that sense a historical religion, it is nothing. So Augustine is instinctively guarding against Christian
SERMON 220 201
That's where the splendid and famous solemnity of this night fits in, when by keeping vigil it's as though we were re-enacting the Lord's resurrection by the residue of thought, while by thinking more literally and realistically we confess that it happened only once.1 2 3 4 So the proclamation of the historical truth has made us well instructed; far be it from us to drop the solemnity and thus become irreligious. This solemn celebration has made this night justly famous throughout the world; it displays the Christian peoples in all their serried ranks; it confounds the darkness of the Jews; it throws down the idols of the pagans.
NOTES
1. Like the last sermon, this looks like an introduction to the solemn vigil of Easter night; so again perhaps delivered while Augustine was still only a presbyter; but I would guess a year or two after Sermon 219.
2. See Heb 7:27; 9:12.
3. See Acts 3:14; 22:14. 4. The historical uniqueness of the Christ event is central to the Christian religion; if it is not in that sense a historical religion, it is nothing. So Augustine is instinctively guarding against Christian liturgical celebrations being thought of as pagan ones possibly were; that is, as being quite inde¬ pendent of history, and re-enacting some myth, like the death and resurrection of Adonis, or of Horus/Osiris, that "happens" every year.
And yet at the same time he is insisting on the essentially sacramental nature of Christian religion, which in its liturgy makes the once-and-for-all Christ event perennially present to the faithful, who are here and now in Christ.