THE WORKS OF AURELIUS AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO. A NEW TRANSLATION. Edited by the REV. MARCUS DODS, D.D. VOL. IX. ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE; THE ENCHIRIDION; ON CATECHISING EDINBURGH: T. & T. CLARK, GEORGE STREET. 1892. BR65 1770 v.7 EXTRACT FROM AUGUSTINE'S RETRACTATIONS REFERRING TO THE BOOKS ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. (RETRACT. LIB. II. CAP. IV.) "FINDING INDING that the books on Christian Doctrine were not finished, I thought it better to complete them before passing on to the revision of others. Accordingly, I completed the third book, which had been written as far as the place where a quotation is made from the Gospel about the woman who took leaven and hid it in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened.1 I added also the last book, and finished the whole work in four books [in the year 426]: the first three affording aids to the interpretation of Scripture, the last giving directions as to the mode of making known our interpretation. In the second book, I made a mistake as to the authorship of the book commonly called the Wisdom of Solomon. For I have since learnt that it is not a wellestablished fact, as I said it was, that Jesus the son of Sirach, who wrote the book of Ecclesiasticus, wrote this book also: on the contrary, I have ascertained that it is altogether more probable that he was not the author of this book. Again, when I said, 'The authority of the Old Testament is contained within the limits of these forty-four books,' I used the phrase 'Old Testament' in accordance with ecclesiastical usage. But the apostle seems to restrict the application of 1 Bk. iii. chap. 25. Chap. 8. 'Bk. ii. chap. 8. 273566 the name 'Old Testament' to the law which was given on Mount Sinai.' And in what I said as to Saint Ambrose having, by his knowledge of chronology, solved a great difficulty, when he showed that Plato and Jeremiah were contemporaries, my memory betrayed me. What that great bishop really did say upon this subject may be seen in the book which he wrote, 'On Sacraments or Philosophy.' 1 Gal. iv. 24. 2 Book. ii. chap. 28. See p. 65. This book is among the lost works of Ambrose. ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. PREFACE, 1. SHOWING THAT TO TEACH RULES FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE IS NOT A SUPERFLUOUS TASK. THEI THERE are certain rules for the interpretation of Scripture which I think might with great advantage be taught to earnest students of the word, that they may profit not only from reading the works of others who have laid open the secrets of the sacred writings, but also from themselves opening such secrets to others. These rules I propose to teach to those who are able and willing to learn, if God our Lord do not withhold from me, while I write, the thoughts He is wont to vouchsafe to me in my meditations on this subject. But before I enter upon this undertaking, I think it well to meet the objections of those who are likely to take exception to the work, or who would do so, did I not conciliate them beforehand. And if, after all, men should still be found to make objections, yet at least they will not prevail with others (over whom they might have influence, did they not find them forearmed against their assaults), to turn them back from a useful study to the dull sloth of ignorance. 2. There are some, then, likely to object to this work of mine, because they have failed to understand the rules here laid down. Others, again, will think that I have spent my labour to no purpose, because, though they understand the rules, yet in their attempts to apply them and to interpret Scripture by them, they have failed to clear up the point they wish cleared up; and these, because they have received no assistance from this work themselves, will give it as their CHR. DOCT. A |