Augustine in His Own Words (continued)
The Bishop 91
(10) Because my lord and father [Aurelius] orders that I speak to you, please listen intently just a little longer. Let me announce to your ears what you discern with your eyes: Prey has been snatched and rescued from the wolf's jaws by our great Shepherd's doing and mercy. The Shepherd has brought back the one that [God's] flock used to shout about. The one they shouted about, one who used to be an enemy of the Christian faith, has now taken up the Christian faith. . . . Some may say: "Who? That guy, a Christian? That guy, he has come to believe?" We cannot see into the human heart nor bring it out into the open. . . . The Apostle Paul says: "Brothers and sisters, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will manifest the heart's motives, and then everyone will receive praise from God" (1 Cor 4:5). You cannot peer into the heart of new Christians. Why not? Well, can you do so with the hearts of veteran Christians? You're going to say: "But Faustinus believed because he had to." The same could be said of the one I talked about a little earlier. St. Paul, too, at one point was "a blasphemer and a persecutor and a scoffer" (1 Tm 1:13). He also got forced, a certain necessity imposed on him. A heavenly voice laid him flat. . . . [People say:] "Faustinus believed because he had to." What was he scared of? Tell me: What was he scared of? Sheep crying out "baa"? Sheep may "baa," but they can't bite. Now he could have noticed the glory of God in sheep baa-ing, and he could have gotten scared of God's judgment. . . .
(11) In the meantime, brothers and sisters, let us stay with what's been conceded to us, to what we as human beings can do, and not lay claim to what's beyond us. The Apostle says: "Welcome the one weak in faith, not in judgments on thoughts" (Rom 14:1). Let us not lay claim to judging others' thoughts, but let us set before God our prayers, even for those about whom we maybe have doubts. Maybe this new one himself has certain doubts. Love him abundantly in all his doubting. By your love, remove doubts from the heart of one less-than-firm. . . . [People used to say:] "Who did such-andsuch?" "Faustinus." "Who did such-and-such?" "Faustinus." "Who used to be against Christ?" "Faustinus." Who now fears Christ? "Faustinus."20 . . . And so, brothers and sisters, we commend him to your prayers, and to your love, and to a most faithful friendship, and to holding him up when he's less-thanfirm. As you move along, teach him the good pathway. Let him find that good pathway in you. Now that he's been made a Christian, let him discern the difference between what he has dismissed and what he has found. The future
20. Augustine's audience was often noisy and responded to him with both applause and shouts. For more on this, see Chapter 4. I suspect that here the name "Faustinus" might have been called out not by Augustine himself, but by the audience who responded noisily to his rapid-fire questions.