Why do you grant those men a delay, if they could have had no part in Maximian's schism? But if they are associates of the faction, although they were not present at the ordination, how does Maximian—condemned once in his absence, absolved the third time in his presence—not defile them, while Caecilian defiles the whole world? Does an African not defile Africans, the living the living, the known the known, the partner his partners; and does Caecilian defile those overseas, defile those set far off, (defile the unknown,) defile the not-yet-born? He who was condemned by you sat with you, and did Felician not defile you? I did not see that man, you know him; I believe him innocent, you have condemned that man as guilty.
Or if you confess yourself to have been the receiver of an innocent man, you confess yourself to have been the condemner of an innocent man. And nevertheless, my brethren, we do not begrudge their concord. The diabolical hatreds stirred up among themselves they have ended—as they think—and returned into peace. But this I say: if a broken branch sought out the small fragment broken from itself, with what diligence ought the tree itself to seek the branch broken from itself? Therefore we sweat, therefore we labour, therefore amid their arms and the bloody furies of the Circumcellions we have been endangered, and we still tolerate the remnants of them with whatever patience God has granted, while the tree seeks the branch, while the flock from the sheepfold of Christ seeks the lost sheep. If we are endowed with a shepherd's bowels of compassion, we ought to squeeze ourselves through hedges and thorns. With our limbs
—torn limbs let us seek the sheep, and with joy carry it back to the Shepherd and Prince of all. We have said much, though wearied; and nevertheless our brother, on whose account we say these things to you, and to whom we equally say them, and for whom we do so great things, still stands obstinate. Cruel firmness thinks itself constant. Let it no longer glory in a vain and false fortitude. Let it hear the Apostle saying: «Strength is made perfect in weakness.» Let us pray for him. Whence do we know what God wills? «Many thoughts,» as it is written, «are in the heart of a man; but the counsel of the Lord abideth for ever.» (p. 187, 16, ed. Knöll). THE PROCEEDINGS WITH EMERITUS THE DONATIST, IN ONE BOOK.
Some while after the conference which we held with the Donatist heretics, there arose for us a necessity of going into Mauretania Caesariensis. There, at Caesarea itself, we saw Emeritus, the Donatist bishop—one indeed of those seven whom they had chosen for the defence of their cause, and who had laboured most in that same cause. What we transacted with him, in the presence of the bishops of the same province and of the people of the church of Caesarea—in which city he was both a citizen and bishop of the aforesaid heretics—the ecclesiastical records testify, which are contained in my minor works.
There, finding nothing to answer, he listened as though dumb to my whole discourse, which I unfolded concerning the Maximianists alone in his ears and in the ears of all who were present. This book, or these proceedings, thus begin: In the consulship of the most glorious Honorius Augustus, for the twelfth time, and of Constantius for the second time, most eminent men, on the eleventh day before the Kalends of October, at Caesarea, in the greater church.