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| He is Baptized at Milan with Alypius and His Son Adeodatus. The Book ‘De Magistro.’
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Chapter VI.—He is Baptized at
Milan with Alypius and His Son Adeodatus. The Book “De
Magistro.”
14. Thence, when the time had arrived at which
I was to give in my name,753
| 753 “They were baptized at Easter, and gave up their
names before the second Sunday in Lent, the rest of which they were
to spend in fasting, humility, prayer, and being examined in the
scrutinies (Tertull. Lib. de Bapt. c. 20). Therefore went
they to Milan, that the bishop might see their preparation.
Adjoining to the cathedrals were there certain lower houses for
them to lodge and be exercised in, till the day of baptism”
(Euseb. x. 4).—W. W. See also Bingham, x. 2, sec. 6; and above,
note 4, p. 89; note 4, p. 118, and note 8, p. 118. | having left the country, we
returned to Milan. Alypius also was pleased to be born again with
me in Thee, being now clothed with the humility appropriate to Thy
sacraments, and being so brave a tamer of the body, as with unusual
fortitude to tread the frozen soil of Italy with his naked feet. We
took into our company the boy Adeodatus, born of me carnally, of my
sin. Well hadst Thou made him. He was barely fifteen years, yet in
wit excelled many grave and learned men.754
| 754 In his De Vita Beata, sec. 6, he makes a
similar illusion to the genius of Adeodatus. | I confess unto Thee Thy gifts, O
Lord my God, Creator of all, and of exceeding power to reform our
deformities; for of me was there naught in that boy but the sin.
For that we fostered him in Thy discipline, Thou inspiredst us,
none other,—Thy gifts I confess unto Thee. There is a book of
ours, which is entitled The Master.755
| 755 This book, in which he and his son are the
interlocutors, will be found in vol. i. of the Benedictine edition,
and is by the editors assumed to be written about
A.D. 389. Augustin briefly gives its argument in his
Retractations, i. 12. He says: “There it is disputed, sought,
and discovered that there is no master who teaches man knowledge
save God, as it is written in the gospel (Matt.
xxiii. 10), ‘One is
your Master, even Christ.’” | It is a dialogue between him and
me. Thou knowest that all things there put into the mouth of the
person in argument with me were his thoughts in his sixteenth year.
Many others more wonderful did I find in him. That talent was a
source of awe to me. And who but Thou could be the worker of such
marvels? Quickly didst Thou remove his life from the earth; and now
I recall him to mind with a sense of security, in that I fear
nothing for his childhood or youth, or for his whole self. We took
him coeval with us in Thy grace, to be educated in Thy discipline;
and we were baptized,756
| 756 He was baptized by Ambrose, and tradition says, as
he came out of the water, they sang alternate verses of the Te
Deum (ascribed by some to Ambrose), which, in the old offices
of the English Church is called “The Song of Ambrose and
Augustin.” In his Con. Julian. Pelag. i. 10, he speaks of
Ambrose as being one whose devoted labours and perils were known
throughout the whole Roman world, and says: “In Christo enim Jesu
per evangelium ipse me genuit, et eo Christi ministro lavacrum
regenerationis accepti.” See also the last sec. of his De
Nupt. et Concup., and Ep. cxlvii. 23. In notes 3, p. 50,
and 4, p. 89, will be found references to the usages of the early
Church as to baptism. | and solicitude about our past life
left us. Nor was I satiated in those days with the wondrous
sweetness of considering the depth of Thy counsels concerning the
salvation of the human race. How greatly did I weep in Thy hymns
and canticles, deeply moved by the voices of Thy sweet-speaking
Church! The voices flowed into mine ears, and the truth was poured
forth into my heart, whence the agitation of my piety overflowed,
and my tears ran over, and blessed was I therein.
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