Augustine of Hippo, in his treatise Against Faustus, explains that the Christians venerate martyrs, such as the Apostles *Peter and *Paul (S00036 and S00008), and *Cyprian (bishop and martyr of Carthage, S00411) as examples to imitate, but worship only God, even if they do it in places in which martyrs are commemorated. Written in Latin in Hippo (Numidia, central North Africa), c. 400.
E01034
Literary - Other
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo, Against Faustus 20.21
Populus autem christianus memorias martyrum religiosa sollemnitate concelebrat et ad excitandam imitationem et ut meritis eorum consocietur atque orationibus adiuuetur, ita tamen, ut nulli martyrum, sed ipsi Deo martyrum quamuis in memoriis martyrum constituamus altaria. Quis enim antistitum in locis sanctorum corporum adsistens altari aliquando dixit: offerimus tibi, Petre aut Paule aut Cypriane, sed quod offertur, offertur Deo, qui martyres coronauit, apud memorias eorum quos coronauit, ut ex ipsorum locorum admonitione maior adfectus exsurgat ad acuendam caritatem et in illos, quos imitari possumus, et in illum, quo adiuuante possimus. Colimus ergo martyres eo cultu dilectionis et societatis, quo et in hac uita coluntur sancti homines Dei, quorum cor ad talem pro euangelica ueritate passionem paratum esse sentimus; sed illos tanto deuotius, quanto securius post certamina omnia superata, quanto etiam fidentiore laude praedicamus iam in uita feliciore uictores quam in ista adhuc usque pugnantes. At illo cultu, quae graece λατρεία dicitur, latine uno uerbo dici non potest, cum sit quaedam proprie diuinitati debita seruitus, nec colimus nec colendum docemus nisi unum Deum. Cum autem ad hunc cultum pertineat oblatio sacrificii, unde idolatria dicitur eorum, qui hoc etiam idolis exhibent, nullo modo tale aliquid offerimus aut offerendum praecipimus uel cuiquam martyri uel cuiquam sanctae animae uel cuiquam angelo; et quisquis in hunc errorem delabitur, corripitur per sanam doctrinam, siue ut corrigatur, siue ut caueatur. Etiam ipsi enim sancti, uel homines uel angeli, exhiberi sibi nolunt, quod uni deo deberi norunt.
'It is true that Christians piously celebrate the memory of the martyrs, both to excite us to imitate them and to obtain a share in their merits, and the assistance of their prayers. But we build altars not to any martyr, but to the God of martyrs, although we do it in the memorial shrines of the martyrs (memoriae martyrum). No bishop officiating at the altar in the saints' burying-place ever says, We bring an offering to you, O Peter! Or O Paul! Or O Cyprian! The offering is made to God, who gave the crown of martyrdom, while it is done in places which commemorate those thus crowned. The emotion is increased by the associations of the place, and love is excited both towards those who are our examples, and towards Him by whose help we may follow such examples. We regard the martyrs with the same affectionate intimacy (cultus dilectionis et societatis) that we feel towards holy men of God in this life, when we know that their hearts are prepared to endure the same suffering for the truth of the gospel. There is more devotion in our feeling towards the martyrs, because we know that their conflict is over; and we can speak with greater confidence in praise of those already victors in heaven, than of those still combating here. What is properly divine worship (cultus), which the Greeks call latreia, and for which there is no word in Latin, both in doctrine and in practice, we give only to God. To this worship belongs the offering of sacrifices; as we see in the word idolatry, which means the giving of this worship to idols. Accordingly we never offer, or require any one to offer, sacrifice to a martyr, or to a holy soul, or to any angel. Any one falling into this error is instructed by doctrine, either in the way of correction or of caution. For holy beings themselves, whether saints or angels, refuse to accept what they know to be due to God alone.'
Text: Zycha 1891, 562.
Translation: Stothert 1887, lightly modified.
Saint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - unspecified
Altar
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the veneration of saints
Source
Augustine of Hippo was born in 354 in the north African city of Thagaste. He received an education in rhetoric at Carthage, and after a period teaching there moved to Rome, and then in 384 to a public professorship of rhetoric in Milan. In these early years of adulthood Augustine was a Manichaean, but then got disillusioned with this religion, and in Milan in 386, largely under the influence of Ambrose, bishop of the city, he converted to Christianity, and was baptised by Ambrose in 387. Returning to Africa in 388, he was ordained a priest in 391 at Hippo Regius (in the province of Numidia), and rapidly acquired a reputation as a preacher. In 395 he became bishop of Hippo, which he remained until his death in 430. Details of his early life were recorded by Augustine himself in his Confessions, and shortly after his death a pupil and long-time friend, Possidius, wrote his Life, focused on Augustine as an effective Christian writer, polemicist and bishop (E00073).Amongst his many writings, the most informative on the cult of saints are his numerous Sermons, the City of God, and a treatise On the Care of the Dead. The Sermons tell us which saints (primarily African, but with some from abroad) received attention in Hippo, Carthage and elsewhere, and provide occasional details of miracles and cult practices. The City of God records the distribution, and subsequent miracles, of the relics of saint Stephen, after they arrived in Africa from Palestine in around 420. On the Care of the Dead, discusses the possible advantages of burial ad sanctos (in other words, close to a saint), and theorises on the link between the saints who dwell in heaven and their corporeal remains buried in their graves. In these works, and others, Augustine reveals his own particular beliefs about the saints, their relics and their miracles.
Against Faustus belongs to Augustine's anti-Manichean treatises. Augustine wrote it some time after his episcopal ordination (397).
Discussion
In this passage Augustine presents the distinction which will become classic: between the affectionate intimacy which the Christians feel toward martyrs and the worship which is due only to God. If in Latin the two attitudes are described by the same word cultus, Greek has a separate word for the true worship, namely latreia. This explanation is given to a Manichee, but there is not much doubt that Augustine felt it was needed in his own community.The word memoria is used in this text in a double sense, first as the celebratory feast of a martyr, then as the place of his or her cult. Augustine uses the word (literally 'memory' or 'memorial') in several different ways: for instance both for the shrines of martyrs and, more narrowly, for their relics. Since it is evident that for him the memorial shrine (memoria) of a saint contained relics of that saint, there is often no substantive difference in the ways he uses the word.
Bibliography
Edition:Zycha, J., Contra Faustum Manichaeum (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum 25/1; Vienna: Tempsky, 1891), 251-797.
English translation:
Stothert, R., Reply to Faustus the Manichaean (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series 4; Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887).
Robert Wiśniewski
02/01/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00411 | Cyprian, bishop and martyr of Carthage | Cyprianus | Certain |
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