§12Nec se quidam uana interpretatione decipiant, quod dixerit Dominus: ubicumque fuerint duo aut tres collecti in nomine meo, ego cum eis sum. corruptores euangelii adque interpretes falsi extrema ponunt et superiora praetereunt, partis memores et partem subdole conprimentes: ut ipsi ab ecclesia scissi sunt, ita capituli unius sententiam scindunt.
Nor let certain people deceive themselves by a vain interpretation, because the Lord said: "Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them." The corruptors of the Gospel and false interpreters set down the last things and pass over the former, mindful of a part and craftily suppressing a part: as they themselves are torn from the church, so they tear apart the meaning of a single passage.
Dominus enim cum discipulis suis unanimitatem suaderet et pacem: dico, inquit, nobis quoniam si duobus ex uobis conuenerit in terra, de omni re, quamcumque petieritis, continget nobis a patre meo qui in caelis est.
For when the Lord was urging unanimity and peace upon His disciples, He said: "I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth, concerning anything whatsoever you shall ask, it shall happen for you from my Father who is in heaven.
ubicumque enim fuerint duo aut tres collecti in nomine meo, ego cum eis sum, ostendens non multitudini sed unanimitati deprecantium plurimum tribui.
For wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am with them," showing that most is attributed not to the multitude but to the unanimity of those praying.
siduobus, inquit, ex uobis conuenerit in terra: unanimitatem prius posuit, concordiam pacis ante praemisit: ut conueniat nobis, fideliter et firmiter docuit.
"If two," He says, "of you agree on earth": He placed unanimity first, He set the concord of peace beforehand; He faithfully and firmly taught that you should agree.
quomodo autem potest ei cum aliquo conuenire, cui cum corpore ipsius ecclesiae et cum uniuersa fraternitate non conuenit? quomodo possunt duo aut tres in nomine Christi colligi quos constet a Christo et ab eius euangelio separari? non enim nos ab illis, sed illi a nobis recesserunt et cum haereses et schismata postmodum nata sint, dum conuenticula sibi diuersa constituunt, ueritatis caput adque originem reliquerunt.
But how can he agree with anyone, who does not agree with the body of the church itself and with the universal brotherhood? How can two or three be gathered in the name of Christ, when it is established that they are separated from Christ and from His Gospel? For we did not withdraw from them, but they from us; and since heresies and schisms were born afterwards, while they establish diverse assemblies for themselves, they abandoned the head and origin of truth.
Dominus autem de ecclesia sua loquitur et ad hos qui sunt in ecclesia loquitur, ut si ipsi concordes fuerint, si secundum quod mandauit et monuit duo aut tres licet collecti unanimiter orauerint, duo aut tres licet sint, inpetrare possint de Dei maiestate quod postulant.
But the Lord speaks of His church and speaks to those who are in the church, so that if they themselves are in concord, if according to what He commanded and warned, although only two or three gathered pray unanimously, although they are only two or three, they may be able to obtain from the majesty of God what they ask.
ubicumque fuerint duo aut tres, ego, inquit, cum eis sum, cum simplicibus scilicet adquepacatis, cum Deum timentibus et Dei praecepta seruantibus.
"Wherever there are two or three, I," He says, "am with them"—namely with the simple and peaceful, with those who fear God and keep God's commandments.
cum his duobus uel tribus licet esse se dixit, quomodo et cum tribus pueris in camino ignis fuit et quia in Deum simplices adque inter se unanimes permanebant, flammis ambientibus medios spiritu roris animauit, quomodo apostolis duobus in custodia. clausis, quia simplices, quia unanimes erant, ipse adfuit, ipse resolutis carceris claustris, ut uerbum quod fideliter praedicabant multitudini traderent, ad forum rursus inposuit.
With these two or three, He said He would be, just as He was also with the three youths in the furnace of fire, and because they remained simple toward God and unanimous among themselves, He animated them in the midst of the surrounding flames with a spirit of dew; just as He Himself was present with the two apostles shut up in custody, because they were simple, because they were unanimous, He Himself, having loosened the bars of the prison, placed them again in the forum, so that they might deliver to the multitude the word which they were faithfully preaching.
quando ergo in praeceptis suis ponit et dicit: ubi fuerint duo aut tres, ego cum eis sum, non homines ab ecclesia diuidit qui instituit et fecit ecclesiam, sed exprobrans discordiam perfidis et fidelibus pacem sua uoce commendans ostendit magis esse se cum duobus aut tribus unanimiter orantibus quam cum dissidentibus plurimis plusque inpetrari posse paucorum concordi prece quam discordiosa oratione multorum.
Therefore, when He sets down in His commandments and says: "Where two or three are, I am with them," He who instituted and made the church does not divide people from the church, but, reproaching discord in the faithless and commending peace to the faithful by His own voice, He shows that He is more with two or three praying unanimously than with very many who are dissenting, and that more can be obtained by the concordant prayer of a few than by the discordant prayer of many.
§13Ideo et cum orandi legem daret, addidit dicens: et cum steteritis ad orationem, remittite si quid habetis aduersus aliquem, ut et pater uester qui in caelis est remittat peccata uobis. et ad sacrificium cum dissensione uenientem reuocat ab altari et iubet prius concordare cum fratre, tunc cum pace redeuntem Deo munus offerre, quia nec ad Cain munera respexit Deus: neque enim habere pacatum Deum poterat qui cum fratre pacem per zeli discordiam non habebat.
Therefore also when He was giving the law of praying, He added, saying: "And when you stand for prayer, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that also your Father who is in heaven may forgive you your sins." And He recalls from the altar one coming to the sacrifice with dissension, and orders him first to agree with his brother, then returning with peace to offer his gift to God, because God did not look with respect even to the gifts of Cain: for he could not have God pacified who did not have peace with his brother through the discord of jealousy.
quam sibi igitur pacem promittunt inimici fratrum? quae sacrificia celebrare se credunt aemuli sacerdotum? secum esse Christum, cum collecti fuerint, opinantur qui extra Christi ecclesiam colliguntur?
What peace, therefore, do the enemies of the brethren promise to themselves? What sacrifices do the rivals of the priests believe they celebrate? Do they think that Christ is with them when they are gathered, who are gathered outside the church of Christ?