Chapter 20 [XIV.]—Augustin Calls on Victor to Correct His Errors. (See Above in Book II. 22 [XVI.].)

Now these errors, and such as these, with whatever others you may perhaps be able to discover in your books on a more attentive and leisurely perusal, I beg of you to correct, if you possess a catholic mind; in other words, if you spoke in perfect sincerity when you said, that you were not over-confident in yourself that what statements you had made were all capable of proof; and that your constant aim was not to maintain even your own opinion, if it were shown to be improbable; and that it gave you much pleasure, if your own judgment were condemned, to adopt and pursue better and truer sentiments. Well now, my dear brother, show that you said this in no fallacious sense; so that the catholic Church may rejoice in your capacity and character, as possessing not only genius, but prudence withal, and piety, and moderation, rather than that the madness of heresy should be kindled by your contentious persistence in these errors. Now you have an opportunity of showing also how sincerely you expressed your feelings in the passage which immediately follows the satisfactory statement which I have just now mentioned of yours. “For,” you say, “as it is the mark of every highest aim and laudable purpose to transfer one’s self readily to truer views; so it shows a depraved and obstinate judgment to refuse to return promptly to the pathway of reason.” Well, then, show yourself to be influenced by this high aim and laudable purpose, and transfer your mind readily to truer views; and do not display a depraved and obstinate judgment by refusing to return promptly to the pathway of reason. For if your words were uttered in frank sincerity, if they were not mere sound of the lips, if you really felt them in your heart, then you cannot but abhor all delay in accomplishing the great good of correcting yourself. It was not, indeed, much for you to allow, that it showed a depraved and obstinate judgment to refuse to return to the pathway of reason, unless you had added “promptly.” By adding this, you showed us how execrable is his conduct who never accomplishes the reform; inasmuch as even he who effects it but tardily appears to you to deserve so severe a censure, as to be fairly described as displaying a depraved and obstinate mind. Listen, therefore, to your own admonition, and turn to good account mainly and largely the fruitful resources of your eloquence; that so you may promptly return to the pathway of reason, more promptly, indeed, than when you declined therefrom, at an unstable period of your age, when you were fortified with too little prudence and less learning.

CAPUT XIV.

20. Haec atque hujusmodi, si et alia forsitan in tuis libris attentior et otiosior invenire potueris, sine ulla dilatione jam corrige, si animum catholicum geris, id est, si veraciter praelocutus es, dicens, «quod tibi ipsi credulus non sis, ea probari posse quae dixeris; et quod semper studeas etiam propriam sententiam non tueri, si improbabilis detegatur; et sit tibi cordi, proprio judicio damnato, meliora magis et quae sunt veriora sectari.» Modo proba, charissime, non te fallaciter ista dixisse, ut de tua indole non solum ingeniosa, verum etiam cauta, pia, modesta, gaudeat catholica Ecclesia, non de contentiosa pertinacia haeretica exardescat insania. Nunc est ut ostendas, quanta post haec bona verba quae tua commemoravi, sinceritate pectoris dixeris, quod continuo subjecisti: «Nam ut est,» inquis, «optimi propositi laudandique consilii, facile ad veriora transduci; ita improbi obstinatique judicii est, nolle citius ad tramitem rationis inflecti» (Supra lib. 2, n. 22). Esto igitur optimi propositi laudandique consilii, et facile ad veriora transducere: nec sis improbi obstinatique judicii, ut nolis citius ad tramitem rationis inflecti. Si enim haec liberaliter elocutus es, si non in labiis ista sonuisti, sed intus et germanitus in corde sensisti; in tuae correctionis tanto bono etiam moras odisti. Parum quippe tibi fuit dicere, «improbi obstinatique esse judicii, nolle ad tramitem rationis inflecti,» nisi adderes «citius:» ut hinc ostenderes quam sit exsecrandus, qui bonum hoc nunquam facit; quandoquidem qui tardius facit, tanta tibi videatur severitate culpandus, ut merito improbi judicii obstinatique dicatur. Audi ergo te ipsum, tuque potissimum et maxime eloquii tui fructibus utere , ut citius te ad rationis tramitem gravitate mentis inflectas, quam te inde minus erudite parumque consulte lubrico aetatis averteras.