Proceedings with Emeritus · §8 · Augustine of Hippo

Augustine challenges Emeritus to answer the Maximianist case

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Augustine, the Catholic bishop, is speaking directly to the gathered people in the presence of Emeritus, the Donatist bishop, after Alypius has finished reading the bishops' letter.

When it had been read, Augustine the bishop said: Listen, you who do not know; listen, I beg you. Thanks be to God, because I am speaking with him present. This case of the Maximianists, which I want to set out for you now, is where they broke the ship of all their false accusations as if of bad merchandise. When we had thrown this case of the Maximianists against them so many times in our conference, they could say nothing against it—that is, against our objection so many times inserted, so many times repeated, so many times dashed against their foreheads. They could answer nothing at all, because they found nothing to answer. So listen to it carefully. Here he is; he hears me. If I lie, let him refute me, let him compel me to prove it. The records themselves are not here, but let the case be there. Let us bear whatever grace periods, so that we may come to the necessary documents, if I prove what I say. If, however, he doubts it or—God forbid—pretends to doubt it, and I say this with his leave, let him not be in communion with us if I do not prove it. But if he already knows that I am speaking the truth and knows that he refused to answer because he could find nothing to answer, then I ask you to judge for yourselves which is more tolerable: to receive into his own rank one condemned by him, or to acknowledge a brother not ever convicted by him. Pay attention, I beg you; listen to the account.

Latin

Quo recitato Augustinus episcopus dixit: Audite qui nescitis, audite, obsecro uos. deo gratias, quia ipso praesente loquor. causam istam Maximianistarum, quam uolo modo uobis exponere, ubi omnium calumniarum suarum tamquam malarum mercium nauem fregerunt, causam ergo istam Maximianistarum cum totiens obiecissemus in nostra collatione, nihil aduersus eam dicere potuerunt, id est aduersus obiectionem nostram totiens insertam, totiens repetitam, totiens eorum frontibus illisam nihil omnino respondere potuerunt, quia quod responderent non inuenerunt. audite ergo illam diligenter. ecce hic est, audit me. si mentior, redarguat, probare me compellat. gesta quidem ipsa hic non sunt, sed ibi sit causa. feramus quaslibet dilationes, ut ad documenta necessaria ueniamus, si probauero quod dico. si tamen inde dubitat aut, quod absit, dubitare se fingit, quod pace eius dixerim, non communicet, si non probauero. si autem scit iam me uerum dicere et nouit propterea respondere noluisse, quia quod responderet non potuit inuenire, rogo uos, ut ipsi iudicetis quid sit tolerabilius, in honore suo suscipere a se damnatum an fratrem agnoscere non aliquando a se conuictum. intendite, obsecro, audite narrationem.

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.