Augustin: Letters 513

513 1469 (1Co 11,31 1Co 11,

1470 The prioress of the nunnery at Hippo, appointed to that office after the death of the sister of Augustin.

1471 (Mt 5,45 Mt 5,

1472 (Ep 4,2, 3).

1473 (1Co 15,24).

1474 (1Co 15,28).

1475 (Pr 9,8).

1476 (Pr 9,8).

1477 This letter is of historical value, as embodying the rules of nunneries belonging to the Augustinian orders. In the end of the first volume of the Benedictine edition of his writings, this rule of monastic life is given, adapted by some later writer to convents of monks).

1478 (2Co 1,23).

1479 (Ga 5,7, 8).

514 1480 (1Co 5,6).

1481 (Pr 27,20, LXX). bdelugma kuriw sthoizwn ovfqalmovn.

1482 (Mt 18,16).

1483 (1Co 13,5 1Co 13,

1484 (Mt 7,3 Mt 7,

1485 (1Jn 3,15).

1486 Titus 2,7.

1487 (1Th 5,14 1Th 5,

1488 A memorial chapel for the reception of relics of Saint Stephen had been built at Hippo.—See City of God, book XXII.

1489 A.D. 426).

1490 (Ps 68,28).

1491 Referring to their last words, giving to Eraclius the title of bishop).

1492 (Si 6,18,

1493 (Sg 4,9 Sg 4,

1494 (Mt 7,11 Mt 7,

1495 (Sg 8,20 Sg 8,

1496 (Ps 37,5, 6.

1497 (Pr 4,27, LXX.

1498 (Mt 11,30 Mt 11,

1499 (Ps 49,6, LXX.

1500 (Jr 17,5 Jr 17,

1501 (Ps 18,1 Ps 18,

1502 (1Jn 4,18 1Jn 4,

1503 Rom 5,5.

516 1504 (Mc 14,38

1505 (Rm 7,18

1506 (1Co 4,7 1Co 4,

1507 (Ph 2,12, 13.

1508 (Pr 8,35, LXX.

1509 (Ps 37,23).

1510 Cilicia.

1511 1 Thess 5,14.

1512 (Jn 1,1, 14.

1513 (Ga 6,1, 3.

1514 (Dt 32,39 Dt 32,

517 1515 (1Jn 4,8, 16.

1516 A formal written retractation of his errors, called elsewhere “emendations libellum.”

1517 See note to Letter CLXXXIX, p. 552.

1518 Rom 6,9.

1519 1 Tim 2,2.

1520 (Rm xiii.1).

1521 (
Si 5,8 Si 5,

1522 See note on Letter CLXXXIX. p. 552.

1523 (1Jn 2,15–17).

1524 (Mt 5,44 Mt 5,

1525 (Mt 16,26 Mt 16,

518 1526 (1Jn 2,15–17.

1527 (
Ps 25,17).

1528 (Ep 6,12 Ep 6,

1529 (Pr 9,8 Pr 9,

1530 Archiater.

1531 Bishop of Thiaba in Mauritania.

1532 This letter is not extant.

1533 (Ps 31,3, LXX.

1534 (Mt 10,23 Mt 10,

1535 (2Co 11,33 2Co 11,

1536 (1Jn 3,16).

519 1537 (Jn 10,12, 13.

1538 (1Co 8,9, 11).

1539 (
2Co 11,29 2Co 11,

1540 Ligati.

1541 (Mt 26,42 Mt 26,

1542 (Ph 2,21 Ph 2,

1543 (1Co 13,5 1Co 13,

1544 (1Co 10,33 1Co 10,

1545 (Ph 1,23, 24).

1546 (2S 21,17 2S 21,

1547 (Pr 18,18).

1548 This Darius was an officer of distinction in the service of the Empress Placidia, and was the instrument of effecting a reconciliation between her and Count Boniface. He was also successful in obtaining a truce with the Vandals, on which Augustin congratulates him in this letter

520 1549 (Mt 5,9).

1550 (Ps 68,29).

1551 Verimodus, the son of Darius).

1552 Referring to Darius’ reply (Letter CCXXX). to the foregoing Letter (CCXXIX).. In it, Darius, after reciprocating in the warmest manner every expression of admiration and esteem, expresses his hope that the peace concluded with the Vandals may be permanent, entreats Augustin to pray for him (alluding to the letter said to have been written by Abgaris, king ot Edessa, to our Saviour), and asks him to send a copy of his Confessions along with his reply to this communication).

1553 Persius, Sat. 1,line 47. “Cornea.”

1554 Horace, Book 1). Ep. i. lines 36–37. Francis’ translation.

1555 (Ga 1,10 Ga 1,

1556 (1Co 10,33 1Co 10,

1557 (Ph 4,8–9).

1558 (Ps 100,3
1559 (1Tm 2,2 1Tm 2,

521 1560 The reference is to some medicines sent by Darius, and mentioned by him in the end of his letters).

1561 Reference is here made to the laws of Honorius against idolatry, passed in A.D. 399. See below in sec. 3).

1562 (1Co 1,23–25).

1563 Referring to his birth at Tagaste (not far distant from Madaura), and to Madaura as the scene of the studies of his boyhood).

1564 See p. 268, note 6.

1565 Possidius, a disciple of Augustin, spoken of in Letter CI. sec. 1, p. 412 was the Bishop of Calama who made the narrow escape recorded in Letter XCI. sec. 8, p. 379. He was for forty years an intimate friend of Augustin, was with him at his death, and wrote his biography).

1566 (1Co 7,32–34.

1567 (1Co 11,5–13.

1568 (
1Co 10,20 1Co 10,

1569 (2Co 6,15).

1570 Probably the Bishop of Nurco, named Auxilius, who was present at the conference in Carthage in 411.

522 1571 (Mt 16,19 Mt 16,

1572 (Ez 18,14).

1573 (Ps 6,8, LXX).

1574 (Ps 6,3).

1575 (Jc 1,20 Jc 1,

1576 This noble vindication of Christian liberty merits quotation in the original:—“Illud plane non temere dixerim, quod si quisquam fidelium fuerit anathematus injuste, ei potius oberit qui faciet quam ei qui hanc patietur injuriam. Spiritus enim sanctus habitans in sanctis, per quem quisque ligatur aut solvitur, immeritam nulli paenam ingerit: per eum quippe diffunditur charitas in cordibus nostria quae non agit perperam.”

1577 The maiden referred to was an orphan whom a magistrate (vir spectabilis) had requested Augustin to bring up as a ward of the Church. Four letters written by him concerning her have been preserved, viz. the 252d, in which he intimates to Felix that he can decide nothing in regard to her without consulting the friend by whom she had been placed under his guardianship; the 253d, expressing to Benenatus his surprise that he should propose for her a marriage which would not strengthen the Church: the 254th, addressed also to Benenatus, which we have translated as a specimen of the series; and the 255th, in which, writing to Rusticus, a Pagan who had sought her hand for his son, Augustin bluntly denies his request, referring him for the grounds of the refusal to his correspondence with Benenatus).

Two Catholic bishops named Benenatus attended the conference with the Donatists at Carthage in 412; the one who belonged to Hospsti, in Numidia, is supposed to be Augustin’s correspondent).

1578 The hesitation which Augustin here indicates in regard to accepting this gift may be understood from the following sentences of one of his sermons:—“Let no one give me a present of clothing, whether linen, or tunic, or any other article of dress, except as a gift to be used in common by my brethren and myself. I will accept nothing for myself which is not to be of service to our community because, I do not wish to have anything which does not equally belong to all the rest. Wherefore I request you, my brethren, to offer me no gift of apparel which may not be worn by the others as suitably as by me. A gift of costly raiment, for example, may sometimes be presented to me as becoming apparel for a bishop to wear; but it is not becoming for Augustin, who is poor, and who is the son of poor parents. Would you have men say that in the Church I found means to obtain richer clothing than I could have had in my father’s house, or in the pursuit of secular employment? That would be a shame to me! The clothing worn by me must be such that I can give it to my brethren if they require it. I do not wish anything which would not be suitable for a presbyter, a deacon, or a sub-deacon, for I receive everything in common with them. If gifts of more costly apparel be given to me, I shall sell them, as has been my custom hitherto, in order that, if the dress be not available for all, the money realized by the sale may be a common benefit. I sell them accordingly, and distribute their price among the poor. Wherefore if any wish me to wear articles of clothing presented to me as gifts let them give such clothing as shall not make me blush when I use it. For I assure you that a costly dress makes me blush, because it is not in harmony with my profession, or with such exhortations as I now give to you, and ill becomes one whose frame is bent, and whose locks are whitened, as you see, by age.”—Sermon 356, Bened. edition, vol. 5,col. 1389, quoted by Tillemont, 13,p. 222).

1579 For requiritur the Benedictine editors suggest recurrit, as a conjectural emendation of the text. We propose, and adopt in the translation, a simpler and perhaps more probable alteration, and read requiruntur).

1580 Sursum sit cor et sicci erunt oculi).

523 1581 In the Latin word sapere here employed, there is an allusion to her name (Sapida), which he has with a view to this repeated immediately before).

1582 (
1Th 4,12).

1583 (Jn 11,19–35).

1584 (Si 38,16–18).

1585 (Ps 41,8, LXX).

1586 (Lc 21,18).

1587 (Mt 22,29 Mt 22,

1588 This letter, probably one of the latest from the pen of Augustin, is the last of his letters in the Benedictine edition; the only remaining one, the 270th, was not written by Augustin, but addressed to him by an unknown correspondant.


[i]Roberts, Alexander and Donaldson, James, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series: Volume I, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc). 1997.

Augustin: Letters 513