Expositions on the Book of Psalms
THE "WORKS. -OF *STr AUGUSTIN.
[Psatm LVI.
half of his days they shall leave him, and in his last days he shall be an unwise one." ® They make progress, but fora time. For what saith the Apostle? " But evil men and seducers shall make progress for the worse, themselves erring, and other men into error driving."7 But "a blind man leading a blind man, together into a ditch they fall."'®> Deservedly they fall "into the pit of corruption." What therefore saith he? They shall make progress for the worse: not however for long. For a little before he hath said, " But further they shall not make progress :''9 that is, "shall not halve their days." Let the Apostle proceed and tell wherefore : " For the madness of them shall be manifest to all men, as also was that of the others."' " But I in Thee will hope, O Lord." But deservedly they shall not halve their days, because in man they have hoped. But I from days temporal have reached unto day eternal. Wherefore? Because in Thee I have hoped, O Lord.
everywhere remain not quiet. And if we think of these visible deaths, there are men of bloods. Give heed to the armed man, whether he is a man of peace and not of blood. If at least a club only he were to carry, well; but he carrieth a sling, carrieth an axe, carrieth stones, carrieth lances ; and carrying these weapons, wherever they may they scour, for the blood of innocent men they thirst.' Therefore even with regard to these visible deaths there are men of bloods. But even of them let us say, O that such deaths alone they perpetrated, and souls they slew not. These that are men of bloods and of deceit, let them not suppose that we thus wrongly understand men of bloods, of them that kill souls : they themselves of their Maximianists? have so understood it. For when they condemned them, in the very sentence of their Council they have set down these words: "Swift are the feet of them to shed the blood" (of the proclaimers 3), " tribulation and calamity are in the ways of them, and the way of peace they have not known.''4 This of the Maximianists they have said. But I ask of them, when have the Maximianists shed the body's blood ; not because they too would not shed, if there were so great a multitude as could shed, but because of the fear in their minority rather they have suffered somewhat from others, than have themselves at any time done
PSALM LVI."
1. Just as when we are going to enter into any house, we look on the title to see whose it is and to whom it belongeth, lest perchance inopportunely we burst into a place whereunto we ought not; and again, in order that we may not through timidity withdraw from that which we ought to enter: as if in a word we were to read, These estates belong to such an one or to such an one: soon the lintel of this Psalm we have inscribed, " At the end, for the people that from holy men were put afar off, to David himself, at the inscription of the Title, when the Allophyli held him in Gath.""! Let us therefore take knowledge of the people that from holy men were put afar off at the inscription of the Title. For this doth belong to that David whom now ye know how to understand spiritually. For there is here commended to our notice no other than He of whom hath been said, "' The end of the Law is Christ for righteousness to every man believing." 1? Therefore when thou hearest " at the end," unto Christ give heed, lest tarrying in the way thou arrive not at the end... . 2. Who are then the people that from holy men were put afar off at the inscription of the Title? Let the Title itself declare to us that people. For there was written a certain title at the Passion of the Lord, when the Lord was crucified : there was in that place a Title inscribed in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin, "The King of the Jews ;''*3 in three tongues as any such thing. Therefore I question the Donatist and say: In thy Council thou hast set down of the Maximianists, "Swift are the feet of them to shed blood." Show me one of whom the Maximianists have hurt so much as a finger! What other thing to me is he to answer, than that which I say? They that have separated themselves from unity,' and who slay souls by leading astray, spiritually, not carnally, do shed blood. Very well thou hast expounded, but in thy exposition acknowledge their own deeds. "Men of bloods and of deceitfulness." In guile is deceitfulness, in dissimulation, in seduction. What therefore of those very men that have been divided because of the anger of His countenance ? They are themselves men of bloods and of deceit.
26. But of them he saith what? "They shall not halve their days." What is, "They shall not halve their days"? They shall not make progress as much as they think: within the time which they expect, they shall perish. For he is that partridge, whereof hath been said, "In the
1 (What but Czrcumcelliones were the perpetrators of the Bartholomew massacres, of the Dragonnades, of the awful butcheries under Alva? —C.]
2 See on Ps, xxxvi. 3 The word axnuntiatorum is omitted in some copies. It is not in the sentence of the Synod of Bagai, as given in the fourth book against Crescontius, c. 4. — Bex.
7 2 Tim. iii. 13. 6 Jer. xvii. rr. 8 Matt. xv. 14. 9 2 Tim. iii. 9. Io Lat. LV. A discourse to the people of Carthage. A Paris Ms. has the title, '' /zczpzt_ Carthagine Sermo habitus in Basilica Restituta, Ferza V. de Psalmo LV. — Ben. 11 ; Sam, xxi, 10, 12 Rom. x. 4. 13 John xix. 19,
4 Ps. xiv. 7, Vulg. and Angl.; also Rom. iii. 15-17. 5 [How fearfully this comes home to those who separated themselves from the Nicene unity under lead of Nicholas and his Decretals,in the ninthage! (John xiii.30.) The '' Dark Ages" instantly settled upon the Church. See A. N, F. vol. viii. p. 642. —C.]