§4Quae si quis consideret et examinet, tractatu longo adque argumentis opus non est.
If anyone considers and examines these things, there is no need for a lengthy discussion and arguments.
probatio est ad fidem facilis conpendio ueritatis.
The proof is easy for faith through a compendium of truth.
loquitur Dominus ad Petrum: ego tibi dico, inquit, quia tu es Petrus et super istam petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam, et portae inferorum non uincent eam.
The Lord speaks to Peter: “I say to you,” He says, “that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not overcome it.
dabo tibi claues regni caelorum: et quae ligaueris super terram erunt ligata et in caelis, et quaecumque solueris super terram erunt soluta et in caelis. super unum aedificat ecclesiam, et quamuis apostolis omnibus post resurrectionem suam parem potestatem tribuat et dicat: sicut u t misit me pater et ego mitto uos.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven.” Upon one He builds the church, and although after His resurrection He gives equal power to all the apostles and says: “As the Father sent me, I also send you.
accipite Spiritum sanctum: si cuius remiseritis peccata, remittentur illi: si cuius tenueritis, tenebuntur, tamen ut unitatem manifestaret, unitatis eiusdem originem ab uno incipientem. sua auctoritate disposuit.
Receive the Holy Spirit: if you forgive anyone's sins, they shall be forgiven him; if you retain anyone's, they shall be retained,” yet, that He might manifest unity, He arranged by His own authority the origin of that same unity to begin from one.
hoc erant utique et ceteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus, pari consortio praediti et honoris et potestatis, sed exordium ab unitate proficiscitur, ut ecclesia Christi una monstretur.
The other apostles were indeed what Peter was, endowed with an equal partnership both of honor and of power, but the beginning proceeds from unity, so that the church of Christ may be shown to be one.
quam unam ecclesiam etiam in cantico canticorum Spiritus sanctus ex persona Domini designat et dicit: una est columbamea, perfecta mea, una est matri suae, electa genetrici suae. hanc ecclesiae unitatem qui non tenet tenere se fidem credit? qui ecclesiae renititur et resistit in ecclesia se esse confidit? quando et beatus apostolus Paulus hoc idem doceat et sacramentum unitatis ostendat dicens: unum corpus et unus spiritus, una spes uocationis uestrae, unus Dominus, una fides, unum baptisma, unus Deus. §5Quam unitatem tenere firmiter et uindicare debemus, maxime episcopi qui in ecclesia praesidemus, ut episcopatum quoque ipsum unum adque indiuisum probemus.
Which one church the Holy Spirit also designates in the Song of Songs from the person of the Lord, and says: “My dove, my perfect one is one; she is the only one of her mother, the chosen one of her who bore her.” Does he who does not hold this unity of the church believe that he holds the faith? Does he who strives against and resists the church trust that he is in the church? When even the blessed apostle Paul teaches this same thing and shows the sacrament of unity, saying: “One body and one spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.” Which unity we ought to hold firmly and vindicate, especially we bishops who preside in the church, so that we may prove the episcopate itself to be one and undivided.
nemo fraternitatem mendacio fallat, nemo fidem ueritatis perfida praeuaricatione corrumpat.
Let no one deceive the brotherhood with a lie, let no one corrupt the faith of truth with perfidious prevarication.
episcopatus unus est, cuius a singulis in solidum pars tenetur.
The episcopate is one, of which a part is held by each in solidum.
ecclesia una est quae in multitudinem latius incremento fecunditatis extenditur, quomodo solis multi radii sed lumen unum, et rami arboris multi sed robur unum tenaci radice fundatum, et cum de fonte uno riui plurimi defluunt, numerositas licet diffusa uideatur exundantis copiae largitate, unitas tamen seruatur in origine.
The church is one, which is extended more widely into a multitude by the increase of fruitfulness, just as there are many rays of the sun but one light, and many branches of a tree but one strength founded on a tenacious root, and when many rivers flow down from one source, though the multiplicity of the overflowing abundance seems diffused, yet unity is preserved in the origin.
auelle radium solis a corpore, diuisionem lucis unitas non capit: ab arbore frange ramum, fractus germinare non poterit: a fonte praecide riuum, praecisus arescit.
Snatch a ray of the sun from its body, unity does not admit a division of light; break a branch from a tree, the broken branch will not be able to bud; cut off a river from its source, the cut-off river dries up.
sic et ecclesia Domini luce perfusa per orbem totum radios suos porrigit: unum tamen lumen est quod ubique diffunditur, nec unitas corporis separatur.
So also the church of the Lord, bathed in light, extends its rays through the whole world; yet it is one light which is diffused everywhere, nor is the unity of the body separated.
ramos suos in uniuersam terram copia ubertatis extendit, profluentes largiter riuos latius pandit: unum tamen caput est et origo una et una mater fecunditatis successibus copiosa: illius fetu nascimur, illius lacte nutrimur, spiritu eius animamur. §6Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi, incorrupta est et pudica.
It extends its branches over the whole earth in the riches of its fruitfulness, it spreads more widely its flowing rivers; yet there is one head and one origin, and one mother rich in the successes of fruitfulness. By her offspring we are born, by her milk we are nourished, by her spirit we are animated. The bride of Christ cannot be adulterated; she is incorrupt and chaste.
unam domum nouit, unius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit.
She knows one home, she guards the sanctity of one bedchamber with chaste modesty.
haec nos Deo seruat, haec filios regno quos generauit adsignat.
She keeps us for God, she assigns the children whom she has generated to the kingdom.
quisque ab ecclesia segregatus adulterae iungitur a promissis ecclesiae separatur, nec perueniet ad Christi praemia qui reliquit ecclesiam Christi.
Whoever is segregated from the church and joined to an adulteress is separated from the promises of the church, nor will he attain to the rewards of Christ who has left the church of Christ.
alienus est, profanus est, hostis est.
He is an alien, he is profane, he is an enemy.
habere non potest Deum patrem qui ecclesiam non habet matrem.
He cannot have God for his father who does not have the church for his mother.
si potuit euadere quisque extra arcam Noe fuit, et qui extra ecclesiam foris fuerit euadit.
If anyone was able to escape who was outside the ark of Noah, then he also escapes who is outside the church.
monet Dominus et dicit: qui non est mecum aduersus me est, et qui non mecum colligit spargit. qui pacem Christi et concordiam rumpit aduersus Christum facit: qui alibi praeter ecclesiam colligit Christi ecclesiam spargit.
The Lord warns and says: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” He who breaks the peace and concord of Christ acts against Christ; he who gathers elsewhere than in the church scatters the church of Christ.
dicit Dominus: ego et pater unum sumus. et iterum de Patre et Filio et Spiritu sancto scriptum est: et tres unum sunt.
The Lord says: “I and the Father are one.” And again, concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, it is written: “And these three are one.” And does anyone believe that this unity, coming from divine strength and cohering through heavenly sacraments, can be rent asunder in the church and separated by the divorce of colliding wills?
et quisquam credit hanc unitatem de diuina firmitate uenientem, sacramentis caelestibus cohaerentem scindi in ecclesia posse et uoluntatum conlidentium diuortio separari? hanc unitatem qui non tenet, non tenet Dei legem, non tenet Patris et Filii fidem, uitam non tenet et salutem.
He who does not hold this unity does not hold the law of God, does not hold the faith of the Father and the Son, does not hold life and salvation.