1. Enchiridion 1.6 (BA 9:108–10); trans. Peebles, FOTC 2:372. (continued)
of Augustine, something whole from something fragmentary. Other tesserae deserving inclusion have had to be excluded, but let these final few suffice.
Confessions of Augustine
the Theologian
In one of the newly discovered Dolbeau sermons, at its very close, Augustine spells out how he wanted to be read and remembered as an author. From Sermon 162C: (15) I have said what I thought had to be said with great care. Long have I held on to your love, and long has care for you held on to me. We who debate things and write books, we write in a very, very different way from all that is written in the holy canonical books. We make progress as we write. Every day we learn, we explore as we dictate [our books]. We knock [on God's door] as we speak. Certainly I will not keep silent, but as much as I can, where I can, I try to be useful to the brethren, both by speaking and by writing. To me, as far as it's up to me, I advise your Charity: Do not treat as canonical Scripture some theological debate or a book of some such debate. In the sacred writings of Scripture we learn to judge; in terms of our own writings, we are not above being judged. Certainly, what we'd choose, of the two options, is that we'd much rather speak accurately, whether in writing or in giving talks, and never make a mistake. But since this is hard to do, it is for that reason there is the firm foundation of the canon of the Scriptures, like that other firmament of the sky where luminous bodies are fixed between the waters above and the waters below, between nations of angels and nations of human beings, these above, those below (Gn 1:6). Let us treat the Scriptures as Scriptures, as God speaking. Let us not seek out an error-prone human being. After all, it is to spare us such frustration that the canon has been established in the Church. If someone, therefore, reads a book of mine, he may criticize me. If I speak in a reasonable way, let him follow not me, but reason itself. If I prove something by citing some clear and divine testimony, let him follow not me, but the sacred Scriptures. If, however, someone wants to criticize what I have rightly said, then he is not acting rightly; but I get more irritated with those lavishers of praise who treat my books as though a canonical text than with those who criticize my books for what's not criticize-able. Although I see you so eager, as though newly arrived, I do not wish to say anything more now so that what I've said here at the end you may hold on to more tenaciously. Turning to the Lord. . . .2
2. S. 162C = Dolbeau 10 (Dolbeau, VSS, 55–56); my trans. In this sermon, Augustine publicly discusses his dispute with Jerome on Galatians. (We saw this debate in Chapter 5.) François Dolbeau, VSS, 37–45, dated the sermon to 397, that is, soon after Augustine became bishop, but Hombert, Nouvelles recherches, 347– 54, argues that it dates from 405, that is, contemporary with ep. 82 to Jerome. On the broader theme, see