Sermon to the People of the Church of Caesarea · §8 · Augustine of Hippo

Persecuting blasphemy as a member of the church

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Augustine is speaking to the congregation about Emeritus, the Donatist bishop present with them, and defending the kind of pressure that brought him there.

And yet what kind of persecution does our brother suffer, the one who has been brought to us? That very persecution is more glorious; I openly confess it. Let anyone who wishes find fault: I confess that kind of persecution. I read in the psalm: 'The one who secretly slandered his neighbor, this one I persecuted' (Psalm 100:5; Psalm 101:5 in Hebrew numbering). If I rightly persecute the one who secretly slanders his neighbor, do I not more rightly persecute the one who publicly blasphemes the Church of God, when he says 'It is not the Church,' when he says 'Ours is the Church that is in the party,' when he says 'That Church is a whore'? So shall I not persecute the one who blasphemes the Church? I shall persecute him plainly, because I am a member of the Church; I shall persecute him plainly, because I am a son of the Church. I use the voice of the Church itself; the Church itself speaks through me in the psalm: 'I shall persecute my enemies and seize them, and I shall not turn back until they fail' (Psalm 17:38; Psalm 18:37 in Hebrew numbering). Let them fail in evil, let them advance in good. Brothers, do not think that something new has been done to our brother. When the Donatist party prevailed at Constantina, Petilianus seized a lay catechumen of ours, born of Catholic parents; he used force on him against his will, searched for him as he fled, found him as he hid, dragged him out as he was terrified, baptized him as he trembled, ordained him against his will. See what violence he did to one of ours! Did he drag him off to death, and do we not draw him to salvation?

Latin

Et tamen qualem persecutionem patitur frater noster, qui adductus est ad nos? ipsa est persecutio gloriosior; de illa prorsus profiteor. reprehendat qui uult: talem persecutionem profiteor. psalmum lego: detrahentem proximo suo occulte, hunc persequebar. si recte persequor occulte proximo detrahentem, non rectius persequor dei ecclesiam publice blasphemantem, quando dicit non est ipsa', quando dicit 'nostra est quae in parte est', quando dicit ilia meretrix est'? ergo blasphemantem ecclesiam non persequar? persequar plane, quia membrum sum ecclesiae, persequar plane, quia filius sum ecclesiae. ipsius uoce ecclesiae utor, ipsa ecclesia per me dicit in psalmo: persequar inimicos meos et comprehendam illos, et non conuertar donec deficiant. deficiant in malo, proficiant in bonum. fratres, ne putetis aliquid nonum factum esse fratri nostro. pars Donati quando praeualebat Constantinae, laicum nostrum catechumenum natum de parentibus catholicis Petialius tenuit, uim fecit nolenti, scrutatus est fugientem, inuenit latentem, extraxit pauentem, baptizauit trementem, ordinauit nolentem. ecce qualem uiolentiam fecit in nostro! rapuit ille ad mortem: nos non trahimus ad salutem?

About this text

Augustine preaches at Caesarea in 418 before the Donatist bishop Emeritus: their baptism is Christ's, but without love in Catholic unity it profits nothing.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) preached this sermon to the Catholic congregation of Caesarea in Mauretania. He was bishop of Hippo and had come to Caesarea in 418 on church business. The occasion was a public meeting with Emeritus, the Donatist bishop of the city, who had entered the Catholic church and begun a conversation with Augustine.

He argues that Donatists are received as brothers because their baptism and faith belong to Christ, not to Donatus, but that these gifts are useless without love, which is found only in Catholic unity.

Augustine quotes Emeritus's opening words, the congregation's acclamation, and passages from Paul, the Psalms, and the Gospels.

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.