TO THE

MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD

WILLIAM

LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,

PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND,

FORMERLY REGIUS PROFESSOR OF DIVINITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF Oxford,

THIS LIBRARY

OF

ANCIENT BISHOPS, FATHERS, DOCTORS, MARTYRS, CONFESSORS, OF CHRIST'S HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH,

IS

WITH HIS GRACE'S PERMISSION

RESPECTFULLY INSCRibed,

IN TOKEN OF

REVERENCE FOR HIS PERSON AND SACRED OFFICE,

AND OF

GRATITUDE FOR HIS EPISCOPAL KINDNESS.

SEVENTEEN SHORT TREATISES

OF

S. AUGUSTINE,

BISHOP OF HIPPO,

TRANSLATED,

WITH NOTES AND INDICES.

OXFORD,

JOHN HENRY PARKER;

F. AND J. RIVINGTON, LONDON.

MDCCCXLVII

PREFACE.

THE present volume consists of seventeen short works of St. Augustine, all taken from the VIth volume of the Benedictine Edition, except the last, which was inserted from the VIIIth volume as connected in some degree with several of the others, and important in itself. The first and last may be classed together as relating to the general principles of evidence in Religion, and the last but one with some of the earlier ones, as going over the Creed with a particular exposition. There is of course some repetition of matter in the several expositions of the Creed, but it was thought worth while to put them together, both in order to give a more complete view of his teaching, and in order to shew how much of it was based on the Creed, and how it was used by the Christians of that time. The Treatise on Catechizing the Unlearned is remarkable as a specimen of the times, besides its great value in shewing what was thought the most needful instruction, and giving hints for conveying it, for which purpose it should be compared with the Sermon to the Catechumens. That on Faith and Works is very clear on its own main subject, maintaining that the faith which saves is the Faith of grace, which implies Love. It also contains a remarkable discussion on the state of souls awaiting the Judgment, from which it appears that the doctrine of a Purgatory was then held by some, but doubted by St. Augustine. A similar doubt appears in his view of the interference of departed Saints in human affairs, which however he considers established as a fact in some cases, though the manner