De Haeresibus Sancti Augustini Epistolae Quatuor / Admonitio In Librum De Haeresibus

ADMONITION ON THE BOOK ON HERESIES. The instigator and author for writing this book was Quodvultdeus, a deacon of Carthage, for Augustine. The following letters pertain to this: the first is from Quodvultdeus, asking Augustine to publish a catalogue of heresies, embracing the particular errors and rites of each in few words; the second, however, is from Augustine, excusing the difficulty of the work and reminding him that the matter has already been attempted by others. Quodvultdeus writes back, earnestly contending with him that he not deny this service to his own entreaty, indeed to the universal desire. Then at last, defeated, Augustine takes upon himself the labor and care of writing on heresies, as far as other occupations will permit. For now, constrained by the necessity of refuting Julian, he testifies that he is also called away from the begun revision of his own works (a matter he judges most necessary); and he adds that he has already completed two volumes of this revision, having reviewed all his books. We observe that these two volumes were completed around the year of Christ [428]; since the Book on Heresies itself is later than these, it seems it should be dated to around the year [429]. Possidius, in his Index, chapter 5, notes: "On Heresies, to Quodvultdeus the deacon, an unfinished work." And Isidore, in On Illustrious Men, chapter [9], says: "Primasius, an African bishop, composed in scholastic style three books on heresies, addressed to Fortunatus the bishop, explaining in them what [Augustine] once [wrote].

Augustine left the book On Heresies unfinished, as death intervened. Indeed, Augustine promises in the end of the preface another part of the work, to show what makes one a heretic, which part he did not reach, prevented by death. On the same book, four letters. LETTER 221. To the Lord, deservedly venerable and truly most blessed father, Bishop Augustine, Quodvultdeus, deacon. For a long time I was hesitant, and several times I put off these bold attempts of mine; but what chiefly encouraged me, as is commonly said, was the benevolence of your Beatitude, proven to all; while considering this, I feared more that I might be judged by the Lord as proud for not asking, slothful for not seeking, sluggish for not knocking. I would, however, believe that merely having such a will would suffice for me, if I could not attain the fruit; but since I know for certain that the door of divine speech, which heavenly grace has opened for your Veneration, and that your holy mind, which Christ possesses, is ready not only to open to all who wish, but also to persuade even those unwilling, so that it is not irksome to enter, I will not delay the occupation of your Reverence with superfluous verbosity, but will briefly indicate the desire of my entreaty.

I infer from my own case that many in the clergy of this, the most extensive city, are unskilled; and I offer to the consideration of Your Holiness for examination how beneficial to that entire order what I seek would be. For by the privilege of all who deserve this from your spiritual labors, I presume that even I, unworthy, will obtain it, O lord, deservedly venerable and truly most blessed father. I therefore beseech Your Beatitude to deign to set forth what heresies have existed and exist, from the time when the Christian religion received the name of the promised inheritance; what errors they have introduced and introduce; what they have thought and think against the Catholic Church concerning faith, the Trinity, Baptism, Penance, the man Christ, the God Christ, the resurrection, the New and Old Testaments, and absolutely everything in which they dissent from the truth; which of them have Baptism and which do not; after which of them the Church baptizes but does not rebaptize, how it receives those coming from them, and what it replies to each by law, authority, and reason.

Do not let Your Holiness believe me so foolish as not to see how many and how huge volumes are needed to be able to resolve these matters. But I do not ask that this be done; for I do not doubt that it has been done in many ways. Rather, I ask that the opinions of each heresy be set forth briefly, concisely, and summarily, and that what the Catholic Church holds against them be subjoined, as much as is sufficient for instruction: so that, as if from all of them a sort of common memorandum were produced, if anyone should wish to know any objection or refutation more amply, fully, and clearly, he may be sent on to the rich and magnificent volumes which have been composed on this very subject by various persons, and especially by Your Veneration. Such a memorandum will, I think, suffice for the learned and the unlearned, the leisured and the busy, and for those promoted to any grade of ecclesiastical ministry from whatever source; while he who has read much recalls the same things briefly, and the ignorant man is instructed by the compendium, so that he may know what to hold, what to avoid, what to shun from doing, and what to pursue in order to do. Perhaps, however,

If, however, what I believe is true, even against the malicious minds and deceitful lips of slanderers, this small work, among other wondrous things, will not lack the testimony of your crown: so that those for whom the field for slander is more abundant, hemmed in by the strong and on every side enclosed limits of the faith, and surrounded by all kinds of weapons of truth, suddenly struck down even by a single multiform javelin, may not dare to breathe out their deathly spirits. I see how burdensome I am to one who thinks of better things, and who plans greater things, a holy old man, and who endures the complaints of the body. But through Christ the Lord I ask, who granted you to be a partaker of his wisdom without envy, that you bestow this grace upon the untaught of the Church, you who acknowledge yourself a debtor to the wise and the unwise (Rom. 1:14). Rightly and justly you will say: "See that I have not labored only for myself, but for all who seek the truth" (Ecclus. 24:47, and 33:18). I could still offer suppliant and manifold prayers, and summon up fleets of the ignorant with me: but I have preferred now to hear you dictating, rather than to occupy you reading.

LETTER 222. To his most beloved son and fellow deacon Quodvultdeus, Augustine, bishop. i. Upon receiving the letter of Your Charity, in which you asked me with the most ardent zeal to write something briefly concerning all the heresies which have sprouted up against the doctrine of our Lord and Savior after his coming, I immediately, upon the first opportunity that arose, wrote back through my son Philocalus, the chief man of Hippo, showing how difficult this is; and soon afterward this opportunity also presented itself, by which I now write back, and briefly demonstrate the difficulty of the work. A certain Philastrius, bishop of Brescia, whom I myself also saw with the holy Ambrose at Milan, wrote a book on this subject, not omitting those heresies which existed among the Jewish people before the coming of the Lord, and he enumerated twenty-eight of them; and after the Lord's coming, one hundred and twenty-eight. Epiphanius, a Cyprian bishop, also wrote on this subject in Greek, laudably renowned in the doctrine of the Catholic faith; but he, collecting heresies of both periods, covered eighty. Since, therefore, both wished to do what you ask of me, you see how much they differ from each other, at least in the number of sects; which certainly would not have happened unless one of them considered something to be a heresy, and the other considered something else.

Nor should it be thought that Epiphanius was ignorant of any heresies that Philastrius knew, since we have found Epiphanius to be far more learned than Philastrius; so that we would rather have to say that Philastrius was unaware of very many, if the former had included so many and the latter fewer. But without doubt, in that question where it is debated what constitutes a heresy, the same thing did not appear to both; and indeed it is altogether difficult to define this: and therefore we must be cautious, when we try to reduce all to a number, lest we omit some, although they are heresies; or include some, when they are not heresies. See, therefore, whether perhaps I ought to send you the book of the holy Epiphanius: for I judge that he spoke on this matter more learnedly than Philastrius; and it can be more easily and conveniently translated into the Latin language at Carthage, so that you may rather provide to us what you seek from us. I strongly commend the bearer. He is a subdeacon from our diocese; but from the estate of the distinguished man, and very dear to us, Orontius. For him, and for his father, by whom he was adopted, I have also written to him; and when your Christian Benignity has read that letter, I ask that you deign to assist it with your intercession before the aforementioned man. Moreover, I have sent with him also a man of the Church, so that access to your Sanctity might not be difficult for him: for I am not a little anxious about him, from which anxiety the Lord, I hope, will free me through the insistence of your charity.

I also ask that you not be reluctant to write back to me, how that Theodosius, through whom some Manichaeans were betrayed, stands in the Catholic faith; and those whom we think were corrected, having been betrayed by him. If you have also heard anything about the departure of the holy bishops, let me know. May you live in God. LETTER 223. To the deservedly venerable and most blessed holy father Augustine, bishop, Quodvultdeus, deacon. I have indeed received one memorandum of Your Reverence, which you deigned to send through the church official. For the one which Your Beatitude indicated was sent earlier, through the honorable man Philocalus, has not yet reached me. But although I have always been conscious of my own sins, I have now clearly recognized, by obtaining that gift for which I prayed, that my person is an impediment to the whole Church. But I am fully confident that He who through the grace of His Only One deigned to blot out the crimes of the human race will not allow my sins to prevail to the ruin of all, but rather, where sin has abounded, grace will overflow (Rom. 5:20), O deservedly venerable lord and most blessed father. I myself, not ignorant of it, foretold beforehand the difficulty of the work which I humbly begged to be provided for us, the most unlearned, through your kindness; but I presumed with a true heart upon the abundance of the divine fountain which the Lord has granted to you.

For even if Philastrius and Epiphanius, venerable bishops, are reported to have written something of the sort—which, beyond doubt, like everything else, is hidden from me—I do not, however, think that they applied such care and diligence as to join contrary opinions to each individual opinion, and to subjoin rites; and then, finally, that work of each, whatever it may be, perhaps does not have the brevity I desire. Moreover, it is in vain that Greek eloquence is assigned to a man who has not learned Latin; for I have asked not only for advice, but also for help for him. But why should I remind Your Veneration about the difficulty and even obscurity of translators, when you yourself judge this more fully and clearly? There is added to the case the fact that some heresies are taught to have emerged even after their death, of which they made no mention. Therefore, I flee to the special patronage of your piety, and with my voice, but with a universal desire, I appeal to the sacrosanct breast of piety, ready for mercy; setting aside foreign flavors, consider the text of my earlier letter, and do not deny the African bread, which our province is accustomed to have as a speciality, seasoned even with celestial manna, to one who knocks late and suffers hunger. For indeed, I will not cease knocking until you yourself grant it: so that what privilege does not obtain, where there is no merit, at least unflagging importunity may deserve.

LETTER 224. To his most sincerely beloved lord, brother and fellow deacon Quodvultdeus, Augustine, bishop. 1. When an opportunity to write this was offered to me through the presbyter of Fussala, whom I commend to your Charity, I reviewed your letter, in which you ask me to write something about the heresies that could have arisen from the time when the Lord’s advent began to be announced in the flesh. I did this, however, to see whether I ought now to undertake the work itself and send you something from it, where you would consider that it is as much more difficult as you wish it to be made briefer. But I could not do even this, hindered as I was by such pressing cares that I could not at all disregard them; for they diverted me even from what I had in hand. 2. This, however, is where I am responding to the books of Julian, which he published after those four to which I previously replied. For when brother Alypius received these at Rome, he had not yet copied them all when he did not wish to let pass the opportunity that was offered, through which he sent me five of them; promising that he would soon send the other three, and strongly urging that I not delay in replying. Compelled by his insistence, I have been doing what I was doing more slackly, so as not to fail in either work, giving days to one and nights to the other, when I was spared from other occupations that kept coming from this side and that without ceasing.

I was indeed engaged in a very necessary task: for I was revising my small works, and if anything in them offended me, or could offend others, I was working, partly by correcting, partly by defending, what ought and could be read. And I had already completed two volumes, having revised all my books, the number of which I did not know; and I learned that they were two hundred and thirty-two. The letters remained, then the popular treatises, which the Greeks call homilies. And I had already read many of the letters, but had as yet dictated nothing from them, when those books of Julian also began to occupy me, to the fourth of which I have now begun to respond. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have responded to the fifth, if three more do not come, I plan (if God wills) to begin what you ask, doing both at the same time, namely this and that work of revising my small works, with the nighttime and daytime hours distributed to each.

I have suggested this to Your Holiness so that, as great as your desire is to receive what you ask for, you may with all the more fervor beg the Lord to grant me the assistance by which I may serve your praiseworthy zeal and the benefit of those for whom you judge it will be useful, my lord, most sincerely beloved brother. I commend again the bearer, and the business on account of which he has gone there; if you learn with whom it is to be transacted, I ask that you not be reluctant to help. For we cannot abandon the needs of men of this kind, who are not our tenants but, what is greater, are brothers, and belong to our care in the charity of Christ. May you live for God.