Section 5.17
Latin
Nam mea primitus sententia non erat, nisi neminem ad unitatem Christi esse cogendum; verbo esse agendum, disputatione pugnandum, ratione vincendum, ne fictos catholicos haberemus, quos apertos haereticos noveramus.
Sed haec opinio mea, non contradicentium verbis, sed demonstrantium superabatur exemplis.
Quam multi enim, quod certo scimus, iam volebant esse catholici, manifestissima veritate commoti, et offensionem suorum reverendo, quotidie differebant!
Quam multos non veritas, in qua numquam praesumpsistis, sed obduratae consuetudinis grave vinculum colligabat, ut in eis compleretur divina illa sententia: Verbis non emendabitur servus durus; si enim et intellexerit, non obediet!
Quam multi propterea putabant veram Ecclesiam esse partem Donati, quia eos ad cognoscendam catholicam veritatem securitas torpidos, fastidiosos, pigrosque faciebat!
Quam multis aditum intrandi obserabant rumores maledicorum, qui nescio quid aliud nos in altare Dei ponere iactitabant!
Quam multi nihil interesse credentes in qua quisque parte christianus sit, ideo permanebant in parte Donati, quia ibi nati erant, et eos inde discedere atque ad Catholicam nemo transire cogebat!
Translation
For my original opinion was nothing other than this: that no one was to be compelled to the unity of Christ; that one must proceed by the word, fight by disputation, conquer by reason, lest we have feigned Catholics, whom we had known to be open heretics.
But this opinion of mine was being overcome, not by the words of those contradicting, but by the examples of those demonstrating.
For how many, as we know for certain, already wanted to be Catholics, moved by the most manifest truth, yet, out of reverence or fear of offending their own people, were postponing day by day!
How many were being bound, not by truth, in which you have never presumed, but by the heavy chain of hardened habit, so that in them that divine saying was fulfilled: “A stubborn servant will not be corrected by words; for even if he understands, he will not obey!”
How many, for that reason, thought that the true Church was the party of Donatus, because their security made them sluggish, squeamish, and lazy with regard to coming to know the Catholic truth!
How many had the path of entry blocked by the rumors of slanderers, who claimed that we put I-know-not-what else on the altar of God!
How many, believing that it makes no difference in which party each person is a Christian, for that reason remained in the party of Donatus, because they had been born there, and because no one was compelling them to leave from there and cross over to the Catholic Church!
Section 5.18
Latin
His omnibus harum legum terror, quibus promulgandis reges serviunt Domino in timore, ita profuit, ut nunc alii dicant: Iam hoc volebamus; sed Deo gratias, qui nobis occasionem praebuit iamiamque faciendi, et dilationum morulas amputavit.
Alii dicant: Hoc esse verum iam sciebamus; sed nescio qua consuetudine tenebamur: gratias Domino, qui vincula nostra disrupit, et nos ad pacis vinculum transtulit.
Alii dicant: Nesciebamus hic esse veritatem, nec eam discere volebamus; sed nos ad eam cognoscendam metus fecit intentos, quo timuimus ne forte sine ullis rerum aeternarum lucris damno rerum temporalium feriremur: gratias Domino, qui neglegentiam nostram stimulo terroris excussit, ut saltem solliciti quaereremus quod securi numquam nosse curavimus.
Alii dicant: Nos falsis rumoribus terrebamur intrare, quos falsos esse nesciremus, si non intraremus; nec intraremus, nisi cogeremur: gratias Domino, qui trepidationem nostram flagello abstulit, expertos docuit quam vana et inania de Ecclesia sua mendax fama iactaverit; hinc iam credimus et illa falsa esse, quae auctores huius haeresis criminati sunt, quando posteri eorum tam falsa et peiora finxerunt.
Alii dicant: Putabamus quidem nihil interesse ubi fidem Christi teneremus; sed gratias Domino, qui nos a divisione collegit, et hoc uni Deo congruere, ut in unitate colatur, ostendit.
Translation
To all these people, the terror of these laws, in promulgating which kings serve the Lord in fear, profited so much that now some say: “Already we wanted this; but thanks to God, who provided us an opportunity, and of doing it at once, and cut off the little delays of our delays.”
Others may say: “We already knew this to be true; but we were being held by I-know-not-what habit: thanks to the Lord, who broke our chains and transferred us to the bond of peace.”
Others may say: “We did not know the truth was here, nor did we want to learn it; but fear made us attentive toward knowing it, because we feared lest perhaps we be struck with the loss of temporal things while having none of the gains of eternal things: thanks to the Lord, who shook off our negligence by the goad of terror, so that at least, being anxious or concerned, we would seek what, when we were secure, we never took care to know.”
Others may say: “We were being frightened to enter by false rumors, rumors which we would not know to be false if we did not enter; and we would not enter unless we were compelled: thanks to the Lord, who removed our trembling by a whip, who taught us, once we had experienced it, how vain and empty the things were that lying report had thrown about concerning His Church; from this we now believe that those other things too are false, which the authors of this heresy accused us of, since their successors have invented things so false, and worse.”
Others may say: “We did indeed think it makes no difference where we held the faith of Christ; but thanks to the Lord, who gathered us from division and showed that this is fitting for the one God: that he be worshiped in unity.”
Central Question
Can coercion ever be justified if it helps people arrive at the truth?
Discussion Questions
-
Augustine says his original view was that no one should be compelled into Christian unity. Why would he have thought this?
-
What kinds of examples changed Augustine’s mind?
-
Augustine seems to argue that coercion can remove obstacles such as fear, habit, laziness, false rumors, and social pressure. Are these good reasons to use coercion?
-
Is there a difference between coercing someone to believe something and coercing someone into a situation where they might come to believe something?
-
Can fear make someone more attentive to the truth, or does fear corrupt the search for truth?
-
Augustine thinks coercion may help people who already partly know or desire the truth but are prevented from acting on it. Is that more defensible than coercing someone who rejects the truth entirely?
-
What is the strongest objection to Augustine’s argument?
-
Can legal coercion ever be used for a person’s own good, or does that violate the person’s freedom?