Proceedings with Emeritus · §1 · Augustine of Hippo

Augustine recounts Emeritus's arrival and his own pastoral address

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Augustine, Catholic bishop of Hippo, is speaking to the assembled church at Caesarea, with Emeritus the Donatist bishop present, and he is recounting what happened when Emeritus came to the city two days earlier.

In the consulship of the most glorious emperors Honorius for the twelfth time and Theodosius for the eighth, on the twelfth day before the Kalends of October, at Caesarea in the greater church, Deuterius, metropolitan bishop of Caesarea, together with Alypius of Thagaste, Augustine of Hippo, Possidius of Calama, Rusticus of Cartenna, Palladius of Tigabitanus, and the other bishops, came forward into the hall, with the presbyters, deacons, the whole clergy, and a very large crowd of people present. Emeritus, bishop of the Donatist party, was also there. Augustine, bishop of the Catholic Church, said:

Dearest brothers, you who have been Catholics from the beginning, and all of you who have come to the Catholic Church from the error of the Donatists and have come to know the peace of this holy Catholic Church and have held it with a true heart, and you who perhaps still doubt the truth of Catholic unity: listen to us, who are anxious for you with pure love. When our brother Emeritus, still a bishop of the Donatists, came to this city the day before yesterday, it was suddenly reported to us that he was present. And since we longed for his presence with the love that God sees, we hurried at once to see him. We found him standing in the street. After we greeted one another, we urged him that it would be harsh and shameful for him to remain in the street, and that he should come with us to the church. He agreed without any refusal. There we thought he would not refuse the Catholic fold, just as he had either offered his coming of his own accord or had not hesitated at all to come to the church. But while he lingered in heretical perversity, even though inside the Catholic Church, I spoke to your love, as you are good enough to remember. I said many things, which you heard and which without doubt you also remember as much as you can: many things about peace, many about love, many about the unity of the holy Catholic Church, which God promised and has brought about. In that sermon of mine I was speaking to you and exhorting him, and as far as the bowels of love could work in me, I was in labor with all who were placed in danger of their souls, and I longed to give birth to them for the Lord. For the blessed apostle Paul also said to certain people: 'My little children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you' (Galatians 4:19). But even after our sermon, when he still persisted in his stubbornness, we did not think we should despair even then. Nor do we think we should despair of any person, as long as he lives in this body. For I did not say the day before yesterday that I had not despaired, only to dare to despair today.

Latin

Gloriosissimis imperatoribus Honorio duodecimo et Theodosio octauo consulibus duodecimo Kalendas Octobres Caesareae in ecclesia maiore cum Deuterius episcopus metropolitanus Caesariensis una cum Alypio Tagastensi, Augustino Hipponiensi, Possidio Calamensi, Rustico Cartenitano, Palladio Tigabitano et ceteris episcopis in exedram processissent praesentibus presbyteris et diaconibus et uniuerso clero ac frequentissima plebe, adesset etiam Emeritus partis Donati episcopus, Augustinus episcopus ecclesiae catholicae dixit: Fratres carissimi, qui ab initio catholici fuistis et quicumque ad catholicam ex Donatistarum errore uenistis et pacem huius sanctae ecclesiae catholicae cognouistis et ueraci corde tenuistis et qui adhuc forte de catholicae unitatis ueritate dubitatis, audite nos sollicitos pura dilectione pro uobis. quando uenit ad hanc ciuitatem die nudiustertiana frater noster Emeritus Donatistarum adhuc episcopus, perlatum est ad nos subito eum esse praesentem. et quoniam caritate quam deus uidet desiderabamus eius praesentiam, ad eum uidendum continuo conuolauimus. inuenimus eum stantem in platea; facta inuicem salutatione admonuimus, quod durum esset ac turpe eum in platea remanere, ut ad ecclesiam nobiscum ueniret. at ille nobis sine ulla recusatione consensit; ubi nos putauimus eum ita communionem catholicam non recusaturum, quemadmodum uel spontaneum obtulit aduentum uel ad ecclesiam uenire minime dubitauit. illo autem in peruersitate haeretica quamuis intra ecclesiam catholicam diutius remorante allocutus sum dilectionem uestram, sicut meminisse dignamini. multa dixi, quae audistis et quae sine dubio quantum potestis etiam meministis, multa de pace, multa de caritate, multa de sanctae ecclesiae catholicae quam deus promisit et praestitit unitate. in quo meo sermone et uos alloquebar et illum exhortabar et, quantum in me poterant uiscera caritatis, omnes in periculo animae suae constitutos in illo meo sermone parturiebam et parere domino cupiebam. hoc enim et beatus Paulus apostolus dixit quibusdam: filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec Christus formetur in uobis. sed etiam post sermonem nostrum cum adhuc in illa sua perduraret pertinacia, nec sic desperandum putauimus; sed nec de quoquam, quamdiu uiuit in hoc corpore, homine desperandum putamus. neque enim sic dixi nudiustertius me non desperasse, ut hodie audeam desperare.

About this text

Emeritus, a Donatist bishop, came to the city two days earlier and agreed to enter the Catholic church.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) wrote this dialogue for the Catholic congregation at Caesarea in Mauretania, with Emeritus the Donatist bishop present. Emeritus had come to the city two days earlier and agreed to enter the Catholic church. The Catholic bishops, with Deuterius the metropolitan of Caesarea presiding alongside Augustine and others, held a public session to question him about why he came and to expose the weakness of the Donatist position before the people.

Augustine publicly confronts Emeritus, who remains largely silent, and argues that the Donatists were defeated at the Conference of Carthage not by power but by truth. He says their treatment of the Maximianist schism proves inconsistency, because they received Felicianus and Praetextatus back in their honors without rebaptizing them after condemning them with Maximianus, while refusing communion with the worldwide Catholic Church over the long settled case of Caecilian. The reader also meets the Catholic bishops Deuterius, Alypius, Possidius, Rusticus and Palladius, the judge Marcellinus, Primianus, Donatus, Optatus and Rogatus, and hears Alypius read the bishops letter to Marcellinus with Augustine interrupting to comment, while Augustine quotes and argues against the words of Emeritus himself condemning the Maximianists, and closes by urging prayer for the conversion of Emeritus.

Here conference means the formal public debate between Catholic and Donatist bishops held at Carthage, and judge means Marcellinus the imperial official appointed to decide it. Communion means full fellowship sharing the Eucharist, unity means the visible unity of the Church throughout the world, and Catholic peace is contrasted with schism and dissension. To rebaptize means to baptize again those coming from the Catholic Church, Maximianists means the followers of Maximianus who split from Primianus, and Circumcellions means violent Donatist bands. Old Testament names follow the Septuagint, so Dathan, Chore and Abiron appear as Dathan, Korah and Abiram, and Psalms follow Septuagint numbering with a note where it differs from the Hebrew used in modern Bibles.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 53 (1910) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.