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mind, I am at a lofs to determine whether I moft diflike the childish fuperftitiousness of Auguftine's age, or the proud rationality of the prefent. To fo much greater a degree has profaneness advanced under the latter than under the former.

The letter to Edicia* deferves to be attended to as characteristic of the tafte of the times. This woman had, unknown to her husband, made a vow of perpetual continency. In fo great reputation, however, were fuch practices at that time, that her husband confented afterwards to her refolution, and they ftill lived together, though he would not fuffer her to affume the habit of a nun. Some time after, two travelling monks impofed on her fimplicity to fuch a degree, that she gave nearly all her property to them, though fhe had a fon of her own by her hufband. Auguftine reminds her of St. Paul's direction which fhe had broken: and it is indeed obfervable, with what wisdom, even the most occafional rules of the divine word are delivered, as the breach of them is ever attended with mifchievous confequences. He finds fault with her vow in the first place, because made without her husband's confent, and with her difpofal of her property in the fecond place for the fame reafon; and, as the husband, incenfed at her folly, had now fallen into libidinous practices, he teaches her to humble herself deeply before God, as having been a great inftrument of his fall, and directs her to fubmit to her husband, to intreat his forgiveness, and to ufe every healing method in her power. The whole fubject is an inftance of piety and good fenfe ftruggling in the bishop of Hippo, against the torrent of abfurdity and fashionable fuperftition.

At Calama, a colony in Africa, the Pagan intereft feems to have much predominated; fo that, notwithstanding the imperial laws inhibiting their publick

lick rites, the party performed a religious folemnity in the city, and came with a crowd of dancers before the church. The clergy endeavouring to prevent this, the church was attacked with ftones. The infult was repeated, and Christians found themselves unable to obtain juftice. Their buildings were burned and plundered, one Christian was killed, and the bishop was obliged to hide himself. And fo deep-rooted was the prejudice of the colony against Christianity, that the magiftrates and men of rank chofe to be tame fpectators of these enormities. One perfon alone, a ftranger, but as it feems a character of great influence, interpofed, faved many Chriftians, whofe lives had been in imminent danger, and recovered much of their property which had been plundered; whence Auguftine justly concludes*, how easily the whole mischief might have been checked, had the magiftrates done their duty. Nectarius, a Pagan of the place, wrote a neat and genteel letter to the bishop of Hippo, begging his intereft with the reigning powers to prevent, as much as poffible, the punishment of the guilty. Augustine states to him the facts, as above, and appeals to his confcience, whether it was poffible or right for government to overlook fuch crimes. He fhews, that Chriftians lived in peace and good will toward all men, and that he would do the beft he could to procure fuch a temperature of justice and mercy, as might prevent the repetition of thefe evils, and induce Pagans to take care of their best interefts. He tells him, that he himself had been at Calama lately, and had taken occafion to warn them of the danger of their fouls. They heard his exhortation, and intreated his interest. "But God forbid, says he, that it should be any pleasure to me to be fupplicated by those who refufe to fupplicate

Ep. 202.

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our Lord." As Nectarius himself had spoken of his love to his country, Augustine is not sparing in his admonitions to him, to feek an acquaintance with an heavenly country, and preaches to him the truth and excellency of the gofpel, as well as exposes, in his ufual manner, the futility of Paganism.

CHA P.

CHAP. VIII.

MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS CONCERNING AUGUSTINE.

I

HAVE comprized, in several distinct chapters, a variety of matter relating to the bishop of Hippo, for the fake of perfpicuity; two more chapters must be added, one containing various articles of his life and conduct, including the account of his death; and the other, a view of his theological character. It is not in my power to gratify the reader with any thing like a regular history of the effufion of the Spirit of God, which took place toward the end of the laft, and in the beginning of this century. We have a far more particular account of Auguftine's literary works, than of his ministerial. On the whole, however, fome genuine information may be collected concerning the great work of God in his day.

The Manichees could not fail to attract a confiderable portion of his attention; he had himself fufferedextremely through their means; they abounded in Africa, and God abundantly bleffed his labours in oppofing their doctrines, and in recovering fouls which had been feduced. One inftance, to the honour of divine grace, deferves to be recorded in the very words of the writer. "Not only I Poffidonius, who write this life, but alfo other brethren, who lived together with the bishop in Hippo, know that he once faid to us, being at table together : 'Did you take notice of my fermon to-day in the church, that its beginning and end were not according to my cuftom, that I did not finish what I propofed, but left my fubject in fufpenfe?' We

* Poffidonius Vita Aug.

an

anfwered, we were at the time aftonished, and now recollect it. I believe, faid he, the reason was, because the Lord, perhaps, intended fome erroneous perfon in the congregation, through my forgetfulness and miftake, to be taught and healed; for, in his hand are we and our difcourfes. For, while I was handling the points of the question pro. pofed, I was led into a digreffion, and fo, without concluding or explaining the fubject in hand, I terminated the argument rather against Manicheism, on which I had no design to have spoken a word, than concerning the matter propofed.' Next day, or two days after, fo far as I can remember, came a merchant, called Firmus, and while Auguftine was fitting in the monaftery, in our prefence, he threw himfelf at his feet, fhedding tears, intreating his and our prayers, and confeffing that he had lived many years a Manichee, that he had vainly spent much money in the fupport of that fect, and that, by the bifhop's difcourfes, he had, through divine mercy, been lately convinced of his error, and restored to the church. Auguftine and we enquired by what fermon in particular he had been convinced; he informed us; and as we all recollected the feries of the difcourfe, we admired and were aftonished at the profound counfel of God for the falvation of fouls, and we glorified and bleffed his holy name, who, when, whence, and as he pleases, by perfons knowing and unknowing, works out the falvation of men. From that time the man devoting himself to God, gave up his bufinefs, and, improving in piety, was, by the will of God, compelled against his own will in another region to receive the office of Prefbyter, preferving ftill the fame fanctity; and, perhaps, he is yet alive beyond fea."

Auguftine detected, also, the base and blafphemous practices of the Manichees, and thus guarded the