§1.233Talis si quis ad te ueniat plenus catholica fide, §1.234quales illos sanctos uiros omnes solemus audire, §1.235et si tibi dicat: \'frater, quid me uis rebaptizare?
If some such person should come to you, full of the Catholic faith, such as those holy men whom we are all accustomed to hear of, and if he should say to you: "Brother, why do you wish to rebaptize me?
§1.236quid sit ante factum nescio, nunc autem sum in Christi fide.
I do not know what was done before, but now I am in the faith of Christ.
§1.237si me maculat quod nescio, tu qualis sis nunc ostende: §1.238uultus tuos ecce attendo, ignoro quid sit in corde.
If what I do not know defiles me, show now what kind of person you are: Behold, I pay attention to your face, I do not know what is in your heart.
§1.239si me maculat quod nescio, tu me maculas fortasse, §1.240et si te credo esse sanctum, quibus communicas uide.
If what I do not know defiles me, perhaps you also defile me, and even if I believe you to be holy, see with whom you hold communion.
§1.241si maculat quod nescimus, iam non potes sanctus esse, §1.242quem maculant tot peccata, quae committunt uestri occulte.
If what we do not know defiles, you can no longer be holy, whom so many sins defile, which your own people commit in secret.
§1.243si autem quod nescis non curas, nec ego quod factum est ante*. — §1.244et tamen christianum talem audes <tu) rebaptizare.
But if you do not care about what you do not know, neither do I care about what was done before." — And yet you dare to rebaptize such a Christian.
§1.245Omnes qui gaudetis de pace, modo uerum iudicate.
All you who rejoice in peace, now judge what is true.
§1.246Uae qui pro cathedris uestris sic contenditis iniuste.
Woe to you who contend so unjustly for your chairs.
§1.247clamatis uos solos sanctos, aliud dicitis in corde, §1.248quia uidetis et uos multos malos abundare ubique.
You cry out that you alone are holy, but you say another thing in your heart, because you too see that many evil men abound everywhere.
§1.249numquid dicere potestis: \'mixti sumus intra rete\'?
Can you perhaps say: "We are mixed within the net"?
§1.250respondetur enim uobis iam uos illud disrupisse.
For it is answered to you that you have already torn it.
§1.251neque dicere potestis paleas uos sustinere; §1.252iterum enim respondemus: hoc fecissetis et ante.
Nor can you say that you tolerate the chaff; for again we answer: you should have done this even before.
§1.253non enim peiores erant illo Iuda traditore, §1.254cum quo apostoli acceperunt primum sacramentum cenae, §1.255cum tanti sceleris reum inter se iam scirent esse; §1.256nec tamen hos inquinabant sordes in alieno corde.
For they were not worse than that betrayer Judas, with whom the apostles received the first sacrament of the supper, although they already knew that a guilty man of such a great crime was among them; and yet the filth in another's heart did not defile them.
§1.257et tamen christianos fratres audetis rebaptizare.
And yet you dare to rebaptize Christian brothers.
§1.258Omnes qui gaudetis de pace, modo uerum iudicate.
All you who rejoice in peace, now judge what is true.
§1.259Audite, fratres, quod dico, et mihi irasci nolite.
Hear, brothers, what I say, and do not be angry with me.
§1.260quia non sunt falsa quae auditis, potestis et considerare.
Because the things you hear are not false, you can also consider them.
§1.261quid si ipsa mater ecclesia uos alloquatur cum pace §1.262et dicat: \'o filii mei, quid querimini de matre?
What if mother church herself should address you with peace and say: "O my children, why do you complain about your mother?
§1.263quare me deseruistis, iam uolo a uobis audire.
Why have you deserted me? I wish to hear it from you now.
§1.264accusatis fratres uestros et ego laceror ualde.
You accuse your brothers and I am greatly torn apart.
§1.265quando me premebant gentes, multa tuli cum dolore.
When the gentiles oppressed me, I bore many things with pain.
§1.266multi me deseruerunt, sed fecerunt in timore; §1.267uos uero nullus coegit sic contra me rebellare.
Many deserted me, but they did so in fear; but no one forced you to rebel against me in this way.
§1.268dicitis mecum uos esse, sed falsum uidetis esse: §1.269ego catholica dicor et uos de Donati parte.
You say that you are with me, but you see that it is false: I am called Catholic and you are of the party of Donatus.
§1.270iussit me apostolus pro regibus mundi orare; §1.271uos inuidetis, quod reges iam sunt in christiana fide.
The apostle ordered me to pray for the kings of the world; you envy that the kings are now in the Christian faith.
§1.272si filii estis, quid inuidetis, quia auditae sunt preces meae?
If you are children, why do you envy that my prayers have been heard?
§1.273quando enim dona miserunt, noluistis acceptare §1.274et obliti estis prophetas, qui illud praedixerunt ante, §1.275quod gentium reges magni missuri essent dona ecclesiae.
For when they sent gifts, you did not wish to accept them, and you forgot the prophets, who predicted this beforehand, that great kings of the gentiles would send gifts to the church.
§1.276quae dona cum respuistis, ostendistis uos non esse §1.277et Macarium coegistis suum dolorem uindicare.
When you rejected these gifts, you showed that you were not (my children), and you forced Macarius to avenge his grief.
§1.278sed ego quid uobis feci, uestra mater in toto orbe?
But what did I do to you, I who am your mother in the whole world?
§1.279expello malos quos possum, quos non possum cogor ferre; §1.280fero illos, donec sanentur aut separentur in fine.
I expel the evil ones I can, and those I cannot, I am forced to tolerate; I tolerate them until they are healed or separated in the end.
§1.281uos me quare dimisistis et crucior de uestra morte?
Why did you leave me, and why am I tortured by your death?
§1.282si multum malos odistis, quales habetis uidete.
If you hate evil men so much, see what kind of men you yourselves have.
§1.283si et uos toleratis malos, quare non in unitate, §1.284ubi nemo rebaptizat nec altare est contra altare?
If you too tolerate evil men, why not in unity, where no one rebaptizes and there is no altar against altar?
§1.285malos tantos toleratis, sed nulla bona mercede, §1.286quia, quod debetis pro Christo, pro Donato uultis ferre\'. §1.287cantauimus uobis, fratres, pacem, si uultis audire.
You tolerate so many evil men, but with no good reward, because what you ought to bear for Christ, you wish to bear for Donatus." We have sung of peace to you, brothers, if you wish to hear.
§1.288uenturus est iudex noster: nos damus, exigit ille.
Our judge is about to come: we give, He demands.