliquid in domo nisi uas unum olei. et dixit Helisaeus: uade, pete tibi uasa de foris ab omnibus commorantibus tecum, uasa copiosa, et introibis et claudes ostium ad te et ad filios tuos, et implebis uasa oleo et reddes debitum. Helisaeus enim per ueri baptismi liniamenta operatus est.
Tell me what you have in your house.' And she said: 'I, your handmaid, have nothing in the house except one vessel of oil.' And Elisha said: 'Go, borrow vessels from abroad from all your neighbors, empty vessels, not a few, and you shall go in, and shut the door upon you and upon your sons, and you shall fill the vessels with oil, and pay your debt.'" For Elisha worked through the outlines of true baptism.
nam quia tuum non conprobo, ideo tuos fideles exsufflo.
Therefore, since I do not approve of yours, I blow upon your faithful.
Catholicus respondit: Omnes enim hoc faciunt quod et tu.
Catholicus respondit: For everyone does what you do.
omnes fideles exsufflant, dum unicum baptismi sibi uindicant sacramentum.
Everyone blows upon the faithful, while they claim the unique sacrament of baptism for themselves.
talem cum inueneris, non capies, non tenebis, non isto uinculo colligabis, sed agnito signo piratico, ut tecum artem peragat, securum abire permittes?
When you find such a person, will you not capture him, will you not hold him, will you not bind him with this bond, but having recognized the pirate sign, will you permit him to depart secure, so that he may practice his trade with you?
§21Fulgentius dixit: Absit ut abire permittam, quoniam deus dixit: compelle omnes introire, ut impleatur domus mea. qui \'omnes\' dixit, nullum exceptauit.
Fulgentius dixit: Far be it from me to permit him to depart, since God said: "Compel everyone to come in, that my house may be filled." He who said "everyone" excepted no one.
Augustinus respondit: Quid ergo facies?
Fulgentius dixit: Docebo illum ecclesiam meam esse certissimam.
Augustinus respondit: What then will you do? Fulgentius dixit: I will teach him that my church is the most certain one.
Augustinus respondit: In quo? numquid Christum, qui a patre omnes gentes accepit, ad Africanam particulam tantum remansisse monstrabis?
Fulgentius dixit: Dicam quod in paucis constet.
Augustinus respondit: In what? Will you show that Christ, who received all nations from the Father, has remained only in a small African portion?
Augustinus respondit: Quid, si et eius paucos habebit? omnes enim in comparatione catholicae paucos habent.
Fulgentius dixit: I will say that the church consists in a few. Augustinus respondit: What if his church also has few? For everyone has few in comparison with the Catholic church.
Fulgentius dixit: Ostendam quoniam haec est uera, quae persecutionem patitur, non quae facit.
Fulgentius dixit: I will show that this is the true one, which suffers persecution, not which inflicts it.
Augustinus respondit: Quid, si et eius persecutionem omnino non fecit?
Fulgentius dixit: Insinuabo secundum apostolum, quod ecclesia mea rugas et maculas sola non habeat.
Augustinus respondit: What if his church also has inflicted no persecution at all? Fulgentius dixit: I will intimate, according to the apostle, that my church alone has no wrinkles and spots.
Augustinus respondit: Continuo probabitur habere.
Augustinus respondit: It will immediately be proved to have them.
scriptum est enim: nemo mundus a sorde, nec si unius diei fuerit uita eius super terram.
For it is written: "No one is clean from filth, not even if his life on earth has been of one day." But why say more?
sed quid pluribus? quolibet ingenio capies et tenebis, quomodo suscipis qui fideles tuos forte retinxit, qui spiritum sanctum in corde credentis extinxit?
By whatever ingenuity you capture and hold him, how do you receive him who perhaps retained your faithful, who extinguished the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer?