Letter LX.

(a.d. 401.)

To Father Aurelius, My Lord Most Blessed, and Revered with Most Justly Merited Respect, My Brother in the Priesthood, Most Sincerely Beloved, Augustin Sends Greeting in the Lord.

1. I have received no letter from your Holiness since we parted; but I have now read a letter of your Grace concerning Donatus and his brother, and I have long hesitated as to the reply which I ought to give. After frequently reconsidering what is in such a case conducive to the welfare of those whom we serve in Christ, and seek to nourish in Him, nothing has occurred to me which would alter my opinion that it is not right to give occasion for God’s servants to think that promotion to a better position is more readily given to those who have become worse. Such a rule would make monks less careful of falling, and a most grievous wrong would be done to the order of clergy, if those who have deserted their duty as monks be chosen to serve as clergy, seeing that our custom is to select for that office only the more tried and superior men of those who continue faithful to their calling as monks; unless, perchance, the common people are to be taught to joke at our expense, saying “a bad monk makes a good clerk,” as they are wont to say that “a poor flute-player makes a good singer.” It would be an intolerable calamity if we were to encourage the monks to such fatal pride, and were to consent to brand with so grievous disgrace the clerical order to which we ourselves belong: seeing that sometimes even a good monk is scarcely qualified to be a good clerk; for though he be proficient in self-denial, he may lack the necessary instruction, or be disqualified by some personal defect.

2. I believe, however, that your Holiness understood these monks to have left the monastery with my consent, in order that they might rather be useful to the people of their own district; but this was not the case: of their own accord they departed, of their own accord they deserted us, notwithstanding my resisting, from a regard to their welfare, to the utmost of my power. As to Donatus, seeing that he has obtained ordination before we could arrive at any decision in the Council423    The Council held at Carthage in September 401. as to his case, do as your wisdom may guide you; it may be that his proud obstinacy has been subdued. But as to his brother, who was the chief cause of Donatus leaving the monastery, I know not what to write, since you know what I think of him. I do not presume to oppose what may seem best to one of your wisdom, rank, and piety; and I hope with all my heart that you will do whatever you judge most profitable for the members of the Church.

EPISTOLA LX . Augustinus Aurelio significat Donatum et ipsius fratrem se venitente recessisse de monasterio: porro et monachis facilem lapsum, et ordini clericorum injuriam fieri, dum tales in clerum assumuntur.

Domino beatissimo et debita observantia venerabili, sinceriterque charissimo fratri et consacerdoti papae AURELIO, AUGUSTINUS, in Domino salutem.

1. Litteras nullas tuae Venerabilitatis, ex quo ab invicem corporaliter digressi sumus, accepi. Nunc vero legi epistolam Benignitatis tuae de Donato et fratre ejus, et quid responderem diu fluctuavi. Sed tamen etiam atque etiam cogitanti quid sit utile saluti eorum, quibus in Christo nutriendis servimus, nihil mihi aliud occurrere potuit, nisi non esse istam viam dandam servis Dei, ut se facilius putent eligi ad aliquid 0228 melius, si facti fuerint deteriores. Et ipsis enim facilis lapsus, et ordini clericorum fit indignissima injuria, si desertores monasteriorum ad militiam clericatus eligantur, cum ex his qui in monasterio permanent, non tamen nisi probatiores atque meliores in clerum assumere soleamus: nisi forte, sicut vulgares dicunt, Malus choraula bonus symphoniacus est; ita iidem ipsi vulgares de nobis jocabuntur dicentes, Malus monachus bonus clericus est. Nimis dolendum, si ad tam ruinosam superbiam monachos surrigamus, et tam gravi contumelia clericos dignos putemus, in quorum numero sumus; cum aliquando etiam bonus monachus vix bonum clericum faciat, si adsit ei sufficiens continentia, et tamen desit instructio necessaria, aut personae regularis integritas.

2. Sed de istis credo arbitrata sit Beatitudo tua quod nostra voluntate, ut suis potius corregionalibus utiles essent, de monasterio recessissent: sed falsum est; sponte abierunt, sponte deseruerunt, nobis quantum potuimus, pro eorum salute, renitentibus. Et de Donato quidem, quia jam factum est, ut antequam de hac re aliquid in concilio statueremus, ordinaretur, si forte a superbiae perversitate correctus est, quod vult faciat prudentia tua. De fratre vero ejus, cujus vel maxime causa de monasterio etiam ipse Donatus abscessit, cum intelligas quid sentiam, nescio quid respondeam. Contradicere tamen prudentiae, honori, charitatique tuae non audeo; et sane spero id te facturum quod membris Ecclesiae salubre perspexeris.