---
title: "Letters · Epistulae"
author: "Augustine"
translator: "James Houston Baxter"
languages: [la, en]
shelf: "Church Fathers"
section: 34 of 62
url: https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/34/
cite: "Augustine, tr. James Houston Baxter, Letters · Epistulae, section 34. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/34/"
---

# Letters · Epistulae

*Augustine, tr. James Houston Baxter*

Augustine’s letters in Latin beside English.

> Latin: ed. James Houston Baxter, from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit, stoa0040.stoa011, CC BY-SA 4.0).

> English: James Houston Baxter, from the Perseus Digital Library (stoa0040.stoa011.perseus-eng1). Notes are not included.

> Rows follow the references the two texts share (books, chapters and sections), cut where both reach the end of a sentence.

## 34. Letter 34

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/34/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/34/#p-N

[¶0] 1. Those Circumcellions and clergy of the Donatist party whom the guardians of public order had taken from Hippo to be tried for their misdeeds, have been heard, I am informed, by your Excellency, and the majority of them have confessed to having murdered Restitutus, a Catholic priest, and beaten Innocentius, another Catholic priest, and gouged out his eye and cut off a finger. This news has plunged me into the deepest anxiety, lest perchance your Highness may decide that they must endure a legal sentence so severe that their punishment shall be similar in kind to their crime. For that reason I implore you by the faith you have in Christ, by the mercy of Christ the Lord Himself, neither to do this nor to let it be done at all. For although we can disclaim responsibility for the death of men who were clearly made to appear before the court on no accusation of ours, but on the indictment of those officers who were concerned with the safe-guarding of the public peace, still it is not our desire that the sufferings of God's servants shall be avenged by the infliction of similar punishments, as if by way of retaliation; not that we refuse to allow wicked men to be deprived of impunity in crime, but that we rather desire that justice be satisfied in such a way as to turn the wicked by means of coercive measures from their mad frenzy to the peaceableness of sane men, without taking their life or crippling them in any part of the body, and so set them to some useful work instead of their works of malice. That too is called a penal sentence, but who can fail to see that it is to be termed rather a benefit than a punishment, when, on the one side, bold and frenzied violence is not allowed a free hand, and, on the other, the remedy of repentance is not withheld;

> Latin: 1. Circumcelliones illos et clericos partis Donati, quos de Hipponiensi ad iudicium pro factis eorum publicae disciplinae cura deduxerat, a tua nobilitate comperi auditos et plurimos eorum de homicidio quod in Restitutum, catholicum presbyterum, commiserunt, et de caede Innocentii, alterius catholici presbyteri, atque de oculo eius effosso et digito praeciso, fuisse confessos. Unde mihi sollicitudo maxima incussa est, ne forte sublimitas tua censeat eos tanta legum severitate plectendos, ut qualia fecerunt, talia patiantur. Ideoque his litteris obtestor fidem tuam, quam habes in Christo, per ipsius domini Christi misericordiam, ut hoc nec facias nec fieri omnino permittas. Quamvis enim ab eorum interitu dissimulare possumus, qui non accusantibus nostris sed illorum notoria, ad quos tuendae publicae pacis vigilantia pertinebat, praesentati videantur exanimi, nolumus tamen passiones servorum dei quasi vice talionis paribus suppliciis vindicari, non quo scelestis hominibus licentiam facinorum prohibeamus auferri, sed hoc magis sufficere volumus, ut vivi et nulla corporis parte truncati vel ab inquietudine insana ad sanitatis otium legum cohercitione dirigantur vel a malignis operibus alicui utili operi deputentur. Vocatur quidem et ista damnatio, sed quis non intellegat magis beneficium quam supplicium nuncupandum, ubi nec saeviendi relaxetur audacia nec paenitendi medicina subtrahatur?

[¶1] 2. Christian judge, fulfil the duty of a devoted father; be angry at wickedness, yet forget not humane considerations, and do not give rein to the desire to seek revenge for the atrocity of their sinful deeds, but exert your will to the curing of the sores of the sinners. Do not lose that fatherly care that you maintained at the inquiry, when you extracted the confession of those heinous offences, not by stretching them on the rack, or by furrowing their flesh with hooks, or by burning them with flames, but by beating them with rods—a method of coercion employed by schoolmasters and by parents themselves, and often by bishops as well in their courts. Do not then punish with harsher sentence what you found out by gentler methods. The need for finding out is greater than that of punishment, for even the gentlest of men investigate a hidden crime with care and insistence, to the end that they may find out those whom they are to spare. That is why it is usually necessary to pursue the investigation with greater harshness, so that, when the guilt has been brought to light, there may be an opportunity for showing moderation. For all good works delight in being set in the light, not to gratify human vanity, but, as the Lord says, that men “may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”a And for this reason the Apostle was not satisfied with admonishing us to preserve our moderation, but urged us further to make it known to all, saying. “Let your moderation be known to all men,” b and elsewhere, “Showing moderation to all men.” c So, too, that very remarkable forbearance of the holy David, when in his clemency he spared the enemy who was delivered into his hands, d would not be so conspicuous, if his power to act otherwise were not equally apparent. So then, do not let your power to exact punishment drive you to harsh measures, when the need for making an investigation did not make you discard your clemency. Do not send for the executioner after finding out the crime, when to find it out you did not use the services of the torturer.

> Latin: 2. Imple, Christiane iudex, pii patris officium, sic suscense iniquitati, ut consulere humanitati memineris, nec in peccatorum atrocitatibus exerceas ulciscendi libidinem, sed peccatorum vulneribus curandi adhibeas voluntatem. Noli perdere paternam diligentiam, quam in ipsa inquisitione servasti, quando tantorum scelerum confessionem non extendente eculeo, non sulcantibus ungulis, non urentibus flammis, sed virgarum verberibus eruisti,—qui modus cohercitionis et a magistris artium liberalium et ab ipsis parentibus et saepe etiam in iudiciis solet ab episcopis haberi. Noli ergo atrocius vindicare quod lenius invenisti. Inquirendi quam puniendi necessitas maior est; ad hoc enim et mitissimi homines facinus occultatum diligenter atque instanter examinant, ut inveniant quibus pareant. Unde plerumque necesse est, exerceatur acrius inquisitio, ut manifestato scelere, sit ubi appareat mansuetudo. Omnia quippe bona opera amant in luce constitui non propter humanam gloriam, sed ut videant, ait dominus, bona opera vestra et glorificent patrem vestrum, qui in caelis est. Et ideo non sufficit apostolo monere ut mansuetudinem servaremus, sed ut eam etiam notam omnibus faceremus: Mansuetudo, inquit, vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus, et alio loco: Mansuetudinem ostentantes ad omnes homines, ut nec illa sancti David, quando inimico sibi in manus tradito clementer pepercit, praeclarissima lenitas emineret, nisi potestas pariter appareret. Non te ergo ex-asperet vindicandi potestas, cui lenitatem non excussit examinandi necessitas. Noli facinore invento quaerere percussorem, in quo inveniendo noluisti adhibere tortorem.

[¶2] 3. Finally, it is for the benefit of the Church that you have been sent. I solemnly avow that such a line of action is to the advantage of the Church as a whole or, not to have the appearance of going beyond the limits of my own stewardship, of the church belonging to the diocese of Hippo Regius. If you will not give ear to the petition of a friend, give ear to a bishop's advice; in fact, since I am addressing a Christian, it would not be arrogant in me to say, especially in a matter of this kind, that it is your duty, my noble and justly distinguished lord and well-beloved son, to give ear to a bishop's commands, concerning that for which most of all, as I know, the Church cases have devolved upon your Excellency; but as I believe this responsibility belongs to that illustrious and admirable man, the Proconsul, I have written a letter to him too, which I beg you to take the trouble to hand to him and, if need be, to recommend to his notice yourself. And I beseech both of you not to think I am importunate with either my intercession or advice or anxiety, and not to let the sufferings of the Catholic servants of God, which ought to be of benefit in the spiritual up-building of the wreak, be sullied by the retaliation of punishment on the enemies at whose hand they suffered; rather, blunting the edge of judicial rigour, exert every effort to commend your faith, since ye are sons of the Church, and at the same time the moderation of your Holy Mother. May Almighty God enrich your Excellency with all good things, my noble and deservedly distinguished lord and well-beloved son.

> Latin: 3. Postremo pro ecclesiae utilitate missus es. Hoc ecclesiae catholicae aut, ut modum dispensationis meae non supergredi videar, hoc ecclesiae ad Hipponiensium-Regiorum dioecesim pertinenti prodesse, hoc expedire contestor. Si non audis amicum petentem, audi episcopum consulentem, quamvis, quoniam Christiano loquor, maxime in tali causa non arroganter dixerim, audire te episcopum convenit iubentem, domine eximie et merito insignis atque carissime fili, unde scio quidem causas ecclesiasticas excellentiae tuae potissimum iniunctas; sed quia credo istam curam ad virum clarissimum atque spectabilem proconsulem pertinere, ad eum quoque litteras dedi, quas rogo ut ipse illi tradere et allegare, si opus est, non graveris. Atque ambos obsecro, ne importunam arbitremini vel intercessionem vel suggestionem vel sollicitudinem nostram, et passiones catholicorum servorum dei, quae infirmis ad aedificationem spiritalem utiles esse debent, haud reciproca inimicorum, a quibus passi sunt, poena decoloretis, sed potius refracta iudiciaria severitate et vestram fidem, quia filii estis ecclesiae, et ipsius matris mansuetu- dinem commendare minime neglegatis. Deus omnipotens praestantiam tuam bonis omnibus augeat, domine eximie et merito insignis atque carissime fili.