Treatises on Marriage and Other Subjects

Introduction

INTRODUCTION IIERY LITTLE is definitely known about the De symbolo ad catechumenos. Possidius, in his lndiculum, merely notes three sermons on the Creed.l In PL 38 there are four sermons attributed to St. Augustine in which the Creed is expounded to catechumens. Sermons 212, 213, and 214 were delivered on the occasion of the traditio symboli, that is, the imparting of the Creed,2 and Sermon 215 on the redditio symboli or the rectitation of the Creed.3 Of the four sermons De symbolo ad catechumenos in PL 40 that are there associated with the name of St. Augustine, the Benedictines of St. Maur considered only the first as genuine. The other three fall far short of the genius of Hippo. Their want of polish in diction and style, their lack of gravity, erudition, and intellectual acumen are noticeably at variance with all his other writings.4 The Creed, too, as it is formulated in them, differs from the one used by St. Augustine.5 1 Cf. A. Wilmart, 'Operum S. Augustini Elenchus: Miscellanea Agostiniana II (Rome 1931) 205: '175 De symbolo tractatus tres: 2 All three sermons were delivered about fourteen days before Easter; Sermon 212 between 410 and 412; Sermon 213 before 410; Sermon 214 in 391 or possibly 423. Cf. A.• Kunzelmann. 'Die Chronologie der Sermones des HI. Augustinus: Miscellanea Agostiniana II (Rome 1931) 417-520. 3 No specific date known. Cf. Kunzelmann. op. cit. 4 'Admonitio: PL 40.625-626. 5 Cf. E. Portalie 'Saint Augustin: DTC I 2 (Paris 1909) 2310. 285 286 SAINT AUGUSTINE The first and approved De symbolo, moreover, bears striking resemblance in content to the exposition of the Apostle's Creed in De fide et symbolo6 which St. Augustine presented to an impressive audience, when, as a simple priest, he took part by request in the Council held at Hippo in October, 393.7 Naturally, however, there is this difference between them: the lecture-long, philosophical, dogmatic, carefully planned and prepared-was delivered to the general Synod of African Bishops, men of knowledge and experience; the sermon was preached as an instruction to catechumens, who, for the most part, had little or no knowledge of religious matters. Dogma was, in fact, kept from them by the discipline of the secret until they were actually members of the Church. One of the chief duties of bishop in the Christian Church was preaching. In the first Christian centuries, the Sacrifice of the Mass was unthinkable without a homily from the bishop. St. Augustine, however, had been commanded to fulfill this office when still only a priest. Then, after Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, died and Augustine succeeded him-four or five years after his ordination to the priesthood-preaching continued to play a dominant role in his life. To it he gave all the ardor and zeal of his temperament, the brilliance of his native endowment, and the refinement of his long years of rhetorical training.8 It goes without saying that the African Father was an eloquent and stirring preacher, enthusiastically received. He is pre-eminent for his deep psychological insight and great power of adapting his thought and expression to the comprehension level of his audience or auditor. He had the gift of eliciting the right responses and reactions from his 6 Cf. above, Faith and Works 1.1; 1.4; 4.8: 5.Il; 7.14. 7.18; 9.16-21. 7 V. J. Bourke, Augustine's Quest of Wisdom (Milwaukee 1945), 132; d. G. Bardy, ,Saint Augustin, l'homme et I'oeuvre (Paris 1946) 164169 ; also. Retractationes 1.17 (PL 32). 8 Cf. Kunzelmann. op. cit. 417-419. THE CREED 287 hearers who, although sometimes noisy, listened to him, nevertheless, with avidity and devotion.9 De symbolo ad catechumenos is an excellent example of the fine sympathy and understanding of one sensitively aware of the individual need of those before him. It may well represent the effort of the priest who, as bishop, was to become the consummate master of the theory and art of catechising, as De catechizandis rudibus so clearly indicates. The bishop, too, was a perfect example of that personal love for mankind and God which he strongly demanded of the catechist. His was ever a tender regard for the catechumens whom, on every occasion, he never ceased to encourage and exhort to ask for the sacrament of baptism. Pertinent to an appreciation of...