§3Donatista dixit: Numquam ergo ecclesiae spiritus patitur iungi quod ore diuino meruit diffamari, legis praeconio praemonente: duo duo, unum contra unum, et dominus in euangelio: tunc, inquit, duo erunt in agro; unus assumetur, et unus relinquetur.
Donatista dixit: Therefore, the spirit of the church never allows that to be joined which has deserved to be defamed by the divine mouth, as the proclamation of the law forewarns: "two and two, one against one," and the Lord in the gospel: "then," He says, "two shall be in the field; one shall be taken, and one shall be left.
duo molentes in molendino; una assumetur, et una relinquetur. uides ergo duo esse genera baptismatum et duo praemia meritorum, dum unum letalis ingenii ardor exurit et bibula sitis perennes haustus excoquit, alterum, quod semel potandorum meatibus sitim uitae perennitate satiat.
Two women grinding at the mill; one shall be taken, and one shall be left." You see, therefore, that there are two kinds of baptisms and two rewards of merits, while one the heat of a deadly nature burns up and a thirsty drought dries up the everlasting draughts, and the other, which satisfies thirst with the everlastingness of life in the passages of those who are to drink once.
utique in effossis gurgitibus perpetuas ariditates ostendit, et cum eis uitae meritum clausit, mortis aditum patefecit, dicente Hieremia: duo mala faciunt populus iste.
Indeed, in the dug-out depths He showed perpetual aridities, and along with them He closed the merit of life and opened the approach of death, as Jeremiah says: "This people does two evils.
me dereliquerunt fontem aquae uiuae et effoderunt sibi lacus detritos qui aquam non possunt portare, et iterum: omnes qui derelinquunt te confundantur, recedentes a te scribantur in libro mortis; quoniam dereliquerunt te, confundantur recedentes a te fonte uitae. Catholicus respondit: Tu unum contra unum, ego multa baptisma assero contra unum.
They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug for themselves broken cisterns that cannot hold water." And again: "All who forsake you shall be put to shame, those who depart from you shall be written in the book of death; because they have forsaken you, they who depart from you, the fountain of life, shall be put to shame." Catholicus respondit: You assert one against one; I assert many baptisms against one.
etenim paganus baptizat et Iudaeus baptizat et Sadducaeus baptizat et multi extra regulam datae legis baptizare non cessant.
For indeed, the pagan baptizes, the Jew baptizes, the Sadducee baptizes, and many do not cease to baptize outside the rule of the given law.
sed illud est unum quod uerum, illud uerum quod Christi, illud Christi quod patris et filii et spiritus sancti.
But that one is the one which is true, that true one which is Christ's, that of Christ which is of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
hoc est uerum, hoc salubre; huic nullum est comparandum.
This is true, this is salutary; nothing is to be compared to this.
hoc qui non accipit, ipse sibi et uitae meritum clausit et mortis aditum patefecit.
He who does not receive this, has closed the merit of life for himself and opened the approach of death.
§4Donatista dixit: Quodsi, ut asseris, una fides in utroque consistit, cur inter fidelem aquam et perfidam iusta separatione discreuit, testante domino per Esaiam: quis nuntiauit uobis quia ignis ardet? quis nuntiauit uobis locum illum aeternum? ambulans in iustitia, praedicans uiam rectam, odio habens facinus et iniustitiam et manus abstinens a muneribus et grauans aurem ut non audiat iudicium sanguinis et comprimens oculos suos ne uideant iniquitatem, hic inhabitabit in alta spe; fortis panis illi dabitur et aqua eius fidelis.
Donatista dixit: But if, as you assert, one faith consists in both, why did He distinguish by a just separation between the faithful water and the treacherous, as the Lord testifies through Isaiah: "Who has announced to you that the fire burns? Who has announced to you that eternal place? He who walks in justice, preaching the right way, hating wickedness and injustice, keeping his hands from bribes, blocking his ear so as not to hear the judgment of blood, and shutting his eyes lest they see iniquity, this man shall dwell in high hope; strong bread shall be given to him, and his water shall be faithful." Separating the treacherous water from its faith, as Jeremiah testifies, He put it thus: "Why do those who wrong me prevail?
a cuius fide perfidam separans Hieremia testante sic posuit: ut quid iniuriantes me praeualent? plaga mea solida facta est: unde sanabo? facta est mihi sicut aqua mendax non habens fidem. Catholicus respondit: Haeretici omnes licet in sua sibi disputatione discordent, in baptismi tamen traditione sollemni uerbo concordant, sicut circumcisio una, sed fide uaria, in Iudaeis et Samaritanis ueteribus consistebat.
My wound has become solid; whence shall I be healed? It has become to me like deceptive water that has no faith." Catholicus respondit: All heretics, although they disagree among themselves in their own disputation, nevertheless agree in the solemn word of the delivery of baptism, just as one circumcision, but diverse in faith, existed among the ancient Jews and Samaritans.
necesse est ergo, sicut tunc, ita et nunc fieri oportere conuersis, ut quod disputatione sola plectatur sola iterum disputatione soluatur, ut audire de domino possint: iam mundi estis propter sermonem quod locutus sum uobis; manete in me, et ego in nobis. omnia enim in figura contingebant illis, scripta sunt autem ad correptionem nostram, in quos fines saeculorum deuenerunt.
It is necessary, therefore, just as then, so also now, that it ought to be done for those who are converted, so that what is bound by disputation alone may be loosed again by disputation alone, so that they may be able to hear from the Lord: "Now you are clean because of the word which I have spoken to you; abide in me, and I in you." For all things happened to them in figure, but they were written for our correction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.