XV. To Masters MangrIN AND Nrconas MiLrcziN
(Undated: August 1412)
Peace be unto you—that peace which he that seeks shall not have with the“‘world, the flesh, and the devil. In the world, saith the Saviour, you shall have distress; but if you are jealous for that which is good, who is there to hurt you? I have a jealousy for preaching the gospel, but I am careworn, because I know not what I am to do.
I have pondered over our Saviours words in the gospel of John, chapter x.: The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling amd he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are mot, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, amd. flieth:
John xvi. 33
and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep 1 have also pondered over another passage in Matt. x.: When they shall persecute yow 4n this city, flee unto another? This, then, is the precept or promise of Christ. I am in a strait betwixt two, and know not how I ought to act..
I have pondered over the epistle of the blessed Augustine to Bishop Honoratus, who sought guidance in a similar case. Here is the reply and conclusion of Augustine: Whosoever fleeth so that his flight doth not leave the Church without the necessary ministry, is acting according to the Lord’s precept or promise. But he that. fleeth so as to withdraw from Christ’s flock the mowrishment which supports its spiritual life, is an hireling, who seeth the wolf coming and flieth, because he cared “mot for the sheep. Seeing, beloved brother, that you have — eonsulted, me, this is my genuine opinion and the answer which true love moves me to send: but I do mot restrict you to this view, if you can find a better. Nevertheless, ^e cannot find out any better how to act 4m these difficulties than by praying to our Lord God to pity us: for we have obtained the power both to will and to do this very thing, to wit, that all the wise and holy men of God should not forsake the churches: and in the teeth of opposition we have not fallen away from our own purpose. Thus Augustine.
! John x. 11-12.? Matt. x. 23.
Ed. Maur, Ep. 228 (vol. ii. p. 830-35). Written during the irruption of the Vandals in 428 or 429 A.p. The unusual accuracy of the quotations in this letter would lead me to the conjecture that the editors of the Monumenta (1558), where alone it is found, did a little “editing” of the MS. after their wont.
Mon.: recta caritate, Ed. Maur: et certa.
Mon.: qui id ipsum ut scilicet ecclesias non desererent.. meruerunt. Ed. Maur: quod ipsum, ut scilicet Dei ecclesias non deserent, Dei dono o ev meruerunt. 3
Let me know, therefore, if you can rest satisfied with this advice of Augustine; for I am urged by my conscience not to be absent and thus prove a stumbling block, although the necessary food of God’s word be not wanting to the flock. On the other hand, the fear confronts me that my presence, by the wicked device of an edict, may become a pretext for the withdrawal of that food—that is, the Holy Communion, and the other things pertaining to salvation.
Therefore, let us humbly pray that it may please Almighty God to instruct us how I, poor wretch! am to act in the present crisis, so as not to stray from the paths of righteousness. It is beautiful advice that the blessed Augustine gives in that letter. For there he clearly lays down in the special case brought to his notice that it is possible to flee lawfully. He mentions St. Athanasius! as an example. Supposing the lives of all were in peril, then perhaps it would be their duty to arrange for some one to take to flight who? would be most useful for the welfare of the Church in the days to come, and thus perhaps carry out, etc.’
[! Infra in same letter: the holy Athanasius who was specially sought]
[after by the Emperor Constantius, while the Catholic people who]
[remained in Alexandria were in no wise deserted by the other]
[ministers.’? quis. Either read qui, or quis is used elliptically for aliguem qui. 3 facta forte, etc. There is no MS., only the ed. 1558 (Monumenta).]
[Perhaps we should read facta sorte, ‘ arrange by casting lots,” etc., for]
[Augustine goes on to say that in such a difficulty the lot seems the]
[fairest decision, in default of others.’]