St. Augustine
magno gaudio gratulabimur non multum curantes, utrum illa perversa et impia numquam senserit an se ab eis aliquando correxerit.
1Iam rescripseram caritati tuae, sed, cum epistulae dirigendae occasio quaereretur, supervenit dilectissimus filius meus Faustus pergens ad eximietatem tuam. Qui cum ipsas litteras, quas iam feceram, accepisset tuae benivolentiae perferendas, suggessit mihi multum te desiderare ut aliquid tibi scriberem quod te aedificet ad sempiternam salutem, cuius tibi spes in Christo Iesu domino nostro. Et quamvis mihi occupato tantum institit ut facere non differrem, quantum scis quod te sinceriter diligat. Festinanti ergo ut occurrerem, malui festinanter aliquid scribere quam religiosum tuum desiderium retardare, domine eximie et merito insignis atque honorabilis fili.
2Quod ergo breviter possum dicere: Dilige dominum deum tuum in toto corde tuo et in tota anima tua et in tota virtute tua, et: Dilige proximum tuum tamquam
Letters of St. Augustine
ambiguous statement. For the rest we care not overmuch whether those perverted and impious opinions were never his, or if at last he has renounced them.
I had already written my reply to your Charity,1 but when I was looking for an opportunity of transmitting my letter, my beloved son Faustus arrived on his way to your Excellency. After receiving the letter which I had already composed for conveyance to your Benevolence, he intimated to me your strong desire that I should write something to you that would build you up unto that eternal salvation of which your confidence is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And although I was busily occupied, he urged me with that instancy which, as you know, is proportioned to his affection for you, not to postpone the writing of it. To meet his haste, then, I have chosen rather to write something in haste than to keep your holy desire in suspense, my noble and justly distinguished lord and honourable son.
All then that I can say in the short time I have is this:2 “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength,” and “love thy