St. Augustine
caritatem et affectum inploro, ut miserearis mei et concedas mihi ad hoc quod rogavi, tempus quantum rogavi, atque adiuves me orationibus tuis, ut non sit inane desiderium meum nec infructuosa ecclesiae Christi atque utilitati fratrum et conservorum meorum absentia mea. Scio quod illam caritatem pro me orantem maxime in tali causa non despicit dominus et eam sicut sacrificium suavitatis accipiens fortassis breviore tempore, quam postulavi, me saluberrimis consiliis de scripturis suis reddet instructum.
1I. Qua gratia responderem litteris sanctitatis tuae, cum diu haesitans non reperirem—omnia enim vicit affectus animi mei, quem iam sponte surgentem lectio epistulae tuae multo ardentius excitavit,—commisi me tamen deo, qui pro viribus meis operaretur in me, ut ea rescriberem, quae utrique nostrum studio in domino et cura ecclesiastica pro tua praestantia et mea obsecundatione congruerent. Atque illud primum, quod orationibus meis te adiuvari credis, non solum non defugio, verum etiam libenter amplector. Ita enim etsi non meis, at certe tuis me dominus noster exaudiet. Quod fratrem Alypium in nostra coniunctione mansisse, ut exemplo sit fratribus curas mundi huius vitare cupientibus, benivolentissime
Letters of St. Augustine
I appeal: pity me and give me the time I want for the thing I want; give me the aid of your prayers, that my desire be not in vain and my absence not without fruit to the Church of Christ and the welfare of my brethren and fellow–servants. I am sure that the Lord does not despise such affection when it expresses itself in prayer for me, especially in a matter of this kind. He will accept it as a sweet sacrifice, and perhaps in a shorter time than I have asked for will provide from the health-giving counsels of His Scriptures the instruction I need.
I. After long hesitation I have not discovered how1 most gratefully to reply to your Holiness’s letter, for all my efforts were thwarted by my heartfelt emotion, which rising of its own accord was much more warmly stirred by the reading of your letter. But I cast myself upon God that He might work in me according to my strength, so that I should reply to you as befitted our mutual zeal in the Lord and our care for His church, you in your exalted station and I in my subordinate post. And, first, so far from declining your assurance that you believe my prayers avail for you, I gladly welcome it, for in this way the Lord will hear and answer me, if not through my own prayers, then certainly through yours. I am more grateful to you than I can well express for your kindly approval of brother Alypius’s action in remaining a member of our fellowship, as an example to the brethren who