Letter 50074: To my lord Præsidius, most blessed, my brother and partner in the priestly office, truly esteemed — Augustine sends...
Augustine of Hippo→Præsidius|c. 405 AD|Augustine of Hippo
friendship
To my lord Præsidius, most blessed, my brother and partner in the priestly office, truly esteemed — Augustine sends greeting in the Lord.
1. I'm writing to remind you of the request I made to you as a sincere friend when you were here: that you would be willing to forward a letter of mine to our holy brother and fellow presbyter Jerome. I also want to let your Charity know how you ought to write to him on my behalf. I've sent along copies of my letter to him and his letter to me — reading them, your devout wisdom will easily see both the restraint I've taken care to maintain and the intensity on his part that has, not unreasonably, left me unsettled. If, however, I've written anything I shouldn't have, or expressed myself in an unbecoming way, please don't send your judgment to him but to me — as a brother, in love — so that if your rebuke convinces me of my fault, I can seek his forgiveness.
Letter 74 (A.D. 404)
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To My Lord Præsidius, Most Blessed, My Brother and Partner in the Priestly Office, Truly Esteemed, Augustine Sends Greeting in the Lord.
1. I write to remind you of the request which I made to you as a sincere friend when you were here, that you would not refuse to send a letter of mine to our holy brother and fellow presbyter Jerome; in order, moreover, to let your Charity know in what terms you ought to write to him on my behalf. I have sent a copy of my letter to him, and of his to me, by reading which your pious wisdom may easily see both the moderation of tone which I have been careful to preserve, and the vehemence on his part by which I have been not unreasonably filled with fear. If, however, I have written anything which I ought not to have written, or have expressed myself in an unbecoming way, let it not be to him, but to myself, in brotherly love, that you send your opinion of what I have done, in order that, if I am convinced of my fault by your rebuke, I may ask his forgiveness.
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To my lord Præsidius, most blessed, my brother and partner in the priestly office, truly esteemed — Augustine sends greeting in the Lord.
1. I'm writing to remind you of the request I made to you as a sincere friend when you were here: that you would be willing to forward a letter of mine to our holy brother and fellow presbyter Jerome. I also want to let your Charity know how you ought to write to him on my behalf. I've sent along copies of my letter to him and his letter to me — reading them, your devout wisdom will easily see both the restraint I've taken care to maintain and the intensity on his part that has, not unreasonably, left me unsettled. If, however, I've written anything I shouldn't have, or expressed myself in an unbecoming way, please don't send your judgment to him but to me — as a brother, in love — so that if your rebuke convinces me of my fault, I can seek his forgiveness.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.