Sermon 359B

Sermon 359/B

A sermon of the same on obedience

"We are led to this city by nothing more than the love of your bishop."

The disturbance of yesterday was both ours and yours - and more ours because of you than yours - silence, I confess, was commanded; but because love commands us regarding the lord brother, whom it is necessary to serve - there is also in you a desire to listen, to which we pray that God may grant fruit in your conduct and obedience -, we serve you in the name of Christ, because we serve Christ to whom you are members. However, I confess this before God, in His sight and in yours, to whose ears my thought is a voice; I call Him as a witness over my soul, because it is not primarily any reason other than the love of your bishop that brings us to this city to speak to you what the Lord gives us. I do not speak of the love with which we love him, but rather of that love by which we feel we are genuinely loved by him without any pretense. For while you know us, in no way can you know us as we know each other who serve you in the love of Christ. For indeed we love you too, and you see, God knows. Nevertheless, dearest ones, you must know - I say this before Christ - that if you desired us more than all the things you desire, and felt even a little contrary will toward us in the mind of your bishop, you would not see us here.

"Having left the council of the Numidians, where the order itself required my presence, I chose rather to come here."

For he has now deigned to send us such letters, saying that if we were to think our coming should be delayed or if we were to deliberate on whether to come or not come, we would offend the very charity which is said to be God. Consider our weakness, committed in the middle of winter through such long journeys. Let your charity accept something else. Blessed and venerable old man Xanthippus, primate of Numidia, has called a council at Constantina on the fifth before the Kalends of February. The council has been called by the primate of Numidia for the bishops of Numidia, where we also are. In that city of Constantinus, as far as I judge, your charity knows that a bishop from our side is present. For he was nurtured in the word of God and served as a presbyter in the town of Thagaste, then from there he was made bishop in Constantina. I cannot tell you with what letters he wished to draw me there, so that I might go to Constantina: as he called the council, he removed all my delays and doubts. Yet, dearest brothers, such letters came from your lord and brother Aurelius the bishop to my humility, which, by the gravity of their sentences and their weight, conquered whatever I had previously decided, not bringing me, but seizing me. For I thought this, that not only with such confidence, but also with such a command, he deigned to order, not from himself, but from God, to say this to myself, that if I came here and conformed to his will - indeed God's through him - I could satisfy his letters for my departure from there before the lord old man Xanthippus, lest he might perhaps be angry with me because, leaving the council of Numidians, where the order of his rank required me to be present, I chose rather to come here.

"And there was confusion, and great sadness for us."

To what does all this that I have said pertain? Yesterday my eyes observed there was a space not filled by the brothers, close to both our ears and our tongue; we were not the originators of the idea to debate there instead, because we saw that it was necessary to follow them rather, so that they might come to the bishops, than for the bishops to come to those places with great disturbance of a larger crowd which had already established itself around the apse with a certain security of hearing: a much larger multitude would have been disturbed from those places to those places. But perhaps the men were to be overlooked, what about the weaker sex? Without a doubt, when the women began to press forward with the desire to approach, would they not have made even greater noise and uttered voices which were most unseemly in the church? Therefore, this was the only thing—to beseech those few, who were leaning against the rails, to condescend to approach the spaces nearest to the place where we were speaking. What greatness was there in this request? However, they did not even wish to hear it, and disturbance ensued, and great sadness for us, which God has now deigned to obliterate through the very venerable speech of your bishop. But from now on, brothers, we admonish you lest you think I was not granted the place by him to deliver the speech there, where it was so obstinately and tumultuously requested and demanded by some. Behold why I said all those things, because, if we had felt even a small grudge in the heart of our most blessed brother, we would not have come to this city — especially pressed by other necessities.

Why did Augustine leave without the bishop's permission?

What then? Does your charity not remember that for four continuous days I argued from that place in the middle of the barrier against the party of Donatus? Was it waited for so that you might ask? Was even a suggestion made by us? He himself willingly saw what needed to be done and did it; he did not see what needed to be done, he did not do it. But perhaps you say: "What great or difficult thing did we ask?" Even if what you asked for was small, the obedience which we demand from you is no small matter. Therefore, it is from this perspective that I shall speak. For I heard some brothers saying: "Behold, he himself argued that it is necessary to serve the weak. He argued this the day before, the next day he did not. Therefore, let us be served. Why did he descend?" I tell your holiness why I descended. For indeed, he ought more to excuse me, since I descended without his bidding. Yet my intention to descend was such that I did not even consult him lest he prohibit it. And, of course, if I had consulted him and he had prohibited it, I would have no choice but to obey: it was necessary that I should not descend. Therefore, I preferred to seek pardon for having descended without consulting him or being ordered, rather than not doing what I thought needed to be done.

Examples of the Church of Carthage become known throughout all of Africa.

Now just listen to why I thought this should be done. How this people has always obeyed their bishop when present, not only we know, but all of Africa and perhaps the entire world, wherever the Church of this city is known. For we all know what dissolution and confusion of women and men existed here before, because we were also part of this disgrace in past times. It happened by the Lord through his servant that the mixed sexes did not keep vigil. I, as a boy studying in this city, kept vigil with the women mixed in with the improprieties of the men, where occasion perhaps also tempted chastity. How honorably it is now kept watch, how chastely, how saintly! This diligence may not even displease those against whom it was instituted. The wicked themselves, the wanton ones, the insidious ones against another's chastity, can feel pained by this diligence, but they cannot blame it. But was this done only so that we might rejoice from this alone? What about the different entrances and ways in? How has it been taken care of, with what wisdom discovered, with what urgency perfected, so that those who, when they entered, were to be in separate places, would also enter separately, so that entering closely they would not begin something which they might want to complete afterwards, by servile, wicked and impudent people, who are accustomed to speaking shameless things in the face of passing matrons? How vigilantly these things were observed, with what vigor they were removed! In the church at Mappalia near the memory of the blessed bishop and martyr Cyprian, what used to happen, if we remember, perhaps we still grieve; if we forget, we give less thanks to God. Let your charity recall with us, brothers: I speak of the blessings of God upon you through your bishop. Where once shameless songs resounded, now hymns ring out; where people used to keep vigil for luxury, they now keep vigil for sanctity; finally, where God was once offended, God is now propitiated. I ask your charity not to forget these things: they are recent, they can be compared; they were there yesterday, they are not today. But when could your bishop have achieved these things unless he had an obedient people? So that I may speak of something, and not a small something, even about the good of your obedience, if your zeal did not consent to such an attempt by your bishop, could he have possibly fulfilled it in any way? Therefore, the mercy of God was present in his diligence and in your obedience. When we knew how accustomed you are to being subject, when we set you as an example to be imitated by others, so that we might say to the small peoples in the fields resisting their bishops: "Go, see the people of Carthage," then while we greatly rejoiced in your good example, how could we have been saddened yesterday, brothers, by your disobedience, as if our constant coming had taught you disobedience?

"It should not seem to you a light sin to be disobedient."

Therefore, let your charity attend. I grieved for the misery of my ministry that I might descend. You were asking to hear. What could the speaker edify when the listener was threatening ruin? "Why," you ask, "ruin? What great thing were we asking? What evil were we seeking?" I will say what ruin, I will say so that you may fear, not to fall. Do you not know that from a spark rises a conflagration? Do you not know that the smallest drops fill rivers and drag the depths? Let not disobedience seem to you a slight sin. Let us indeed say this: it made no difference whether you heard here or there; because there were spaces around us that could be filled by the multitude, both we knew and you. What else remained that you did not want to cross over here, if not sheer obstinacy: "Either it happens as we want, or what you want does not happen?" For we wanted you to hear, and what we wanted was beneficial for all. But certain ones, clinging to the barriers, when their irrational will was not agreed to, even shouted, "Let the dismissal happen." Certainly, how far were you and how slowly I said, "Let the dismissal happen," and behold all heard, because you patiently kept silent. What if we wished to test your obedience itself? "But in a small matter," someone says, "how would you test it?" If you did not obey in a small matter, would you obey in a greater one? Have you not read the Lord saying: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much?

On the evil of disobedience.

Do you wish to know what evil disobedience is, because I said: "Disaster was threatening the listener"? God planted all good things in His paradise. If He made all good things in the whole world, as Scripture says: "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good," if all things were good, how much more the things that He established more joyfully in paradise. Therefore, where He had planted all good things, what does it mean: Do not touch this tree? Do you not know that men usually make an inquiry about this, who cannot see either how good obedience is or how evil disobedience is? Behold, everything good had been planted. Do not touch, God said. "Why should I not touch? Did you place something evil here? If you placed something evil here, remove it, and do not forbid me to touch it." "Do not touch this tree," He said, which certainly, if it were not good, would not be in paradise. Or do you perhaps think that because God had filled the whole earth with all good things outside paradise and planted evil in the paradise itself? And indeed in the rest of the land there were good things, but certainly better things in paradise. Nevertheless, because obedience was better among all the good things that were placed in paradise, God forbade something, lest by forbidding nothing He might not rule. And what? Perhaps someone thinks that God wanted to rule out of His own pride. The dominion of God is useful not to God, but to whom He governs. He is neither lessened by our contempt nor greater by our service. It is advantageous for us to be under such a Lord, not for Him. He wants to rule over us for our benefit, not for His. He requires none of our good, we are in need of all His good, and especially of God Himself, our highest good. For our highest and best good, beyond which there is nothing better, is God Himself. Watch the confessing servant, listen to him from the Psalm: "I said to the Lord, You are my God, for You do not need my goods." Therefore, God forbade something to impose a command, so that He might be served as a ruler, so that obedience might be distinguished from disobedience as virtue from vice; and that tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not because there hung there fruits of good and evil, but it was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because if man touched it against the command, he would experience in that tree what the difference was between the good of obedience and the evil of disobedience. For from that tree, disregarding the command, death followed; by keeping the command, immortality would follow. You see, therefore, my brothers, how great an evil disobedience is: it was the first ruin of man.

In Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive.

Certainly we wish to rise from this fall: why do we repeat where we fell from? Let Adam suffice, Christ came. In Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive. From Adam, the root of evil, disobedience, entered the human race; in Christ, the root of immortality, obedience. Therefore, Adam was an author and example of disobedience to us, but Christ of obedience. And how was Christ obedient? Although He is equal to the Father, He says He serves the Father. Surely you acknowledge with me, Catholics, the Catholic faith; you acknowledge: "I and the Father are one;" you acknowledge: "He who sees me sees the Father;" you acknowledge: "And the Word was with God, and the Word was God;" you acknowledge: "Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." For equality was not robbery to Christ, but nature: for whom it was robbery, standing he fell; for whom it was nature, descending he remained. Indeed, let the same Apostle Paul expound the commendation of the obedience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is worthwhile to recall and hear the whole chapter itself. Behold, see the equal Son to the Father in the form of God, but read what follows: "Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” “But what did he do?” "But emptied himself." “How did he empty himself? I fear he lost his equality.” Do not suspect: hear what follows, hear from where he emptied, hear that he did not empty by losing what he was, but by taking what he was not. "He emptied himself," he says. “How? I ask you, now say.” "Taking the form of a servant." “Who took the form of a servant?” He who was in the form of God – there he was, here taking – taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men – made surely in the mother whom he made – being made in the likeness of men and found in human form. “But we were talking about obedience. We have said many things now, and we haven't heard obedience. I heard he emptied himself, heard he took the form of a servant, heard he was made in the likeness of men, but prove that he did this by obeying.” Finally hear: being made in the likeness of men and found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death.

Christ the Lord made himself the servant of man.

Let us consider the Lord as a servant: does the Lord listen, and the servant despise? Let no one say in his heart: "But He did this because He is the Lord." What did He do because He is the Lord? Did I say this to you: "Light the sun, let the moon run with its monthly losses and gains; make the stars shine from the sky, let the springs gush forth from the earth, let the animals walk, birds fly, fish swim?" Finally, did I even say this: "Open the eyes of the blind, break the ears of the deaf, drive the fever from the sick, raise the flesh of the dead?" I say none of these things: He did these things as God, I demand obedience from you which He offered as a servant. I demand, I say, obedience. Through immortality, you will be like Him, through obedience, He became like you. He will give you His life, for He accepted your death. But you say: "He obeyed God the Father." To whom, indeed, are you commanded to obey? For He obeyed God the Father, as an equal. Do you think there is a difference because He served God the Father and you are told: "Obey your bishop?" For who placed the bishop over you, to whom you should obey? Have you forgotten the Gospel: He who hears you hears me; he who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me? Finally, you say: "He served the Father." What if He served you too? Are you both His father and mother? For He deigned to have a mother here, not a father, to show both His marvelous generations, divine and human: divine without a mother, human without a father - and yet He was a child subject to His parents (read the Gospel), in childhood subject to His parents, in divine majesty the Lord of parents -, yet you are not His mother, though He served you as well. For He did not only teach us to serve by word, but by example. It was not enough for the Lord to say to His disciples: Serve one another. The Lord indeed commands it to be done: surely it ought to suffice because the Lord commanded it. Was it expected that He should show what He commanded? Truly, would any of us dare to demand that our Lord first fulfill what He commanded? And yet, with none of us daring to demand it, He gave an example from Himself for the disciples to serve one another: Whoever, He said, wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant. And immediately, lest the disciples be saddened by the servile name and say to Him: "So, Lord, will we be servants, whom you have redeemed? Will we be servants, for whom you shed your blood? Do we not recognize the merit of our freedom in your price, your blood?", He consoled their possibly sad pride, not yet healed: He, said, will be your servant, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve. Behold, He became our servant too, and we are not His mother. Or perhaps we are even His mother? These are my brothers and my mother, who do my will.

The bishop, while he commands what is useful, serves.

"But behold," says someone, "let my bishop take an example from my Lord, and serve me." I say to your charity - who can, let him understand -: Unless he served, he would not command. For he serves who commands what is useful, serves with vigilance, serves with care, serves with solicitude, serves finally with charity. For even he who was made a minister here, certainly commanded his disciples. Hear him commanding and them serving: Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you? And he sends whomever he wishes where he wishes, and he ordered it to be prepared where he wishes. What he commanded was done, and yet he served more; for he did not lie saying: The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. How did he not come to be served, but to serve? Behold, I see the disciples running, preparing the Passover, arranging the dinner. How did he not come to be served, but to serve? But what to serve? He follows: And to give his life for his friends. Do you wish to know what he served us? From this we live today and today we feed from his table, which he then served.

The obedience of the disciples and others in preparing the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

Go, he said, into the village opposite you, where you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘What are you doing? Why are you untying the colt?’ reply, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and they will let you take it. They heard, went, and did so. Did anyone resist, did anyone say, ‘Why does he want the colt brought to him? Surely the one who raises the dead did not tire out by walking.' Listen, servant; do what he commands, certainly by him who wishes you well, by him who cares for your salvation. To question why he commands is to contend, not to obey. First be a diligent obeyer, so you may be a suitable questioner. Wash yourselves, be clean, are the words of the commander. Remove wickedness from your souls and from my sight, are the words of the commander. Learn to do good, seek justice, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow - have you done what he commanded? - and come, let us argue, says the Lord. The colt was untied from the village that was opposite them. What is the village opposed to the disciples, if not this world? Go to the village opposite you. This world is opposed to the disciples, falsehood opposed to truth, lust opposed to chastity, disobedience opposed to obedience. In this village which is the world, the colt was tied, which no one had ever sat on. Who is this colt tied in the opposed village, on which no one has sat, who if not the people of the nations bound with the devil’s chain, which no prophet had ridden? Untied, led, he carries God, is ruled by the Lord, is led by the Lord along the way, reminded by the Lord’s whip; and in those who obeyed to bring the colt, there was obedience, and in those who immediately let the colt go upon hearing that the Lord needed it, there was obedience. Whatever you understand those men to be. For perhaps they are the opposing powers that tied the colt; perhaps those men who tied the colt signify the devil and his angels, through whom the people of the nations were bound by deadly superstition: such is the power of the commander, that even they would not dare to hold what the Lord says he needs. What are you, my brothers? What do you wish to be? Those who untie the colt, or the colt itself? Forbid it that you should be those who tied the colt, and yet neither did those resist. What then do you wish to be, my brothers: those who untied the colt, or the colt itself? You do not dare to claim for yourselves the role of those through whom the colt was untied: this was done by the apostles. This is the role of those in charge: we bear it with all the concern that the Lord grants us, we speak to you from it. You are the colt, obey those who lead you to carry the Lord. Certainly, beloved, consider how the disciples untied the colt and led it to the Lord. They led, it followed; they didn't drag, and it did not resist. And yet, since we speak of our service, when the disciples were leading the colt to the Lord, they rather served the colt; so we also serve you when we lead you to the Lord, when we teach and admonish obedience: if your weakness were not served, today you would not listen to us.

The mother of obedience is love.

Certainly, beloved, we too are human, we also carry weaknesses. You disturbed us yesterday, and in our own disturbance, we feared more for you, lest you sadden the Spirit of God within us, through whom we serve you. How do you think, brothers, that I, now standing and about to speak to you, could be disturbed, considering - as I have already mentioned - how obedient you usually are and how disobedient you became in our presence, as if we teach disobedience, as if we do not hold your reins within our measure, to lead you to the Lord? And yet, beloved - which you have heard from Him, and it is true - however great our care is for you or about you, can it be greater than His who serves you especially, who presides in such a way that he is subject? We seem to preside from a higher place: but so great is the burden of concern and care that it makes us under your feet. Finally, tread upon us and live. What is it, my brothers, what is any virtue in a servant of God without obedience? What then is obedience? You love charity: its daughter is obedience, the daughter of charity. But charity cannot be sterile. Let no one deceive you, let no one say: "I do not have obedience, but I have charity." You absolutely do not have charity. Wherever this mother is, she bears children. If she is there, she has given birth; if she has not given birth, she is not there. The root is hidden, brothers, the fruit is visible. I do not believe it is clinging to the soil unless I see what hangs on the branch. Do you have charity? Show me its fruit: let me see obedience, let me rejoice in obedience, let me embrace the offspring, to recognize the mother.

You will not be obedient if, believing in man, you scorn God.

Behold how great goods seem to be had even by the deceitful. Yesterday we heard the praises of a true martyr: what torments he endured, how immense, how many, how numerous! If charity is lacking, it is madness. Wherefore do we praise, wherefore do we proclaim, wherefore do we rejoice together, if not because we see in what Church, for what faith, what he resisted to the commanding king? Not indeed because he resisted the one commanding, but because it is a sin to obey in what the one commanding orders, for that is not even to be called obedience where something destructive and sacrilegious is commanded. For just as there is no faith when something false is believed, so there is no obedience where something useless is commanded. For how could I call obedient one who believes man and despises God? Authorities are established in this world, and above all authorities is divine power. You would not be obedient if by obeying perhaps you as a servant despised your lord for your father. I say this: if perhaps you were a servant, and your father and your fellow servant commanded you differently from what your lord had ordered, and you obeyed rather your father than your lord, would I not call you disobedient and a subverter of order? He, indeed, should be listened to more who has greater power, he who has legitimate authority. Therefore, I would not call you obedient if you obeyed the curator against the proconsul, the proconsul against the emperor; thus I do not call obedient one who obeys the emperor against God.

Martyr Vincent obeying God emerged as a victor.

Whence then obedient, whence holy, whence the acquirer of the true crown, Vincent, whence the victor of so many passions and congruous to his name? Whence? See who was commanding, to whom he was commanding, what he was commanding. The emperor commanded, he commanded a Christian, he commanded that he offer incense to idols. If you consider the rank of the commander, the emperor commanded a provincial. "A certain place of obedience is given, when I hear who commanded, to whom he commanded." But wait, listen to what he commanded: to offer incense to idols. "Who does not offer incense to idols, let him be punished." Now the provincial obeys, if a higher power orders nothing against it. But raise your ear, hear two voices: hear one from the tribunal, hear another from heaven. What did you hear from the tribunal? "Who has not sacrificed to the gods, let him be punished." What from the heavens? "Sacrificing to the gods, he shall be uprooted." Here let your obedience be tested, martyr. Discern the voices, distinguish the powers. See him who commands, rather fear Him who prohibits. This is the crown of martyrdom, this is the triumph, with the devil conquered and trampled underfoot, whom the martyr feared when enticing, whom he despised when angry. He himself expressed this, just as those things were heard which were read, he expressed it with his own voices: when he who was raging seemed to wish to show mercy, then he seemed most of all to be avoided. For deceptive mercy harmed more than overt cruelty. In the roar of the angry, he did not fear the lion; in the blandishment of the merciful, he did not hide that he feared the dragon. For he himself is the lion and the dragon about whom it is said: "You will trample on the lion and the dragon."

The devil, lion, and dragon do not spare the believing people.

Therefore, let no one say, dearest brothers, let no one say—because anyone who says this deceives himself—that the Church does not now suffer persecution because the emperors are Catholic, because they order everything for the Church and are vigilant for its growth, being accountable to God for their empire. Let no one say the Church does not suffer persecution: it does not suffer from the lion, but the dragon does not sleep. Hear that lion, as Peter commemorates in the open passion of the saints and exhorts the martyrs to the triumph of victory: "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour." For then the fearful threats and great cruelty of the Gentiles against the saints of God, then the oncoming force of contrary commands and the great raving of powers: the lion was roaring, but neither did the dragon cease. You have heard Peter exhorting against the lion, hear now Paul making you cautious against the dragon: "I have espoused you to one husband." For many wanted to be the husbands of one woman. Consider, however, brothers, consider what many husbands do to one woman. This makes her detest what should be thought upon, not uttered to cause horror. There were many men wanting to be the husband of one woman. But he, the friend of the bridegroom and zealous for the bridegroom, not for himself: "I have espoused you," he says, "to one husband to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest as the serpent seduced Eve, so also your minds should be corrupted from the chastity of God, which is in Christ." He feared her being corrupted not by the savageness of the lion, but by the blandishment of the dragon. Peter advised you to neither fear the lion for God's sake, Paul advises you to be vigilant against the dragon for God's sake, and in God, to trample on both the lion and the dragon.

True faith teaches that the saints must die for Christian doctrine.

For you wish to know what kind of dragon this is, how to avoid his snares, how great is the cunning of the enemy? Behold, already for nearly six thousand years, in the temptations of the saints, having been trained, he has made many false gods against the one true God. But one Son of God came, foretold by his preceding heralds; the Son of God came, dissolved the works of the devil like the binding of that foal, taught by word, confirmed by example; showed that the one true God should be worshiped, that He should be adored, not angels in His place, since even angels, because they love God, because love especially reigns in them, want God to be loved with them, not themselves instead of God. When He thus [the Christian doctrine] had taught, He taught this: it is necessary for the saints to die, if need be, for this doctrine. For what doctrine? One that has love from a pure heart and a good conscience and genuine faith. For this He taught the saints of God to die and commended them to the Church to be venerated. How to be venerated? Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His holy ones. Hence, the death of Peter is precious, hence the death of Paul is precious, hence the death of Vincent is precious, hence the death of Cyprian is precious. Why precious? From pure love and a good conscience and genuine faith. That serpent saw this, that ancient serpent saw that martyrs are honored, temples are deserted: with that cunning and venomous vigilance against us, because he could not implant false gods among Christians, he made false martyrs. But oh you, Catholic offspring, compare with us for a little while these false martyrs with the true martyrs, and with pious faith distinguish what the devil tries to deceitfully and venomously confuse.

"It is not punishment that crowns martyrs, but cause."

He wants to obscure the distinction between true and false martyrs for us, he wants to extinguish the eye of the heart so that we do not discern these things; he wanted to counter them with a similar appearance, but let us heed the apostle speaking against the devil about certain people: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. What is the power of godliness? Charity. It is that very mother of obedience. Therefore, observe the appearance with which the devil tries to join false martyrs to true martyrs. "Behold," he says, "they also endure persecution." Still, O enemy, you still confuse. Persecution, you say, they endure. Furthermore, oppose robbers, murderers, parricides, adulterers, poisoners: do not all these also endure persecution? Did not my Lord foresee you and by foreseeing warn me—whom I want and yours, whether you will or not, because he is also mine even if I had been unwilling, but he is my Lord to my benefit, because I want, to my detriment, if I had not wanted—did not that ancient enemy foresee you when he was encouraging his own disciples towards the glory of suffering: Blessed, he says, are they who endure persecution for righteousness’ sake. Against all your poisons, against your polyglot audacity, a single word has prevailed: for righteousness’ sake. Because of this word, murderers endure persecution and are not martyrs; adulterers endure and are not martyrs. You now show your martyrs: you boast that they suffer, I inquire why they suffer. You praise the punishment, I examine the cause. The cause, I say, I examine, I seek the cause. Tell me why he suffers whom you proclaim suffers. For righteousness? Prove this: for this is the cause of martyrs. It is not the punishment that crowns martyrs, but the cause.

True doctrine is recommended in Psalm 42, 1.

O enemy and cunning deceiver, against your false martyrs the true martyrs cried out in the psalm: Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from an ungodly nation. Judge me, he said, and distinguish my cause. See, beloved, how much he omitted: he wished his cause to be distinguished. For the cause is distinguished. The true martyr did not say: "Distinguish my fasts," for they also fast; he did not say: "Distinguish my works which I do around the poor," for they also do these; he did not say: "Distinguish my baptism," for they also have the same; he did not say: "Distinguish my creed," for they also confess the same; in all things he found himself similar, he prayed only that his cause be distinguished. Distinguish my cause. I fast, and he fasts. But why me, why him? I for Christ. "But I also," he says, "for Christ." Indeed, for Christ? If for Christ, surely also for the words of Christ; if against the words of Christ, assuredly against Christ. "And what," he says, "of Christ, against which I suffer?" Do you thus rage in false suffering, that your heart has fallen away from true preaching? Look to the very common Lord, whom you confess with me, and yet do not believe.

In the Gospels, Christ and the Church, his bride, are shown together.

See if Christ did not want to show both Himself and His Church, so that those invited to the wedding and clothed in the wedding garment would not err in either the groom or the bride. How did the groom show himself? It was necessary for Christ to suffer and rise on the third day. I recognize the groom: this is what the prophets said, this is what those servants who were sent before to invite to the wedding said. It was necessary for Christ to suffer and rise on the third day. He showed Himself to them in this way, demonstrating to the doubters what was fulfilled in Him according to the prophets. What about the bride? Did He remain silent? Immediately, He showed her as well. For He saw that she, consequently, was also desired. It was necessary, He said, for Christ to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Behold, I see the groom, I recognize him. What about the bride? And repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Recognize this Church expressed from the mouth of Christ, foretold by the proclamation of the prophets; if you are a martyr, hold this, in this and for this shed your blood, give what was granted to you beforehand. Listen to the apostle John: Therefore, he says, Christ laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. Awake: for the brothers, not against the brothers. What benefit is there if you confess the groom, if you honor the household head, and his spouse, I do not say neglect, but pursue with false accusations? You, man, having a wife whom you did not redeem with your own blood, nevertheless love her so that if anyone served you, watched over your house daily, prostrated at your feet, praised you in all ways, never and nowhere kept silent about your praises, but said one crime about your wife, all that he had served would be in vain.

The confessions of true and false martyrs are compared.

Therefore, let the confessions of true and false martyrs be brought forward and compared. Let us place before our eyes what we witnessed yesterday. For we saw a most delightful spectacle: a martyr struggling against a wicked persecutor, never yielding in true faith in any punishment, Vincent triumphing everywhere. We saw, we participated. That reading spoke with our heart: we were delighted. That serpent, jealous of the martyrs, that viper which Vincent was wary of in its flattery, since it could not accuse that suffering, incited a rebellion among us. Let those who offered their tongues to its service recognize this and grieve. For what did those voices mean: "Say the Mass," "say the Mass, say the Mass," except to prevent that martyr from being praised a little longer? Therefore, let the confessions of true and false martyrs be compared. You say you are a martyr because you resist authority. What authority commands you? Behold, I hear what was commanded of true martyrs, and let me hear what is commanded of you. I see how gloriously they refused because I see what they refused; show me what you refuse: let me compare your voices, let me see what to imitate, what to follow. "Offer incense to the gods." "I refuse." We heard the glorious voice of the true martyr, let us also hear from the other side: "Reconcile with your brother." O abominable voice, and one not only worthy of condemnation by the supreme God but also by human authorities! "Reconcile with your brother." "I refuse." Certainly, you suffer against Christ.

The sower of discord, the devil.

Open the Gospel, read: If you offer your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there and go first to be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. If, he says, you remember that your brother has something against you. What does it mean "has something against you"? You have offended him, you have acted unjustly against him. Go be reconciled to your brother: from the reconciled I receive the gift. Why do you offer a gift at the altar of God when in your heart is the seat of the devil? Who sowed discord there? Who planted it? Who ultimately inhabits it? Is it not he who is always the sower of discords, the author of dissensions, the origin of quarrels? If Christ said this about two people, concerning this he injected so much care, so much fear, he demands concord so, as if saying: "You offer one thing, I indicate another. I accept what you offered, if you bring what I indicated," if this in two people, how much more in two peoples? If having such a cause against one person is dangerous and destructive, how much more against the world, how much more against the entire bride of Christ, spread among all nations, beginning from Jerusalem?

Donatus's followers denounced Caecilianus to the emperor.

Do you perhaps have a case against me? For the Lord says this: If you remember that your brother has something against you. You will then say to me: "Your brother, he says, has something against you, I have something against you, for you have nothing against me." Let us then inquire: if it is found in me, I will correct it; if it is found in you, you correct it. Explain to me the case you have against me, I will quickly state the one I have against you. I have this against you, which my Lord has against you. You speak accusations against His bride, and His bride is the world in His holy and faithful ones, against whom you bring charges. Have you known anything, or have you judged? In what tribunal did you sit, when the world stood before you to be heard? You do not know your neighbor’s case: certainly, how did you judge the world’s case? I read the records, I show who the traitors were, I read that those who accused Caecilian, the innocent one, confessed their own crimes, I read that your elders first brought the case of Caecilian, bishop of this city, to Emperor Constantine in the public archives: nevertheless, I do not impute to you the crimes of your elders. All acts are in my favor, and I do not charge you with others’ crimes. But you produce nothing to at least convict my elders, and accuse me who was born much later. "If then," he says, "you do not impute to me the deeds of my elders, why do you impute to me your deeds?" What are my deeds? "Because you are not with me." And what harm to you because I am not with you? Did I not say that I have a case against you, which my Lord has against you? Listen to Him speaking: He who is not with me is against me.

Conclusion of the sermon.

Therefore, beloved, as much as we could, and even beyond what perhaps we could, compelled by your eagerness to recall yesterday's sorrow, we have been more talkative than perhaps the weakness of standing, either ours or yours, required. But this I especially admonish and to this I rather conclude the speech, that, since I mentioned the Lord's saying not to be heedlessly heard: If you offer your gift at the altar, first go and be reconciled to your brother, let our hearts be reconciled to one another. First and foremost, do not think that either yesterday or at any time your bishop is angry with you out of hatred but out of love: what is due to you for Christ is never removed from his heart. Let yesterday's clouds clear up; not only the charity, which never departed, but also the former joy should be restored, so that we may be equally concerned, as we have exhorted you in Christ, to serve the weak for usefulness, not for harmful will. For, beloved, because we must serve the weak, when he perhaps asks for food or when he refuses food, that he be forced to take it with annoyance and anxiety or some importunity lest he die, because thus it is served to the weak, therefore it is not given to him, even if he asks for poison. Do not, therefore, become accustomed to the great evil of disobedience. Nor should anyone again say: "What then? Did we ask for poison because we wanted to move the pulpit from place to place?" Disobedience is poison, it first kills a man. Surely, brothers, do we blame this because you asked? Truly we speak to your charity because even if you had asked for a somewhat longer time, still asking you could not displease us, as you did displeasing in being angry and saying: "Let the masses be held." This is what we wish you to grieve. When you ask, if it seems fitting, it is granted to you; if it does not seem fitting, turn from the request to obedience; however, if you wish to break out into anger, into reproach, into lashing out at those who serve you in Christ with such great anxiety, now this is poison, if not death itself. Do not, brothers, we beg you, we beseech you; distinguish the church of God from theaters. Here all those things which are done wrongly in theaters are usually punished, usually healed, usually led to confession and penance, not introduced here. May God avert rising up, roaring, dominating here both from your hearts and from our grief, and may we always rejoice in your obedience.