Letter 268: Augustine asks the church at Hippo to repay money borrowed to save Fascius from harsh creditors.

To my dearly loved and deeply longed-for lords, the holy people whom I serve, members of Christ: Augustine sends greetings in the Lord. Your devotion in our Lord Jesus Christ is so well known and so well proven to me that even while absent I have dared to presume on the joy I am accustomed to have when present. In spirit I am always with you, not only because the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ never ceases to burn with such sweetness, but also because you do not allow me, who serve you in the Gospel, to be pressed beyond help. Our brother Fascius was being pressed by creditors to repay a debt of seventeen solidi, and at the moment he could find no way to extricate himself. To avoid bodily injury he fled to the help of the holy church. The collectors also had to leave and therefore could not grant a delay. They loaded me with heavy complaints, demanding either that I hand him over or provide somewhere for them to receive what they showed was owed. I offered Fascius the chance to speak to Your Holiness about his need, but shame frightened him and he begged me not to do it. So I, pressed by the greater necessity, received seventeen solidi from our brother Macedonius and immediately gave them for his case. Fascius promised that he could meet the day fixed for repayment, and agreed that if he could not meet it, a word should be spoken about him to your mercy, which you are accustomed to show as brothers to brothers. Now, since he is absent, what remains is for you to help, not him, for no one is compelling an absent man, but my pledge, whose reputation is always present with you. The day on which he promised to come has already passed, and I do not know what answer to give the man who entrusted his money to my good faith except to do what I promised I would do. Since I was not reminded of this matter on holy Pentecost, when more of you were present, I ask you to accept this letter as my present voice. God and our Lord, in whom you have believed, is admonishing and encouraging you in your hearts; he never departs from those who fear and honor his name. In him we too are always joined to you, though we may appear to have gone away from you in body. He promises you, from this seed of good works, a harvest of eternal life, as the apostle says: "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not give up. So then, while we have time, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the household of faith." Since Fascius is of the household of faith, a faithful Christian and our catholic brother, I ask you to supply his need by doing what the Lord commands. Do it without sadness, without murmuring, and with joy and cheerfulness. You are trusting God, not a human being. He promises that you will lose nothing of what you do mercifully, but receive it back on that day with immortal interest. And because the same apostle says, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly," you should understand that now is the time to acquire, quickly and gladly while we are still in this life, the gift of eternal life. When the end of the age comes, it will be given only to those who bought it for themselves through faith before they were able to see it. I have also written to the presbyters, so that if anything is lacking after Your Holiness has made its collection, they may complete it from what the church has, provided that you offer cheerfully as you think right. Whether it is given from your own resources or from the church's, all things belong to God, and your devotion will be sweeter than the church's treasuries. As the apostle says, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit." Gladden my heart, then, because I want to rejoice in your fruit. You are God's trees, and he deigns to water you with frequent rains, even through our ministry. May the Lord protect you from every evil, both here and in the age to come, my dearly loved and deeply longed-for brothers.

EPISTOLA 268 Scripta post a. 395. Fascius quidam, aere alieno oppressus ad Ecclesiam confugerat, cuius creditoribus A. satisfecerat mutua Macedonii cuiusdam accepta pecunia (n. 1); illam, publica collatione facta per Christi fideles orat pro Fascio reddi (nn. 2-3). DOMINIS DILECTISSIMIS ET DESIDERANTISSIMIS, SANCTAE PLEBIS CUI MINISTRO, MEMBRIS CHRISTI, AUGUSTINUS, IN DOMINO SALUTEM. Collatio fiat ad aes alienum pro Fascio collatum solvendum. 1. Notissima mihi et probatissima devotio Sanctitatis vestrae in Domino nostro Iesu Christo fiduciam dedit, ut etiam absens praesumerem unde praesens gaudere consuevi: qui semper spiritu vobiscum sum; non solum quia gratia Domini nostri Iesu Christi tantae suavitatis flagrare non cessat, sed etiam quia me ipsum, qui vobis in Evangelio servio, angustiam pati non permittitis. Cum enim frater noster Fascius debito decem et septem solidorum ab opinatoribus urgeretur ut redderet, quod ad praesens unde explicaret se non inveniebat; ne corporalem pateretur iniuriam, ad auxilium sanctae ecclesiae convolavit: illi etiam exactores cum proficisci cogerentur, et ideo dilationem dare non possent, gravissimis me querelis oneraverunt, ita ut eis illum traderem: aut quod sibi deberi ostendebant, unde acciperent providerem. Cumque obtulissem Fascio ut vestram Sanctitatem de necessitatibus eius alloquerer; pudore deterritus, ne facerem deprecatus est. Ita ego maiore necessitate coarctatus, a fratre nostro Macedonio decem et septem solidos accepi, quos in causam eius continuo dedi, promittente illo quod ad certum diem cum eis reddendis posset occurrere; et consentiente ut si non posset occurrere, sermo de illo fieret ad vestram misericordiam, quam fraternam fratribus exhibere consuestis. Misericordiae fructus esse cum usuris aeternis. 2. Nunc ergo quoniam absens est, restat ut subveniatis, non illi, quem nemo compellat absentem, sed pollicitationi meae, cuius existimatio vobis semper est praesens. Iam enim dies ad quem se promiserat occursurum, transactus est; et ego ei qui solidos suos fidei meae commisit, quid respondeam non invenio, nisi ut faciam quod me facturum esse promisi. Sed quoniam non sum de hac re commonitus, ut die sancto Pentecostes, quando aderat maior vestra frequentia, sermonem inde facerem; peto ut has litteras pro lingua mea praesente habere dignemini, admonente vos et exhortante in cordibus vestris Deo et Domino nostro cui credidistis, qui numquam discedit a vobis timentibus et honorantibus nomen suum. In quo vobis et nos semper coniuncti sumus, quamvis corpore a vobis profecti esse videamur; qui vobis de isto bonorum operum semine messem vitae aeternae promittit, dicente Apostolo: Bonum autem facientes non deficiamus; tempore enim suo metemus infatigabiles. Itaque, dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum ad omnes, maxime autem ad domesticos fidei 1. Quoniam ergo domesticus fidei est, christianus fidelis, catholicus frater noster, pro cuius supplenda necessitate vos peto ut faciatis quod Dominus imperat; sine tristitia, sine murmuratione, et cum laetitia et hilaritate facite Deo enim creditis, non homini; quia ille promittit vos nihil eorum quae misericorditer facitis, perdituros, sed in illo die cum usuris immortalibus recepturos 2: et quoniam ipse Apostolus dicit: Hoc autem dico: Qui parce seminat, parce et metet 3; intellegere debetis tempus esse ut donum vitae aeternae, cum adhuc in ista vita sumus, festinanter et alacriter comparemus: quia cum finis saeculi venerit, non dabitur nisi eis qui per fidem sibi hoc emerunt, antequam videre potuissent. Pauperibus quomodo subveniendum. 3. Scripsi etiam presbyteris, ut si quid minus fuerit post collationem Sanctitatis vestrae, compleant ex eo quod habet ecclesia, dum tamen vos secundum quod placet, hilariter offeratis: quia sive de vestro sive de ecclesia detur, omnia Dei sunt, et devotio vestra dulcior erit thesauris ecclesiae; sicut Apostolus dicit: Non quia quaero datum, sed requiro fructum 4. Laetificate ergo cor meum, quia de fructibus vestris gaudere cupio: vos enim estis arbores Dei, quas assiduis imbribus etiam per nostrum ministerium rigare dignatur. Tueatur vos Dominus ab omni malo et hic et in futuro saeculo, domini dilectissimi, et desiderantissimi fratres.