Writings in Connection with the Donatist ControversyAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
Writings in Connection with the Donatist Controversy
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Donatists; Donatists -- Controversial literature
CHAP. XXI.--29. But as to what he says, that "he who comes to the
Church is to be baptized and renewed, that within he may be hallowed
through the holy," what will he do, if within also he meets with those
who are not holy? Or can it be that the murderer is holy? And if the
reason for his being baptized in the Church is that "he should put
off this very thing also that he, being a man that sought to come to
God, fell, through the deceit of error, on one profane," where is he
afterwards to put off this, that he may chance, while seeking a man
of God within the Church itself, to have fallen, through the deceit
of error, on a murderer? If "there cannot be in a man something
that is void and something that is valid," why is it possible that
in a murderer the sacrament should be holy and his heart unholy? If
"whosoever cannot give the Holy Spirit cannot baptize," why does the
murderer baptize within the Church? Or how has the murderer the Holy
Spirit, when every one that has the Holy Spirit is filled with light,
but "he who hates his brother is still in darkness?" If because "there
is one baptism, and one Spirit," therefore they cannot have the one
baptism who have not the one Spirit, why do the innocent man and the
murderer within the Church have the one baptism and not have the one
Spirit? So therefore the heretic and the Catholic may have the one
baptism, and yet not have the one Church, as in the Catholic Church the
innocent man and the murderer may have the one baptism, though they
have not the one Spirit; for as there is one baptism, so there is one
Spirit and one Church. And so the result is, that in each person we
must acknowledge what he already has, and to each person we must give
what he has not. If "nothing can be confirmed and ratified with God
which has been done by those whom God calls His enemies and foes," why
is the baptism confirmed which is given by murderers? Are we not to
call murderers the enemies and foes of the Lord? But "he that hateth
his brother is a murderer." How then did they baptize who hated Paul,
the servant of Jesus Christ, and thereby hated Jesus Himself, since
He Himself said to Saul, "Why persecutest thou me?"[356] when he was
persecuting His servants, and since at the last He Himself shall say,
"Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these that are mine,
ye did it not to me?"[357] Wherefore all who go out from us are not of
us, but not all who are with us are of us; just as when men thresh,
all that flies from the threshing-floor is shown not to be corn, but
not all that remains there is therefore corn. And so John too says,
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been
of us, they would no doubt have continued with us."[358] Wherefore
God gives the sacrament of grace even through the hands of wicked
men, but the grace itself only by Himself or through His saints. And
therefore He gives remission of sins either of Himself, or through the
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