Augustine of Hippo, Letters

1. God, to whom the secrets of the heart of man are open, knoweth that it is because of my love for Christian peace that I am so deeply moved by the profane deeds of those who basely and impiously persevere in dissenting from it. He knoweth also that this feeling of mine is one tending towards peace, and that my desire is, not that any one should against his will be coerced into the Catholic communion, but that to all who are in error the truth may be openly declared, and being by God’s help clearly exhibited through my ministry, may so commend itself as to make them embrace and follow it.

2. Passing many other things unnoticed, what could be more worthy of detestation than what has just happened? A young man is reproved by his bishop for frequently beating his mother like a madman, and not restraining his impious hands from wounding her who bore him, even on those days on which the sternness of law shows mercy to the most guilty criminals.127 During Lent and the Easter holidays. He then threatens his mother that he would pass to the party of the Donatists, and that he would kill her whom he is accustomed to beat with incredible ferocity. He utters these threats, then passes over to the Donatists, and is rebaptized while filled with wicked rage, and is arrayed in white vestments while he is burning to shed his mother’s blood. He is placed in a prominent and conspicuous position within the railing in the church; and to the eyes of sorrowful and indignant beholders, he who is purposing matricide is exhibited as a regenerate man.

3. I appeal to you, as a man of most mature judgment, can these things find favour in your eyes? I do not believe this of you: I know your wisdom. A mother is wounded by her son in the members of that body which bore and nursed the ungrateful wretch; and when the Church, his spiritual mother, interferes, she too is wounded in those sacraments by which, to the same ungrateful son, she ministered life and nourishment. Do you not seem to hear the young man gnashing his teeth in rage for a parent’s blood, and saying, “What shall I do to the Church which forbids my wounding my mother? I have found out what to do: let the Church herself be wounded by such blows as she can suffer; let that be done in me which may cause her members pain. Let me go to those who know how to despise the grace with which she gave me spiritual birth, and to mar the form which in her womb I received. Let me vex both my natural and my spiritual mother with cruel tortures: let the one who was the second to give me birth be the first to give me burial; for her sorrow let me seek spiritual death, and for the other’s death let me prolong my natural life.” Oh, Eusebius! I appeal to you as an honourable man, what else may we expect than that now he shall feel himself, as a Donatist, so armed as to have no fear in assailing that unhappy woman, decrepit with age and helpless in her widowhood, from wounding whom he was restrained while he remained a Catholic? For what else had he purposed in his passionate heart when he said to his mother, “I will pass over to the party of Donatus, and I will drink your blood?” Behold, arrayed in white vestments, but with conscience crimson with blood, he has fulfilled his threat in part; the other part remains, viz. that he drink his mother’s blood. If, therefore, these things find favour in your eyes, let him be urged by those who are now his clergy and his sanctifiers to fulfil within eight days the remaining portion of his vow.

4. The Lord’s right hand indeed is strong, so that He may keep back this man’s rage from that unhappy and desolate widow, and, by means known unto His own wisdom, may deter him from his impious design; but could I do otherwise than utter my feelings when my heart was pierced with such grief? Shall they do such things, and am I to be commanded to hold my peace? When He commands me by the mouth of the apostle saying that those who teach what they ought not must be rebuked by the bishop,128 Tit. i. 9–13. shall I be silent through dread of their displeasure? The Lord deliver me from such folly! As to my desire for having such an impious crime recorded in our public registers, it was desired by me chiefly for this end, that no one who may hear me bewailing these proceedings, especially in other towns where it may be expedient for me to do so, may think that I am inventing a falsehood, and the rather, because in Hippo itself it is already affirmed that Proculeianus did not issue the order which was in the official report ascribed to him.

5. In what more temperate way could we dispose of this important matter than through the mediation of such a man as you, invested with most illustrious rank, and possessing calmness as well as great prudence and goodwill? I beg, therefore, as I have already done by our brethren, good and honourable men, whom I sent to your Excellency, that you will condescend to inquire whether it is the case that the presbyter Victor did not receive from his bishop the order which the public official records reported; or whether, since Victor himself has said otherwise, they have in their records laid a thing falsely to his charge, though they belong to the same communion with him. Or, if he consents to our calmly discussing the whole question of our differences, in order that the error which is already manifest may become yet more so, I willingly embrace the opportunity. For I have heard that he proposed that without popular tumult, in the presence only of ten esteemed and honourable men from each party, we should investigate what is the truth in this matter according to the Scriptures. As to another proposal which some have reported to me as made by him, that I should rather go to Constantina,129 Constantina, a chief city of Numidia. because in that town his party was more numerous; or that I should go to Milevis, because there, as they say, they are soon to hold a council;—these things are absurd, for my special charge does not extend beyond the Church of Hippo. The whole importance of this question to me, in the first place, is as it affects Proculeianus and myself; and if, perchance, he thinks himself not a match for me, let him implore the aid of any one whom he pleases as his colleague in the debate. For in other towns we interfere with the affairs of the Church only so far as is permitted or enjoined by our brethren bearing the same priestly office with us, the bishops of these towns.

6. And yet I cannot comprehend what there is in me, a novice, that should make him, who calls himself a bishop of so many years’ standing, unwilling and afraid to enter into discussion with me. If it be my acquaintance with liberal studies, which perhaps he did not pursue at all, or at least not so much as I have done, what has this to do with the question in debate, which is to be decided by the Holy Scriptures or by ecclesiastical or public documents, with which he has for so many years been conversant, that he ought to be more skilled in them than I am? Once more, I have here my brother and colleague Samsucius, bishop of the Church of Turris,130 Turris, a town in Numidia. who has not learned any of those branches of culture of which he is said to be afraid: let him attend in my place, and let the debate be between them. I will ask him, and, as I trust in the name of Christ, he will readily consent to take my place in this matter; and the Lord will, I trust, give aid to him when contending for the truth: for although unpolished in language, he is well instructed in the true faith. There is therefore no reason for his referring me to others whom I do not know, instead of letting us settle between ourselves that which concerns ourselves. However, as I have said, I will not decline meeting them if he himself asks their assistance.

EPISTOLA XXXIV . De juvene, qui matrem caedere solitus, demum et mortem minatus transiit ad Donatistas, ab iisque iterato baptizatus est. Quod an Proculeiani episcopi mandato factum sit, uti presbyter ipsius Victor publico officio renuntiarat, inquiri postulat Augustinus, sese interim paratum asserens ad totam, si Proculeianus velit, schismatis causam placide pertractandam.

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Domino eximio meritoque suscipiendo atque honorabili fratri EUSEBIO, AUGUSTINUS.

1. Scit Deus, cui manifesta sunt arcana cordis humani, quantum pacem diligo christianam, tantum me moveri sacrilegis eorum factis, qui in ejus dissensione indigne atque impie perseverant; eumque motum animi mei esse pacificum, neque me id agere ut ad communionem catholicam quisquam cogatur invitus, sed ut omnibus errantibus aperta veritas declaretur, et per nostrum ministerium, Deo juvante, manifestata se amplectendam atque sectandam satis ipsa persuadeat.

2. Quid enim exsecrabilius, quaeso te, ut alia taceam, quam id quod nunc accidit? Corripitur ab episcopo suo juvenis, crebris caedibus matris insanus, et impias manus nec illis diebus, cum etiam severitas legum sceleratissimis parcit, a visceribus unde natus est revocans. Minatur eidem matri se in partem Donati transiturum, et eam quam incredibili furore solet caedere perempturum. Minatur ei, transit ad partem Donati, rebaptizatur furens, et in maternum sanguinem fremens albis vestibus candidatur. Constituitur intra cancellos eminens atque conspicuus, et omnium gementium oculis matricidii meditator tanquam renovatus opponitur.

3. Haeccine tandem tibi placent, vir gravissime? Nequaquam hoc de te crediderim: novi considerationem tuam. Caeditur mater carnalis in membris quibus genuit et nutrivit ingratum; prohibet hoc Ecclesia mater spiritualis, caeditur et ipsa in Sacramentis quibus genuit et nutrivit ingratum. Nonne tibi videtur dixisse parricidaliter frendens: Quid faciam Ecclesiae quae me prohibet caedere matrem meam? inveni quid faciam: injuriis quibus potest etiam ipsa feriatur; fiat in me aliquid unde membra ejus doleant. Vadam mihi ad eos qui noverunt exsufflare gratiam in qua illi natus sum, destruere formam quam in utero ejus accepi. Ambas matres meas saevis cruciatibus torqueam: quae me posterior peperit, efferat prior. Ad hujus dolorem, spiritualiter moriar; ad illius caedem, carnaliter vivam. Quid aliud exspectamus, vir honorabilis Eusebi; nisi ut in miseram mulierem, senectute decrepitam, viduitate destitutam, a cujus caedibus in Catholica prohibebatur, jam donatista securus armetur? Quid enim aliud furibundo corde concepit, cum diceret matri: Transferam me in partem Donati, et bibam sanguinem 0133 tuum? Ecce jam conscientia cruentus, veste dealbatus perfecit partem pollicitationis suae; restat pars altera, ut matris sanguinem bibat. Si ergo placent ista, urgentur a clericis et sanctificatoribus suis, ut intra octavas suas totum quod vovit exsolvat.

4. Potens est quidem dextera Domini, quae furorem illius a misera vidua et desolata compescat, et eum, quibus modis novit, a tam scelerata dispositione deterreat; verumtamen ego tanto animi dolore percussus, quid facerem nisi saltem loquerer? An vero ista illi faciunt, et mihi dicitur, Tace? Avertat a me Dominus hanc amentiam, ut cum ipse mihi imperet per Apostolum suum, et dicat ab episcopo refelli oportere docentes quae non oportet (Tit. I, 9), ego illorum indignationibus territus taceam? Quod enim publicis Gestis haerere volui tam sacrilegum nefas, ad hoc utique volui, ne me quisquam, maxime in aliis civitatibus ubi opportunum fuerit, ista deplorantem fingere aliquid arbitretur, quando etiam apud ipsam Hipponem jam dicitur, non hoc Proculeianum mandasse quod publicum renuntiavit officium.

5. Quid autem modestius agere possumus, quam ut tam gravem causam, per te tamen agam, virum et clarissima dignitate praeditum, et considerantissima voluntate tranquillum? Peto igitur, sicut jam petivi per fratres nostros bonos atque honestos viros, quos ad tuam Eximietatem misi, ut quaerere digneris utrum Proculeiani presbyter Victor non hoc ab episcopo suo mandatum acceperit, quod officio publico renuntiavit; an forte cum et ipse Victor aliud dixerit, falsum illi apud Acta prosecuti fuerint, cum sint communionis ejusdem. Aut si consentit, ut ipsam totam quaestionem dissensionis nostrae placide pertractemus, ut error qui jam manifestus est, manifestius innotescat, libenter amplector. Audivi enim quod dixerit, ut sine tumultu populari adsint nobiscum deni ex utraque parte graves et honesti viri, et secundum Scripturas, quid in vero sit, perquiramus. Nam illud quod rursus eum dixisse nonnulli ad me pertulerunt, cur non ierim Constantinam, quando ibi plures ipsi erant, vel me debere ire Milevim , quod illic, sicut perhibent, concilium proxime habituri sunt, ridiculum est dicere, quasi ad me pertineat cura propria, nisi Hipponensis Ecclesiae. Mihi tota hujus quaestionis ratio maxime cum Proculeiano est. Sed si forte imparem se putat, cujus voluerit collegae sui imploret auxilium. In aliis enim civitatibus tantum agimus, quod ad Ecclesiam pertinet, quantum vel nos permittunt, vel nobis imponunt earumdem civitatum episcopi, fratres et consacerdotes nostri.

6. Quanquam et iste qui se tot annorum episcopum dicit, quid in me tirone timeat, quominus mecum velit conferre sermonem, non satis intelligo: si doctrinam liberalium litterarum, quas forte ipse aut non didicit, aut minus didicit, quid hoc pertinet ad eam quaestionem, quae vel de sanctis Scripturis, vel documentis ecclesiasticis aut publicis discutienda est, in quibus ille per tot annos versatur, unde in eis deberet esse peritior? 0134 Postremo est hic frater et collega meus, Samsucius episcopus Turrensis ecclesiae, qui nullas tales didicit, quales iste dicitur formidare: ipse adsit, agat cum illo. Rogabo eum, et, ut confido in nomine Christi, facile mihi concedet, ut suscipiat in hac re vicem meam, et eum Dominus pro veritate certantem, quamvis sermone impolitum, tamen vera fide eruditum, sicut confidimus, adjuvabit. Nulla ergo causa est, cur ad alios nescio quos deferat , ne inter nos quod ad nos pertinet peragamus. Nec tamen, ut dixi, etiam illos defugio, si eorum ipse poscit auxilium.