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if, not content with living at home in the prac- would be restrained by it from the abuses detice of these works of the flesh, they even wished nounced. by them, forsooth, to honour the church, and to fill the whole area of so large a place of worship, if they were permitted, with crowds of revellers and drunkards: and yet would not present to God those fruits of the Spirit which, by the authority of Scripture, and by my groans, they were called to yield, and by the offering of which they would most suitably celebrate the saints' days.

Ezekiel's prophecy that the watchman has delivered his own soul if he has given warning, even though the persons warned refuse to give heed to him, I would shake my garments and depart. But then the Lord showed me that He leaves us not alone, and taught me how He encourages us to trust Him; for before the time at which I had to ascend the pulpit,3 the very persons of whose complaint against interference with long-established custom I had heard came to me. Receiving them kindly, I by a few words brought them round to a right opinion; and when it came to the time for my discourse, having laid aside the lecture which I had prepared as now unnecessary, I said a few things concerning the question mentioned above, "Wherefore now prohibit this custom?" saying that to those who might propose it the briefest and best answer would be this: "Let us now at last put down what ought to have been earlier prohibited."

8. Next morning, however, when the day dawned, which so many were accustomed to devote to excess in eating and drinking, I received notice that some, even of those who were present when I preached, had not yet desisted from complaint, and that so great was the power of detestable custom with them, that, using no other argument, they asked, "Wherefore is this now prohibited? Were they not Christians who 7. This being finished, I returned the manu- in former times did not interfere with this pracscript; and being asked to speak,' I set before tice?" On hearing this, I knew not what more their eyes with all my might, as the danger itself powerful means for influencing them I could deconstrained me, and as the Lord was pleased to vise; but resolved, in the event of their judging give strength, the danger shared by them who it proper to persevere, that after reading in were committed to my care, and by me, who must give account to the Chief Shepherd, and implored them by His humiliation, by the unparalleled insults, the buffetings and spitting on the face which He endured, by His pierced hands and crown of thorns, and by His cross and blood, to have pity on me at least, if they were displeased with themselves, and to consider the inexpressible love cherished towards me by the aged and venerable Valerius, who had not scrupled to assign to me for their sakes the perilous burden of expounding to them the word of truth, and had often told thern that in my coming here his prayers were answered; not rejoicing, surely, that I had come to share or to behold the death of our hearers, but rejoicing that I had come to share his labours for their eternal life. In conclusion, I told them that I was resolved to trust in Him who cannot lie, and who has given us a promise by the mouth of the prophet, saying of our Lord Jesus Christ, "If His children forsake my law, and walk not 9. Lest, however, any slight should seem to be in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and put by us on those who, before our time, either keep not my commandments; then will I visit tolerated or did not dare to put down such manitheir transgression with the rod, and their iniquity fest excesses of an undisciplined multitude, I with stripes: nevertheless my loving-kindness explained to them the circumstances out of will I not utterly take from Him."2 I declared, which this custom seems to have necessarily therefore, that I put my trust in Him, that if risen in the Church, namely, that when, in they despised the weighty words which had now the peace which came after such numerous and been read and spoken to them, He would visit violent persecutions, crowds of heathen who them with the rod and with stripes, and not wished to assume the Christian religion were leave them to be condemned with the world. kept back, because, having been accustomed to In this appeal I put forth all the power in celebrate the feasts connected with their worthought and utterance which, in an emergency ship of idols in revelling and drunkenness, they so great and hazardous, our Saviour and Ruler could not easily refrain from pleasures so hurtwas pleased to supply. I did not move them ful and so habitual, it had seemed good to our to weep by first weeping myself; but while these ancestors, making for the time a concession to things were being spoken, I own that, moved by this infirmity, to permit them to celebrate, inthe tears which they began to shed, I myself stead of the festivals which they renounced, could not refrain from following their example. other feasts in honour of the holy martyrs, which And when we had thus wept together, I con- were observed, not as before with a profane cluded my sermon with full persuasion that they design, but with similar self-indulgence.

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added that now upon them, as persons bound II. In the afternoon a greater number assemtogether in the name of Christ, and submissive bled than in the forenoon, and there was readto the yoke of His august authority, the wholesome restraints of sobriety were laid-restraints with which the honour and fear due to Him who appointed them should move them to comply and that therefore the time had now come in which all who did not dare to cast off the Christian profession should begin to walk according to Christ's will; and being now confirmed Christians, should reject those concessions to infirmity which were made only for a time in order to their becoming such.

ing and praise alternately up to the hour at which I went out in company with the bishop; and after our coming two psalms were read. Then the old man [Valerius] constrained me by his express command to say something to the people; from which I would rather have been excused, as I was longing for the close of the anxieties of the day. I delivered a short discourse in order to express our gratitude to God. And as we heard the noise of the feasting, which was going on as usual in the church of the here10. I then exhorted them to imitate the ex- tics, who still prolonged their revelry while we ample of the churches beyond the sea, in some were so differently engaged, I remarked that the of which these practices had never been toler- beauty of day is enhanced by contrast with the ated, while in others they had been already put night, and that when anything black is near, down by the people complying with the counsel the purity of white is the more pleasing; and of good ecclesiastical rulers; and as the ex- that, in like manner, our meeting for a spiritual amples of daily excess in the use of wine in the feast might perhaps have been somewhat less church of the blessed Apostle Peter were brought forward in defence of the practice, I said in the first place, that I had heard that these excesses had been often forbidden, but because the place was at a distance from the bishop's control, and because in such a city the multitude of carnallyminded persons was great, the foreigners especially, of whom there is a constant influx, clinging to that practice with an obstinacy proportioned to their ignorance, the suppression of so great an evil had not yet been possible. If, however, I continued, we would honour the Apostle Peter, we ought to hear his words, and look much more to the epistles by which his mind is made known to us, than to the place of worship, by which it is not made known; and immediately taking the manuscript, I read his own words: "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, 12. I have thus related as concisely as I could and abominable idolatries." After this, when that which I am sure you longed to hear. Pray I saw that all were with one consent turning to that God may be pleased to protect our efforts a right mind, and renouncing the custom against from giving offence or provoking odium in any which I had protested, I exhorted them to as- way. In the tranquil prosperity which you ensemble at noon for the reading of God's word joy we do with lively warmth of affection parand singing of psalms; stating that we had re- ticipate in no small measure, when tidings so solved thus to celebrate the festival in a way much more accordant with purity and piety; and that, by the number of worshippers who should assemble for this purpose, it would plainly appear who were guided by reason, and who were the slaves of appetite. With these words the discourse concluded.

11 Pet. iv. 1-3.

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sweet to us, but for the contrast of the carnal excesses in which the others indulged; and I exhorted them to desire eagerly such feasts as we then enjoyed, if they had tasted the goodness of the Lord. At the same time, I said that those may well be afraid who seek anything which shall one day be destroyed as the chief object of their desire, seeing that every one shares the portion of that which he worships; a warning expressly given by the apostle to such, when he says of them their "god is their belly,"2 inasmuch as he has elsewhere said, "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God shall destroy both it and them." 3 I added that it is our duty to seek that which is imperishable, which, far removed from carnal affections, is obtained through sanctification of the spirit ; and when those things which the Lord was pleased to suggest to me had been spoken on this subject as the occasion required, the daily evening exercises of worship were performed; and when with the bishop I retired from the church, the brethren said a hymn there, a considerable multitude remaining in the church, and engaging in praise even till daylight failed.

frequently reach us of the gifts possessed by the highly spiritual church of Thagaste. The ship bringing our brethren has not yet arrived. At Hasna, where our brother Argentius is presbyter, the Circumcelliones, entering our church,

2 Phil. iii. 19.
31 Cor. vi. 13.
4 Psallente.

demolished the altar. The case is now in spirit, which is the inner man, we are as it were process of trial; and we earnestly ask your acquainted with you. Nor is it strange that prayers that it may be decided in a peaceful way, and as becomes the Catholic Church, so as to silence the tongues of turbulent heretics. I have sen. a letter to the Asiarch.'

Brethren most blessed, may ye persevere in the Lord, and remember us. Amen.

LETTER XXX.

(A.D. 396.)

This letter of Paulinus was written before receiving a

reply to his former letter, No. 27, p. 248.

TO AUGUSTIN, OUR LORD AND HOLY AND BELOVED
BROTHER, PAULINUS AND THERASIA, SINNERS,
SEND GREETING.

though distant we are near, though unknown we are well known to each other; for we are members of one body, having one Head, enjoying the effusion of the same grace, living by the same bread, walking in the same way, and dwelling in the same home. In short, in all that makes up our being, in the whole faith and hope by which we stand in the present life, or labour for that which is to come, -we are both in the spirit and in the body of Christ so united, that if we fell from this union we would cease to be.

3. How small a thing, therefore, is that which Our bodily separation denies to us!— for it is nothing more than one of those fruits that gratify the eyes, which are occupied only with the things of time. And yet, perhaps, we should not num1. My beloved brother in Christ the Lord, ber this pleasure which in the body we enjoy having through your holy and pious works come among the blessings which are only in time to know you without your knowledge, and to see the portion of spiritual men, to whose bodies the you though absent long ago, my mind embraced resurrection will impart immortality; as we, you with unreserved affection, and I hastened to though in ourselves unworthy, are bold to expect, secure the gratification of hearing you through through the merit of Christ and the mercy of familiar brotherly exchange of letters. I believe God the Father. Wherefore I pray that the also that by the Lord's hand and favour my grace of God by our Lord Jesus Christ may letter has reached you; but as the youth whom, grant unto us this favour too, that we may yet before winter, we had sent to salute you and others equally loved in God's name, has not returned, we could no longer either put off what we feel to be our duty, or restrain the vehemence of our desire to hear from you. If, then, my former letter has been found worthy to reach you, this is the second; if, however, it was not so fortunate as to come to your hand, accept this as the first.

see your face. Not only would this bring great gratification to our desires; but by it illumination would be brought to our minds, and our poverty would be enriched by your abundance. This indeed you may grant to us even while we are absent from you, especially on the present occasion, through our sons Romanus and Agilis, beloved and most dear to us in the Lord (whom as our second selves we commend to you), when 2. But, my brother, judging all things as a they return to us in the Lord's name, after fulspiritual man, do not estimate our love to you filling the labour of love in which they are enby the duty which we render, or the frequency gaged; in which work we beg that they may of our letters. For the Lord, who everywhere, especially enjoy the goodwill of your Charity. as one and the same, worketh His love in His For you know what high rewards the Most High own, is witness that, from the time when, by the promises to the brother who gives his brother kindness of the venerable bishops Aurelius and help. If you are pleased to impart to me any Alypius, we came to know you through your gift of the grace that has been bestowed on you, writings against the Manichæans, love for you you may safely do it through them; for, believe has taken such a place in us, that we seemed me, they are of one heart and of one mind with not so much to be acquiring a new friendship as us in the Lord. May the grace of God always reviving an old affection. Now at length we abide as it is with you, O brother beloved, venaddress you in writing; and though we are erable, most dear, and longed for in Christ the novices in expressing, we are not novices in Lord! Salute on our behalf all the saints in feeling love to you; and by communion of the Christ who are with you, for doubtless such 1 A magistrate who was also charged with the affairs pertaining attach themselves to your fellowship; commend to the protection of religion The title belonged primarily to those us to them all, that they may, along with yourwho in the province of Asia had charge of the games.- Codex Theodosianus, xv. 9.

self, remember us in prayer.

SECOND DIVISION.

LETTERS WHICH WERE WRITTEN BY AUGUSTIN AFTER HIS BECOMING BISHOP OF HIPPO, AND BEFORE THE CONFERENCE HELD WITH THE DONATISTS AT CARTHAGE, AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE HERESY OF PELAGIUS IN AFRICA (A.D. 396–410).

LETTER XXXI.
(A.D. 396.)

it may be, enjoys no benefit itself from what it contains, though it may be unfolded with great benefit to others; but, in reading this letter of TO BROTHER PAULINUS AND TO SISTER THERASIA, yours—namely, the minds of these brethrenMOST BELOVED AND SINCERE, TRULY MOST when conversing with them, we found that the BLESSED AND MOST EMINENT FOR THE VERY blessedness of those upon whom you had written ABUNDANT GRACE OF GOD BESTOWED ON THEM,

AUGUSTIN SENDS GREETING IN THE LORD.

was manifestly proportioned to the fulness with which they had been written upon by you. In order, therefore, to attain to the same blessedness, we transcribed in our own hearts what was written in theirs, by most eager questioning as to everything concerning you.

Therefore

were it

1. ALTHOUGH in my longing to be without delay near you in one sense, while still remote in another, I wished much that what I wrote in answer to your former letter (if, indeed, any letter of mine deserves to be called an answer 3. Notwithstanding all this, it is with deep to yours) should go with all possible expedition regret that we consent to their so soon leaving to your Grace,' my delay has brought me the us, even to return to you. For observe, I beadvantage of a second letter from you. The seech you, the conflicting emotions by which we Lord is good, who often withholds what we de- are agitated. Our obligation to let them go sire, that He may add to it what we would prewithout delay was increased according to the fer. For it is one pleasure to me that you will vehemence of their desire to obey you; but the write me on receiving my letter, and it is an- greater the vehemence of this desire in them, other that, through not receiving it at once, you the more completely did they set you forth have written now. The joy which I have felt in as almost present with us, because they let us reading this letter would have been lost to me see how tender your affections are. if my letter to your Holiness had been quickly our reluctance to let them go increased with our conveyed to you, as I intended and earnestly sense of the reasonableness of their urgency to desired. But now, to have this letter, and to be permitted to go. Oh insupportable trial, expect a reply to my own, multiplies my satis- were it not that by such partings we are not, faction. The blame of the delay cannot be laid after all, separated from each other,to my charge; and the Lord, in His more abun- not that we are "members of one body, having dant kindness, has done that which He judged one Head, enjoying the effusion of the same to be more conducive to my happiness. grace, living by the same bread, walking in the 2. We welcomed with great gladness in the same way, and dwelling in the same home!"? Lord the holy brothers Romanus and Agilis, You recognise these words, I suppose, as quoted who were, so to speak, an additional letter from from your own letter; and why should not I also you, capable of hearing and answering our voices, use them? Why should they be yours any more whereby most agreeably your presence was in than mine, seeing that, inasmuch as they are part enjoyed by us, although only to make us true, they proceed from communion with the long the more eagerly to see you. It would be same head? And in so far as they contain someat all times and in every way impossible for you thing that has been specially given to you, I have to give, and unreasonable for us to ask, as much so loved them the more on that account, that information from you concerning yourself by they have taken possession of the way leading letter as we received from them by word of through my breast, and would suffer no words to mouth. There was manifest also in them (what pass from my heart to my tongue until they went no paper could convey) such delight in telling first, with the priority which is due to them as us of you, that by their very countenance and yours. My brother and sister, holy and beloved eyes while they spoke, we could with unspeak- in God, members of the same body with us, able joy read you written on their hearts. Moreover, a sheet of paper, of whatever kind it be, and however excellent the things written upon

1 Charitas.

who could doubt that we are animated by one spirit, except those who are strangers to that affection by which we are bound to each other? 4. Yet I am curious to know whether you 2 Letter XXX. p. 257.

bear with more patience and ease than I do their ships and their nets at the Lord's comthis bodily separation. If it be so, I do not, mand, but also in declaring that they had left I confess, take any pleasure in your fortitude all and followed Him. And truly he despises in this respect, unless perhaps because of its all who despises not only all that he was able, reasonableness, seeing that I confess myself but also all that he was desirous to possess. much less worthy of your affectionate longing What may have been desired is seen only by than you are of mine. At all events, if I found the eyes of God; what was actually possessed in myself a power of bearing your absence pa- is seen also by the eyes of men. Moreover, tiently, this would displease me, because it would when things trivial and earthly are loved by us, make me relax my efforts to see you; and what we are somehow more firmly wedded to what could be more absurd than to be made indolent we have than to what we desire to have. For by power of endurance? But I beg to acquaint whence was it that he who sought from the your Charity with the ecclesiastical duties by Lord counsel as to the way of eternal life, went which I am kept at home, inasmuch as the away sorrowful upon hearing that, if he would blessed father Valerius (who with me salutes be perfect, he must sell all, and distribute to you, and thirsts for you with a vehemence of the poor, and have treasure in heaven, unless which you will hear from our brethren), not because, as the Gospel tells us, he had great content with having me as his presbyter, has possessions ?7 For it is one thing to forbear insisted upon adding the greater burden of shar- from appropriating what is wanting to us; it is ing the episcopate with him. This office I was another thing to rend away that which has beafraid to decline, being persuaded, through the come a part of ourselves: the former action is love of Valerius and the importunity of the peo- like declining food, the latter is like cutting off ple, that it was the Lord's will, and being. pre- a limb. How great and how full of wonder is cluded from excusing myself on other grounds the joy with which Christian charity beholds in by some precedents of similar appointments. our day a sacrifice cheerfully made in obediThe yoke of Christ, it is true, is in itself easy, ence to the Gospel of Christ, which that rich and His burden light; yet, through my perver- man grieved and refused to make at the bidding sity and infirmity, I may find the yoke vexatious of Christ Himself! and the burden heavy in some degree; and I cannot tell how much more easy and light my yoke and burden would become if I were comforted by a visit from you, who live, as I am informed, more disengaged and free from such cares. I therefore feel warranted in asking, nay, demanding and imploring you to condescend to come over into Africa, which is more oppressed with thirst for men such as you are than even by the well-known aridity of her soil.3 5. God knoweth that I long for your visiting this country, not merely to gratify my own desire, nor merely on account of those who through me, or by public report, have heard of your pious resolution; I long for it for the sake of others also who either have not heard, or, hearing, have not believed the fame of your piety, but who might be constrained to love excellence of which they could then be no longer in ignorance or doubt. For although the perseverance and purity of your compassionate benevolence is good, more is required of you; namely, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may behold your good works, and may glorify your Father which is in heaven." 5 The fishermen of Galilee found pleasure not only in leaving

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6. Although language fails to express that which my heart has conceived and labours to utter, nevertheless, since you perceive with your discernment and piety that the glory of this is not yours, that is to say, not of man, but the glory of the Lord in you (for you yourselves are most carefully on your guard against your Adversary, and most devoutly strive to be found as learners of Christ, meek and lowly in heart; and, indeed, it were better with humility to retain than with pride to renounce this world's wealth); — since, I say, you are aware that the glory here is not yours, but the Lord's, you see how weak and inadequate are the things which I have spoken. For I have been speaking of the praises of Christ, a theme transcending the tongue of angels. We long to see this glory of Christ brought near to the eyes of our people; that in you, united in the bonds of wedlock, there may be given to both sexes an example of the way in which pride must be trodden under foot, and perfection hopefully pursued. I know not any way in which you could give greater proof of your benevolence, than in resolving to be not less willing to permit your worth to be seen, than you are zealous to acquire and retain it.

7. I recommend to your kindness and charity this boy Vetustinus, whose case might draw forth the sympathy even of those who are not religious: the causes of his affliction and of his leav

6 Matt. xix. 27.
7 Luke xviii. 22, 23.

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