§7Ipsi nouerunt, quando in collatione nostra fuerunt quam Carthagine habuimus, quomodo confessi sunt, quia parentes eorum fecerunt persecutionem Caeciliano episcopo.
They themselves know, when they were in our conference which we had at Carthage, how they confessed that their ancestors waged persecution against bishop Caecilian.
tunc a catholica discordantes schisma fecerunt.
At that time, disagreeing with the Catholic Church, they made a schism.
persecuti sunt illum parentes ipsorum, id est primi qui fecerunt partem Donati persecuti sunt Caecilianum.
Their ancestors persecuted him, that is, the first who formed the party of Donatus persecuted Caecilian.
perduxerunt illum persequendo usque ad iudicium imperatoris, miserunt crimina ipsius imperatori, quae uera non existebant.
By persecuting him, they brought him all the way to the judgment of the emperor; they sent his alleged crimes to the emperor, which were not true.
iussit audiri causam imperator.
The emperor ordered the case to be heard.
audita est apud episcopos, falsa illa crimina inuenta sunt, absolutus est Caecilianus.
It was heard before the bishops; those charges were found to be false, and Caecilian was acquitted.
nec illi a persequendo destiterunt, sed imperatorem saepe interpellauerunt, ubi postea iudicem causae constituerunt et ipse inter partes audiuit et cognouit.
Nor did they desist from persecuting, but they often petitioned the emperor, where afterwards they appointed [him] as judge of the case, and he himself heard and examined the matter between the parties.
cognouit imperator, innocentem Caecilianum iudicauit.
The emperor examined it; he judged Caecilian to be innocent.
et cum hoc obiceremus, contenderunt nobiscum et dixerunt, quia Caecilianum damnarit imperator in exilium.
And when we objected this to them, they contended with us and said that the emperor had condemned Caecilian into exile.
quod falsum est.
Which is false.
sed tamen uidete quid dixerunt, quia persequentibus maioribus suis adductus est ad imperatorem Caecilianus et missus in exilium.
But yet see what they said: that, through their ancestors persecuting him, Caecilian was brought to the emperor and sent into exile.
gesta legimus, prosecutiones ipsius sunt, manus ipsius tenentur subscribentis uerbis suis.
We read the official acts; these are their own pleadings, their own hands are held subscribing to their own words.
intendite, obsecro uos, diiudicate modo causam nostram.
Pay attention, I beseech you; judge now our case.
certe persecuti sunt maiores sui Caecilianum, certe ad imperatorem perduxerunt, certe ut damnaretur fecerunt.
Certainly their ancestors persecuted Caecilian; certainly they brought him to the emperor; certainly they brought it about that he was condemned.
nolo dicere quia non est damnatus, nolo dicere quia innocens est pronuntiatus, sed hoc sit quod dicunt.
I do not wish to say that he was not condemned; I do not wish to say that he was pronounced innocent; but let it be as they say.
quando eum persequebantur, quando damnari fecerunt, tunc quid erat Caecilianus? quando persecutionem patiebatur a maioribus istorum, quid erat? dicatur mihi: quid erat? christianus erat? catholicus erat? aut quid erat? non dicunt non erat catholicus\', sed \'criminosus\'. possunt ergo pati persecutionem a sanctis homines criminosi.
When they were persecuting him, when they caused him to be condemned, what was Caecilian then? When he was suffering persecution by their ancestors, what was he? Let it be told to me: what was he? Was he a Christian? Was he a Catholic? Or what was he? They do not say 'he was not a Catholic,' but 'he was a criminal.' Therefore, criminals can suffer persecution by holy people.
prorsus hoc accipiamus: criminosus erat Caecilianus qui persecutionem patiebatur.
Indeed let us accept this: Caecilian, who was suffering persecution, was a criminal.
sic enim non dico (mentiebantur>, sed \'fallebantur\', ut et nos illis consentiamus: \'criminosus erat\'. qui faciebant quid erant? quod uis elige.
For in this way I do not say <they were lying>, but 'they were mistaken,' so that we too may agree with them: 'he was a criminal.' Those who did it, what were they? Choose what you will.
si iniqui erant, desere iniquos, ueni ad nos; si autem sancti erant, potest ergo fieri ut sancti persequantur iniustum.
If they were unjust, desert the unjust and come to us; but if they were holy, then it can happen that holy people persecute an unjust person.
noli nobis irasci, si persequimur, noli dicere: iniusti estis qui persequimini. iam enim ostendistis, quia fieri potest ut et iusti persequantur iniustum.
Do not be angry with us if we persecute; do not say: 'you are unjust who persecute.' For you have already shown that it is possible for even the just to persecute an unjust person.
fieri potest aut non potest? unum de duobus dicatur mihi.
Can it happen, or can it not? Let one of the two be told to me.
si fieri non potest, quare uestri persecuti sunt Caecilianum? si autem fieri potest, quid miraris? quid laudas poenam et non ostendis causam? beati, ait dominus, qui persecutionem patiuntur. adde: propter iustitiam, et separasti latrones, separasti maleficos, separasti adulteros, separasti impios, separasti sacrilegos, separasti haereticos.
If it cannot happen, why did your people persecute Caecilian? But if it can happen, why do you wonder? Why do you praise the punishment and not show the cause? Our Lord says, 'Blessed are they who suffer persecution.' Add: 'for righteousness' sake,' and you have set apart robbers, you have set apart evil-doers, you have set apart adulterers, you have set apart the impious, you have set apart the sacrilegious, you have set apart heretics.
tales persecutionem patiuntur, sed non propter iustitiam.
Such people suffer persecution, but not for righteousness' sake.
§8Et tamen qualem persecutionem patitur frater noster, qui adductus est ad nos? ipsa est persecutio gloriosior; de illa prorsus profiteor.
And yet what kind of persecution does our brother suffer, who was brought to us? This is a more glorious persecution; I absolutely profess concerning it.
reprehendat qui uult: talem persecutionem profiteor.
Let him who wishes find fault: such a persecution I profess.
psalmum lego: detrahentem proximo suo occulte, hunc persequebar. si recte persequor occulte proximo detrahentem, non rectius persequor dei ecclesiam publice blasphemantem, quando dicit non est ipsa\', quando dicit \'nostra est quae in parte est\', quando dicit ilia meretrix est\'? ergo blasphemantem ecclesiam non persequar? persequar plane, quia membrum sum ecclesiae, persequar plane, quia filius sum ecclesiae.
I read the psalm: 'Him who secretly slanders his neighbor, him I persecuted.' If I rightly persecute one who secretly slanders his neighbor, do I not more rightly persecute one who publicly blasphemes the church of God, when he says 'she is not the one,' when he says 'ours is the one which is in the party,' when he says 'she is a harlot'? Therefore shall I not persecute one who blasphemes the church? I will persecute him plainly, because I am a member of the church; I will persecute him plainly, because I am a son of the church.
ipsius uoce ecclesiae utor, ipsa ecclesia per me dicit in psalmo: persequar inimicos meos et comprehendam illos, et non conuertar donec deficiant. deficiant in malo, proficiant in bonum.
I use the voice of the church herself; the church herself says through me in the psalm: 'I will persecute my enemies and overtake them, and I will not turn back until they fail.' Let them fail in what is evil, let them advance in what is good.
fratres, ne putetis aliquid nonum factum esse fratri nostro.
Brothers, do not think that anything new has happened to our brother.
pars Donati quando praeualebat Constantinae, laicum nostrum catechumenum natum de parentibus catholicis Petialius tenuit, uim fecit nolenti, scrutatus est fugientem, inuenit latentem, extraxit pauentem, baptizauit trementem, ordinauit nolentem.
When the party of Donatus prevailed in Constantina, Petilianus seized our lay catechumen, born of Catholic parents; he used force against him who was unwilling, searched for him as he fled, found him hiding, dragged him out trembling with fear, baptized him as he shook, and ordained him against his will.
ecce qualem uiolentiam fecit in nostro! rapuit ille ad mortem: nos non trahimus ad salutem?
Behold what kind of violence he committed against our own! He snatched him to death: shall we not drag him to salvation?
§9Haec locutus sum caritati uestrae propter illud quod dixistis: aut hic aut nusquam. hoc enim et nos uolumus, ut \'hic hic\' sed in pace, hic hic\' sed in unitate, \'hic hic\' sed in caritatis societate.
I have spoken these things to your charity because of what you said: 'either here or nowhere.' For this we also wish, that it be 'here, here' but in peace, 'here, here' but in unity, 'here, here' but in the fellowship of charity.
tunc bene (hi c).
Then it is well <here>.
nam (si non sic), melius \'nusquam\' quam hic).
For <if not so>, it is better to be 'nowhere' than <here>.
sed praestet dominus, ut hic) potius quam \'nusquam\'.
But may the Lord grant that it be <here> rather than 'nowhere'.
si non \'hic\', absit ut non alibi, absit.
If not 'here', far be it that it should not be elsewhere, far be it.
hic aut alibi.
Here or elsewhere.
audistis, audiuit.
You have heard, he has heard.
quid in eius animo deus egerit, ipse nouit.
What God has wrought in his soul, He Himself knows.
nos enim aurem forinsecus percutimus, ille nouit intus loqui, ille intus praedicat pacem nec cessat praedicare, si audiatur.
For we strike the ear from without, but He knows how to speak within; He preaches peace within, and does not cease to preach it, if He is heard.
aderit misericordia eius adiuuantibus orationibus uestris, ut sit fructuosus labor noster.
His mercy will be present, with your prayers helping, so that our labor may be fruitful.
tamen si hodie communicare noluerit, quamuis fatigari non debeamus, sed instare quantum possumus debeamus, nec sic tamen fatigari debemus.
Yet if today he should refuse to communicate, although we ought not to grow weary, but ought to press on as much as we can, nevertheless we must not grow weary even so.
differre possumus, auferre instantiam nostram nec possumus nec debemus.
We can defer, but to take away our insistence we neither can nor ought.
aderit ille qui huc illum ad nos perduxit, ut nos faciat cum illo in unitate uobiscum et in sua pace gaudere.
He who brought him here to us will be present, to make us rejoice with him in unity with you and in His own peace.