Emeritus's promise and the people's acclamation
Augustine is addressing the congregation in the church at Caesarea, reporting the opening words of the Donatist bishop Emeritus in their recent dialogue and the people's acclamation.
You know with what joy we receive the eagerness of your love. For we exult in the Lord our God, of whom the apostle says: "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one" (Ephesians 2:14). We give thanks, then, to the same Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, who has granted us that, before we have our brother Emeritus's will, we have already learned how much he loves unity. But hear what opening words God willed us to hear from his own mouth. As soon as he entered this church, standing in that place where we first began our conversation with him, with the Lord inspiring him—the Lord who both instructs the heart and governs the tongue—he said to us: "I cannot not want what you want, but I can want what I want." See what he has promised, the man who said he cannot not want what we want. For if he cannot not want what we want, he knows what we want; for we want what you also want, we all want what God wants. And what the Lord wants is not hidden. For his testament is read, the testament of him who made us coheirs with himself; in it is recited: "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you" (John 14:27). So whether soon or late, he cannot not want what we want. But his second statement makes some delay for us: "I can want what I want." For he said: "I cannot not want what you want, but I can want what I want." He can want what he wants, but he cannot not want what we want. For we see what he says he can do. He wants right now what he wants, but what he wants right now God does not want. For what does he want right now? To be in disagreement with the Catholic Church, to be still in the communion of the Donatist party, to be still in schism, to be still among those who say: "I am Paul's," "I am Apollos's," "I am Cephas's" (1 Corinthians 1:12). But God does not want this, as the apostle rebukes: "Is Christ divided?" (1 Corinthians 1:13). So he can want what he wants, but for a time, for an hour of shame, not for the reason of wisdom can he want what he wants. For right now this is what he wants, and he can want what he wants. But since he cannot not want what we want, let him quickly not want what he wants, and let him do what we want. So do not let any little delay disturb you, brothers, while he wants what he wants, but pray that he may do what he promised, that he may not be able not to want what we want. —And all acclaimed: "Here or nowhere." —You who have declared your hearts with your voices, help us also with your prayers. The Lord who commands unity is able to change a will for the better. And what your love acclaimed—"Here or nowhere"—we recognized the voice of your love toward him, and we love it. This too we think not now for the first time, but always; we always desire it. The same is the mind, what is especially necessary, of our brother and fellow bishop, your bishop Deuterius. His mind has long been known to us. He poured out prayers with us to the Lord about this matter in council, where we promised and offered this to those who are outside. Our signatures are already on record about this matter. For we never so cherish our own honor that we begrudge unity. Let us be lesser in honor, while we are greater in love. We know how weakness must be invited, so that unity may be perfected.
Latin
Alacritatem caritatis uestrae quanto gaudio suscipiamus agnoscitis. exultamus enim in domino deo nostro de quo apostolus ait: ipse est enim pax nostra, qui fecit utraque unum. agimus ergo eidem domino et saluatori nostro Iesu Christo gratias, qui praestitit nobis, ut, antequam habeamus fratris nostri Emeriti uoluntatem, iam cognouerimus quantum diligit unitatem. quae tamen principia deus uoluerit ut de ore ipsius audiremus accipite. mox ut ingressus est istam ecclesiam, illo loco stans ubi primum coepimus cum eo colloquium, inspirante domino, qui et cor instruit et linguam regit, ait nobis: non possum nolle quod uultis, sed possum uelle quod uolo. uidete quid promiserit qui se dixit non posse nolle quod uolumus. si enim non potest nolle quod uolumus, scit quid uelimus; hoc enim uolumus quod et uos uultis, hoc omnes uolumus quod uult deus. quid autem uelit dominus occultum non est. legitur enim testamentum eius qui nos sibi fecit coheredes; in eo recitatur: pacem meam do uobis, pacem meam relinquo uobis. siue ergo cito siue sero, non potest nolle quod uolumus. moras autem aliquas nobis facit secunda sententia: possum uelle quod uolo. sic enim dixit: non possum nolle quod uultis, sed possum uelle quod uolo. potest uelle quod uult, sed non potest nolle quod uolumus. illud enim quod se dicit posse uidemus. nam uult modo quod uult, ipsum autem quod modo uult non uult deus. quid enim modo uult? esse in dissensione a catholica ecclesia, esse adhuc in communione partis Donati, esse adhuc in schismate, esse adhuc inter illos qui dicunt: ego sum Pauli, ego uero Apollo, ego uero Cephae. sed hoc non uult deus, dum increpat apostolus: diuisus est Christus? potest ergo uelle quod uult, sed ad tempus, sed ad horam uerecundiae, non ad rationem sapientiae potest uelle quod uult. nam modo hoc est quod uult et potest uelle quod uult. sed quia non potest nolle quod uolumus, nolit ocius quod uult et faciat quod uolumus. non uos ergo permoueat, fratres, aliqua morula, dum quod uult uult, sed orate ut faciat quod promisit, ut non possit nolle quod uolumus. — et ab omnibus acclamatum est: aut hic aut nusquam. — qui corda uestra declarastis uocibus, adiuuate nos et orationibus. potens est dominus, qui praecipit unitatem, mutare in melius uoluntatem. quod autem acclamauit caritas uestra: aut hic aut nusquam, uocem in illum uestrae caritatis agnouimus et amamus. hoc etiam nos non nunc primum, sed semper cogitamus, semper optamus. idem est et animus, quod praecipue necessarium est, fratris et coepiscopi nostri, episcopi uestri Deuterii. olim nobis notus est animus eius. nobiscum preces de hac re domino fudit cum concilio, ubi hoc illis qui foris sunt promisimus et obtulimus. iam de hac re subscriptiones nostrae retinentur. numquam enim nos ita honorem nostrum fouemus, ut unitati inuideamus. minores simus honore, cum simus maiores dilectione. nouimus quemadmodum inuitanda sit infirmitas, ut perficiatur unitas.