25. Psalmus contra partem Donati 7–297 (BA 28:150–90); my trans.
Against the Donatists 245
But, good hearer, perhaps you're looking for those who burst the nets, people of such pride who claim themselves righteous, they did a ripping-to-shreds,24 pitting altar against altar. To the devil, themselves they handed over when they fought over the handing-over; And, of crimes they committed, they sought to pass along blame to others. They too handed over the Books, and it's us they dare accuse in order to commit worse crime than that they had committed before, because, in the Books' case, handers-over could be excused for fear, as when Peter denied Christ, so terrified was he of dying. (30) But how will they excuse their deed of setting altar against altar? The peace of Christ is ripped to shreds by placing hope in a human being, so that what persecution could not do they did themselves in peacetime.
You who rejoice in peace now judge the truth. . . .
(270) Now what if Mother Church herself addressed you calmly, in peace, and said: "O my children, what complaints have you against your Mother? Why have you deserted me? I want to hear it from you now. You accuse your brethren, and this lashing-out wounds me deeply. Many deserted me, but they did so in fear. But no one's forcing you to rebel against me so. You say you are with me; you see that to be false. I'm spoken of as Catholic, and you are of Donatus's sect. . . . But what have I done to you, I, your mother [spread] across the wide world? I expel the bad ones I can, but the ones I can't, I'm made to bear with. Them I bear with until they're cleansed or separated out at time's end. (290) Why do you send me away and leave me tortured by your death? If there are evil ones you hate, look instead at those you have. If you yourself tolerate evil, then why not in unity, where no one rebaptizes, nor pits altar against altar? Evil ones, so many, do you tolerate but to no advantage Because what you owe for Christ you willingly bear only for Donatus." Brothers, sisters, we have sung to you of peace if you'd just be willing to listen. Coming is Our Judge: ourselves, we give; what's due, he exacts.25
24. "A ripping-to-shreds" (conscissuram): The word is a neologism. See Christine Mohrmann, Die altchristliche Sondersprache in den Sermones des hl. Augustin (Nijmegen, 1932), 251.
25. Psalmus contra partem Donati 7–297 (BA 28:150–90); my trans.