[3025] 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.
[3026] Sursum sit cor et sicci erunt oculi.
[3027] 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.
[3028] 1 Thess. iv. 12.
[3029] John xi. 19-35.
[3030] Ecclus. xxxviii. 16-18.
[3031] Ps. xli. 8, LXX.
[3032] Luke xxi. 18.
[3033] Matt. xxii. 29.
Letter CCLXIX.
To Nobilius, My Most Blessed and Venerable Brother and Partner in the Priestly Office, Augustin Sends Greeting.
So important is the solemnity at which your brotherly affection invites me to be present, that my heart's desire would carry my poor body to you, were it not that infirmity renders this impossible. I might have come if it had not been winter; I might have braved the winter if I had been young: for in the latter case the warmth of youth would have borne uncomplainingly the cold of the season; in the former case the warmth of summer would have met with gentleness the chill languor of old age. For the present, my lord most blessed, my holy and venerable partner in the priestly office, I cannot undertake in winter so long a journey, carrying with me as I must the frigid feebleness of very many years. I reciprocate the salutation due to your worth, on behalf of my own welfare I ask an interest in your prayers, and I myself beseech the Lord God to grant that the prosperity of peace may follow the dedication of so great an edifice to His sacred service. [3034]
[3034] 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 correspondent.
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTIN
INDEX OF SUBJECTS
Abraham's bosom, 131 and note, [1]192 (note)
Academics
Augustin has a leaning towards the philosophy of the, [2]86
they doubted everything, [3]86, [4]88
Academies, the three, [5]86 (note)
Actions of the patriarchs, [6]65
Adam
averted death by partaking of the tree of life, [7]73 (note)
the first and second, [8]162 (note)
Adeodatus, Augustin's son
helps his father in writing The Master, [9]134 and note
he is baptized by Ambrose, [10]134 (note)
Adversity
the blessing of the New Testament, prosperity of the Old, [11]76 (note)
uses of, [12]159 (note)
Aeneas, the wanderings of, [13]51
AEneid quotations from the, [14]51, [15]53
Affections
in darkened, lies distance from God, [16]53
inordinate, bring their own punishment, [17]51, 53, [18]55
Agentes in rebus,
their office, [19]123 and note
Evodius is one of the, [20]135
Agonistic garland, Augustin receives the, 69
Allegories
in Scripture, [21]92 (note)
Augustin was fond of, [22]189 (note)
Altar, Augustin begs that his mother may be remembered at the, [23]141
Alypius, bishop of Thagaste, [24]90 (note)
was born at that city, [25]94
had studied there and at Carthage, [26]94
his love of the circus, [27]94
was taken up as a thief at Carthage, [28]96
how his innocence was proved, [29]96
his integrity in judgment and at Milan, [30]97
his discussion with Augustin as to celibacy, 98
Augustin undertakes to write the life of, [31]99 (note)
retires with Augustin into the garden, [32]124
the conversion of, [33]128.
Ambrose, bishop of Milan,
effect of his preaching, [34]45
his ministry, [35]45 and note
Augustin makes his acquaintance, and is received by him in a fatherly way, [36]88
his eloquence, [37]88
distinction between his teaching and that of Faustus, and its influence, [38]88
Monica's love for, [39]89, [40]90
celibacy of, [41]91
in his study, [42]91
he expounded the Scriptures every Lord's day, 91
Simplicianus succeeds him as bishop, [43]116
the Song of, and Augustin, [44]134 (note)
is persecuted by Justina, the mother of Valentinian, [45]134 and note
miracles wrought in behalf of, [46]134
Amelius the Platonist, [47]107 (note)
Ampitheatre of Titus, Gibbon's description of the, [48]95 (note)
Anaximenes of Miletus, his notions about God, 144 and note
Angels
source of their blessedness, [49]112 (note)
God's eternity manifest in their unchangeableness, [50]179
Augustin asserts that they are changeable, 180
misery of, shows their former excellence, 192
Answer to prayer of Monica, [51]67, [52]84
Augustin's faith strengthened by, [53]133
Antony, an Egyptian monk
the founder of Monachism, [54]122
was born at Thebes, and visited Paul in the desert before his death, [55]122 (note)
Anubis, [56]119
Apokatastasis, the doctrine unnecessary, [57]79 (note)
Apollinaris, bishop of Laodicea, [58]113 (note)
Approbation,
Augustin's love of, [59]75
especially that of Hierius, [60]75
Arcesilas, teaching of, [61]86 (note)
Arche, "The Beginning," applied to Christ, [62]166 (note)
Architect,
God the great, [63]72 (note), [64]157
Alypius and the, [65]97
Argument, Augustin's power in, [66]67 and note
Arians, the Empress Justina seduced by the, 131
Aristotle's Ten Predicaments, [67]77
categories of, [68]77 and note
he and Zeno prepared the way for Neo-Platonism, [69]86 (note)
Arius, Victorinus wrote some books against, 117 (note)
Arts, liberal, Augustin understood the books relating to the, unaided, [70]77
Asceticism,
of Paul of Thebais, [71]122 (note)
Manichæan, as compared with Christian, [72]122 (note)
by embracing, we virtually deny the right use of God's gifts, [73]155 (note)
Astrologers,
Augustin's classification of, [74]69 (note)
belief of the Jews in, [75]69 (note)
divinations of the, [76]105
were called mathematicians, [77]106 (note)
Astrology, refutation of, [78]105, [79]106
Atoms, in nature no two touch, [80]127 (note)
Atonement, the, [81]162
Augustin,
describes his infancy, [82]47 etc
his boyhood, [83]49-54
how he learns to speak, [84]49
he prays to God that he may not be beaten, 49
his fondness for play, [85]49
educated from his mother's womb in the true faith, [86]50
he was signed with the cross, and seasoned with salt, [87]50 and note
his hatred of study and the Greek language, but delight in Latin and the empty fables of the poets, [88]51
the reason of this, [89]52
Homer distasteful to him because it was in Greek, [90]52
he entreats that whatever he learnt as a boy may be dedicated to God, [91]52
his declamation applauded above that of his fellows, [92]53
he was more afraid of making a mistake in grammar than of offending God, [93]53
he committed petty thefts and sought dishonest victories at play, [94]54
he deplores the wickedness of his youth, 55
especially that of his sixteenth year, 56
he used to go to Madaura to learn grammar and rhetoric
his father, though only a poor freeman of Thagaste, made a great sacrifice to send his son to Carthage, 56
he plumes himself upon being more licentious than his fellows
his mother unwisely opposes his marrying, 57
he robs a neighbouring pear-tree from a love of mischief, [95]57
he is caught in the snares of a licentious passion, 60
his love of stage-plays, [96]60
he is affected by a foul spiritual disease, 61
his sacrilegious curiosity, [97]61
not even to church does he suppress his desires, [98]61
he becomes head in the school of rhetoric, 61
he begins to study eloquence, [99]61
his father dies in his seventeenth year, [100]61
in his nineteenth year he is led by the Hortensius of Cicero to philosophy, [101]61
he rejects the Sacred Scriptures as too simple, [102]62
he falls into the errors of the Manichæans, 62, [103]76
his longing after truth, [104]62, [105]63
Manichæan system peculiarly enthralling to an ardent mind like his, [106]63 (note)
his desire for knowledge caused him to join the Manichæans, [107]64 (note)
his victory over inexperienced persons, [108]67 and note
the nine years from his nineteenth year, 68-78
he teaches rhetoric, [109]68
he has a mistress, [110]68
he receives the Agonistic garland, [111]70
he is given to divination, [112]70
his friend's illness and death, [113]70
his grief, [114]70, [115]71
he leaves Thagaste and goes to Carthage, 72
he writes books on the "Fair and Fit," [116]73
he dedicates them to Hierius; he longs for his commendation, [117]74, [118]75
he turns his attention to the nature of the mind, [119]75
in what he conceived the chief good to consist, [120]75
he calls it a Monad, and the chief evil a Duad, [121]76
when scarce twenty, he understood Aristotle's Ten Predicaments, [122]77
his ready understanding of the liberal arts, 77, and sciences, [123]77
his wit a snare to him, [124]77
the twenty-ninth year of his age, [125]79-88
he begins to appreciate the knowledge of God above secular learning, [126]81
he points out the fallacy of the Manichæan belief as to the Paraclete, [127]81 (note)
he withdraws from the errors of the Manichæans, being remarkably aided by God, [128]83
he leaves Carthage to go to Rome, [129]84
he deceives his mother, [130]84
he is attacked by fever, [131]84
is restored [132]85
becomes one of the "elect" of the Manichæans, 86
his view of Arcesilas' philosophy, [133]86 (note)
his erroneous views as to Christianity, [134]86
he goes to Milan to teach rhetoric, and there makes the acquaintance of Ambrose, [135]88
he resolves to abandon the Manichæans and become a catechumen, [136]88
his thirtieth year, [137]88-101
his mother follows him over the sea, [138]89
he recognises the falsity of his old opinions, 92
he describes how Alypius, led into the circus by his fellow-students, becomes fascinated by the fights held there, [139]95, [140]96
he becomes inflamed with the love of wisdom, 98
he is troubled in mind, [141]98, [142]100
he is prevented from marrying by Alypius, 98
he undertakes to write the life of Alypius, [143]99 (note)
is urged by his mother to marry, and a maiden sought for him, [144]99
he sends his mistress back to Africa, but takes another, [145]100
in his thirty-first year he recalls the beginning of his youth, [146]102-115
his conception of God, [147]102 and note, [148]103, 104
his mind is severely exercised as to the origin of evil, [149]106
is stimulated to wisdom by the Hortensius of Cicero, [150]107 (note), [151]123
his conception of Christ, [152]112
he rejoices that he proceeded from Plato to the Scriptures, and not the reverse, [153]114
he found in the latter what was not in the former, [154]114
he consults Simplicianus as to the renewing of his mind, [155]116
he describes the thirty-second year of his age, [156]116, [157]128
he is still held by the love of women, [158]116
he burns to imitate Victorinus, [159]120
his review of his life, [160]123;
he retires with Alypius into the garden, 124
his trouble of spirit, [161]125
he refutes the Manichæan notion of two kinds of minds, [162]125, [163]126
was still enthralled by his old loves, [164]126
he retires into solitude to meditate, and hears a voice saying, "Take up and read," [165]127
his reason for giving up his professorship, 129, [166]130 (note)
his lungs become affected, [167]130
he retires to the villa of his friend Verecundus, [168]130
he finally gives up the professorship, [169]131
he found in retirement preparation for future work, [170]131 (note)
effect of the Psalms on him, especially the fourth, [171]131, [172]132
his anger against the Manichæans, [173]132
in his thirty fourth year he writes his book The Master, a dialogue between him and his son, 133;
he suffers from toothache, but loses it in answer to prayer, [174]133
he attributes all that he was to his mother's tears, [175]135 (note)
his last conversation with his mother, [176]137
his grief at her death, [177]139-140
he is troubled that he was so long without God, [178]152
effect of church music on him, [179]156
object and use of his Confessions [180]143, [181]163
he entreats of God that he may be led to the truth through the Scriptures, [182]163, [183]164
he designates Eraclius as his successor, 163;
he prays to be taught by God, [184]170
his old notions as to matter, [185]177
his longings for the heavenly Jerusalem, 182
was addicted to the allegorical explanation of Scripture, [186]190
Authority,
and morals, [187]65
of the holy writings, [188]93 and note
Bacon, the sentiments of, concerning friendship, [189]72 (note)
Baptism
Augustin being seized with illness, prays for, 50
on his recovery it was postponed, [190]50
in Augustin's days often deferred till death approached, [191]50 (note)
wrongly deferred, [192]50 (note)
guilt after, greater than before, [193]50 and note
those who attended stage-plays were excluded from, by the Fathers, [194]60 (note)
that of Nebridius took place when he was ill and unconscious, [195]70
candidates for, seasoned with salt, [196]89 (note)
martyrdom described as a second [197]90 (note)
the washing of, called illumination, [198]118 (note), [199]194
renunciation of Satan before, [200]118 (note)
customs of the Eastern Churches at, [201]119 (note)
being the sacrament of initiation, is not so profitable without the Lord's Supper, [202]199 (note)
gives life, Lord's Supper maintains it, 199
the entrance into the Church [203]199 (note)
[Hebrew] and [Hebrew] distinguished, [204]115 (note)
Basilica, the Portian, [205]134 and note
Bath, soothing powers of the, [206]139
Bauto, the consul at Milan, [207]94 (note)
Beasts of the field,
symbolical of those given to carnal pleasures, 80 (note), [208]81
clean and unclean, explanation of the division of, [209]91 (note)
Beautiful, love of the, [210]74
Beauty of God, [211]46, [212]63
Beggar, the joyous, [213]94
Beginning,
Christ the, of all things; the Word the, 166