Letter 50067: To my most beloved and longed-for lord, my honored brother in Christ and fellow-priest, Jerome — Augustine sends...

Letter 67 — To Jerome: On a False Rumor, and the Longing for True Exchange (A.D. 402) To my most beloved and longed-for lord, my honored brother in Christ and fellow-priest, Jerome — Augustine sends greetings in the Lord. I have heard that my letter reached you. I have not yet received a reply, but I do not doubt your affection on that account — something has no doubt prevented you. My prayer, therefore, is simply that God would give you the opportunity to send your reply, since he has already given you the capacity to write it — a capacity you could exercise with the greatest ease whenever you felt so inclined. I have been uncertain whether to put any credence in a report that has come to me. But I felt I ought not to hesitate about writing you a few lines on the matter. In brief: I have heard that some people have told your Charity that I wrote a book against you and sent it to Rome. I call God to witness — that is false. I did not do it. But if there are things in any of my writings where I have expressed a view different from yours, I think you ought to know — or at the very least to believe — that such things were written not in order to oppose you, but simply to set out my own understanding. That said, I am not merely willing to hear, in a brotherly spirit, any objections you may have to anything in my writings that has displeased you — I beg you, I implore you, to tell me what they are. Nothing would make me happier than either to be corrected in a mistake, or at least to know that your goodwill toward me is undiminished. If only I could live near you — if not under the same roof, at least nearby — and enjoy frequent and deep conversation with you in the Lord! Since that cannot be, I beg you to take pains to maintain and improve and perfect this one way in which we can be together: by letter. Do not refuse to write to me, even seldom. Please give my respectful greetings to our holy brother Paulinianus, and to all the brothers who rejoice in the Lord with you and because of you. May you, remembering us in your prayers, be heard by the Lord in all your holy desires — my most beloved and longed-for lord, my honored brother in Christ. Farewell in the Lord.

From Augustine to Jerome (A.D. 402) Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To My Lord Most Beloved and Longed For, My Honoured Brother in Christ, and Fellow-Presbyter, Jerome, Augustine Sends Greeting in the Lord. Chapter 1 1. I have heard that my letter has come to your hand. I have not yet received a reply, but I do not on this account question your affection; doubtless something has hitherto prevented you. Wherefore I know and avow that my prayer should be, that God would put it in your power to forward your reply, for He has already given you power to prepare it, seeing that you can do so with the utmost ease if you feel disposed. Chapter 2 2. I have hesitated whether to give credence or not to a certain report which has reached me; but I felt that I ought not to hesitate as to writing a few lines to you regarding the matter. To be brief, I have heard that some brethren have told your Charity that I have written a book against you and have sent it to Rome. Be assured that this is false: I call God to witness that I have not done this. But if perchance there be some things in some of my writings in which I am found to have been of a different opinion from you, I think you ought to know, or if it cannot be certainly known, at least to believe, that such things have been written not with a view of contradicting you, but only of stating my own views. In saying this, however, let me assure you that not only am I most ready to hear in a brotherly spirit the objections which you may entertain to anything in my writings which has displeased you, but I entreat, nay implore you, to acquaint me with them; and thus I shall be made glad either by the correction of my mistake, or at least by the expression of your goodwill. 3. Oh that it were in my power, by our living near each other, if not under the same roof, to enjoy frequent and sweet conference with you in the Lord! Since, however, this is not granted, I beg you to take pains that this one way in which we can be together in the Lord be kept up; nay more, improved and perfected. Do not refuse to write me in return, however seldom. Greet with my respects our holy brother Paulinianus, and all the brethren who with you, and because of you, rejoice in the Lord. May you, remembering us, be heard by the Lord in regard to all your holy desires, my lord most beloved and longed for, my honoured brother in Christ.