Letter 216: Valentinus tells Augustine how his monastery was healed by Augustine's teaching on grace.

To Augustine, truly holy lord, whom we place above all others with reverence and honor with devout joy as Most Blessed Father: Valentinus, servant of Your Holiness, and the whole community that hopes with me in your prayers, send greetings in the Lord. We received the venerable writings and the book of Your Holiness with a trembling heart. Just as blessed Elijah, standing at the entrance of the cave, covered his face as the glory of the Lord passed by, so we covered our corrected eyes. In our own judgment we blushed because of the rustic behavior of our brothers, whose disorderly journey made us afraid to greet Your Blessedness. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, and we feared that, if we wrote through people who were doubting and wavering about the truth, we would seem to doubt along with them the words of your wisdom, which is like that of God's angel. It was not necessary for us to ask about your blessedness and wisdom, which are known to us by God's grace. We rejoiced so eagerly over the book of your sweetest Holiness that, just as the apostles did not dare ask the Lord who he was when he ate with them after the resurrection, because they knew it was Jesus, so we neither wished nor dared to ask whether the book belonged to Your Holiness. The faithful grace so generously commended in it testifies to us by its most living words that it is yours, holy Father. Let us begin, Most Blessed Father, to explain the order of the disturbance. Our very dear brother Florus, servant of Your Fatherhood, had gone to his homeland of Uzalis at charity's prompting. During his stay in his city he brought us monastery gifts from the works of Your Holiness, with one brother Felix, who is known to have come late to Your Holiness after his companions, devoutly dictating the same book. The book came to the monastery, while brother Florus went on from Uzalis to Carthage. Without showing the book to me, they began to read it to untrained brothers. It moved the hearts of some who did not understand, just as when the Lord said, "Unless someone eats the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks his blood, he will not have life in himself," those who understood impiously went away, not because the Lord spoke wrongly, but because of the hardness of a most impious heart. The brothers I mentioned, who overturned everything, began to trouble innocent souls while my littleness knew nothing at all. I was so unaware of their murmuring assembly that, unless brother Florus, returning from Carthage and discovering their disturbances, had carefully reported them to me, the dispute about truth not understood would have remained furtive and almost servile among them. To remove their impious questions, I proposed that we send to the holy lord and father Evodius, so that he might write back to us with something more certain about this most sacred book for the sake of the ignorant. They refused to accept even this with patience, but seized on a departure we had by no means wished for. Brother Florus was almost shaken by their fury, because they raged against him, thinking he had brought them the wounds of this book, when in their sickness they could not recognize its medicine. For that reason we also asked the holy presbyter Sabinus for greater authority, and His Holiness read the book with clear explanations; yet even so the wounded soul was not healed. Because of piety itself we gave them travel expenses, so that we would not increase the wounds that the grace of this book, in which your holy presence shines, could heal. After they left, quiet and peace exulted in the Lord among all the brothers. This controversy was born from the agitation of five brothers, or a little more. But because joy sometimes comes from sorrow, Father, we are not so much saddened, since through ignorant and curious people we deserved to be enlightened by the sweetest warnings of Your Holiness. The doubt of blessed Thomas the apostle, when he sought the marks of the nails, became confirmation for the universal Church. So we received, Father, the medicine of your lovingly healing care together with the grace of your letters, and we beat our breasts so that our conscience may at least in this way be healed. Our conscience is healed and made alive by grace through our free choice, which mercy gives; but this happens in the present time, when we still sing of mercy with delay. When we begin to sing judgment to the Lord, we will receive reward according to our work, because the Lord is merciful and just, compassionate and upright. As Your Holiness teaches us, we must be presented before the tribunal of Christ, so that each of us may receive the things done in the body, whether good or evil. The Lord will come, and his reward with him. A human being and his work will stand before him. The Lord will come like a burning oven to set the impious ablaze like straw, and for those who fear the Lord's name the sun of justice will rise when the impious are punished by the judgment of justice. The just man, whose friend you are, cries out, trembles, and says as a suppliant, "Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servant." If reward were a matter of grace, the just man would not fear the secret judgment of majesty. This is the faith of your servant Florus, Father, not what those brothers said. They heard him say for the present that the gift of piety is given not according to our merits but through the grace of the Redeemer. But who would doubt that, on that day, grace will be far away when justice begins to be angry? This is what we cry out, Father; this is what, taught by you, we sing, not secure but trembling: "Lord, do not rebuke me in your fury, and do not correct me in your anger." We say, "Correct us, Lord, and teach us from your law, so that you may give us relief from evil days." We believe, as you teach, venerable Father, that God questions the just and the impious, and that, with the good and the bad placed at his right and left, he reckons works of piety to be rewarded and stubborn impiety to be punished. Where will grace be, when works, whether good or bad, are reckoned according to their own quality? But why is a direct lie not afraid to be brought forward? We do not deny free choice healed by God's grace; we believe it advances through Christ's daily grace, and we trust that it is helped. What do people mean when they say, "It is in my power to do good," if only they actually did good? Empty boasting of miserable people! Every day they are convicted by sins, and yet they claim for themselves a bare free choice. They do not examine their own conscience, which cannot be healed except by grace, so that they might say, "Have mercy on me; heal my soul, because I have sinned against you." What would those who boast in free choice, which is not denied provided God's help is included, do if death had already been swallowed up in victory, if our mortal nature had already put on immortality and our corruptible nature incorruption? See, the wounds stink, and yet the medicine is sought proudly. They do not say with the just man, "Unless the Lord had helped me, my soul would almost have dwelt in hell." They do not say with the saint, "Unless the Lord guards the city, the one who guards it watches in vain." But pray, most faithful Father, that we may now have no concern except to cleanse our sin with tears and to commend God's grace. Pray, Father, that the pit may not close its mouth over us, that we may be saved from those descending into the abyss, that our soul may not perish with the impious through our pride, but may be healed by the Lord's grace. As you instructed, Father, our brother Florus, servant of Your Holiness, has set out with complete eagerness. Weariness does not hinder him but helps him, so that a clear instruction of the heart may be added to him. We humbly commend him to Your Holiness, and we ask as well that you commend the ignorant to the Lord by your prayers, so that they may be gently set in order. Pray, lord and sweetest Father, that the devil may flee from our community, and that, with every storm of alien questions removed, the ship of our purpose, loaded with quiet passengers, may stand securely inside the harbor of a very safe anchorage while it sails over this great and immense sea. In that harbor, where the voyage of life will no longer need to be feared, may it receive the unchallenged price of pleasing goods. We trust that we will obtain this through the help of Your Holiness, by the grace that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We ask you to greet on our behalf all the sons of your apostleship, our lords the clergy, and the holy people serving in the community of their purpose, so that they too may be willing to pray for us with Your Blessedness. May the undivided Trinity of the Lord our God preserve for us in his Church the apostleship he chose by grace, and may he crown you in the great Church while you remember us. This is what we desire, Father. If your servant and brother Florus suggests anything about the rule of the monastery, we ask you, Father, to receive it gladly and to instruct us weak people in everything.

EPISTOLA 216 Scripta paulo post superiorem. Valentinus Augustino, renuntians quam recreati sint monachi ipsius libro, quaeque fuerit causa discidii quive auctores tumultus in suo coenobio (nn. 1-3), declarans suam et Flori (quem ipsi mittit) fidem de libero arbitrio ac Dei iustitia remunerantis (nn. 4-5), se suosque Augustini orationibus commendans (n. 6). DOMINO VERE SANCTO, AC NOBIS VENERABILITER SUPER OMNIA PRAEFERENDO, ET PIA EXSULTATIONE COLENDO BEATISSIMO PAPAE AUGUSTINO, VALENTINUS SERVUS TUAE SANCTITATIS, ET OMNIS CONGREGATIO QUAE TUIS ORATIONIBUS MECUM SPERAT, IN DOMINO, SALUTEM Augustini libro monachi tristitia levati. 1. Venerabilia scripta, et librum tuae Sanctitatis, ita tremebundo corde suscepimus, ut sicut beatus Elias, cum in speluncae limine staret 1, faciem suam gloria Domini transeunte velavit; ita nos obiurgatos oculos teximus, quia per rusticitatem fratrum nostrorum nostro iudicio erubuimus, quorum inordinata profectione tuam metuimus Beatitudinem salutare; quia tempus loquendi, et tempus tacendi 2, ne dum per dubitantes et de veritate fluctuantes scriberemus, de dictis sapientiae tuae, quae est sicut angeli Dei, dubitare cum dubitantibus videremur 3. Non enim erat nobis necessarium interrogare de beatitudine, et de sapientia tua, quae est nobis nota per Dei gratiam. Nam ad librum dulcissimae Sanctitatis tuae ita sumus alacriter iucundati, ut sicut Apostoli Dominum post resurrectionem prandentem secum non audebant interrogare quis esset; (sciebant enim quia Iesus est) 4: ita et nos nec voluimus, nec ausi sumus interrogare de libro, utrum tuae Sanctitatis esset; cum ipsa fidelis gratia quae in eo liberaliter commendatur, nobis tuum, domine sancte papa, eloquiis vivacissimis contestetur. Cur monachi turbati fuerint. 2. Incipiamus autem, domine beatissime papa, ipsius ordinem perturbationis exponere. Carissimus frater noster Florus servus Paternitatis tuae, cum ad Uzalensem patriam fuisset suadente caritate profectus, eulogias monasterii inter suae civitatis moras, de opusculis nobis tuae attulit Sanctitatis, uno fratre Felice, qui ad tuam Sanctitatem tarde post comites suos venisse dignoscitur, eumdem librum devote dictante; ventum est ad monasterium cum eodem libello, fratre Floro ad Carthaginem de Uzalensi civitate profecto. Mihi non monstrato libro, imperitis fratribus recitare coeperunt; qui quorumdam non intellegentium corda commovit, quia cum diceret Dominus: Qui non manducaverit carnem filii hominis, neque biberit sanguinem eius, non habebit vitam in semetipso 5, discesserunt qui impie intellexerunt, non culpa Domini dicentis, sed duritia impiissimi cordis. Quomodo fratres ab errore revocati sint. 3. Coeperunt memorati fratres, qui omnia subverterunt, innocentum animas commovere, mea parvitate penitus ignorante; in tantum conventus illorum murmurantis nescii, ut nisi frater Florus de Carthagine repedans, eorum perturbationes agnoscens, mihi sollicite nuntiasset... furtiva et tamquam servilis erat inter eos de non intellegenda veritate contentio. Proposui ad auferendas impias quaestiones, ut ad dominum sanctum patrem Evodium mitteremus, ut ipse nobis de hoc sacrosancto libro propter ignaros aliquid certius rescripsisset. Nec hoc patientius accipere voluerunt; sed arripuerunt profectionem nobis taliter non optatam: fratre Floro furore illorum propemodum conturbato, in quem saeviebant, quia ipse illis, ut putabant, vulnera libri huius attulisset; in quo non poterant medicinam infirmi cognoscere. Unde et sanctum presbyterum Sabinum ad maiorem auctoritatem rogavimus, et ipsius Sanctitas librum cum liquidis interpretationibus legit; nec sic anima sauciata curata est. Quibus propter ipsam pietatem sumptus dedimus, ne vulnera ipsorum cumularemus, quae posset sanare libri huius gratia, in qua refulget tua sancta praesentia. Quibus profectis, quies et pax per omnes fratres exsultavit in Domino. Quinque enim, vel amplius fratrum animositate ista est innata contentio. Augustini librum medicinam fuisse ad sanam fidem. 4. Sed quia interdum, domine papa, provenit gaudium ex tristitia, non adeo maestificamur, quia per ignaros et curiosos suavissimis monitionibus tuae Sanctitatis illuminari meruimus. Nam et dubitatio beati Thomae apostoli foramina clavorum quaerentis 6, confirmatio fuit Ecclesiae universalis. Accepimus igitur, domine papa, medicamentum pie curantium tuarum cum gratia litterarum, et contudimus pectora nostra, ut saltem sic sanetur conscientia nostra, quam per liberum arbitrium nostrum, quod donat misericordia, curat et vivificat gratia; sed in hoc tempore, quando adhuc misericordiam cum dilatione cantamus 7. Nam cum coeperimus iudicium cantare Domino, reportaturi sumus mercedem pro opere nostro, quia misericors et iustus Dominus, miserator et rectus 8. Quia sicut docet nos Sanctitas tua, repraesentari nos oportet ante tribunal Christi, ut recipiat unusquisque nostrum propria corporis, prout gessit, sive bonum, sive malum 9: quia veniet Dominus, et merces eius cum ipso 10: quia stabit homo et opus eius ante ipsum: quia veniet Dominus sicut clibanus ardens, ut incendat impios tamquam stipulam 11; et timentibus nomen Domini orietur sol iustitiae, quando impii punientur iudicio iustitiae 12. Hoc iustus, cuius tu amicus es, domine papa, exclamat, contremiscit, et suppliciter dicit: Domine, ne intres in iudicium cum servo tuo 13. Si gratia esset remunerantis, non timeret iustus secretarium iudicium maiestatis 14. Servi tui Flori haec fides est, pater; non sicut fratres isti sunt locuti. In praesentiarum audierunt ab illo dictum, non iuxta merita nostra dari donum pietatis, sed per gratiam Redemptoris: nam de illo die, quis dubitet longe esse gratiam, cum coeperit irasci iustitia? Hoc clamamus, pater, hoc te docente canimus, non securi, sed trepidi: Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me, neque in ira tua corripias me 15. Hoc dicimus: "Emenda nos, Domine, et de lege tua erudi nos, ut mitiges nos a diebus malis" 16. Hoc credimus docente te, venerabilis pater, quia Deus interrogat iustum et impium, quia a dexteris et a sinistris positis bonis et malis, imputat remuneranda opera pietatis, enumerat puniendam tenacitatem impietatis. Ubi erit gratia, quando pro sui qualitate dispungentur opera, sive bona, sive mala 17? Quam miseri qui nudam voluntatem iactant. 5. Sed cur non directum non timet proferri mendacium? Liberum arbitrium Dei gratia curatum non negamus; sed per Christi quotidianam gratiam proficere credimus, et adiuvari confidimus. Quid homines dicunt: "In mea est potestate ut faciam bonum"? si tamen homines facerent bonum. O inanis gloriatio miserorum! quotidie peccata arguunt, et ipsi sibi assumunt nudum liberum iactantes arbitrium; non discutientes conscientiam suam, quae non potest curari nisi per gratiam, ut dicerent: Miserere mei; sana animam meam, quia peccavi tibi 18. Quid facerent qui de libero sibi gloriantur arbitrio (quod non negatur cum Dei dumtaxat adiutorio), si iam absorpta esset mors in victoriam, si iam mortale nostrum indueret immortalitatem, et corruptibile nostrum indueret incorruptionem 19? Ecce foetent vulnera, et superbe petitur medicina. Non dicunt sicut iustus: Nisi Dominus adiuvisset me, paulo minus habitasset in inferno anima mea 20: non dicunt sicut sanctus: Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam 21. A. oret pro Valentino eiusque monachis. 6. Sed ora, piissime pater, ut iam non curam geramus, nisi pro peccato nostro lacrymis expiando, et Dei gratia commendanda. Ora, domine pater, ut non urgeat super nos puteus os suum 22, ut salvemur a descendentibus in lacum 23, ut non pereat cum impiis anima nostra 24 per superbiam nostram, sed sanetur per Domini gratiam. Sicut ergo praecepisti, domine papa, frater noster Florus, servus Sanctitatis tuae, omni alacritate perrexit, cui non impedit, sed proficit fatigatio, ut accedat ei dilucidata cordis instructio; quem tuae Sanctimoniae suppliciter commendamus, pariterque deposcimus, ut et ignaros tuis orationibus Domino commendes mansuetissime componendos. Ora, domine et dulcissime pater, ut fugiat diabolus de congregatione nostra, et amota omni alienarum quaestionum procella, navis propositi nostri epibatis quietis onusta intra stationem tutissimi portus secure consistat, dum navigat per hoc mare magnum et immensum, et in illo portu, intra quem iam non erit metuendum vitae navigium, mercium indiscrepans accipiat pretium placitarum. Hoc tuae Sanctitatis impetraturos nos confidimus adiutorio, per gratiam quae est in Christo Iesu Domino nostro. Omnes filios apostolatus tui dominos nostros clericos, ac sanctos in congregatione propositi servientes deprecamur ut digneris nostro officio salutare, ut cum tua Beatitudine omnes pro nobis orare dignentur. Indiscrepans Trinitas Domini Dei nostri apostolatum tuum, quem elegit per gratiam, conservet nobis in Ecclesia sua, et nostri memorem coronet in Ecclesia magna; quod optamus, domine. Si quid autem famulus tuae Sanctitatis frater suggesserit Florus, pro regula monasterii, digneris pater, petimus, libenter accipere, et per omnia nos infirmos instruere.