No More Learning

22. Ver. 21. Save Me from the lion's mouth. You know
who the roaring lion going about, and seeking whom he Pet. may devour. And My humility from the horns of the '
unicorns. By unicorns, He would mean only the proud; therefore He added, My humility.
23. You have heard what His sufferings were, and what He prayed, that He might be delivered from them let us now give heed to the wherefore He suffered. Now then,
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l 58 The words of Christ here refute the Donatists.
Psalm brethren, consider: whoso is not in that lot, for which Christ
XXiI
Ex p. I I. suffered, wherefore is he a Christian? Lo, we know what He
suffered: His bones were numbered distinctly, He was mocked, His garments were divided, moreover the lot was cast upon His vesture, men in furiousness and raging stood around Him, and all His bones were scattered: we hear it here, and we read it in the Gospel. Let us see wherefore. O Christ, Son of God, if Thou hadst not willed Thou couldest not suffer; O shew us the fruit of Thy Passion. " Hear," saith He, " the fruit: I am not silent, but men are deaf. Hear," saith He, " the fruit, wherefore I suffered all these things. "
I will declare Thy Name to My brethren. Let us see whether He dIeclareth God's Name to His brethren in
Ver. 22.
any separate part.
will declare Thy Name to My brethren:
in the midst of the Church will I of
sing Thee. So is it accomplished now. But let us see what the Church is. For
He said, In the midst of the Church will I sing of Thee. Let us see the Church, for which He suffered.
24. Ver. 23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him. Where soever God is feared and praised, there is the Church of Christ. See, my brethren, whether in these days throughout the whole world it is said without a cause, Amen and Hal lelujah. Is not God feared there ? Is not God praised there ? Donatus has gone out, and says, " He is altogether not feared, the whole world is lost. " Without any reason thou sayest, The whole world is lost. Has then a small portion only remained in Africa? Doth Christ then say nothing, whereby to stop these men's mouths ? doth He say nothing, whereby to pluck out the tongues of such as speak thus ? . Let us see, if haply we may find. Still it is said to us, In the midst of the Church: He speaketh of our Church.
Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him: let us see, whether they praise the Lord; and let us understand, whether He speaketh of them, and whether in the midst of their Church He be praised. How do they praise Christ, who say, " He hath lost the whole world, the devil hath taken all from Him, and He hath remained in a part only? " But let us look farther; let Him declare Himself more openly, let Him speak more openly : let it not be a matter for interpretation,
The ' Church" He speaks of is not what they would make it. 159
or conjecture. All ye seed of Jacob, magnify Him. Perhaps Ver. they still say, " We are the seed of Jacob. " Let us see, 24' 25. whether they be.
25. " Let all the seed of Israel fear Him. Let them still say, We are the seed of Israel :" let us allow them, let them say it. (Ver. 24. ) Since He hath not despised nor disregarded the prayer of the poor. What poor ? Not they that rely upon themselves. Let us see, whether they be poor, who say, " We are the righteous. " Christ crieth out, Far
from My salvation are the words of My sins. But let them still say what they will. I Nor hath turned away His face from Me; and when cried unto Him, He heard Me.
Wherefore heard He ? to what purpose ?
26. Ver. 25. With Thee is My praise. With God He
hath put His praise : He hath taught us uot to rely on man.
Let them still say what they will. Already indeed they
begin to burn, the fire begins to draw nigh: there is none Ps. 19,6. may hide" himself from the heat thereof. But let them
still say, We too have put our praise with Him, we too
rely not on ourselves," let them still say so. In the great Church will I confess Thee. Now here I suppose He has
begun to touch the quick'. The great Church, Brethren, ' ccepit what is it? Is a scanty portion of the earth the great t^~? ? Church? The great Church is the whole world. Now if
one would wish to gainsay Christ, " Tell us, Thou hast
I will
Church? Thou art reduced to a morsel of Africa*, the
said, In the great Church
confess
Thee: what great
whole world Thou hast lost : Thou hast shed Thy Blood for the whole, but Thou hast suffered from the invader. " Thus
have we spoken to the Lord as if by way of inquiry ; yet knowing what we are about to say. Let us suppose that we do not know what He would say: doth not He answer us? " Peace, I will yet say what no one can raise a doubt about. " Let us await then what He is about to say. I would wish at once to pass sentence, and not admit men to give any other explanation, forasmuch as Christ saith, In the great Church. And you say, that He hath"continued in an extreme part. And they still dare to say, And ours is the great
? ? Ad frustum Africae remansisti. ' sit sola. ' ' For Thy fruit Africa hath Oxf. Mss. ' ad fructum Africa reman- remained alone. '
160 The 'poor,' that praise Ckrist,those who praise not themselves.
Psalm Church: what think you of Bagai and Tamugade*? " If He ETp. II. say not something to stop their mouths, let them still say,
that the great Church is Numidia only. / trill 27. Let us see, let us hear the Lord further :
offer my vows in the sight of them that fear Him. What are
His vows ? The sacrifice which He offered to God. Know ye what sacrifice ? The faithful know the vows which He offered in the sight of them that fear Him. For there follows, (ver. 26. ) The poor shall eat, and be filled. Blessed poor, who eat to the end that they may be filled. For it is the poor that eat. But they that are rich are not filled, because they are not hungry. The poor shall eat. From them came1 Peter the fisherman, from them came the other fishermen, John and James his brother, from them came too Matthew the publican. These were of the poor, who ate and were filled: having suffered such things as they ate. He gave His Supper", He gave His Passion: he is filled, wn0 imitates it. The poor imitated it : for they so suffered
i 0xf. M,s.
l thence did eat'
"Oxf. Mss.
Flesh. ' as to follow Christ's footsteps. The poor shall eat. But why poor ? And they shall praise the Lord, who seek Him. The rich praise themselves ; the poor praise the Lord. Why are they poor? Because they praise the Lord, and seek the Lord. The Lord is the riches of the poor. For therefore is the house empty, that the heart may be full of riches. Let the rich seek wherewith to fill their chest; the poor seek wherewith to fill their heart : and when they have filled they praise the Lord, who seek Him. And see, Brethren, wherein they, that are truly poor, are rich that
not in the chest, not in the garner, not in the storehouse Their hearts shall live for ever and ever.
28. Now then give heed. The Lord hath suffered; all that ye have heard hath the Lord suffered. We ask, why He suffered and He begins to declare will declare Thy name to My brethren; in the midst of the Church will
sing of Thee. But they still say, " This the Church. " Let all the seed Lsrael fear Him. They say, " We are the seed of Israel. " Since He hath not despised, "nor dis regarded the prayer of the poor. Still they say, We are they. " Nor hath He turned away His face from Me. Christ the Lord Himself hath not turned away His face
Two of the principal towns of the Donatists.
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Christ won not Africa alone, but ' all the ends of the earth. ' 161
from Himself, that is, from His Church, which is His Body. With Thee is My praise. Ye would praise yourselves. But
Ver.
they answer, " Nay, without a doubt we too praise Him. "
offer My vows unto the Lord,in thesight ofthem thatfear Him. The sacrifice of peace, the sacrifice of love, the sacrifice of His Body the faithful know : on this I cannot now enlarge. / will offer My vows in the sight of them that fear Him. Let the publicans eat, let the fishermen eat, let them feed,
let them imitate the Lord, let them suffer, let them be filled. The Lord Himself hath died, the poor die also; and the death of the disciples is added to the death of the Master. Wherefore? Give Me the fruit. (V er. 27. ) All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord. See here, Brethren !
Why ask ye of me, what answer we should give to Donatus' party? Look at the Psalm: both among us it is read to-day, and among them it is read to-day. Let us write it on our foreheads, let us go
I will
forth with " let not our tongue keep silence, let repeat the words See, Christ hath suffered see, the Merchant displayeth His gains; see, the price which He gave, His Blood was shed. In scrip He bare our price: He was smitten with spear, the scrip was rent, and the price of the whole world flowed forth. What answerest thou, heretic Is not the price of the whole world
Hath Africa only been redeemed Thou darest not say, The whole world
was redeemed, but lost. ' From what spoiler's hand hath Christ so suffered, as to lose His own possession Lo, All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord. " Let this satisfy thee', and let Him speak. Had he said the ends of the earth, and not all the borders the earth: they had been able to say, " Lo, we have the ends of the earth in Mauritania. " He said, All the borders of the earth, heretic, he said, all. What outlet there for thee to escape the difficulty Outlet hast thou none, but thou hast whereby to enter.
29. appeal to you am unwilling to enlarge upon this, lest should be said, that my words are of any influence
Adbuc satiet te, et dicat. al. adhuc dicant. ' H
attend to the Psalm, read the Psalm.
suffered, His Blood hath been shed: lo, our Redeemer;
Lo, Christ hath thus far let them speak. '
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l 62 Donatists urged by the Books they claimed to have kept.
Psalm our Price. Let me be told, what hath He bought ? Why Exp. ii. do we ask? What if one say to me, "why, O foolish ~man, dost thou ask ? Thou hast the volume in thine hands: thou hast therein wherewith He bought, seek therein what He bought. Lo, there thou hast, All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord. " For
the borders of the earth shall remember themselves. But heretics have forgotten, and therefore do they hear it every
Do they give ear to this, think ye, when their reader says, All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and turn to the Lord? Well, perchance it is but one verse : thy thoughts were elsewhere, thou wast talking idly with thy brother, when he spoke thus: mark, how he repeats and knocks at deaf men's ears And all the kindreds of the
nations shall worship in His sight.
He still deaf, he does not hear: let the knocking be repeated. (Ver. 28. ) For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations. Remember these three verses, Brethren. To-day have they been sung even among them or may be they have erased them. Believe me, my Brethren, am so embarassed, am so pressed, that am astonished at this strange deafness and hardness of their hearts, that sometimes doubt, whether they have in their copies. All run to-day to the Church, all to-day attentively listen to this Psalm, all listen with
uplifted heart. But suppose that they are not attentive
one verse only, All the borders of the earth shall remember
themselves, and be turned to the Lord? Thou art awaking, but art still rubbing thine eyes: And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight. Shake off sleep, thou art still drowsy listen: For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations.
too let
be burnt What did ye preserve Open, read thou
year.
30. Whether they have any thing yet to allege, know not: let them contend with the Scriptures, not with us. See the volume itself, let them contend against it. Where is
Oxf. their saying " We preserved the Scriptures from being 'There burnt? " They have been preserved, whereby thou mayest
and thou dost impugn them. Why pre- servedst thou from the flames, what thou wouldest destroy
con- didst preserve,
'eod''
p. 159. with the tongue do not believe, do not believe, that
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Holy Writ, Christ's Testament, marks out His Inheritance. 163
thou preservedst them; I do not at all believe it; thou didst Ver. not preserve them. Most truly do our party say, that thou. 28 didst deliver them up. He is proved to be the deliverer oftraditor them up, who when on reading the Testament doth not follow it. See, it is read, and I follow ; it is read, and thou refusest to follow. Whose hand hath cast them into the flames ? He that believes and follows, or he that grieves
that there is aught to be read ? I do not wish to know who may have preserved them : in what place soever the volume hath been found, from what cave soever, our Father's testa ment hath come to light, for some thieves or oiher* wished to take it away, some persecutors or other wished to burn it: from what place soever it hath been brought forth, let it be read. Why dost thou quarrel ? We are Brethren, why do we quarrel ? The Father hath not died intestate. He hath made a Testament, and so died : He died, and rose again. So long does the dispute touching the inherit ance of the dead last, until the Testament is publicly produced ; and when the Testament has been publicly pro duced, all are silent, that the instrument may be opened and
read: the judge listens with attention, the advocates hold their peace, the heralds procure silence, every body is in suspense that the words of the deceased, unconscious in the tomb, may be read. He lies without consciousness in the tomb, and his words have force. Christ sitteth in heaven ; and is His Testament gainsaid ? Open, let us read. We are Brethren, why do we contend together? Let us calm our temper, the Father hath not left us without a Testament. He Who made the Testament, liveth for ever : He heareth our words,
He recogniseth His own '. Let us read; why do we quarrel ? ' suan> When the whole inheritance shall have been found, let us
hold to it. Open the Testament, read in the very beginning
of the Psalter itself, Ask of Me. But who speaketh ? Perad- Ps. 2, 8.
I, The Lord said unto ib. 7. venture not Christ. You have there
Son. What then saith He to His Son ? Ask of Me, and will give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the bounds of the earth for Thy possession. It is usual, Brethren,
* ' Nescio qui. ' Perhaps here, ' no matter what thieves. ' M2
Me, Thou art My Son, this day have
begotten Thee. The Son of God then speaketh, or the Father speaketh to HisI
164 No limits to Christ's possession. Wrangling for power. ,
Psalm when there is a question of possession, for the borderers to &sp. II. be sought. Between this and that borderer, the heir is sought out, either to whom it is given, or who has bought it.
Between what borderers is he sought? Between h this and that man in possession. He who hath left all borders, hath left no borderers. Wheresoever thou turnest thyself, Christ is. Thou hast the borders of the earth for thine inheritance ;
come hither, with me possess the whole. Why by quarrel ling dost thou call to a part only ? Come hither; to thine own good thou shalt be conquered, thou shalt have the whole. Dost thou wrangle still ?
I have already read the Testament, and thou wranglest. Art thou still wrangling,
because He said, the borders of the earth, and not, all the borders of the earth? Let us read on then. How does it
All the borders
selves, and turn to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight. For the kingdom is the
Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations. His it is, not yours. Acknowledge ye the Lord : acknowledge the Lord's possession.
3 1 . But ye again because ye would possess your goods privately, and not in common unity, and with Christ, (for ye wish to rule on earth yourselves, not to reign with Him in heaven,) ye have your own houses. And sometimes we come to them, saying, " Let us seek the truth, let us find the truth. " They answer, " Keep what you have: thou hast thy sheep, I have mine ; forbear to meddle with my sheep, for I do not meddle with thine. " Thanks be to God ; the sheep are mine ; the sheep are His ! What hath Christ bought ? Nay, let them be neither mine, nor thine ; but His
l Cor. 3, Who hath bought them, His Who hath marked them. Neither is he that planteth any thing, nor he that watereth; but God
Who giveth the increase. Why have I mine, and thou
stand ?
of
the earth shall remember them
If Christ be there, let mine go thither, for they are not mine : if Christ be here, let thine come hither, for they are not thine. Let us kiss head and hands for possessions,
b Oxf. Mss. ' Inter affines ; ilium et That the heir, or he who receives by
thine ?
ilium. Neerret hffires, aut cui donatnr,
aut qui emit, quserit inter quos affines
inter ilium et ilium possidentes. Qui
admisit 'omnes fines, nullos dimisit in all borders, has left no borderers. ' affines. ' Between so and so, borderers.
gift or purchase, may not err, he asks between what borderers P Between so and so, proprietors. He, Who has taken
The Donatists falsely call their possessions Christs. 165
and let the strange children perish'. " It is not my pos- Ver. session," he says. What is this ? Let us see whether it be ---- not thy possession, let us see whether thou dost not claim
it for thyself. I labour for the name of Christ, thou for the
name of Donatus. For if thou look to Christ, Christ is every
where. Thou sayest, Lo, here is Christ: I say, He is through- Mat. 24,
out the world. Praise the Lord, ye servants; praise
Name of the Lord. Wherefrom do they praise ? Where- 1. 3. unto do they praise ? From the rising of the sun unto the
going down thereof, praise ye the Name of the Lord. See the Church which I shew to you, see what Christ hath bought, see what He hath redeemed, see for what He hath given His blood. But what sayest thou ? "
I gather for
Him too. " He that gathereth not with Me, Christ saith, Mat. 12
theP^n3
scattereth. Thou dividest unity, thou seekest thine own30.
And why have they Christ's Name ? Because for the defence of thine own possession thou hast affixed Christ's titles. Do not some do the same with their own houses ? Lest some powerful person should attack his house, he affixes thereon the title of some powerful one, a false title. He would be himself the owner, and would have the front of his house protected by another man's title: that on reading the title one may be scared at the power of the name, and abstain from attacking the house. This they did when they condemned the Maximianists0. They pleaded before judges, and adduced their own council; as it were, shewing their titles, that they might appear to be Bishops. Then the
possessions.
judged asked, " Who is the other Bishop here, of the party of Donatus ? " The official answered, " We know none but Aurelius the Catholic. " In fear of the laws they made answer of one Bishop only. But they, that they might gain the ear of the judge, affixed Christ's Name : on their own
possession they affixed His title. Gracious is the Lord to spare them, and claim that for His own possession, where soever He findeth His title. Powerful is His mercy, Who doeth that for them, Who gathereth together, whomsoever
c ' Propter possessions osculentur
nobis caput et manus et pereant filii
alieni. ' Perhaps, ' so far as possession
is concerned, let our people kiss one of whom is given by St. Augustine, in another, head and hands, and let there Serm. II. on Ps. 37, (Lat. 36. ) ? . 20. be an end of aliens. ' But the meaning See also Labbe, Cone. II. 1089. 1153.
is ohscure,
d The Maximianists were a party
among the Donatists, a fuller account
166 Christ claims to take the house that claims to be His.
Psalm He findeth bearing the name of Christ. And consider, '. Brethren, when any powerful one findeth his title, doth he not justly claim it for his own and say, " He would not
sacra- menta
affix my title, unless it were my property ? He hath affixed my title, it is my property: that, whereon I find my name, is mine. " Does he change the title ? The title is the very same as before : the owner is changed, the title is not changed. So also with those that have the baptism of Christ, if they return to unity, we do not change or destroy their title ; but we acknowledge the title of our King, the title of our Captain. But what do we say? O wretched house, may He own thee, Whose title thou bearest: thou bearest Christ's title ; be not the possession of Donatus.
32. We have spoken at great length, Brethren; but let not that, which is read to-day, depart from your recollec tion. Lo, I repeat it, and often must it be repeated: by this very day, that is, by the mysteries of this day, I adjure you that it go not out of your hearts, All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship in His sight. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He shall rule over the nations. Against so clear and so manifestly proven a possession of Christ, listen not to the words of the wrangler. Whatever they say to gainsay they are men that say
but this God saith.
PSALM XXIII. A Psalm of David himself.
The Church speaks to Christ: (ver. I. ) The Lord feedeth me, and shall lack nothing. The Lord Jesus
Lat. XXII.
Christ my Shepherd, and shall lack nothing.
2. Ver. 2. In a place of pasture there hath He placed me. 1pascua>In place of fresh pasture, leading me to faith there hath
enta. "
He placed me to be nourished. By the water of refreshing hath He brought me up. By the water of baptism, whereby they are refreshed who have lost health and strength, hath He brought me up.
3. Ver. 3. He hath converted my soul He hath led me forth in the paths of righteousness, for His Name's sake.
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Christ our Shepherd, Guide, and support through death. 167
He hath brought me forth in the narrow ways, wherein few Ver.
walk, of His righteousness ; not for uiy merit's sake, but for
His Name's sake. I 4. Ver. 4. Yea, though
--
walk in the midst
of death. Yea, though I walk in the midst of this life, which
/ will no evil, Thou art fear for
is the shadow of death.
with me. I will fear no evil, for Thou dwellest in my heart by faith : and Thou art now with me, that after the shadow of death I too may be with Thee. Thy rod and Thy staff, they have comforted me. Thy discipline, like a rod for a flock of sheep, and like a staff for children of some size, and growing out of the natural into spiritual life, they have not been grievous to me ; rather have they comforted me : because Thou art mindful of me.