2. It is then my purpose to
prove to you, if I can, that the Manichees profanely and rashly
inveigh against those, who, following the authority of the Catholic
Faith, before that they are able to gaze upon that Truth, which the
pure mind beholds, are by believing forearmed, and prepared for God
Who is about to give them light. For you know, Honoratus, that for
no other reason we fell in with such men, than because they used to
say, that, apart from all terror of authority, by pure and simple
reason, they would lead within to God, and set free from all error
those who were willing to be their hearers. For what else
constrained me, during nearly nine years, spurning the religion
which had been set in me from a child by my parents, to be a
follower and diligent hearer of those men,1695
| 1695 Confess. b. i. c. 11; b. v. c.
14. |
save that they said that we are
alarmed by
superstition, and are commanded to have
faith before
reason, but that they urge no one to have
faith, without having
first discussed and made clear the
truth? Who would not be
enticed
by such
promises, especially the
mind of a young man desirous of
the
truth, and further a
proud and talkative
mind by discussions of
certain
learned men in the
school? such as they then found me,
disdainful forsooth as of old
wives’
fables, and desirous to
grasp and drink in, what they
promised, the open and pure
Truth?
But what reason, on the other
hand, recalled me, not to be
altogether joined to them, so that I continued in that rank which
they call of Hearers, so that I resigned not the
hope and
business
of this
world;
save that I noticed that they also are rather
eloquent and full in refutation of others, than
abide firm and sure
in
proof of what is their own. But of myself what shall I say, who
was already a Catholic
Christian? teats which now, after very long
thirst, I almost exhausted and dry, have returned to with all
greediness, and with deeper weeping and groaning have shaken
together and wrung them out more deeply, that so there might flow
what might be enough to refresh me affected as I was, and to bring
back
hope of
life and
safety. What then shall I say of myself? You,
not yet a
Christian, who, through encouragement from me, execrating
them greatly as you did, were hardly led to believe that you ought
to listen to them and make
trial of them, by what else, I
pray you,
were you
delighted, call to
mind, I entreat you,
save by a certain
great presumption and
promise of reasons? But because they disputed
long and much with very great copiousness and vehemence concerning
the errors of
unlearned men, a thing which I
learned too late at
length to be most easy for any moderately
educated man; if even of
their own they implanted in us any thing, we thought that we were
obliged to retain it, insomuch as there fell not in our way other
things, wherein to acquiesce. So they did in our case what
crafty
fowlers are wont to do, who set
branches smeared with
bird-lime
beside
water to
deceive thirsty birds. For they fill up and cover
anyhow the other waters which are around, or fright them from them
by alarming devices, that they may fall into their snares, not
through choice, but want.
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