Letter 235: Augustine asks Longinianus why ancient rites are needed if a person already lives purely.

Augustine to Longinianus. I have received the fruit of my writing, namely the reply of Your Kindness. From it I now see that a seed has arisen and been sown between us for a great discussion on a great subject. This is what I first wanted, and what I still want; God will help. What I want is that this beginning be brought to its proper and saving end. So I was not displeased to receive this restraint in the mind of a pagan: you did not think anything rash should either be denied or affirmed about Christ. And since you also want to be taught by my writings on this matter, I will not refuse, nor will I cease to serve this very good will of yours, one most dear to me. But first there is need to clarify, so to speak, and draw out your clear judgment about the ancient rites. You said that the better way toward God is the one by which "a good man, proved by reverent, just, pure, chaste, and true words and deeds, without grasping at any boast from changing times, and surrounded by the company of the gods, having earned the powers of God, that one, universal, incomprehensible, untiring, and ineffable Creator, filled with the virtues of those whom, as is true, you call angels, or whatever other thing after God, or from God, or with God, hastens by the intention of soul and mind toward God." You will recognize these words from your letter. Then you added and said: "This is the way, I say, by which those purified by the pious precepts of ancient rites, by the purest expiations, and by sober disciplines, hasten on, steadfast in soul and body." In these words I sense, unless I am mistaken, that it seems to you not enough for the way by which one goes to God that a good man, by reverent, just, pure, chaste, and truthful words and deeds, should earn the gods and, surrounded by their company, hasten toward that one highest God, creator of all. You think he must also be purified by the pious precepts and expiations of the ancient rites. For this reason I would like to know what you think must be purified by rites in someone who, by living reverently, justly, purely, and truthfully, earns the gods and through them the one God of gods. If he still needs to be purified by rites, then he is not clean; and if he is not clean, he is not living reverently, justly, purely, and chastely. But if he is already living in this way, he is already clean. And if he is already clean and pure, what need is there for him to be purified by expiatory rites? Here, then, is the knot of our discussion. Once it is untied, we will see the consequences: whether a human being lives well in order to be purified by rites; or is purified by rites in order to live well; or whether whatever measure of good living exists in a human being is not yet fit for the blessed life that is received from God unless the aids of rites are added; or whether receiving the rites is itself a kind of portion of good living, so that living well and living ritually are not two different things, but ritual life is enclosed within the boundaries of good living. Of these four possibilities I have set out, please do not find it irksome to open by letter which one you especially approve. It matters greatly for carrying out what we have undertaken between us in conversation, so that I do not spend necessary time on unnecessary things by trying to refute many matters as if you thought them when perhaps you do not. I have therefore not wanted to burden you with a longer letter, so that, with your quick reply, we may weave the rest together.

EPISTOLA 235 Scripta post a. 395. A. Longiniano gratulans se velle doceri (n. 1) et quaerens quid opus sit purificatoriis sacris ei qui iam divinis virtutibus sit circumvallatus (n. 2). LONGINIANO AUGUSTINUS. A. gaudet amicum velle suis ipsius scriptis doceri. 1. Cepi fructum scripti mei, rescriptum scilicet Benevolentiae tuae. Unde iam video exortum et exorsum inter nos magnae hac de re magna disputationis quasi sementum: hoc est quod volebam prius, deinde quod adhuc volo, Deus adiuvabit. Id autem est, ut hoc coeptum debito ac salubri fine claudatur. Proinde, quod de Christo nihil temere tibi vel negandum vel affirmandum putasti, hoc in pagani animo temperamentum non invitus acceperim. Quod vero etiam scriptis meis doceri te cupis de hac re, nequaquam abnuam, neque desistam huic tam bonae mihique carissimae servire voluntati tuae. Sed prius opus est eliquare quodammodo, perspicuamque sumere sententiam tuam de antiquis sacris. Cum enim dixisses eam viam in Deum esse meliorem, "qua vir bonus, piis, iustis, puris, castis, veris dictis factisque sine ulla temporum mutatorum captata iactatione probatus, et deorum comitatu vallatus, Dei utique potestatibus emeritus; id est, eius unius, et universi, et incomprehensibilis, et infatigabilis, ineffabilisque Creatoris adimpletus virtutibus, quos, ut verum est, Angelos dicitis, vel quid alterum post Deum, vel a Deo, vel cum Deo, aut in Deum intentione animi mentisque ire festinat" (quae verba ex epistola tua recognoscis); tum addidisti, et aisti: "Via est, inquam, qua purgati antiquorum sacrorum piis praeceptis, expiationibusque purissimis, et abstemiis observationibus decocti, anima et corpore constantes deproperant" 1. Pure viventi nil opus esse expiatoriis sacris. 2. In his verbis sentio, ni fallor, videri tibi non sufficere ad viam qua itur ad Deum, uti vir bonus, piis, iustis, puris, castis, veris dictis factisque promereatur deos, quorum comitatu vallatus in illum summum Deum omnium creatorem ire festinet, nisi etiam sacrorum antiquorum piis praeceptis expiationibusque purgetur 2. Quamobrem velim scire quid arbitreris esse per sacra purgandum in eo qui pie, iuste, pure, veraciterque vivendo promeretur deos, et per eos unum illum deorum Deum. Si enim adhuc sacris purgandus est, utique mundus non est: et si mundus non est, pie, iuste, pure casteque non vivit. Si enim iam ita vivit, iam mundus est: porro iam mundum atque purum, quid opus est sacris expiando purgari? Itaque hic nodus est disputationis nostrae, quo soluto consequentia videbimus: vivatne homo bene, ut sacris purgetur; an sacris purgetur, ut bene vivat: an ipse quantuscumque bene vivendi in homine modus nondum sit idoneus ad beatam vitam, quae ex Deo capitur, nisi accedant adiumenta sacrorum; an bene vivendi quaedam velut portio sit etiam sacra percipere, scilicet ut non aliud sit bene vivere, aliud sacrate vivere, sed bene vivendi terminis etiam sacrata vita claudatur. Horum quatuor quae proposui, quod potissimum probes, quaeso te litteris aperire non pigeat. Plurimum quippe interest ad id quod suscepimus inter nos colloquendo peragere, ne cum multa non necessaria, tamquam ea sentias quae forte non sentis, refellere molior, tempus necessarium in superfluis insumatur. Onerare te itaque epistola nolui, ut te cito rescribente caetera contexamus.