Letters & Polemics (CSEL) 60 part 7/9

You asked me, brother Deogratias. CHAPTER 41. FIFTEEN BOOKS ON THE TRINITY. I wrote fifteen books on the Trinity, which is God, over the course of several years. But when I had not yet finished twelve of them and was keeping them longer than those who eagerly desired to have them could endure, they were taken from me in a less corrected state than they ought to have been and than they could have been, had I wished to publish them. After I found this out, since other copies of them also remained in my possession, I had determined not to publish them myself at all, but to keep them as they were, and in some other little work of mine to state what had happened to me concerning them.

Nevertheless, at the urging of the brethren — for I was unable to resist them — I corrected them as far as I thought they should be corrected, completed them, and published them, prefixing to them a letter which I wrote to the venerable Aurelius, bishop of the church of Carthage. In it, as in a prologue, I set forth both what had happened and what I had intended to do according to my own thinking, and what I had done under the compelling love of the brethren. In the eleventh of these books, when I was treating of the visible body, I said: 'therefore to love this is to be estranged.' This was said with reference to that love by which something is so loved that whoever loves it thinks himself blessed by enjoying it; for it is not to be estranged to love bodily beauty in praise of the Creator, so that anyone, enjoying the Creator himself, may be truly blessed.

Likewise, in the same book, where I said: 'nor do I remember a four-footed bird, because I have not seen one; yet I very easily picture it in imagination, when to some winged form, such as I have seen, I add two more feet, such as I have likewise seen' — in saying this I could not recall the four-footed flying creatures which the Law mentions. For it does not count among the feet the two hind legs by which locusts leap, which it calls clean, and therefore distinguishes them from those unclean flying creatures which do not leap with such legs, as are beetles. For all flying creatures of this kind are called four-footed in the Law. In the twelfth book there is, as it were, an exposition of the words of the Apostle, where he says:

'Every sin that a man commits is outside the body' — this does not satisfy me, nor do I think that what is said should be understood in such a way, namely: 'but he who fornicates sins against his own body,' as if that man does it who, in order to attain those things which are perceived through the body, does something so as to place in these the end of his good. For this embraces far more sins than that fornication which is committed by unlawful intercourse, of which it is clear the Apostle was speaking when he said this. This work — apart from the letter which was afterwards joined to it at its head as chapter 15 — begins thus: 'You who are about to read what we discuss concerning the Trinity.' CHAPTER 42. FOUR BOOKS ON THE AGREEMENT OF THE EVANGELISTS.

During the same years in which I was gradually dictating the books on the Trinity, I wrote others too, inserting them by continuous labor into the times of the former; among these are the four books on the agreement of the Evangelists, written on account of those who slander them as being at variance. The first of these books was composed against those who honor Christ, or pretend to honor him, as though a supremely wise man, and therefore refuse to believe the Gospel, because those things were not written by him but by his disciples, whom they suppose to have ascribed to him, by an error, the divinity by which he was to be believed to be God.

In this book, that the Hebrew nation began from Abraham is indeed also credible, so that the Hebrews might seem to be called as it were 'Abrahei' after Abraham; but they are more truly understood to have been named after him who was called Heber, as it were 'Heberei' — a matter I have discussed sufficiently in the sixteenth book of The City of God. In the second book, when I was treating of the two fathers of Joseph, I said he was begotten by the one and adopted by the other; but I ought to have said: adopted for the other. For, when the man had died — which is more to be believed — he had been adopted according to the Law, since the one who begot him had married his mother, the wife of his deceased brother. Likewise, where I said:

'But Luke ascends to David himself through Nathan, through which prophet God expiated David's sin' — for the sake of a prophet of this name I ought to have said this, lest the same man be thought to have been intended, whereas it was another, although he too was called by this name. This work begins thus: 'Among all the divine authorities.' CHAPTER 43. AGAINST THE LETTER OF PARMENIANUS, THREE BOOKS. In certain books against the letter of Parmenianus, the Donatist bishop of Carthage and successor of Donatus, a new question is treated and resolved: whether, in the unity of the fellowship of the sacraments among the same men, the evil contaminate the good; and it is discussed how they do not contaminate them, on behalf of the Church spread throughout the whole world, against which they made a schism by their slander.

In the third of these books, when it was being discussed how one is to understand what the Apostle says: 'take away the evil from among yourselves,' that statement which I made — namely, that it is not to be understood as that each one should take away the evil from himself, but rather that the evil man should be taken away from among good men, which is done through ecclesiastical discipline, as the Greek language indicates, where it is written without ambiguity, so that it is to be understood as 'the evil man,' not 'this evil' — although I answered Parmenianus even according to that latter interpretation. This work begins thus: 'Many things indeed I have elsewhere written against the Donatists.' CHAPTER 44. ON BAPTISM, SEVEN BOOKS. Against the Donatists, who endeavor to defend themselves by the authority of the most blessed bishop and martyr.

As the Donatists strive to defend themselves by Cyprian, I wrote seven books on baptism, in which I showed that nothing is so effective for refuting the Donatists and for entirely shutting their mouths, lest they defend their schism against the Catholic Church, as the writings and the conduct of Cyprian. But wherever in these books I have mentioned the Church as having no spot or wrinkle, it is not to be taken as though she is already such, but as one who is being prepared to be such, when she shall appear also glorious. For now, on account of certain ignorances and infirmities of her members, she has cause whereby the whole Church daily says: 'forgive us our debts.'

In the fourth book, when I said that martyrdom can take the place of baptism, I put forward as not sufficiently apt the example of that thief, because it is uncertain whether he was baptized or not. In the seventh book, concerning the vessels of gold and silver set in a great house, I followed the interpretation of Cyprian, who took these to signify the good, while the wooden and earthen vessels signify the evil, referring the former to what is said 'some indeed unto honor,' and the latter to what is said 'but others unto dishonor.' But I rather approve what I afterwards found, or noted, in Tyconius: that in both kinds certain things are to be understood as being in honor — not only the gold and silver ones — and again that in both kinds certain things are in dishonor, not merely the wooden and earthen ones. This work begins thus:

'In those books which I wrote against the letter of Parmenianus.' CHAPTER 45. AGAINST WHAT CENTURIUS BROUGHT FORWARD FROM THE DONATISTS, ONE BOOK. When we were dealing much with the party of Donatus in frequent disputations, a certain layman, then of their party, brought to the Church some things said or written against us in a few testimonies, as it were, which they think support their cause. I replied very briefly. The title of this little book is: 'Against what Centurius brought forward from the Donatists,' and it begins thus: 'You say that, because it is written in Solomon: keep away from strange water.' CHAPTER 46. TO THE INQUIRIES OF JANUARIUS, TWO BOOKS. Two books, whose title is:

'To the inquiries of Januarius,' contain many discussions of the sacraments — both those which the Church observes universally, and those which she observes partially, that is, not uniformly in all places; and yet not all could be mentioned, but sufficient answer was given to what was inquired. Of these books the former is a letter — for it has at its head who writes and to whom — but this work is reckoned among the books for this reason: because the following one, which does not bear our names, is much longer and treats of many more matters. In the first, then, as to what I said about the manna: 'that it tasted to each according to his own will in his mouth,' it does not occur to me from where this could be proved, except from the Book of Wisdom, which the Jews do not receive into canonical authority.

Yet this could have come to pass for the faithful, not for those who murmured against God, who surely would not have desired other food, if this manna had tasted to them as they wished. This work begins thus: 'To those things which you asked me.' CHAPTER 47. ON THE WORK OF MONKS, ONE BOOK. That I should write a book on the work of monks, this necessity compelled me: that, when monasteries had begun to exist at Carthage, some supported themselves by their own hands, obeying the Apostle, but others wished to live from the offerings of the religious in such a way that, doing no work by which they might either have or supply necessities, they rather considered and boasted that they were fulfilling the apostolic precept where the Lord says: 'behold the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.'

Hence also, even among the laity of a lower calling, but nevertheless fervent in zeal, there had begun to arise tumultuous contentions by which the Church was disturbed, some defending one thing, others another. To this was added that some of those who said one ought not to work wore long hair. Hence the strifes of those quarreling on the one side, and as it were fighting on the other for the zeal of their parties, were increasing. On account of these things the venerable old man Aurelius, bishop of that city's church, commanded me to write something on this matter, and I did so. This book begins thus: 'To your command, holy brother Aurelius.' CHAPTER 48. ON THE GOOD OF MARRIAGE, ONE BOOK.

The heresy of Jovinian, by equating the merit of holy virgins with conjugal chastity, prevailed so far in the city of Rome that some consecrated women, against whose modesty no suspicion had previously arisen, were said to have been cast down into marriage — chiefly by this argument, when he pressed them saying: 'Are you then better than Sarah, better than Susanna or Anna?' And by mentioning the other women most highly commended by the testimony of Holy Scripture, whom they could not think themselves better than or even equal to. In this way too he broke down the holy celibacy of holy men by mention and comparison of the married patriarchs. The holy Church which is there most faithfully and most bravely resisted this monstrous doctrine.

But these disputations of his had remained in the little talk and whisperings of certain people, which no one dared to advocate openly. Yet, since even hidden poisons were creeping in, they had to be met with the ability which the Lord granted — chiefly because it was being boasted that Jovinian could not have been answered with praise of marriage, but only with disparagement of it. On this account I published a book, whose title is: 'On the Good of Marriage.' There, concerning the propagation of children before men, by sinning, had merited death — since the intercourse of mortal bodies seems to be the matter in question — a great problem was deferred; but in other later writings of ours it is, as I judge, sufficiently explained. I also said in a certain place:

'For what food is to the health of the body, that intercourse is to the health of the race; and neither is without carnal delight, which nevertheless, when moderated and reduced by restraining temperance to natural use, cannot be lust.' This was said because lust is not the good and right use of the sexual appetite. For just as it is evil to use good things badly, so it is good to use evil things well — a matter about which I have elsewhere, chiefly against the new Pelagian heretics, disputed more carefully. As to what I said about Abraham: 'By this obedience that father Abraham, who was not without a wife, was prepared to be without his only son, and slain by his own hand,' I do not sufficiently approve.

For rather it is to be believed that he believed that his son, if slain, would soon be restored to him by resurrection, as is read in the Letter to the Hebrews. This book begins thus: 'Since every human being is a part of the human race.' CHAPTER 49. ON HOLY VIRGINITY, ONE BOOK. After I had written on the good of marriage, it was expected that I should write on holy virginity; nor did I delay, and I showed, as best I could, in a single volume, both how great a gift of God it is and with how great humility it must be guarded. This book begins thus: 'We recently published the book on the good of marriage.' CHAPTER 50. ON GENESIS ACCORDING TO THE LETTER, TWELVE BOOKS.

During the same period I wrote twelve books on Genesis, from the beginning until Adam was dismissed from Paradise and the flaming sword was set to guard the way of the tree of life. But when eleven books had been completed up to this point, I added a twelfth, in which Paradise was more carefully discussed. The title of these books is inscribed: 'On Genesis according to the Letter' — that is, not according to allegorical significations, but according to the proper meaning of things done. In this work more things were sought than found, and of those which were found, fewer were firmly established, while the rest were set down as though still to be investigated. These books I indeed began later, but finished before those on the Trinity; therefore I have now reviewed them in the order in which I began them.

In the fifth book, and wherever in these books I have written 'concerning the seed, to which was made the promise, which was arranged through angels in the hand of a mediator,' the Apostle does not have it thus, as I have since inspected in the more reliable manuscripts, especially the Greek ones. For it was said of the Law, which many Latin manuscripts have, through the interpreter's error, as though said 'of the seed.' In the sixth book, as to what I said: 'Adam lost by sin the image of God according to which he was made,' it is not to be taken as though none of it remained in him, but that it was so deformed that it needed reformation. In the twelfth book, concerning the netherworld, I seem to myself that I ought rather to have taught that they are beneath the earth, than to have given a reason why they should be believed or said to be beneath the earth, in the earth, as if it were not so.

This work begins thus: 'All divine Scripture is twofold.' CHAPTER 51. AGAINST THE WRITINGS OF PETILIANUS, THREE BOOKS. Before I finished the books on the Trinity and the books on Genesis according to the letter, there arose the occasion of replying to the writings of the Donatist Petilianus, which he wrote against the Catholic Church, a task I could not defer; and I wrote on this matter three volumes. In the first of these I replied, with as much speed and truth as I could, to the first part of his letter, which he wrote to his own people — because it had not come whole into our hands, but only the small former part of it. This first work too is a letter addressed to our own people, but for this reason it is reckoned among the books, because the other two on the same subject are books.

For afterwards we found the whole of it, and I replied to it with as great diligence as to Faustus the Manichean, namely by first setting down his words piecemeal under his name, and then, section by section under my own, giving my reply. But what I had written earlier, before we found the whole, reached Petilianus, and, being angry, he attempted rather to reply against me, saying whatever pleased him, but in the substance of the matter failing altogether. And though this could most easily be perceived by comparing the writings of us both, nevertheless, for the sake of the slower readers, I took care to demonstrate this very thing by replying. Thus a third book was added to this same work of ours. This work begins in the first book thus: 'You know that we have often wished'; in the second thus: 'To the first parts of the letter of Petilianus';

and in the third thus: 'I have read, Petilianus, your writings.' CHAPTER 52. TO CRESCONIUS THE GRAMMARIAN OF THE PARTY OF DONATUS, FOUR BOOKS. A certain Donatist grammarian, Cresconius, when he had found my letter by which I had refuted the first parts, which had then come into our hands, of Petilianus's letter, thought that I ought to be answered, and wrote this very thing to me. To his work I replied in four books — in such a way, indeed, that I completed in three what the whole reply demanded.

But when I saw that from the case of the Maximianists alone — whom they had condemned as their own schismatics, and yet had again received some of them into their honors, and had not repeated the baptism given by them outside their communion — a reply could be made to everything he wrote, I added even a fourth book, in which I showed this very point, as carefully and clearly as I could. Now when I wrote these four books, the emperor Honorius had already issued laws against the Donatists. This work begins thus: 'When my writings could reach you, Cresconius, I know not.' CHAPTER 53. OF PROOFS AND TESTIMONIES AGAINST THE DONATISTS, ONE BOOK.

After these things, in order that they might reach the Donatists, I prepared the necessary documents against their error and for Catholic truth, whether from ecclesiastical or public records or from the canonical Scriptures; and first I directed the same promised documents to them, that they themselves, if it could be done, might demand them. When these had come into the hands of certain of them, someone arose — I know not who — who wrote against these, keeping his own name silent, thus confessing himself a Donatist, as though this were his name. Replying to him, I wrote another book. But those documents which I had promised I joined to the same little work in which I had promised them, and I willed that out of both there should be one, and I so published it that, first posted on the walls of the basilica which had belonged to the Donatists, it might be read.

Its title is: 'Of proofs and testimonies against the Donatists.' In this book we did not place the acquittal of Felix of Abthugni, the ordainer of Caecilianus, in the order in which it afterwards became clear to us, when the consular dates had been carefully examined, but as though he had been acquitted after Caecilianus, whereas it was done before. Also, when I had mentioned the testimony of the apostle Jude, where he says: 'these are they who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit,' I added, saying: 'of whom also Paul the apostle says: but the sensual man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God' — these men are not to be equated with those whom schism has altogether cut off from the Church.

For the same apostle Paul says that these are little ones in Christ, whom, not yet able to receive solid food, he nevertheless nourishes with milk; but those others are to be counted not among little children, but among the dead and the lost, so that, if any of them, having been corrected, be joined to the Church, it may rightly be said of him: 'he was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.' This book begins thus: 'You who fear to consent to the Catholic Church.' CHAPTER 54. AGAINST SOME DONATIST OR OTHER, ONE BOOK. Of the other book, which I mentioned above, I willed the title to be: 'Against some Donatist or other.' There likewise, concerning the acquittal of the ordainer of Caecilianus, the true order of time is not observed. Also that which I said:

'to the multitude of the tares, where all heresies are understood,' lacks one necessary conjunction; for it ought to have been said: 'where also all heresies are understood' [or: 'where even all heresies are understood']. But now it is said as though the tares were only outside the Church, and not also within the Church, whereas the Church herself is the kingdom of Christ, from which his angels shall gather all scandals at the time of harvest. Whence also Cyprian the martyr says: 'even though tares seem to be in the Church, yet our faith or love ought not to be hindered, so that, because we perceive tares to be in the Church, we ourselves should withdraw from the Church.'

This meaning we also defended elsewhere, and especially against those same Donatists present in the conference. This book begins thus: 'We promised proofs of necessary matters collected in a certain little summary.' CHAPTER 55. AN ADMONITION OF THE DONATISTS CONCERNING THE MAXIMIANISTS, ONE BOOK. When I saw that many were hindered from learning by the labor of reading how utterly the party of Donatus has nothing of reason and truth, I made a very brief little book, by which I thought they should be admonished concerning the Maximianists alone, so that it might, by the ease of copying, come into the hands of very many, and by its very brevity be more easily committed to memory. On it I imposed the title: 'An admonition of the Donatists concerning the Maximianists.' This book begins thus:

'Whoever of you are moved by men's calumnies and accusations.' CHAPTER 56. ON THE DIVINATION OF DEMONS, ONE BOOK. About the same time it befell me, in a certain disputation, that necessity arose for me to write a little book on the divination of demons, whose title is this very phrase. But in a certain place of it, where I said: 'demons sometimes learn with all ease even the dispositions of men, not only those uttered by voice but also those conceived in thought, when certain signs are expressed from the mind in the body' — I stated a most hidden matter with a bolder assurance than I ought; for that these things come to the knowledge of demons has been ascertained by some experiences as well.

But whether certain signs are given from the body of those thinking, perceptible to them but hidden from us, or whether they know these things by some other power, and that a spiritual one, either can only with the greatest difficulty be found out by men, or cannot be found out at all. This book begins thus: 'On a certain day during the holy days of the octave.' CHAPTER 57. QUESTIONS EXPOUNDED AGAINST THE PAGANS, SIX IN NUMBER. Meanwhile there were sent to me from Carthage six questions, which a certain friend, whom I desired to become a Christian, proposed, that they might be resolved against the pagans — especially because he said that some of them had been proposed by the philosopher Porphyry. But I do not think it was Porphyry of Sicily, whose fame is most celebrated.

The discussions of these questions I gathered into one book, not lengthy, whose title is: 'Six questions expounded against the pagans.' Of these the first is on the resurrection, the second on the time of the Christian religion, the third on the distinction of sacrifices, the fourth on that which is written: 'with what measure you have measured, it shall be measured again to you,' the fifth on the Son of God according to Solomon, the sixth on Jonah the prophet. In the second of these, as to what I said:

'the salvation of this religion, through which alone true salvation is truly and truthfully promised, was never lacking to anyone who was worthy of it, and to whom it was lacking, he was not worthy' — I did not say this as though each one were worthy from his own merits, but in the manner in which the Apostle says that it was said, not from works, but from him who calls: 'the elder shall serve the younger,' which calling he asserts to pertain to God's purpose. Whence he says: 'not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace'; whence likewise he says: 'we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.' Of this calling he says: 'that he may count you worthy of his holy calling.' This book, after the letter which was afterwards added at its head, begins thus:

'It moves certain people, and they inquire.' CHAPTER 58. AN EXPOSITION OF THE LETTER OF JAMES TO THE TWELVE TRIBES. Among my little works I found an exposition of the Letter of James, reviewing which I noticed that they were rather annotations of certain passages of it by some expositors, reduced into a book by the diligence of the brethren, who did not wish them to be in the margins of the codex. They are of some help, therefore, except that the very letter which we were reading, when I dictated these things, we did not have carefully translated from the Greek. This book begins thus: 'To the twelve tribes which are in the dispersion, greeting.' CHAPTER 59. ON THE MERITS AND REMISSION OF SINS AND ON THE BAPTISM OF INFANTS, TO MARCELLINUS, THREE BOOKS.

There also came a necessity which compelled me to write against the Pelagian heresy, against which, when there was need, we had been acting not by writings but by sermons and conversations, as each of us was able or bound to do. When, therefore, their questions had been sent to me from Carthage, that I might dissolve them by writing back, I first wrote three books, whose title is: 'On the merits and remission of sins.' There it is chiefly discussed concerning the baptism of infants on account of original sin, and concerning the grace by which we are justified, that is, are made righteous — although in this life no one so keeps the commandments of righteousness that it is not necessary for him, praying for his own sins, to say: 'forgive us our debts.'

Against all these opinions those men, holding the contrary, framed a new heresy. But in these books I judged that their names should still be touched upon, hoping that they might thus more easily be corrected; nay rather, even in the third book, which is a letter but is reckoned among the books on account of the two to which I thought it should be joined, I set down the name of Pelagius himself, not without some praise, because his life was extolled by many; and I refuted those statements of his which in his own writings he did not set down in his own person, but expounded what was said by others — statements which nevertheless he afterwards, now a heretic, defended with most obstinate animosity. But Caelestius his disciple had already, on account of such assertions, merited excommunication at Carthage in an episcopal judgment, at which I was not present.

In the second book, in a certain place I say: 'This too He will bestow on some even at the end, that by a sudden change they may not feel death' — reserving the matter for a more diligent inquiry on this subject. For either they will not die, or, passing from this life into death and from death into eternal life by a most rapid change, as in the twinkling of an eye, they will not feel death. This work begins thus: 'Although amid the great and mighty surges of cares.' CHAPTER 60. ON THE ONE BAPTISM, AGAINST PETILIANUS, TO CONSTANTINE, ONE BOOK. At that time a certain friend of mine received a book on the one baptism from some Donatist presbyter or other, who indicated that Petilianus, their bishop of Constantina, had written it.

This he brought to me and earnestly begged me to reply to it. I willed that my own book too, in which I replied, should have the same title, that is: 'On the one baptism.' In this book, that which I said — that the emperor Constantine, when the Donatists brought charges against Felix of Abthugni, the ordainer of Caecilianus, did not deny him a hearing of the accusation, although he had found them slanderous against Caecilianus with fabricated charges — was, when the sequence of dates was afterwards considered, found to be otherwise. For first the aforesaid emperor caused the case of Felix to be heard by the proconsul, where he is read to have been acquitted, and afterwards he himself found Caecilianus, heard along with his accusers, to be innocent, where he found them slanderous in their charges against him.