Letter 74: 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 h...

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 when you were here — that you would be willing to send a letter of mine to our holy brother and fellow presbyter Jerome. [context: Jerome — the great biblical scholar in Bethlehem; Augustine and Jerome were engaged in a serious theological dispute, mainly over Paul's letter to the Galatians] I also want to let you know, as a matter of charity, what you ought to say on my behalf when you write to him. I've enclosed copies of both my letter to him and his reply to me. Reading these, your wise and devout judgment will easily see two things: the measured, careful tone I've tried to maintain throughout, and the sharpness of his response — which, understandably, has left me genuinely uneasy. If, however, I've written something I shouldn't have, or expressed myself in a way that was unworthy, please don't send your criticism to him — send it to me, in brotherly love, so that if your rebuke convinces me I was wrong, I can then ask his forgiveness myself.

Letter 74 (A.D. 404) 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. About this page Source. Translated by J.G. Cunningham. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1102074.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.