On the Catechising of the Uninstructed
Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
First published 405
Augustine's De catechizandis rudibus, staged here in the public-domain NPNF English translation by S. D. F. Salmond.
Caput I: How Augustin Writes in Answer to a Favor Asked by a Deacon of Carthage.
Caput II: How It Often Happens that a Discourse Which Gives Pleasure to the Hearer is Distasteful to the Speaker; And What Explanation is to Be Offered of that Fact.
Caput III: Of the Full Narration to Be Employed in Catechising.
Caput IV: That the Great Reason for the Advent of Christ Was the Commendation of Love.
Caput V: That the Person Who Comes for Catechetical Instruction is to Be Examined with Respect to His Views, on Desiring to Become a Christian.
Caput VI: Of the Way to Commence the Catechetical Instruction, and of the Narration of Facts from the History of the World’s Creation on to the Present Times of the Church.
Caput VII: Of the Exposition of the Resurrection, the Judgment, and Other Subjects, Which Should Follow This Narration.
Caput VIII: Of the Method to Be Pursued in Catechising Those Who Have Had a Liberal Education.
Caput IX: Of the Method in Which Grammarians and Professional Speakers are to Be Dealt with.
Caput X: Of the Attainment of Cheerfulness in the Duty of Catechising, and of Various Causes Producing Weariness in the Catechumen.
Caput XI: Of the Remedy for the Second Source of Weariness.
Caput XII: Of the Remedy for the Third Source of Weariness.
Caput XIII: Of the Remedy for the Fourth Source of Weariness.
Caput XIV: Of the Remedy Against the Fifth and Sixth Sources of Weariness.
Caput XV: Of the Method in Which Our Address Should Be Adapted to Different Classes of Hearers.
Caput XVI: A Specimen of a Catechetical Address; And First, the Case of a Catechumen with Worthy Views.
Caput XVII: The Specimen of Catechetical Discourse Continued, in Reference Specially to the Reproval of False Aims on the Catechumen’s Part.
Caput XVIII: Of What is to Be Believed on the Subject of the Creation of Man and Other Objects.
Caput XIX: Of the Co-Existence of Good and Evil in the Church, and Their Final Separation.
Caput XX: Of Israel’s Bondage in Egypt, Their Deliverance, and Their Passage Through the Red Sea.
Caput XXI: Of the Babylonish Captivity, and the Things Signified Thereby.
Caput XXII: Of the Six Ages of the World.
Caput XXIII: Of the Mission of the Holy Ghost Fifty Days After Christ’s Resurrection.
- Spiritus sanctus die quinquagesima post resurrectionem Christi missus. Judaei praedicatione Apostolorum conversi, vitae evangelicae studio flagrantes. Ecclesiae apud Gentes per Paulum constitutae. Inde confirmatis discipulis, conversatus cum eis quadraginta diebus, eisdem spectantibus ascendit in coelum; et completis a resurrectione quinquaginta diebus misit eis Spiritum sanctum (promiserat enim), per quem diffusa charitate in cordibus eorum, non solum sine onere, sed etiam cum jucunditate legem possent implere. Quae data est Judaeis in decem praeceptis, quod appellant decalogum. Quae rursus ad duo rediguntur, ut diligamus Deum ex toto corde, ex tota anima, ex tota mente; et diligamus proximum sicut nos ipsos. Nam in his duobus praeceptis totam Legem Prophetasque pendere, ipse Dominus et dixit in Evangelio (Matth. XXII, 37-40), et suo manifestavit exemplo. Nam et populus Israel ex die quo primum pascha in imagine celebrarunt, ovem occidentes et manducantes, cujus sanguine postes eorum ad salutis tutelam signati sunt (Exod. XII); ex ipso ergo die quinquagesimus dies impletus est, et legem acceperunt scriptam digito Dei (Id. XIX, XX), quo nomine jam diximus significari Spiritum sanctum (Supra, cap. XX, n. 35): sicut post Domini passionem et resurrectionem, quod est verum pascha, quinquagesimo die ipse Spiritus sanctus discipulis missus est: non jam lapideis tabulis corda dura significans; sed cum essent unum in locum congregati in ipsa Jerusalem, factus est subito de coelo sonus, quasi ferretur flatus vehemens, et visae sunt illis linguae divisae quasi ignis, et coeperunt linguis loqui, ita ut omnes qui ad illos venerant, suam linguam quisque cognosceret (ad illam enim civitatem ex omni terra conveniebant Judaei, quacumque dispersi erant, et diversas linguas gentium diversarum didicerant [Act. II, 1-11] ): deinde cum tota fiducia Christum praedicantes, in ejus nomine multa signa faciebant, ita ut quemdam mortuum transeunte Petro umbra ejus tetigerit, et resurrexerit (Id. V, 15). 42. Sed cum viderent Judaei tanta signa fieri in ejus nomine, quem partim per invidiam, partim per errorem crucifixerunt, alii irritati sunt ad persequendos praedicatores ejus Apostolos, alii vero idipsum amplius admirantes, quod in ejus nomine, quem veluti a se oppressum et victum riserant, tanta miracula fierent, poenitendo conversi crediderunt in eum millia Judaeorum. Non erant jam illi temporalia beneficia terrenumque regnum desiderantes a Deo, nec promissum regem Christum carnaliter exspectantes: sed immortaliter intelligentes et diligentes eum qui pro ipsis ab ipsis tanta mortaliter pertulit, et eis usque ad sui sanguinis peccata donavit, et immortalitatem a se sperandam et desiderandam exemplo suae resurrectionis ostendit. Itaque jam veteris hominis terrena desideria mortificantes, et spiritualis vitae novitate flagrantes, sicut praeceperat in Evangelio Dominus, vendebant omnia quae habebant, et pretia rerum suarum ante pedes Apostolorum ponebant, ut ipsi distribuerent unicuique, sicut cuique opus erat (Id. II, 44, et IV, 34): viventesque in christiana dilectione concorditer, non dicebant aliquid suum, sed erant illis omnia communia, et anima et cor unum in Deum (Id. IV, 32-35). Deinde etiam ipsi a Judaeis carnalibus civibus carnis suae persecutionem passi atque dispersi sunt, ut latius Christus eorum dispersione praedicaretur, et imitarentur etiam ipsi patientiam Domini sui: quia qui eos mansuetus passus fuerat, mansuefactos pro se pati jubebat. 43. Ex ipsis sanctorum persecutoribus fuerat etiam apostolus Paulus, et in Christianos maxime saeviebat: sed postea credens et apostolus factus, missus est ut Gentibus Evangelium praedicaret, graviora perpessus pro nomine Christi, quam fecerat contra nomen Christi. Ecclesias autem constituens per omnes gentes qua Evangelium seminabat, impense praecipiebat, ut quoniam ipsi ex idolorum cultu venientes, et ad unum Deum colendum rudes, non facile poterant rebus suis venditis et distributis servire Deo, oblationes facerent in pauperes sanctorum qui erant in Ecclesiis Judaeae, quae Christo crediderant: ita illos tanquam milites, illos autem tanquam stipendiarios provinciales apostolica doctrina constituit; inserens eis Christum velut lapidem angularem, sicut per prophetam praenuntiatus erat, in quo ambo quasi parietes de diverso venientes, de Judaeis videlicet atque Gentibus, germana charitate copularentur (Psal. CXVII, 22, et Isai. XXVIII, 16). Sed postea graviores et crebriores persecutiones ex incredulis gentibus adversus Christi Ecclesiam surrexerunt, et implebatur in dies singulos verbum Domini praedicentis, Ecce ego mitto vos velut oves in medio luporum (Matth. X, 16).