§4Uobis omnibus notum scio et tam bene scio, quia scio uestrorum multis moras quas hic trahebat displicuisse.
I know that this is known to you all, and I know it so well, because I know that the delays he dragged out here displeased many of you.
quotiens uenerandus noster Ualerius me praesente cum uisceribus paternis dixit ad eum: \'quid hic agis? cur stationem tuam deseris? cur presbytero tuo non collaboras? cur Hipponem Mutigenae praefers cui alligatus es?\' et cum responderet se ad solitudinem minime idoneum clericatum, non monachatum iniisse, se nullos Mutigenae habere cum quibus uersaretur, respondebat sanctus senex: ea II i gat u s es uxori? noli quaerere solutionem.
How often did our venerable Valerius, in my presence, say to him with paternal affection: "What are you doing here? Why do you desert your station? Why do you not collaborate with your presbyter? Why do you prefer Hippo to Mutiga, to which you are bound?" And when he replied that he had entered the clergy, not the monastic state, as one who was by no means suited for solitude, and that he had no one in Mutiga with whom he might associate, the holy old man would answer: "Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a release.
tua est ecclesia Mutigensis, non nostra; ad eam nomen, non ad Hipponem dedisti.
The church of Mutiga is yours, not ours; you gave your name to it, not to Hippo.
nonne saeculo renuntiasti, nonne amicis, nonne sanguini?\' audiebat dicentem, sed male audiebat qui dicenti non obsequebatur.
Did you not renounce the world, did you not renounce your friends, did you not renounce your blood?" He heard him speaking, but he heard poorly who did not obey the speaker.
quid factum est? cum satis festinus haberetur indolisque ad scurrilitatem procliuioris, inter nugas saeculi, inter conuiuia et compotationes diurnas, saepe etiam nocturnas tandem defecit; exstinctus est spiritus timoris domini, de luto in lutum prouoluitur.
What happened? Since he was considered quite headlong and of a disposition rather prone to scurrilous behavior, among the trifles of the world, among daily banquets and carousals, and often even nightly ones, he finally fell away; the spirit of the fear of the Lord was extinguished, and he rolled from mud into mud.
alternis uicibus et alios inuitans et ab aliis inuitatus et conuiua et conuiuans, cum aeri quod contraxerat soluendo non esset et a creditoribus urgeretur et se cotidianis implicaret erroribus et plurimis scandalum crearet, tandem a presbytero suo excommunicatus ad Donatistae transfugit et ab eorum episcopo non tantum exceptus, quod contra ius ecclesiarum est, non tantum rebaptizatus est, quod impium est, sed etiam diaconus, quod maxime lugendum, factus est.
By turns inviting others and invited by others, both guest and host, since he was not solvent to pay the debt he had contracted and was pressed by creditors, and implicated himself in daily errors and created a scandal to many, he was finally excommunicated by his presbyter and fled to the Donatists, and was not only received by their bishop, which is contrary to the law of the churches, not only rebaptized, which is impious, but was also made a deacon, which is most to be lamented.
§5Haec ego cum primum accepi, aberat uenerandus senex noster Ualerius, sed commota uiscera dilationem minime passa sunt.
When I first received this news, our venerable old man Valerius was absent, but my deeply moved heart could by no means tolerate delay.
ingemui dolui, pro eo in conspectu domini mei effudi animam meam.
I groaned and grieved, and poured out my soul for him in the presence of my Lord.
et quia mihi a multis relatum fuerat Macrobium episcopum Donatistam ad quem confugerat uirum esse pacificum non longe a regno dei et a concordia fratrum, qui si aliquos rebaptizaret id inuitus faceret, hunc litteris conuenire statui et quam obnixis precibus ad eum per amicos agere, ut in subdiacono nostro baptismum Christi non exsufflaret nec iterum baptizaret, quem in nomine dei et baptizatum et signatum fuisse non nesciret.
And because I had been informed by many that Macrobius, the Donatist bishop to whom he had fled, was a peaceful man, not far from the kingdom of God and the concord of the brothers, who, if he rebaptized anyone, did so reluctantly, I decided to contact him by letter and to urge him through friends with as urgent entreaties as possible, so that he would not blow away the baptism of Christ in our subdeacon nor baptize him again, since he was not ignorant that he had been both baptized and sealed in the name of God.
aegre litteras nostras admisit, sed tandem Maximi et Theodori quibus illud negotii iniunxeramus precibus adactus est, ut eas recitari sineret et ipse etiam legeret.
He reluctantly admitted our letter, but was finally driven by the entreaties of Maximus and Theodorus, to whom we had enjoined that business, to allow it to be read and even to read it himself.
quibus nihil aliud respondit quam: non possum nisi ad me uenientes suscipere et eisdem fidem quam postulauerint dare. cumque de Primiani facto instarent, dixit non esse filii in patrem inquirere.
To which he replied nothing else than: "I cannot do otherwise than receive those coming to me and give them the faith they have requested." And when they insisted concerning the deed of Primianus, he said that it was not for a son to inquire into his father.
et quia per litteras quas ad Macrobium dedi rogabam, ut responderet quae coram populo nostro legerentur, si uero recusaret, me nostras recitaturum, cum primum abessent milites, hodie, fratres, fidem meam libero.
And because in the letter I gave to Macrobius I asked that he answer things which would be read before our people, but if he refused, that I would read ours as soon as the soldiers were away, today, brothers, I free my promise.
nullus adest qui possit turbas ciere, noui uos omnes ad concordiam et ad alienos amplectendos promptiores esse quam ut excitem.
There is no one present who can stir up crowds; I know that you all are more ready for concord and for embracing strangers than that I should excite you.
litteras ad Macrobium profero, ut actorum nihil conscientiam uestram lateat, sed apud deum et homines innotescat quam sincero corde, quam pacifico affectu inspirante domino rem tractauerim.
I bring forward the letter to Macrobius, so that nothing of what has been done may escape your awareness, but that before God and men it may be known with how sincere a heart, with how peaceful an affection, by the inspiration of the Lord, I handled the matter.
quodsi postea perit frater noster, in sua, non in nostra conscientia peribit.
But if afterwards our brother perishes, he will perish in his own conscience, not in ours.
ueniet dominus qui hos et me iudicabit; ueniet certe frumentum asserturus, paleam dispersurus.
The Lord will come who will judge them and me; he will certainly come to claim the wheat and to scatter the chaff.
aquas nostras quas tantopere formidant ipse examinabit et coram omnibus manifestissime iudicabit, an quas pollutae dixerint ipse quoque habeat.
Our waters, which they so greatly dread, he himself will examine and will judge most clearly before all, whether he also holds what they have called polluted.
certe uidebunt in quem pupugerunt.
Surely they will look upon him whom they have pierced.
quid enim est aliud christianum rebaptizare quam dominum iterum pungere? signum regis accepit, crucem admisit, in morte Christi tinctus est.
For what else is it to rebaptize a Christian than to pierce the Lord again? He received the sign of the king, he admitted the cross, he was dipped in the death of Christ.
quid aliud facis qui talem bis baptizas, qui regis signum exsufflas, qui crucem expungis, quam mortem domini inanem et uacuam reddere uniuersam salutis nostrae dispensationem ostentui habere?
What else do you do, who baptize such a one twice, who blow away the sign of the king, who wipe out the cross, than to render the death of the Lord empty and void, and to hold up the entire dispensation of our salvation to mockery?