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ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
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by St Augustine of Hippo |
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Ch 26. In every style the orator should
aim at perspicuity, beauty, and persuasiveness |
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56. Now in regard to the three conditions I laid down a little
while ago as necessary to be
fulfilled by any one who wishes to speak with wisdom and
eloquence, viz. perspicuity, beauty of
style, and persuasive power, we are not to understand that these
three qualities attach themselves
respectively to the three several styles of speech, one to each,
so that perspicuity is a merit
peculiar to the subdued style, beauty to the temperate, and
persuasive power to the majestic. On
the contrary, all speech, whatever its style, ought constantly to
aim at, and as far as possible to
display, all these three merits. For we do not like even what we
say in the subdued style to pall
upon the hearer; and therefore we would be listened to, not with
intelligence merely, but with
pleasure as well. Again, why do we enforce what we teach by divine
testimony, except that we
wish to carry the hearer with us, that is, to compel his assert by
calling in the assistance of Him of
whom it is said, "Thy testimonies are very sure"? And when any one
narrates a story, even
in the subdued style, what does he wish but to be believed? But
who will listen to him if he do not
arrest attention by some beauty of style? And if he be not
intelligible, is it not plain that he can
neither give pleasure nor enforce conviction? The subdued style,
again, in its own naked
simplicity, when it unravels questions of very great difficulty,
and throws an unexpected light
upon them; when it worms out and brings to light some very acute
observations from a quarter
whence nothing was expected; when it seizes upon and exposes the
falsity of an opposing
opinion, which seemed at its first statement to be unassailable;
especially when all this is
accompanied by a natural, unsought grace of expression, and by a
rhythm and balance of style
which is not ostentatiously obtruded, but seems rather to be
called forth by the nature of the
subject: this style, so used, frequently calls forth applause so
great that one can hardly believe it to
be the subdued style. For the fact that it comes forth without
either ornament or defense, and offers battle in its own naked
simplicity, does not hinder it from crushing its adversary by
weight of nerve and muscle, and overwhelming and destroying the
falsehood that opposes it by the mere strength of its own right
arm. How explain the frequent and vehement applause that waits
upon men who speak thus, except by the pleasure that truth so
irresistibly established, and so victoriously defended, naturally
affords? Wherefore the Christian teacher speaker ought, when he
uses the subdued style, to endeavour not only to be clear and
intelligible, but to give pleasure and to bring home conviction to
the hearer.
57. Eloquence of the temperate style, also, must, in the case
of the Christian orator, be neither altogether without ornament,
nor unsuitably adorned, nor is it to make the giving of pleasure
its sole aim, which is all it professes to accomplish in the hands
of others; but in its encomiums and censures it should aim at
inducing the hearer to strive after or hold more firmly by what it
praises, and to avoid or renounce what it condemns. On the other
hand, without perspicuity this style cannot give pleasure. And so
the three qualities, perspicuity, beauty, and persuasiveness, are
to be sought in this style also; beauty, of course, being its
primary object.
58. Again, when it becomes necessary to stir and sway the
hearer's mind by the majestic style (and this is always necessary
when he admits that what you say is both true and agreeable, and
yet is unwilling to act accordingly), you must, of course, speak
in the majestic style. But who can be moved if he does not
understand what is said? And who will stay to listen if he
receives no pleasure? Wherefore, in this style, too, when an
obdurate heart is to be persuaded to obedience, you must speak so
as to be both intelligible and pleasing, if you would be heard
with a submissive mind.
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Ch 27. The man whose life is in harmony
with his teaching will teach with greater effect |
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59. But whatever may be the majesty of the style, the life
of the speaker will count for more in
securing the hearer's compliance. The man who speaks wisely and
eloquently, but lives wickedly,
may, it is true, instruct many who are anxious to learn; though,
as it is written, he "is unprofitable
to himself." Wherefore, also, the apostle says: "Whether in
pretence or in truth Christ is
preached." Now Christ is the truth; yet we see that the truth can
be preached, though not in truth,
that is, what is right and true in itself may be preached by a man
of perverse and deceitful mind.
And thus it is that Jesus Christ is preached by those that seek
their own, and not the things that
are Jesus Christ's. But since true believers obey the voice, not
of any man, but of the Lord
Himself, who says, "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,
that observe and do: but do
not ye after their works; for they say and do not;" and therefore
it is that men who themselves
lead unprofitable lives are heard with profit by others. For
though they seek their own objects,
they do not dare to teach their own doctrines, sitting as they do
in the high places of ecclesiastical
authority, which is established on sound doctrine. Wherefore our
Lord Himself, before saying
what I have just quoted about men of this stamp, made this
observation: "The scribes and the
Pharisees sit in Moses's seat." The seat they occupied then, which
was not theirs but Moses', compelled them to say what was good,
though they did what was evil. And so they followed their own
course in their lives, but were prevented by the seat they
occupied, which belonged to another, from preaching their own
doctrines.
60. Now these men do good to many by preaching what they
themselves do not perform; but they would do good to very many
more if they lived as they preach. For there are numbers who seek
an excuse for their own evil lives in comparing the teaching with
the conduct of their instructors, and who say in their hearts, or
even go a little further, and say with their lips: Why do you not
do yourself what you bid me do? And thus they cease to listen with
submission to a man who does not listen to himself, and in
despising the preacher they learn to despise the word that is
preached. Wherefore the apostle, writing to Timothy, after telling
him, "Let no man despise thy youth," adds immediately the course
by which he would avoid contempt: "but be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in
faith, in purity."
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Ch 28. Truth is more important than
expression. What is meant by strife about words |
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61. Such a teacher as is here described may, to secure compliance,
speak not only quietly and
temperately, but even vehemently, without any breach of modesty,
because his life protects him
against contempt. For while he pursues an upright life, he takes
care to maintain a good
reputation as well, providing things honest in the sight of God
and men, fearing God, and caring
for men. In his very speech even he prefers to please by matter
rather than by words; thinks that a
thing is well said in proportion as it is true in fact, and that a
teacher should govern his words, not
let the words govern him. This is what the apostle says: "Not with
wisdom of words, lest the
cross of Christ should be made of none effect." To the same effect
also is what he says to
Timothy: "Charging them before the Lord that they strive not about
words to no profit, but to the
subverting of the hearers." Now this does not mean that, when
adversaries oppose the truth, we
are to say nothing in defense of the truth. For where, then, would
be what he says when he is describing the sort of man a bishop
ought to be: "that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort
and convince the gainsayers?"
To strive about words is not to be careful about the way to
overcome error by truth, but to be anxious that your mode of
expression should be preferred to that of another. The man who
does not strive about words, whether he speak quietly,
temperately, or vehemently, uses words with no other purpose than
to make the truth plain, pleasing and effective; for not even love
itself, which is the end of the commandment and the fulfilling of
the law, can be rightly exercised unless the objects of love are
true and not false. For as a man with a comely body but an
ill-conditioned mind is a more painful object than if his body too
were deformed, so men who teach lies are the more pitiable if they
happen to be eloquent in speech. To speak eloquently, then, and
wisely as well, is just to express truths which it is expedient to
teach in fit and proper words,--words which in the subdued style
are adequate, in the temperate, elegant, and in the majestic,
forcible. But the man who cannot speak both eloquently and wisely
should speak wisely without eloquence, rather than eloquently
without wisdom.
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Ch 29. It is permissible for a preacher
to deliver to the people what has been written by a more
eloquent man than himself |
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If, however, he cannot do even this, let his life be such as shall
not only secure a reward for himself, but afford an example to
others; and let his manner of living be an eloquent sermon in
itself.
62. There are, indeed, some men who have a good delivery, but
cannot compose anything to deliver. Now, if such men take what has
been written with wisdom and eloquence by others, and commit it to
memory, and deliver it to the people, they cannot be blamed,
supposing them to do it without deception. For in this way many
become preachers of the truth (which is certainly desirable), and
yet not many teachers; for all deliver the discourse which one
real teacher has composed, and there are no divisions among them.
Nor are such men to be alarmed by the words of Jeremiah the
prophet, through whom God denounces those who steal His words
every one from his neighbour. For those who steal take what does
not belong to them, but the word of God belongs to all who obey
it; and it is the man who speaks well, but lives badly, who really
takes the words that belong to another. For the good things he
says seem to be the result of his own thought, and yet they have
nothing in common with his manner of life. And so God has said
that they steal His words who would appear good by speaking God's
words, but are in fact bad, as they follow their own ways. And if
you look closely into the matter, it is not really themselves who
say the good things they say. For how can they say in words what
they deny in deeds? It is not for nothing that the apostle says of
such men: "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny
Him." In one sense, then, they do say the things, and in another
sense they do not say them; for both these statements must be
true, both being made by Him who is the Truth. Speaking of such
men, in one place He says, "Whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do; but do not ye after their works; "that is to say,
what ye hear from their lips, that do; what ye see in their lives,
that do ye not;--"for they say and do not." And so, though they do
not, yet they say. But in another place, upbraiding such men, He
says, "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good
things?" And from this it would appear that even what they say,
when they say what is good, it is not themselves who say, for in
will and in deed they deny what they say. Hence it happens that a
wicked man who is eloquent may compose a discourse in which the
truth is set forth to be delivered by a good man who is not
eloquent; and when this takes place, the former draws from himself
what does not belong to him, and the latter receives from another
what really belongs to himself. But when true believers render
this service to true believers, both parties speak what is their
own, for God is theirs, to whom belongs all that they say; and
even those who could not compose what they say make it their own
by composing their lives in harmony with it.
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Ch 30. The preacher should commence his
discourse with prayer to God |
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63. But whether a man is going to address the people or to dictate
what others will deliver or
read to the people, he ought to pray God to put into his mouth a
suitable discourse. For if Queen
Esther prayed, when she was about to speak to the king touching
the temporal welfare of her
race, that God would put fit words into her mouth, how much more
ought he to pray for the same
blessing who labours in word and doctrine for the eternal welfare
of men? Those, again, who are
to deliver what others compose for them ought, before they receive
their discourse, to pray for
those who are preparing it; and when they have received it, they
ought to pray both that they
themselves may deliver it well, and that those to whom they
address it may give ear; and when the
discourse has a happy issue, they ought to render thanks to Him
from whom they know such
blessings come, so that all the praise may be His "in whose hand
are both we and our words."
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Ch 31. Apology for the length of the work |
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64. This book has extended to a greater length than I
expected or desired. But the reader or
hearer who finds pleasure in it will not think it long. He who
thinks it long, but is anxious to know
its contents, may read it in parts. He who does not care to be
acquainted with it need not
complain of its length. I, however, give thanks to God that with
what little ability I possess I have
in these four books striven to depict, not the sort of man I am
myself (for my defects are very
many), but the sort of man he ought to be who desires to labour in
sound, that is, in Christian
doctrine, not for his own instruction only, but for that of others
also.
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The End |
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