Augustine: Earlier Writings
OF TRUE RELIGION
relationships, which are contingent on birth and death, if our nature had remained in the precepts and image of God, and had not been condemned to corruption.*' I completely disapprove of this notion, of which I have already disapproved in reviewing the first book of my On Genesis, against the Manichees, It leads to the conclusion that the first pair would not have begotten offspring unless they had sinned, as if it were necessary that the oflfspring of intercourse between man and woman should be born to die. I had not yet seen that it was possible that children who would not die might be born of parents who would not die, if human nature had not been changed for the worse by the first great sin. In that case, if fertility and felicity remained both in parents and in children, men would have been born who were destined, not to succeed parents who die, but to reign with their parents in life, up to the fixed number of the saints which God has predetermined. If there were no sin or death, these kinships and relationships would exist.
9. In another place (chap. Iv) I say, "Tending to One God, and binding our souls to him alone [religantes], whence religion is supposed to be derived, let us be without superstition." The account which is given in these words of the derivation of the word "religion" pleased me best. To be sure I was not unaware that authors of Latin tongue have given another derivadon, from religere which is a composite verb from legere, to choose.
Religo seems the proper Latin form, following the analogy of eligo.
Of True Religion
INTRODUCTION THE De Vera Religione is dedicated to Romanianus, and was sent to him with a brief epistle [Epist, 15) in 390. Romanianus, a weahhy citizen of Tagaste, had befriended the young Augustine and contributed financially to enable him to study in Carthage. During a business visit to Milan he met Augustine again, and was one of those who discussed a plan to form a quasi-monastic community for religious and philosophic inquiry {Conf, vi, 14). His son, Licentius, was left with Augustine as a pupil, accompanied him to Cassiciacum and took part in the early dialogues. The Contra Academicos is also dedicated to Romanianus, and there (II, iii, 8) reference is made to the abilities and progress of his son. There too the promise is given to discuss true religion with him, should opportunity offer. On Augustine's return to Africa Romanianus pressed for a fulfilment of the promise, and offered to put his house at Tagaste at the disposal of Augustine and his friends. The offer was gracefully refused. The De Vera Religione was one of the five works of Augustine sent to Paulinus of Nola in 394, which the latter delightedly hailed as his ^'Pentateuch against the Manichees" {Epist, 25). In 415, in answer to queries addressed to him by Evodius, Augustine refers to this work, as also to the De Libero Arbitrio., as containing in principle at least the solution to Evodius' difficulties [Epist, 162). Of the De Vera Religione it has been said, ''Scarcely any other of Augustine's works is of more value in demonstrating the greatness of his genius." At the same time it must be admitted that it is extremely diffuse, almost defying analysis. The inference Augustine wishes Evodius to draw from it, viz., that reason cannot afford compelling proof of the existence of God, hardly seems to emerge from the argument, which is that God's temporal dispensation in nature and in history is congruous with, supports and makes available for all men the Platonic teaching with regard to nature and the Good. The Christian religion, now graciously revealed by God for man's salvation, is the true religion ineffectively glimpsed by Plato and his followers, giving a true account of man's fall, present condition and way of regeneration. Those who accept this can live the good life even under earthly conditions, provided they look for blessedness to God alone, the supreme Good. One may note the seminal idea of the De Civitate Dei in xxvii, 50.
ANALYSIS
i, I—vi, II. Christ has achieved what Plato sought in vain to do.
(i) True religion is the way of the blessed life, and is incompatible with polytheism and idolatry. (2-6) Plato saw this afar off; Christ has made it generally available. (7) Platonists, unless smitten with envy, are becoming Christians.
(8-1 1 ) Philosophers, Jews, heretics, schismatics, only stimulate the thought of the Cathohc Church. viij 12—X, 20. Address to Romanianus; and Outline of the Argument.
(13) God's temporal dispensation for man's salvation rightly understood provides (14-16) a sure defence against all heresies, especially Manicheeism. (18) Root of all heresy is failure to distinguish between Creator and creature. (19) All creation, obedient to the law of God, bears witness to the eternal Creator. God has come to man's aid in giving the Christian religion. (20) Augustine's varied experience in commending it. xi, 21—xxiii, 44. The Fall and Redemption of Man.
(21-25) The soul by disobedience is involved in material things and becomes "carnal." By God's grace it can return to God. Even the body can be renewed. (27) Sin is voluntary, and its penalty, which includes moral inability, is just. But salvation is possible. (30) Christ honoured human nature by assuming it in order to hberate it. (31-34) He taught and set the standard of the perfect life. (35 ff.) Sin is lovmg the lower in place of the higher good, and its cause is the mutability of the creature and disobedience to God's command. (42)
Beauty even in transient things, e.g., a poem. (43) So also in history; only we are involved in history as parts of it, and cannot see it whole. (44) History is a process of purgation, making for the salvation of the righteous and the final damnation of the impious. xxiv, 45—xxxviii, 71. God's Methods of winning men from the Temporal to the Eternal. A. Authority (45-51). B. Reason (52-71). A. Authority. {45) Authoritv' prior in time to reason. (46) Belongs to those who call us to worship one God, for unirvis supreme. (47"! Miracles necessaryat the beginning of the Church but not now. (48) Five stages of the natural life of the individual. (49} Seven stages of the spiritual life, i.e., putting off "the old man" and putting on "the new man."
(50) World histor)' from Adam to the Judgment; Two classes of men, the regenerate and the impious. Their final destiny.
(51) The economy of the divine education of the human race in Israel and in the Church. B. Reason. (52) Life superior to the inanimate. (53) Reason superior to Life. (54-58) Above reason is the ideal world; Truth, the eternal law, God. (59-64) Difficulty in getting men to transcend sense-knowledge. (68-69) Hence all idolatn,', and worse still, the worship of the \ices. (71) The Three Temptations of Christ show how \-ices are to be overcome. xxxix, 72—liv, 106. Reason sees the created universe as pointing to God. (72) Vestiges of truth ever\"vvhere, even in bodily pleasures. Things enjoyed are good; evil only as compared with what is better. (73) Even to know that one doubts, is the beginning of truth. (74) There is good in all material processes even the lowest. (76) The universe as a whole is beautiful. Even a worm has a beauty of its own. (79) Number in all things. (84) The desire to excel is good; even pride is a perverted imitation of almighty God. (85 flf.) The desire to be unconquered has good in it, especially if what is desired is to be unconquered by vice. By lo\ing men as they ought to be loved we conquer anger, jealousy and partiality. (94) Curiosity is a per\-ersion of the laudable desire to know the truth.
Idle curiosity is sin. But the desire to know God and the meaning of Scripture is entirely good and the way of salvation. (106) The Five Talents in the parable are the five senses. When they are well used an extra talent is given, i.e., power to understand eternal things.
Iv, 107-113. Final Exhortation to the Worship of the One True God.
Of True Religion
THE TEXT
i, I. The way of the good and blessed life is to be found entirely in the true religion wherein one God is worshipped and acknowledged with purest piety to be the beginning of all existing things, originating, perfecting and containing the universe. Thus it becomes easy to detect the error of the peoples who have preferred to worship many gods rather than the true God and Lord of all things, because their wise men whom they call philosophers used to have schools in disagreement one with another, while all made common use of the temples. The peoples and the priests knew quite well how divergent were the views of the philosophers concerning the nature of the gods, for none shrank from publicly professing his opinion, and indeed each endeavoured as far as he could to persuade everybody. And yet all of them with their co-sectaries, in spite of their diverse and mutually hostile opinions, came to the common religious rites, none saying them nay. Now the question is not, Whose opinion was nearest to the truth? But one thing, so far as I can see, is abundantly clear. What the philosophers observed along with the people in the way of religious rites was something quite different from what they defended in private, or even in the hearing of the people. ii, 2. Socrates is said to have been somewhat bolder than the others. He swore by a dog or a stone or any other object that happened to be near him or came to hand, so to speak, when he was to take an oath. I suppose he knew how many natural objects, produced and governed by divine providence, are much better than the works ofhuman artificers, and therefore worthier of divine honours than are the images which are worshipped in the temples. Not that dogs and stones were rightly to be A.E.W.— 15 225
worshipped by wise men; but that in this way all who had intelligence might understand how sunk in superstition men are. He wanted to show that an oath of this kind did represent an advance though not a very great one. If men were ashamed to take this step, they might at least see how shameful it was to remain in the still baser condition of religious practice to which they were accustomed. At the same time those who supposed that the visible world was the supreme God were given to realize their turpitude, for they were taught that any stone might be rightly worshipped as a particle of God most high. If they saw that that was offensive, they might change their minds and seek the one God who alone is superior to our minds, and by whom clearly every soul and the whole world has been created. Plato afterwards wrote all this down, making it pleasant to read rather than potent to persuade. These men were not fit to change the minds of their fellow-citizens, and convert them from idolatrous superstition and worldly vanity to the true worship of the true God. Thus Socrates himself venerated images along with his people, and after his condemnation and death no one dared to swear by a dog or to call a stone Jupiter. These things were merely recorded and handed down to memory. Whether this was due to fear of punishment or to the influence of the times it is not for me to judge. iii, 3. This, however, I will say with complete confidence, in spite of all who love so obstinately the books of the philosophers. In Christian times there can be no doubt at all as to which religion is to be received and held fast, and as to where is the way that leads to truth and beatitude. Suppose Plato were alive and would not spurn a question I would put to him; or rather suppose one of his own disciples, who lived at the same time as he did, had addressed him thus: "You have persuaded me that truth is seen not with the bodily eyes but by the pure mind, and that any soul that cleaves to truth is thereby made happy and perfect. Nothing hinders the perception of truth more than a life devoted to lusts, and the false images of sensible things, derived from the sensible world and impressed on us by the agency of the body, which beget various opinions and errors. Therefore the mind has to be healed so that it may behold the immutable form of things which remains ever the same, preserving its beauty unchanged and unchangeable, knowing no spatial distance or temporal variation, abiding absolutely one and the same. Men do not believe in its existence, though it alone truly and supremely exists. Other things are born, die, are dissolved or broken up. But so far as they do exist they have existence from the eternal God, being created by his truth. To the rational and intellectual soul is given to enjoy the contemplation of his eternity, and by that contemplation it is armed and equipped so that it may obtain eternal life. So long as it is weakened by love of things that come to be and pass away, or by pain at losing them, so long as it is devoted to the custom of this life and to the bodily senses, and becomes vain among vain images, it laughs at those who say that there is something which cannot be seen by the eyes, or conjured up by any phantasm, but can be beheld by the mind alone, by the intelligence. You, my master, have persuaded me to believe these things. Now, ifsome great and divine man should arise to persuade the peoples that such things were to be at least believed if they could not grasp them with the mind, or that those who could grasp them should not allow themselves to be implicated in the depraved opinions of the multitude or to be overborne by vulgar errors, would you not judge that such a man is worthy of divine honours?" I believe Plato's answer would be: *'That could not be done by man, unless the very virtue and wisdom of God delivered him from natural environment, illumined him from his cradle not by human teaching but by personal illumination, honoured him with such grace, strengthened him with such firmness and exalted him with such majesty, that he should be able to despise all that wicked men desire, to suffer all that they dread, to do all that they marvel at, and so with the greatest love and authority to convert the human race to so sound a faith. But it is needless to ask me about the honours that would be due to such a man. It is easy to calculate what honours are due to the wisdom of God. Being the bearer and instrument of the wisdom of God on behalf of the true salvation of the human race, such a man would have earned a place all his own, a place above all humanity."
4. Now this very thing has come to pass. It is celebrated in books and documents. From one particular region of the earth in which alone the one God was worshipped and where alone such a man could be born, chosen men were sent throughout the entire world, and by their virtues and words have kindled the fires of the divine love. Their sound teaching has been confirmed and they have left to posterity a world illumined.
But not to speak of ancient history, which anyone may refuse to believe, to-day throughout the nations and peoples the proclamation is made: "In the beginning was the Word, and the