Saint Augustine

Biography

St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) was one of the most prolific geniuses that humanity has ever known, and is admired not only for the number of his works, but also for the variety of subjects, which traverse the whole realm of thought. The form in which he casts his work exercises a very powerful attraction on the reader. Bardenhewer praises his extraordinary suppleness of expression and his marvellous gift of describing interior things, of painting the various states of the soul and the facts of the spiritual world. His latinity bears the stamp of his age. In general, his style is noble and chaste; but, says the same author, "in his sermons and other popular writings he purposely drops to the language of the people." A detailed analysis is impossible here. We shall merely indicate his principal writings and the date (often approximate) of their composition.

Correspondence

The Confessions are the history of his heart; the Retractations, of his mind; while the Letters show his activity in the Church.
The Confessions (towards A.D. 400) are, in the Biblical sense of the word confiteri, not an avowal or an account, but the praise of a soul that admires the action of God within itself. Of all the works of the holy Doctor none has been more universally read and admired, none has caused more salutary tears to flow. Neither in respect of penetrating analysis of the most complex impressions of the soul, nor communicative feeling, nor elevation of sentiment, nor depth of philosophic views, is there any book like it in all literature.

The Retractations (towards the end of his life, 426-428) are a revision of the works of the saint in chronological order, explaining the occasion and dominant idea of each. They are a guide of inestimable price for seizing the progress of Augustine's thought.
The Letters, amounting in the Benedictine collection to 270 (53 of them from Augustine's correspondents), are a treasure of the greatest value, for the knowledge of his life, influence and even his doctrine.

Philosophy

These writings, for the most part composed in the villa of Cassisiacum, from his conversion to his baptism (388-387), continue the autobiography of the saint by initiating us into the researches and Platonic hesitations of his mind. There is less freedom in them than in the Confessions. They are literary essays, writings whose simplicity is the acme of art and elegance. Nowhere is the style of Augustine so chastened, nowhere is his language so pure. Their dialogueform shows that they were inspired by Plate and Cicero. The chief ones are:

• Contra Academicos (the most important of all);
• De Beatâ Vitâ;
• De Ordine;
• the two books of Soliloquies, which must be distinguished from the "Soliloquies" and "Meditations" which are certainly not authentic;
• De Immortalitate animæ;
• De Magistro (a dialogue between Augustine and his son Adeodatus); and six curious books (the sixth especially) on Music.

Controversies with Heretics

Against the Manichæans:

• "De Moribus Ecclesiæ Catholicæ et de Moribus Manichæorum" (at Rome, 368);.
• "De Duabus Animabus" (before 392);.
• "Acts of the Dispute with Fortunatus the Manichæan" (392);.
• "Acts of the Conference with Felix" (404);.
• "De Libero Arbitrio" -- very important on the origin of evil;.
• various writings "Contra Adimantum";.
• against the Epistle of Mani (the foundation);.
• against Faustus (about 400);.
• against Secundinus (405), etc.

Against the Donatists:

• "Psalmus contra partem Donati" (about 395), a purely rhythmic song for popular use (the oldest example of its kind);
• "Contra epistolam Parmeniani" (400);
• "De Baptismo contra Donatistas" (about 400), one of the most important pieces in this controversy;
• "Contra litteras Parmeniani,"
• "Contra Cresconium,"a good number of letters, also, relating to this debate.

Against the Pelagians, in chronological order, we have:

• 412, "De peccatorum meritis et remissione" (On merit and forgiveness);
• same year, "De spiritu et litterâ" (On the spirit and the letter);
• 415, "De Perfectione justitiæ hominis" -- important for understanding Pelagian impeccability;
• 417, "De Gestis Pelagii" -- a history of the Council of Diospolis, whose acts it reproduces;
• 418, "De Gratiâ Christi et de peccato originali";
• 419, "De nuptiis et concupiscentiâ" and other writings (420-428);
• "Against Julian of Eclanum" -- the last of this series, interrupted by the death of the saint.

Against the Semipelagians:

• "De correptione et gratiâ" (427);
• "De prædestinatione Sanctorum" (428);
• "De Done Perseverantiæ" (429).

Against Arianism:

• "Contra sermonem Arianorum" (418) and
• "Collattio cum Maximino Arianorum episcopo" (the celebrated conference of Hippo in 428).

Dogmatic and Moral Exposition

The fifteen books De Trinitate, on which he worked for fifteen years, from 400 to 416, are the most elaborate and profound work of St. Augustine. The last books on the analogies which the mystery of the Trinity have with our soul are much discussed. The saintly author himself declares that they are only analogous and are far-fetched and very obscure.The Enchiridion, or handbook, on Faith, Hope, and Love, composed, in 421, at the request of a pious Roman, Laurentius, is an admirable synthesis of Augustine's theology, reduced to the three theological virtues. Father Faure has given us a learned commentary of it, and Harnack a detailed analysis (Hist. of dogmas, III, 205, 221).

Several volumes of miscellaneous questions, among which "Ad Simplicianum" (397) has been especially noted.Numberless writings of his have a practical aim: two on "Lying" (374 and 420), five on "Continence," "Marriage," and "Holy Widowhood," one on "Patience," another on "Prayer for the Dead" (421).

Pastorals and Preaching

The theory of preaching and religious instruction of the people is given in the "De Catechizandis Rudibus" (400) and in the fourth book "De Doctrinâ. Christianâ." The oratorical work alone is of vast extent. Besides the Scriptural homilies, the Benedictines have collected 363 sermons which are certainly authentic; the brevity of these suggests that they are stenographic, often revised by Augustine himself. If the Doctor in him predominates over the orator, if he possesses less of colour, of opulence, of actuality, and of Oriental charm than St. John Chrysostom, we find, on the other hand, a more nervous logic, bolder comparisons, greater elevation and greater profundity of thought, and sometimes, in his bursts of emotion and his daring lapses into dialogue-form, he attains the irresistible power of the Greek orator.

Editions of St. Augustine's works

The best edition of his complete works is that of the Benedictines, eleven tomes in eight folio volumes (Paris, 1679-1700). It has been often reprinted, e.g. by Gaume (Paris, 1836-39), in eleven octavo volumes, and by Migne, PL 32-47. The last volume of the Migne reprint contains a number of important earlier studies on St. Augustine -- Vivés, Noris, Merlin, particularly the literary history of the editions of Augustine from Schönemann's "Bibl. hist. lit. patrum Lat." (Leipzig, 1794).