52. Ep. 20*.2–32 (BA 46B:292–340); trans. Eno, FOTC 81:134–49.
ened to go to the apostolic see, as if we had been going to send whatever had been done with him in the acts to some other place.
(26) It remained therefore for the apostolic see to be informed with letter and the official digest. To accomplish this, we acted as quickly as we could. See what a spectacle we had become to Jews, pagans, and heretics and all the enemies within, if only without the death of those freed from heresy and now breathing in the light of unity for whom we have made the catholic name hateful, if their weakness will not at least be consoled by the fact that they no longer have a bishop whom they exclaim with just sorrow that they cannot tolerate.
(27) Therefore I thought that I should write these things to your Excellency so that, if he sees you, you will not be unaware of what you should advise him. . . . Let him stop lusting to dominate the members of Christ gathered by the blood of others. There where he began to be a bishop, neither he nor any presbyter or cleric nor anyone at all under his regime suffered any losses or wounds from the Donatists. But that he might find such peace there, what evils these our people bore is a horror to say. . . . (28) Do not be afraid to give counsel based on faith to a bishop who seeks the things of earth. You who are in the world seek God, but he who is in the Church seeks the world. . . .
(31) To this day, this poverty-bound monk-become-bishop tells the people of Fussala, "Give me back the house I built in your village." This house he seemed to be building for the Church, not for himself; would that it had been built from good and honest offerings, not from spoils! . . .
(32) But this is all beside the point. I simply wanted to make known to you my unhappiness that a young man trained by us in the monastery who, when we took him in, left nothing of his own behind, gave nothing to the poor, brought nothing to the community, the very same now glories, as it were, in his estates and homes and wishes to make his own not only these things but also the very flock of Christ, while he wants to be of the number of those of whom the apostle said: "They seek what is their own, not the things of Jesus Christ" (Phil 2:21). How much all this wounds my heart, He knows, the One who can heal me.52
Work by Day, Dictate by Night
We think of Augustine as a writer of numerous and voluminous theological works. That was not his day job. Much of his writing was done after hours, often late into the night.
52. Ep. 20*.2–32 (BA 46B:292–340); trans. Eno, FOTC 81:134–49.