--- title: "Letters · Epistulae" author: "Augustine" translator: "James Houston Baxter" languages: [la, en] shelf: "Church Fathers" section: 7 of 62 url: https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/7/ cite: "Augustine, tr. James Houston Baxter, Letters · Epistulae, section 7. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/7/" --- # 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. ## 7. Letter 7 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/7/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/augustine-letters/7/#p-N [¶0] 1. First and foremost, I beg your wise Holiness to consider that there is nothing in this life, and especially in our own day. more easy and pleasant and acceptable to men than the office of a bishop or priest or deacon, if its duties be discharged in a mechanical and sycophantic way. but nothing more worthless and deplorable and meet for chastisement in the sight of God; and, on the other hand, that there is nothing in this life, and especially in our own day, more difficult, toilsome and hazardous than the office of a bishop or priest or deacon, but nothing more blessed in the sight of God. if our service be in accordance with our Captain's orders. b But how that is to be done I learned neither in my boyhood nor in my youth, and just as I had begun to learn. I was compelled by reason of my sins to assume the second place at the helm, although 1 did not know how to hold an oar. > Latin: 1. Ante omnia peto, ut cogitet religiosa prudentia tua nihil esse in hac vita et maxime hoc tempore facilius et laetius et hominibus acceptabilius episcopi aut presbyteri aut diaconi officio, si perfunctorie atque adulatorie res agatur, sed nihil apud deum miserius et tristius et damnabilius; item nihil esse in hac vita et maxime hoc tempore difficilius, laboriosius, periculosius episcopi aut presbyteri aut diaconi officio, sed apud deum nihil beatius, si eo modo militetur. quo noster imperator iubet. Quis autem iste sit modus, nec a pueritia nec ab adulescentia mea didici. Et eo tempore, quo discere coeperam, vis mihi facta est merito peccatorum meorum—nam quid aliud existimem nescio,—ut secundus locus gubernaculorum mihi traderetur, qui remum tenere non noveram. [¶1] 2. But I imagine that it was my Lord's intention to chastise me because I was bold enough to rebuke many sailors for their faults, as though I were a wiser and a better man. before experience had taught me the nature of their work. So, on being sent into their midst, I then began to realize how presump- tuous were my rebukes, although even before that time I had concluded that this occupation was fraught with great hazards. That was the cause of those tears which some of the brethren noticed me shedding when I was newly ordained a; they said all they could to console me, but, though their intentions were good, their words had no bearing whatever on my trouble, as they did not know the reasons for my grief. But experience has revealed the hazards far, far more fully than even anticipation; it is not that I have observed some new breakers or storms unknown to me by previous observation or report or reading or meditation, but that I completely miscalculated my ability and strength to avoid them or endure them and reckoned it to be of some worth. But the Lord mocked me and by actual experience sought to show me just what I am. > Latin: 2. Sed arbitror dominum meum propterea me sic emendare voluisse, quod multorum peccata nautarum, antequam expertus essem, quid illic agitur, quasi doctior et melior reprehendere audebam. Itaque posteaquam missus sum in medium, tunc sentire coepi temeritates reprehensionum mearum, quamquam et antea periculosissimum iudicarem hoc ministerium. Et hinc erant illae lacrimae, quas me fundere in novitate ordinationis meae nonnulli fratres animadverterunt, et nescientes causas doloris mei quibus potuerunt sermonibus, qui omnino ad vulnus meum non pertinerent, tamen bono animo consolati sunt. Sed multo, valde multo amplius expertus sum, quam putabam, non quia novos aliquos fluctus aut tempestates vidi, quas ante non videram vel non audieram vel non legeram vel non cogitaveram, sed ad eas evitandas aut perferendas sollertiam et vires meas omnino non noveram et alicuius momenti arbitrabar. Dominus autem inrisit me et rebus ipsis ostendere voluit me ipsum mihi. [¶2] 3. If He did this in mercy and not in judgement, as I confidently hope now that I at last recognize my weak points, it is my duty to investigate all the remedies to be found in His Scriptures and to see that prayer and study procure for my soul adequate strength for such dangerous tasks. I had no time before the ceremony, so I failed to do it then: I was ordained just when I was planning for a period of leisure in order to make myself acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, and when I was arranging to obtain some spare time for that task. The truth is, I did not realize my lack of qualifications for the duties that now vex and harass me. If experience has taught me what is requisite for one who dispenses God's word and sacrament to the people, only now to be debarred from acquiring what I know I do not possess, are you, Father Valerius, simply decreeing my ruin? Where is your affection for me? Do you really love me? Do you really love the Church which you want me to serve with this poor equipment? Yet I am sure that you love us both, but you think me quite well equipped, though I know myself better; but I should not have acquired this knowledge, had it not been taught me by experience. > Latin: 3. Quod si non damnando, sed miserando fecit—hoc enim spero certe vel nunc cognita aegritudine mea,—debeo scripturarum eius medicamenta omnia perscrutari et orando ac legendo agere, ut idonea valitudo animae meae ad tam periculosa negotia tribuatur. Quod ante non feci, quia et tempus non habui; tunc enim ordinatus sum, cum de ipso vacationis tempore ad cognoscendas divinas scripturas cogitaremus et sic nos disponere vellemus, ut nobis otium ad hoc negotium posset esse. Quod verum est, nondum sciebam, quid mihi deesset ad tale opus, quale me nunc torquet et conterit. Quod si propterea in re ipsa didici, quid sit homini necessarium, qui populo ministrat sacramentum et verbum dei, ut iam mihi non liceat adsequi, quod me non habere cognovi, iubes ergo, ut peream, pater Valeri? Ubi est caritas tua? Certe diligis me? Certe diligis ipsam ecclesiam, cui me sic ministrare voluisti? Et tamen certus sum, quod et me et ipsam diligis. Sed putas me idoneum, cum ego melius me noverim, qui tamen nec ipse me nossem, nisi experiendo didicissem. [¶3] 4. But perhaps your Holiness replies: “I should like to know wherein your training is deficient.” It has so many deficiencies that it would be easier for me to enumerate the things I have acquired than those I want to acquire. I might venture to say that I know and hold with complete trust what belongs to our salvation. But how am I to minister even that for the salvation of others, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved a? Perhaps there are some admonitions written in the holy books—nay, it is certain that there are—which, if a man of God grasp and apply them to himself, will enable him to discharge his more ordinary clerical duties, or at least amidst the wicked to keep so sound a conscience that, whether living or dying, he lose not that life for which alone humble and gentle Christian hearts long. But how can this be done, except, as the Lord Himself says, by asking, seeking and knocking. b that is, by prayer, study and beating of the breast? It was for this task that I sought through my brethren to obtain from your dear Reverence a short space of time, say until Easter, and to that I now add this present supplication. > Latin: 4. Sed dicit fortasse sanctitas tua: vellem scire, quid desit instructioni tuae. Tam multa autem sunt, ut facilius possim enumerare quae habeam, quam quae habere desidero. Auderem enim dicere scire me et plena fide retinere, quid pertineat ad salutem nostram. Sed hoc ipsum quo modo ministrent ad salutem aliorum non quaerens, quod mihi utile est, sed quod multis, ut salvi fiant? Et sunt fortasse aliqua, immo non est dubitandum esse in sanctis libris conscripta consilia, quibus cognitis et adprehensis possit homo dei rebus ecclesiasticis ordinatioribus ministrare aut certe inter manus iniquorum vel vivere conscientia saniore vel mori, ut illa vita non amittatur, cui uni christiana corda humilia et mansueta suspirant. Quo modo autem hoc fieri potest, nisi, quem ad modum ipse dominus dicit, petendo quaerendo pulsando, id est orando legendo plangendo? Ad quod negotium mihi parvum tempus velut usque ad pascha impetrare volui per fratres a tua sincerissima et venerabili caritate et nunc per has preces volo. [¶4] 5. For what answer am I to make to the Lord, when He judges me? That I had no opportunity for self improvement in the embarrassment of clerical duties? If He were to say to me: “Thou wicked servant, a if some rogue were preying upon the Church's property, the fruits of which are gathered with great expenditure of effort, and your intervention before an earthly bar could be of some avail, would not everyone agree and some even command and compel you to abandon the field that I watered with My own Blood and proceed to court, and if the verdict were unfavourable, even to make the journey across the sea? You might spend a year or more without being recalled by grumbling, in preventing the land needful for the bodily, not the spiritual, welfare of the poor from falling into other hands; yet their hunger would be appeased much more easily and more satisfactorily to Me, by My living trees, if they were carefully tended. Why then do you complain that you had no leisure to learn My husbandry?” Tell me. what answer could I make? I wonder if you would like me to say: “But the Senior b Valerius thought my training was complete and, out of his great love for me, gave me all the less opportunity to acquire what I lacked”? > Latin: 5. Quid enim responsurus sum domino iudici? Non poteram ista iam quaerere, cum ecclesiasticis negotiis impedirer? Si ergo mihi dicat: serve nequam, si villa ecclesiae calumniosum aliquem pateretur, cuius fructibus colligendis magna opera inpenditur neglecto agro, quem rigavi sanguine meo, si quid agere pro ea posses apud iudicem terrae, nonne omnibus consentientibus, nonnullis etiam iubentibus et cogentibus pergeres et, si contra te iudicaretur, etiam trans mare proficiscereris? Atque hoc modo vel annuam vel amplius absentiam tuam nulla querella revocaret, ne alius possideret terram non animae sed corpori pauperum necessariam, quorum tamen famem vivae arbores meae multo facilius mihique gratius, si diligenter colerentur, explerent. Cur ergo ad discendam agriculturam meam vacationem temporis tibi defuisse causaris? Dic mihi, quid respondeam; rogo te an forte vis dicam: senex Valerius dum me omnibus rebus instructum esse credidisset, quanto amplius me dilexit, tanto minus discere ista permisit? [¶5] 6. Consider all these points, Senior Valerius; I entreat you by the goodness and severity of Christ, by His mercy and judgement, by Him who inspired you with such affection for me that even to gain my own soul I would not venture to displease you. You call upon the Lord and Christ to bear witness to me of the single-mindedness and liking and warm affection you have towards me, as if I could not take an oath myself on them all. To that liking and affection I appeal: pity me and give me the time I want for the thing I want; give me the aid of your prayers, that my desire be not in vain and my absence not without fruit to the Church of Christ and the welfare of my brethren and fellow-servants. I am sure that the Lord does not despise such affection when it expresses itself in prayer for me, especially in a matter of this kind. He will accept it as a sweet sacrifice, and perhaps in a shorter time than I have asked for will provide from the health-giving counsels of His Scriptures the instruction I need. > Latin: 6. Adtende omnia ista, senex Valeri; obsecro te per bonitatem et severitatem Christi, per misericordiam et iudicium eius. per eum, tantam qui tibi inspiravit erga nos caritatem, ut ne te nec pro lucro animae nostrae audeamus offendere. Sic autem mihi dominum et Christum testem facis innocentiae et caritatis et sinceri affectus quem circa nos habes, quasi ego non de his iurare omnibus possum. Ipsam ergo caritatem et affectum inploro, ut miserearis mei et concedas mihi ad hoc quod rogavi, tempus quantum rogavi, atque adiuves me orationibus tuis, ut non sit inane desiderium meum nec infructuosa ecclesiae Christi atque utilitati fratrum et conservorum meorum absentia mea. Scio quod illam caritatem pro me orantem maxime in tali causa non despicit dominus et eam sicut sacrificium suavitatis accipiens fortassis breviore tempore, quam postulavi, me saluberrimis consiliis de scripturis suis reddet instructum.