Chapter 3.—What Augustin Requests from His Readers. The Errors of Readers Dull of Comprehension Not to Be Ascribed to the Author.

 5. Further let me ask of my reader, wherever, alike with myself, he is certain, there to go on with me; wherever, alike with myself, he hesitates, there to join with me in inquiring; wherever he recognizes himself to be in error, there to return to me; wherever he recognizes me to be so, there to call me back: so that we may enter together upon the path of charity, and advance towards Him of whom it is said, “Seek His face evermore.”14    Ps. cv. 4 And I would make this pious and safe agreement, in the presence of our Lord God, with all who read my writings, as well in all other cases as, above all, in the case of those which inquire into the unity of the Trinity, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; because in no other subject is error more dangerous, or inquiry more laborious, or the discovery of truth more profitable. If, then, any reader shall say, This is not well said, because I do not understand it; such an one finds fault with my language, not with my faith: and it might perhaps in very truth have been put more clearly; yet no man ever so spoke as to be understood in all things by all men. Let him, therefore, who finds this fault with my discourse, see whether he can understand other men who have handled similar subjects and questions, when he does not understand me: and if he can, let him put down my book, or even, if he pleases, throw it away; and let him spend labor and time rather on those whom he understands.15    [This request of Augustin to his reader, involves an admirable rule for authorship generally—the desire, namely, that truth be attained, be it through himself or through others. Milton teaches the same, when he says that the author must “study and love learning for itself, not for lucre, or any other end, but the service of God and of truth, and perhaps that lasting fame and perpetuity of praise, which God and good men have consented shall be the reward of those whose published labors advance the good of mankind.”—W.G.T.S.] Yet let him not think on that account that I ought to have been silent, because I have not been able to express myself so smoothly and clearly to him as those do whom he understands. For neither do all things, which all men have written, come into the hands of all. And possibly some, who are capable of understanding even these our writings, may not find those more lucid works, and may meet with ours only. And therefore it is useful that many persons should write many books, differing in style but not in faith, concerning even the same questions, that the matter itself may reach the greatest number—some in one way, some in another. But if he who complains that he has not understood these things has never been able to comprehend any careful and exact reasonings at all upon such subjects, let him in that case deal with himself by resolution and study, that he may know better; not with me by quarrellings and wranglings, that I may hold my peace. Let him, again, who says, when he reads my book, Certainly I understand what is said, but it is not true, assert, if he pleases, his own opinion, and refute mine if he is able. And if he do this with charity and truth, and take the pains to make it known to me (if I am still alive), I shall then receive the most abundant fruit of this my labor. And if he cannot inform myself, most willing and glad should I be that he should inform those whom he can. Yet, for my part, “I meditate in the law of the Lord,”16    Ps. i. 2 if not “day and night,” at least such short times as I can; and I commit my meditations to writing, lest they should escape me through forgetfulness; hoping by the mercy of God that He will make me hold steadfastly all truths of which I feel certain; “but if in anything I be otherwise minded, that He will himself reveal even this to me,”17    Phil. iii. 15 whether through secret inspiration and admonition, or through His own plain utterances, or through the reasonings of my brethren. This I pray for, and this my trust and desire I commit to Him, who is sufficiently able to keep those things which He has given me, and to render those which He has promised.

6. I expect, indeed, that some, who are more dull of understanding, will imagine that in some parts of my books I have held sentiments which I have not held, or have not held those which I have. But their error, as none can be ignorant, ought not to be attributed to me, if they have deviated into false doctrine through following my steps without apprehending me, whilst I am compelled to pick my way through a hard and obscure subject: seeing that neither can any one, in any way, rightly ascribe the numerous and various errors of heretics to the holy testimonies themselves of the divine books; although all of them endeavor to defend out of those same Scriptures their own false and erroneous opinions. The law of Christ, that is, charity, admonishes me clearly, and commands me with a sweet constraint, that when men think that I have held in my books something false which I have not held, and that same falsehood displeases one and pleases another, I should prefer to be blamed by him who reprehends the falsehood, rather than praised by him who praises it. For although I, who never held the error, am not rightly blamed by the former, yet the error itself is rightly censured; whilst by the latter neither am I rightly praised, who am thought to have held that which the truth censures, nor the sentiment itself, which the truth also censures. Let us therefore essay the work which we have undertaken in the name of the Lord.

CAPUT III.

5. Quid a suis lectoribus exposcat Augustinus. Lectorum tardiorum errores auctori non tribuendi. Proinde quisquis haec legit, ubi pariter certus est, pergat mecum; ubi pariter haesitat, quaerat mecum: ubi errorem suum cognoscit, redeat ad me; ubi meum, revocet me. Ita ingrediamur simul charitatis viam, tendentes ad eum de quo dictum est, Quaerite faciem ejus semper (Psal. CIV, 4). Et hoc placitum pium atque tutum coram Domino Deo nostro cum omnibus inierim , qui ea quae scribo legunt, et in omnibus scriptis meis, maximeque in his ubi quaeritur unitas Trinitatis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti ; quia nec periculosius alicubi erratur, nec laboriosius aliquid quaeritur, nec fructuosius aliquid invenitur. Quisquis ergo cum legit dicit, Hoc non bene dictum est, quoniam non intelligo; locutionem meam reprehendit , non fidem: et forte vere potuit dici planius; verumtamen nullus hominum ita locutus est, ut in omnibus ab omnibus intelligeretur. Videat ergo cui hoc in sermone meo displicet, utrum alios in talibus rebus quaestionibusque versatos intelligat, cum me non intelligit: et si ita est, ponat librum meum, vel etiam, si hoc videtur, abjiciat; et eis potius quos intelligit, 0823 operam et tempus impendat. Non tamen propterea putet me tacere debuisse, quia non tam expedite ac dilucide quam illi quos intelligit, eloqui potui. Neque enim omnia quae ab omnibus conscribuntur, in omnium manus veniunt: et fieri potest ut nonnulli qui etiam haec nostra intelligere valent, illos planiores non inveniant libros, et in istos saltem incidant. Ideoque utile est, plures a pluribus fieri diverso stilo, non diversa fide, etiam de quaestionibus eisdem, ut ad plurimos res ipsa perveniat; ad alios sic, ad alios autem sic. At si ille qui se ista non intellexisse conqueritur, nulla unquam de talibus rebus diligenter et acute disputata intelligere potuit; secum agat votis et studiis ut proficiat, non mecum querelis et conviciis ut taceam. Qui vero haec legens dicit, Intelligo quidem quid dictum sit, sed non vere dictum est; asserat, si placet , sententiam suam, et redarguat meam, si potest. Quod si cum charitate et veritate fecerit, mihique etiam (si in hac vita maneo ) cognoscendum facere curaverit, uberrimum fructum laboris hujus mei cepero. Quod si mihi non potuerit, quibus id potuerit, me volente ac libente praestiterit: ego tamen in lege Domini meditor, si non die ac nocte (Psal. I, 2), saltem quibus temporum particulis possum; et meditationes meas, ne oblivione fugiant, stilo alligo: sperans de misericordia Dei, quod in omnibus veris quae certa mihi sunt, perseverantem me faciet; si quid autem aliter sapio, id quoque mihi ipse revelabit (Philipp. III, 15), sive per occultas inspirationes atque admonitiones, sive per manifesta eloquia sua, sive per fraternas sermocinationes. Hoc oro, et hoc depositum desideriumque meum penes ipsum habeo, qui mihi satis idoneus est custodire quae dedit, et reddere quae promisit.

6. Arbitror sane nonnullos tardiores, in quibusdam locis librorum meorum opinaturos me sensisse quod non sensi, aut non sensisse quod sensi. Quorum errorem mihi tribui non debere quis nesciat, si velut me sequentes neque apprehendentes deviaverint in aliquam falsitatem, dum cogor per quaedam densa et opaca viam carpere: quandoquidem nec ipsis sanctis divinorum Librorum auctoritatibus ullo modo quisquam recte tribuerit tam multos et varios errores haereticorum; cum omnes ex eisdem Scripturis falsas atque fallaces opiniones suas conentur defendere? Admonet me plane ac mihi jubet suavissimo imperio lex Christi, hoc est charitas, ut cum aliquid falsi in libris meis me sensisse homines putant quod ego non sensi, atque idipsum falsum alteri displicet, alteri placet, malim me reprehendi a reprehensore falsitatis, quam ab ejus laudatore laudari. Ab illo enim quamvis ego non recte, qui hoc non senserim, error tamen ipse recte vituperatur: ab hoc autem nec ego recte laudor a quo existimor id sensisse quod vituperat veritas, nec ipsa sententia quam vituperat veritas. Ergo in nomine Domini susceptum opus aggrediamur.