BOOK THE FIRST
V. The Nature of Parmenian’s book.
For what can be more to our purpose than your argument from the fact that there was only one Flood —-the type of Baptism? And, in maintaining that the one 47 Circumcision availed for the salvation of the people of the Jews, you have written in defence of our doctrine, as though you were one of us. For this is our argument, who defend the Unity of Baptism conferred in [the Name of] the Trinity.48 It is not an argument in favour of you, who dare to repeat, against |12 the laws,49 that Baptism, of which the one Flood and one Circumcision are typical. And this, although you yourselves would not deny that what has been commanded to be done once only, ought not to be repeated. But whilst you have praised with acuteness that which is worthy of all praise,50 you have by a quibble introduced your own persons, as if—-since it is only lawful once [to baptise]—-for you it were lawful, for others unlawful.51
BOOK THE SECOND
V. The Donatist Authors of Schism, Foes of Peace.
Thus do you repudiate the blessedness deserved by him who walked not in the counsel of the wicked, and did not stand in the way of sinners, and sat not on the Chair of Pestilence.65 Your fathers walked in the counsel of the ungodly, to divide the Church. They also walked in the way of sinners, when they strove to divide Christ, whose garments not even the Jews would rend, though the Apostle Paul cries out and says:
‘Is then Christ divided?’ 66
BOOK THE THIRD
II. These things happened to the Donatists through the just punishment of God.
Besides, He does not say ‘in Sion,’ 34 for it is not |126 in the whole of Sion,35 but only in its valley 36 that judgements were delivered. Not that Mount Sion which in Syrian Palestine is separated by only a small river from the walls of Jerusalem,37 on the summit of which there is not the great plain, on which were 38 the seven synagogues, whither the Jewish people might assemble and learn the law given to Moses—-but where no lawsuits were heard and no judgements were given by any, for it was a place of teaching, not of controversial discussion. (If anything of this sort had to be done, it was done within the walls of Jerusalem.) Therefore was it written in Isaiah the prophet:
‘The Law shall go forth from Sion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ 39 |127
X. It is shown from Ezekiel that the severity employed against the Donatists was by the will of God.
On this account false prophets are said to have made a wall, and if a door be placed 243 in this wall, anyone who enters through that door is [still] outside.244 Nor can a single wall have the Corner Stone—-the Stone which is Christ, who, receiving into Himself two peoples—-Gentiles and Jews—-joins both walls with the bond of peace.245
BOOK THE FOURTH
VII. In what sense it has been said: Let not the oil of the sinner anoint My Head.
His fellows had been the priests and kings of the Jews, each of whom was known to have been anointed |197 by men. But, since it was right that the Son should be anointed by the Father—-God by God—-as the Son asked and the Spirit announced that it had been promised—-this the Father fulfilled in the Jordan. For when the Son of God, our Saviour, came there, He was pointed out to John with these words 81:
‘Behold the Lamb of God; He it is who taketh away the sins of the world.’ 82
IX. That a certain passage in Jeremiah is to be understood of the idolatrous Jews.
In your love for bringing charges, you have twisted round everything so as to abuse Catholics, and, to suit your own purposes, you have attempted to digress a great deal according to your own whims.90 For if you imagine that everything which has been written by the Prophets belongs to our own times, you are making excuses for the Jews, concerning whom it is certain that it was written, that they forsook the Living God, the True God, the God who had bestowed His Blessings upon them, and made for themselves idols—-that is to say, broken cisterns, which can hold no water.
BOOK THE FIFTH
I. From Parmenian’s own principles it follows that Baptism is One.
And this, my brother Parmenian, you do not deny, since at the beginning of your treatise you have said many things which are on our side, and tell for us, but against you.7 Thus with reference to Baptism, you have mentioned that there was only one Flood, and only one Circumcision for the people of the Jews. But although you dealt with these subjects at the beginning of your oration,8 as the sermon was developed 9 you soon forgot all about them, and introduced two waters; so you made a silly commencement to your argument, for you knew that you were going on to discuss the true water and the false.10
You strengthen the oneness of Holy Baptism, when trying to weaken it 11; for you have wished to lay as it were a foundation, with regard to the Jewish Circumcision, that the Baptism of Christians had been foreshadowed in the Circumcision of the Hebrews. In this way you have defended, whilst attacking, the Catholic Church. As your treatise progressed, you claimed to empty of value one kind of Baptism,12 that you might fill the other to the full.13 By saying |205 that (apart from the Baptism of heretics14), there is one Baptism and yet a second,15 you could not deny—-although you have tried to show that they are different 16 —-that they are two; when you endeavoured to remove one of these,17 you laboured to treat the second 18 as though it were the first.19 But before the coming of Baptism, Circumcision was sent forward in advance in a figure. Yet you have maintained that there are amongst Christians two waters. Show then that there are also two Circumcisions amongst the Jews—-of which one was the better, the other the worse. If you search for this, you will not be able to find it. The family 20 of Abraham—-by descent from whom men are judged to be Jews—-glory in being marked with this seal. Therefore the truth ought afterwards to follow, like in character to its figure,21 which was sent on before. For God too, who wished to show that the reality to come (when the truth should follow the type) must be something unique,22 |206 willed not that anything should be removed from the ear, nor from the finger; but that part of the body was chosen where what had been once cut away 23 should leave them with a sign that is to our point, because it cannot be removed a second time. For when this is done once it preserves health; if done again it may do harm. Similarly, Christian Baptism, effected by the Trinity,24 confers grace; if it be repeated it causes loss of life.
III. That Baptism is not to be repeated.
the souls of the multitude hesitate and sway backwards and forwards.64 Let no one believe either you or us. We are all like litigants in a suit.65 Judges must be sought for. If they are to be Christians, they cannot be provided by either side, because truth is impeded by party spirit.66 A judge must be sought for from outside. If he is to be a Pagan, he cannot know the Christian secrets.67 If he is to be a Jew, he is an enemy of Christian Baptism. Therefore, concerning this matter no judgement can be found on earth; we have to seek a Judge from heaven. But why need we knock at heaven’s gate, when we have at hand in the Gospel a testament?
And thus did He make His declaration concerning that washing 81 which he had commanded to be done through the Trinity 82—-not concerning that of Jews or heretics, who, whilst they wash, defile,83 but concerning the holy water which flows from the fountains of the Three Names.84
BOOK THE SIXTH
I. The wickedness of the Donatists in breaking or scraping the altars.
By thus acting you have imitated the Jews. They laid hands upon Christ on the cross; you have struck Him upon the altar.17 If you wished to attack Catholics at these altars, there 18 you might have spared at least your own former sacrifices.19
BOOK THE SEVENTH
I. That the Donatists can be received back into the Communion of the Church more easily than could have been their fathers who were guilty of Betrayal.
So to-day we find quite a new state of affairs, since we have to deal, not with them, but with you. Although it appears that a stain has passed from them to you by inheritance, nevertheless you cannot on this ground be held guilty together with your fathers, according to the Judgement of God, who has spoken by Ezekiel the prophet, saying:
‘The soul of the father is Mine, and Mine is the soul of the son. The soul that sinneth, shall be punished alone.’ 12
And this was proved even in ancient times—-at the very beginning of the world,13 in that his father’s sin did not belong to Seth, the son of Adam.14 And |278 that no one might say that in another place it was written by the Lord that He would
‘punish the sins of the fathers even unto the fourth generation’ 15 —-
—-these are undoubtedly both words 16 of God, but both do not refer to one people. The first was said through Moses to a definite set of men, the second through Ezekiel to a different class. God, since He knew that the Jews would declare to Pontius Pilate:
‘His Blood be upon us, and upon our children,’ 17
in His foreknowledge saw that what they would say, was, in comparison with the greatness of their sin, but little, and threatened the Jews themselves, in order that their crime might be expiated by adequate 18 penalties, saying that He would punish the offences of the fathers even to the fourth generation. So this word 19 belongs in a particular way to the Jews, and to them alone; but the other, in which God has deigned |279 to promise not to punish in sons any sins of their fathers, nor in fathers any faults perchance committed by their sons, belongs to Christians. 20
Source. Tertullian.org – Translated by REV. O. R. VASSALL-PHILLIPS, B.A. Optatus of Milevis, Against the Donatists (1917).