vehemently deny this assertion of these "unleamedly learned" men, whom he called mathematici—
82 SAINT A UG USTINE - SERMONS
4. See 2 Cor 5:7. 5. See Ps 36:9. 6. See Mt 2:2. 7. As the astrologers, of course, asserted, and still do. Augustine and the whole Catholic tradition vehemently deny this assertion of these "unleamedly learned" men, whom he called mathematici— theirs being, doubtless, one of the busiest fields of applied mathematics. The theological objection was to the basic astrological notion that our lives are governed by a fate, or necessity, written in the stars, which leaves no room for freedom of will and personal responsibility for our actions; as Augustine goes on to say.
8. Non sane fatidicos sed plane faisidicos libros; their certainly not fate-telling but manifestly false-telling books; the Nostradamuses of those times.
9. So Augustine would have had no patience with those people who identify the star the Magi saw with Halley's comet, or any other natural phenomenon of astronomy. For him it was a special divine creation; and that was fairly certainly the mind of the storyteller too.
10. See Mk 15:33.
11. This novum obsequium, new form of homage or obedience, would be that offered by angels to a human being: Christ in his divine glory, but still, and for ever, also a man.
12. See Jn 10:16.