Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 17: The Fifth Century: Augustine, Volumes VI-X
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fifth century. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
St. Augustine, continued
As on the previous page, the catalogue's columns are broken apart in the scan; the Retractations references (Retr.) and the marks of the Indiculus of Possidius (Indic.) are matched to the books in order.
The sixth volume: On the heresies, to Quodvultdeus, 1 book (Indic.); the Oration on five heresies (Indic.); the Sermon to the catechumens (Indic.); the Oration against the Jews (Indic.); On the dispute of the Church and the Synagogue; On the usefulness of believing, 1 (Retr. 1.14); Against the letter called the Foundation, 1 (2.2); On the two souls, against the Manichees, 1 (1.15); Against Fortunatus the Manichee, 1 (1.16); Against Adimantus the Manichee, 1 (1.22); Against Faustus the Manichee, 33 (2.7); On the proceedings with Felix the Manichee, 2 (2.8); Against Secundinus the Manichee, 1 (2.10); On the nature of the good, against the Manichees, 1 (2.9); On faith, against the Manichees, 1; Against the adversary of the law and the Prophets, 2 (2.58); Against the Priscillianists and Origenists, 1 (2.44); Against the sermon of the Arians, 1 (2.52); Against Maximinus, Bishop of the Arians, 3 (Indic.); Against Felician the Arian, 1 (Indic.); On the good of marriage, against Jovinian, 1 (2.22); On holy Virginity, 1 (2.23); On adulterous marriages, to Pollentius, 2 (2.57); the treatise On the Stoics and Epicureans, 1; the treatise on the words, I am who am, 1.
Note. The book On the heresies is St. Augustine's; for it is in the Indiculus, and is cited by St. Gregory, book 6, letter 179. But the two last heresies, of Nestorius and Eutyches, were added by someone else after the death of St. Augustine; for he himself wrote that the heresy of the Pelagians was the most recent. The little book, or oration, On five heresies, whatever Erasmus says, is truly St. Augustine's, since it is in the Indiculus and is cited by Bede in the commentary on the first chapter of Romans. The same judgement must be made of the sermon to the catechumens and of the oration against the Jews. The book On the dispute of the Church and the Synagogue does not seem to be Augustine's, since it is not in the Retractations, nor has it testimony from any good author, nor does it savour of St. Augustine's phrasing. The book On faith against the Manichees does not seem to be St. Augustine's, because no mention of it is made in the Retractations nor in the Indiculus of Possidius, and because it uses phrases unusual to Augustine, as that in chapter 18: “If God is incorruptible, or every nature of the highest good inviolable, unstainable, unapproachable, undefilable,” and so on. Otherwise it is a learned book, and of a man most versed in the writings of the Manichees. The three books against Maximinus, though they are not found in the books of the Retractations, are without doubt St. Augustine's, because they are found in the Indiculus of Possidius, and are cited by Bede on Romans 8, and in the sixth general Synod, act 4, from the letter of Pope Agatho. The same judgement must be made of the book against Felician, even if Erasmus will not; for it is both found in the Indiculus and cited by Bede on the first chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians. The treatise On the Stoics and Epicureans and the treatise on the words “I am who am” are most beautiful and most worthy of Augustine; and the latter is cited by Bede on the first chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians. Nor is it strange that these treatises are not found in the Retractations or in the Indiculus; for these treatises should have been placed in the tenth volume with the sermons, not in the sixth with the books. For St. Augustine testifies that he did not review the treatises and sermons, or homilies, perhaps because of their too great number and variety; and Possidius too did not bring each treatise into the index.
The seventh volume: the Psalm against the party of Donatus (Retr. 1.20); Against the letter of Parmenian, 3 books (2.17); Against the letters of Petilian, 3 (2.25); Against Cresconius the grammarian, 4 (2.26); Against the letter of Gaudentius, 2 (2.59); On Baptism, against the Donatists, 7 (2.18); On the one Baptism, against Petilian, 1 (2.34); On the unity of the Church, against Petilian, 1 (Indic.); the Summary of the conference against the Donatists, 1; After the conference, against the Donatists, 1 (2.40); the Sermon on the proceedings with Emeritus (Indic.); On the proceedings with Emeritus the Donatist, 1 (2.51); Against Fulgentius the Donatist, 1; On the merits and remission of sins, 3 (2.33); On nature and grace, 1 (2.42); On the grace of Christ and original sin, against the Pelagians, 2 (2.50 [none printed]); On marriage and concupiscence, 2 (2.53); Against two letters of the Pelagians, 4 (2.61); Against Julian the Pelagian, 6 (2.62 [“66” printed]); On the soul and its origin, 4 (2.56); On predestination and grace, 1; the letters of Prosper and Hilary to Augustine; On the predestination of the saints and the good of perseverance, 2; On the predestination of God, 1; On grace and free will, 1 (2.66); On rebuke and grace, 1 (2.67); To the articles falsely imputed to him, 1; the Hypognosticon against the Pelagians, 6; On the perfection of justice, against Caelestius, 1 (Indic.); On the proceedings of Pelagius, 1 (2.47).
Note. Leaving aside the books mentioned in the Retractations or the Indiculus, of which there can be no doubt, we shall speak of the rest. The book against Fulgentius the Donatist is a dialogue, in which first the speakers brought in are a Donatist and a Catholic, then Fulgentius and Augustine; and certainly there is nothing in this dialogue from which it could be proved that its author is not Augustine, except that no mention of it is found in the Retractations nor in the Indiculus. But it may be that, in so great a number of books, both Augustine himself and Possidius forgot one little book. If this does not please, I have nothing to say, except that the book is of someone who brought in Augustine speaking in a dialogue, as Marcus Tullius makes Laelius and Cato, Antonius and Crassus speak in his dialogues.
The book On predestination and grace does not seem to be Augustine's; for it differs from the phrasing and teaching of Augustine. For in chapter 16 this author says that man could justly have been damned by God even if he had not sinned; St. Augustine teaches the contrary in letters 105 and 106, and in the second book On the merits and remission of sins, chapter 16, and elsewhere. Then there was no reason why he should write this book, who had written so fully on the predestination of the saints. Lastly this book has testimony neither from Possidius nor from Bede nor from any other ancient. The little book On the predestination of God is not St. Augustine's, since at the end of the book it teaches that predestination is from the foreseeing of works, which opinion St. Augustine everywhere attacks. The Answer to the articles falsely imputed to him is St. Prosper's, and is found among his works. The books entitled Hypognosticon are learned and useful and of an old author, but they have not Augustine's phrasing, nor are they cited under Augustine's name by Possidius or Bede or any other ancient. The book On the perfection of justice is St. Augustine's; for not only is it in the Indiculus, but it is also cited under Augustine's name at the end of the book against the Collator by St. Prosper, and by the Venerable Bede everywhere. The book On the proceedings against Pelagius is not found in the volumes of St. Augustine, but we have added it because it was lately found and put into print.
The eighth volume: the Treatises on all the Psalms of David; which work is mentioned in the Indiculus of Possidius, and by the consent of all these treatises are Augustine's; but he made them partly by preaching to the people, partly by dictating, as he himself testifies in the preface to Psalm 118.
The ninth volume: Treatises on the Gospel of St. John, 124 (Indic.); on the first Letter of John, 10 treatises (Indic.); homilies on the Apocalypse of John, 18; the book of Meditations, 1; On loving God, 1; Soliloquies, 1; the Manual, 1; On the threefold dwelling, 1; On the ladder of paradise, 1; On the 12 degrees of abuses, 1; On contrition of heart, 1; On the knowledge of true life, 1; On the mirror, 1; On the Christian life, 1; On the Assumption of blessed Mary, 1; On Christian discipline, 1 (Indic.); On the ten strings, 1 (Indic.); On the new song, 1; On contempt of the world, 1; On the vanity of the world, 1; On obedience and humility, 1; On the good of discipline, 1; On visiting the sick, 1; On consoling the dead, 1; On the fourth day of the week, 1; On the flood; On the time of the barbarians; On sobriety; the Mirror of the sinner; On the medicine of penance; On the usefulness of penance; On the conflict of virtues and vices; On the four virtues of charity; On the praises of charity; On the honesty of women; On the shepherds and the sheep (Indic.); On the creed of faith, 4; On the agreement of the ten commandments and the ten plagues (Indic.); On the rightness of Catholic conduct; On the usefulness of fasting; On the destruction of the City; On the creation of the first man; On the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; On the fight of the soul; On Antichrist; the Psalter to his Mother; the Exposition on the Magnificat.
First note. Of so many books the undoubted ones are the exposition of the Gospel and of the Letter of St. John; for of these there was never any controversy, and they are found in the Indiculus of Possidius. Likewise the book On Christian discipline, and the book On the ten strings, and On the usefulness of penance, and On the shepherds and the sheep, and On the agreement of the ten commandments and the ten plagues; for all these are in the Indiculus of Possidius. To these are added the book On the four virtues of charity, which Bede cites on 1 Corinthians 13, and the book On the destruction of the City, which Bede cites on 1 Corinthians 10, and the book On the medicine of penance, which Bede too cites not seldom.
Second note. These are plainly forged: the book On the mirror, for in chapter 3 verses of Boethius are cited; the book On the conflict of virtues and vices, which is wont to be attributed also to St. Leo, for at the end of the book the rule of St. Benedict is commended, who was later than both, and it has a style wholly different from the style of Saints Augustine and Leo; the book of the explanation of the Apocalypse, because it explains chapter 21 of the state of the present Church, which St. Augustine, City of God book 20, chapter 17, says is too great a shamelessness; the book On Antichrist, for it mentions the empire transferred from the Greeks to the Franks, which happened 400 years after the times of Augustine.
Third note. Of the other books we have nothing certain. For we can neither establish for certain that they are Augustine's, since the most diligent collector Possidius passed them over, nor do we find them cited by Bede, who made from the works of Augustine Commentaries on the letters of blessed Paul; nor do we dare deny that most of these books are Augustine's, since they are pious and learned and not unworthy of Augustine's mind.
The tenth volume: On the words of the Lord, 64 homilies; On the words of the Apostle, 35 homilies; the book of fifty homilies; On the season, 256 homilies; On the saints, 51 homilies; To the brethren in the desert, 76 homilies; On the common life of clerics, 2 sermons; the sermons lately printed from the Charterhouse of Paris; the new sermons, that is, lately found and printed, 128 in number.
The homilies, or sermons, on the words of the Lord and on the words of the Apostle are all or almost all St. Augustine's; for many are found in the Indiculus of Possidius, and those not found there are like the others, whether you consider the weight of the thoughts or the style and words. The book of fifty homilies is wholly or almost wholly Augustine's, for the same reason. Of the homilies on the season and on the saints the same certainty cannot be had; yet it is credible that they are for the great part Augustine's. The sermons to the brethren in the desert seem for the great part made up. For the author of those sermons says that Augustine lived in solitude with Monks, and there gave these sermons to them. But it is certain from Possidius in the life of St. Augustine that Augustine, after receiving Baptism at Milan, returned to his native land, to his own house and fields, and there lived three years in common with a few friends of his; then, made Presbyter of Hippo, he had a monastery within the Church itself, and there led the Apostolic life with some others, not indeed in the desert but within the city; lastly, made Bishop, he led the common life with his clerics in the bishop's house; of which there are extant his two sermons on the common life of clerics, which are among the sermons to the brethren in the desert, the fifty-second and the fifty-third. These two sermons, placed without judgement among the sermons to the brethren in the desert, prove the rest to be fictitious. For from them it can be understood that St. Augustine was indeed a monk, but led the monastic life not in solitude with Hermits but in the city and the bishop's house with his clerics. I add that among the sermons to the brethren in the desert many are light and fabulous, like the twenty-fourth sermon, in which it is told that St. Jerome was a Cardinal in the Church of St. Lawrence, and, dressed in a woman's garment, was mocked by the Romans; all of which are false and made up. I add lastly that the phrasing of these sermons, except the two on the common life of clerics, which are truly Augustine's, is silly, improper and muddy; so that it is strange that such sermons could be attributed to St. Augustine by any prudent man. The sermons lately printed, especially by the work of the Louvain Doctors, are all Augustine's; for either they are found in the Indiculus or are cited by Bede, and all are weighty and learned and (in my opinion at least) most worthy of St. Augustine.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De haeresibus ad quod vult Deus lib. 1 De quinque haeresibus oratio. Concio ad catechumenos. Oratio adversus Judaeos. De altercatione Eclesise, et Synagogae. De utilitate credendi, liber 1 1. retract. 14. Contra epistolam funda¬ menti. 1 2. retract. 2. De duabus animabus con- tra Manichaeos, 1 I. retract. 15. Contra Fortunatum Mani- chseum, 11. retract. 16. Contra Adimentum Mani- chaeum, 1 1. retract. 22. Contra Faustum Mani - chaeum, 33 2. retract. 7. De actis cum Felice Mani- chaeo, 2 2. retract. 8. Indic. Indic. Indic. Indic. 398 Contra Secundinum Mani- chseum, De natura boni contra Ma¬ nichaeos, De fide contra Manichaeos, 1 Contra adversarium legis, et Prophetarum, Contra Priscillianistas , et Origenistas, Contra sermonem Ariano- rum, Contra Maximinum Episco¬ pum Arianorum, 3 Contra Felicianum Aria- num, 1 De bono conjugali contra Jovianum, De sancta Virginitate, De adulterinis conjugiis ad Pollentium, 2 De Stoicis et Epicureis tra¬ ctatus, 1 De eo quod dictum est, ego sum, qui sum, tract. 1 Observatio. Liber de haeresibus, S. Augustini est ; nam et est in indiculo, et citatur a Sancto Grego- rio lib. vi. epist. 179. Sed duae postremae haereses Nestorii et Eutychetis adjectae sunt ab aliquo alio post obitum S. Augustini: ipse enim recentissimam esse scripsit haeresim Pelagianorum. Libellus, sive oratio de quinque haeresi¬ bus, quicquid Erasmus dicat, vere est San¬ cti Augustini, cum sit in indiculo, et citetur aBedain comment. ad cap. primum ad Ro¬ manos. Idem judicium esse debet de concione ad catechumenos, et de oratione adversus Ju¬ daeos. * Liber de altercatione Ecclesiae et Syna¬ gogae non videtur Augustini, cum nec sit in retractationibus, nec ab ullo bono auctore te¬ stimonium habeat, neque phrasim S. Augu¬ stini sapiat 4 Liber de fide contra Manichaeos, non vide¬ tur esse S. Augustini, quia non fit ejus men¬ tio in retractationibus, nec in indiculo Pos- sidii, et quia utitur phrasibus insolitis Augu¬ stino, ut est illa cap. 18 : « Si Deus incorru¬ ptibilis est, vel omnis natura summi boni inviolabilis, immaculabilis, inadibilis, incoin¬ quinabilis, etc. » Alioqui liber est doctus, et hominis in scriptis Manichaei versatissimi. Libri tres contra Maximinum tametsi non habentur in libris retractationum, tamen sine dubio S. Augustini sunt, quia habentur in in¬ diculo Possidii, et citantur a Beda in cap. vm. ad Roman. et in sexta Synodo generali Act. iv. ex epistola Agathonis Papae. Idem judicium fieri debet de libro contra Felicianum, etiam si Erasmus nolit : nam et habetur in indiculo, et citatur a Beda in pri¬ mum caput prioris ad Gorinth. Tractatus de Stoicis, et Epicureis, et tra¬ ctatus in illud, « Ego sum, qui sum, » pul¬ cherrimi sunt, et Augustino dignissimi, et posterior citatur a Beda in primum caput prioris ad Corinthios. Neque mirum est, non haberi hos tractatus in retractationibus, aut in indiculo : debuissent enim hi tractatus collocari in tomo decimo cum sermonibus, non in sexto cum libris : tractatus enim et sermones, sive homilias Sanctus Augustinus testatur, se non recognovisse, fortasse ob nimiam multitudinem, et varietatem. Possi- dius quoque non singulos tractatus in indicem redegit. Tomi septimi hsec sunt : Psalmus contra partem Do¬ nati. 1. retract 20. Contra epistolam Parmeni- ani, lib. 3 2. retract. 17. Contra litteras Petitiani, 3 2. retract. 25. Contra Cresconium gramma¬ ticum, . 4 2. retract. 26. Contra epistolam Gaudentii, 2 2. retract. 59. De Baptismo contra Donati- stas, 7 2. retract. 18. De unico Baptismo contra Pe- tilianum, 1 2. retract. 34. De unitate Ecclesise contra Petilianum, 1 Indic. Opus breviculi collationis con¬ tra Donatistas, 1 Post collationem contraDona- tistas, lib. 1 2. retract. 40. Sermo super gestis cum Eme¬ rito. Indic. De gestis cum Emerito Dona- tista, 1 2. retract. 51. Contra Fulgentium Donati- stam, 1 De peccatorum meritis et re¬ missione. 3 2. retract. 33. DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS 1 2. retract. 10. 1 2. retract. 9. 2 2. retract. 58. 1 2. retract. 44. 1 2. retract. 52. Indic. Indic. 1 2. retract. 22. 1 2. retract. 23. 2. retract. 57. AB ANNO DOM. 400. AD 500. 399 De natura, et gratia, 1 2. retract. 42. De gratia Christi, etpeceato’ori- ginali contra Pelagianos, 2 De nuptiis et concupiscentia, 2 2. retract. 53. Contra duas epistolas Pelagia- norum, 4 2. retract. 61. Contra Julianum Pelagia - num, 6 2. retract. 66. De anima, et ejus origine, 4 2. retract. 56. De praedestinatione et gratia, 1 Prosperi et Hilarii espistolae ad Augustinum. De praedestinatione sanctorum et bono perseverantiae, 2 De praedestinatione Dei, 1 De gratia, et libero arbitrio, 1 2. retract. 66. De correptione et gratia, 1 2. retract. 67. Ad articulos sibi falso impo¬ sitos, 1 Hypognosticon contra Pela¬ gianos, 6 De perfectione justitiae contra Coelestium, 1 Indiculum. De gestis Pelagii. 1 2. retract. 47. Observatio. \ Omissis libris, quorum mentio fit in retra¬ ctationibus, vel indiculo, de quibus dubitatio esse non potest, de reliquis dicemus. Liber contra Fulgentium Donatistam, dia¬ logus est, in quo primum introducuntur inter- locutores, Donatista, et Catholicus, deinde Fulgentius, et Augustinus, et certe nihil est in hoc dialogo, unde probari possit, aucto¬ rem ejus non esse Augustinum, nisi quod ejus mentio non habetur in retractationibus, neque in indiculo. Sed fieri potest, ut in tanto numero librorum, tum ipse Augustinus, tum Possidius unius libelli oblitus fuerit : si hoc non placet, non habeo quod dicam, nisi li¬ brum alicujus esse, qui Augustinum in dia¬ logo loquentem introduxit, quo modo M.Tul- lius Laelium, et Catonem, Antonium, et Crassum in dialogis loquentes facit. Liber de praedestinatione, et gratia, non videtur esse Augustini : nam discrepat a phrasi, et a doctrina Augustini : si quidem cap. 16. dicit hic auctor, hominem potuisse juste a Deo damnari, etiamsi non peccasset. Contrarium docet sanctus Augustinus in epist. 105. et 106. et libro secundo de pecca¬ torum meritis, et remiss. cap. 16. et alibi ; deinde nulla erat ratio cur hunc librum scri¬ beret, qui tam copiose scripserat de prae¬ destinatione sanctorum. Denique liber hic neque a Possidio, neque a Beda, neque ab alio veteri testimonium habet. Libellus de praedestinatione Dei non est S. Augustini, cum in extremo libro doceat, praedestinationem esse ex praevisione ope¬ rum, quam sententiam ubique Sanctus Au¬ gustinus oppugnat. Responsio ad articulos sibi falso imposi¬ tos, S. Prosperi est, et inter ejus opera ha¬ betur. Libri, qui inscribuntur, Hypognosticon, eruditi sunt, et utiles, et vetusti auctoris, sed phrasim non habent Augustini, neque a Possidio, vel Beda, vel alio vetere citantur sub nomine Augustini. Liber de perfectione justitiae, S. Augu¬ stini est : non enim solum est in indiculo, sed etiam citatur sub nomine Augustini in libro contra Collatorem extremo a Sancto Prospero, et a venerabili Beda passim. Liber de gestis contra Pelagium uon ex¬ stat in tomis S. Augustini, sed eum addidi¬ mus, quia nuper inventus, et typis manda¬ tus est. Tomi octavi haec sunt : Tractatus in omnes Psalmos Davidis : cu¬ jus operis mentio fit in indiculo Possidii, et omnium consensu Augustini sunt illi tracta¬ tus ; sed eos partim concionando in populis, partim dictando confecit, ut ipse testatur in praefatione Psalm. 118. Tomi noni haec sunt : In Evangelium S. Joannis tra¬ ctatus, 124 Indic. In Epistolam primam Joannis tract. 10 Indic. In Apocalypsim Joannis hom. 18 Meditationum liber 1 De diligendo Deo, 1 Soliloquiorum, 1 Manuale, 1 De triplici habitaculo, 1 De scala paradisi, 1 De 12. gradibus abusionum, 1 De contritione cordis, 1 De cognitione verae vitae, 1 De speculo, 1 De vita Christiana, 1 De Assumptione B. Mariae, 1 De disciplina Christiana, 1 Indic. DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS De decem chordis, 1 lnaic. De cantico novo, ^ De contemptu mundi, I De vanitate sseculi, | De obedientia et humilitate, 1 De bono disciplinae, ! De visitatione infirmorum, 1 De consolatione mortuorum, 1 De quarta feria, I De cataclysmo, De tempore barbarico. De sobrietate. Speculum peccatoris. De poenitentiae medicina. De utilitate poenitentiae. De conflictu virtutum et vitiorum. De quatuor virtutibus charitatis. De laudibus charitatis. De honestate mulierum. De pastoribus, et de ovibus, lib. Indic. De symbolo fidei, 4 De convenientia decem praece¬ ptorum, et decem plagarum. Indic. De rectitudine Catholicae con¬ versationis. De utilitate jejunii. De Urbis excidio. De creatione primi hominis. De arbore scientiae boni et mali. De pugna animae. De Antichristo. Psalterium Matri suae. Expositio super Magnificat. Observatio prima. Ex tot libris indubitati sunt, expositio E- vangelii , et Epistolae S. Joannis : de his enim nulla unquam controversia fuit, et habentur in indiculo Possidii. Item liber de disciplina Christiana, et li¬ ber de decem chordis, et de utilitate poeni¬ tentiae, et de Pastoribus, et de ovibus, et de convenientia decem praeceptorum, et decem plagarum. Hi enim omnes sunt in indiculo Possidii. His accedunt liber de quatuor vir¬ tutibus charitatis, quem citat Beda in cap. 13. prioris ad Corinth. et liber de Urbis ex¬ cidio, quem citat Beda in cap. 10. prioris ad Corinth. et liber de poenitentiae medi¬ cina, quem etiam citat Beda non raro. Observatio secunda. Manifeste supposititii hi sunt, liber de speculo : nam cap. 3. citantur versus Boetii. Liber de conflictu virtutum et vitiorum, qui tribui solet etiam Sancto Leoni : nam in extremo libro commendatur regula San¬ cti Benedicti, qui utroque posterior fuit, et stylum habet omnino diversum a stylo SS. Augustini et Leonis. Liber explicationis Apocalypsis, quoniam exponit caput 21. de statu praesentis Eccle¬ siae, quod impudentiae nimiae esse dicit San¬ ctus Augustinus lib. xx. de Civit. Dei cap. 17. Liber de Antichristo ; nam mentionem fa¬ cit imperii translati a Graecis ad Francos : quod contigit 400. annis post Augustini tem¬ pora. Observatio tertia. De reliquis libris nihil certi habemus. Nam nec possumus certo astruere eos esse Augu¬ stini, cum diligentissimus collector Possidius eos praeterierit, neque inveniamus a Beda citatos, qui ex operibus Augustini Commen¬ taria in epistolas B. Pauli confecit : neque audeamus plerosque horum librorum, ne¬ gare esse Augustini, cum pii sint, et docti et Augustini ingenio non indigni. Tomi decimi haec sunt : De verbis Domini hom. 64 De verbis Apostoli hom. 35 Liber quinquaginta homiliarum De tempore hom. 256 De sanctis hom. 51 Ad fratres in Eremo hom. 76 De communi vita clericorum serm. 2 Sermones nuper excusi ex Garthusia Parisiensi. Sermones novi, id est, recens inventi et excusi, num. 128. Homiliae, sive sermones de verbis Domini, et de verbis Apostoli, aut omnes, aut fere omnes S. Augustini sunt : multi enim ha¬ bentur in indiculo Possidii, et qui non ha¬ bentur similes sunt aliis, sive gravitatem sententiarum, sive stylum et verbo conside¬ res. Liber quinquaginta homiliarum totus, aut fere totus Augustini est eadem ratione. De homiliis de tempore, et de sanctis non eadem certitudo haberi potest : credibile tamen est, magna ex parte Augustini esse. Sermones ad fratres in Eremo videntur magna ex parte conficti : dicit enim auctor AB ANNO DOM. 400. AB 500. 40 i illorum sermonum Augustinum degisse in solitudine cum Monachis, ibique ad eos ser¬ mones istos habuisse. At constat ex Possidio in vita S. Augustini, Augustinum post Ba¬ ptismum Mediolani susceptum rediisse in Patriam, ad propriam domum, et agros, ibique tres annos cum paucis amicis suis in commune vixisse : deinde factum Presbyte¬ rum Hipponensem, monasterium habuisse intra ipsam Ecclesiam, ibique cum nonnul¬ lis vitam Apostolicam duxisse, non utique in eremo, sed intra urbem. Denique factura Episcopum, cum clericis suis in domo epi¬ scopali vitam communem egisse de qua re exstant duo sermones ejus de communi vita clericorum, qui sunt inter sermones ad fra¬ tres in eremo, quinquagesimus secundus, et quinquagesimus tertius : qui duo sermones sine judicio collocati inter sermones ad fra¬ tres in eremo, arguunt reliquos fictitios es¬ se : inde enim intelligi potest, sanctum Au¬ gustinum, monachum quidem fuisse, sed non in solitudine cum Eremitis, sed in civi¬ tate et Episcopali domo, cum clericis suis monasticam vitam duxisse. Addo quod inter sermones ad fratres in Eremo multi sunt le¬ ves, et fabulosi, ut est sermo vicesimus quar¬ tus, in quo narratur, Sanctum Hieronymum Cardinalem fuisse in Ecclesia Sancti Lau¬ rentii, et veste muliebri indutum irrisum a Romanis, quae sunt omnia falsa et conficta. Addo denique quod phrasis horum sermo¬ num, exceptis duobus de communi vita cle¬ ricorum, qui vere sunt Augustini, est inepta, impropria, lutulenta, ut mirum sit, potuisse ejusmodi sermones Sancto Augustino ab aliquo viro prudente*tribui. Sermones recens excusi, praesertim opera Lovaniensium Doctorum, sunt omnes Augu¬ stini : nam vel habentur, in indiculo, vel citantur a Beda, et sunt omnes graves, et docti, et Sancto Augustino (mea saltem opi¬ nione) dignissimi.