Letter 168: Timasius and Jacobus thank Augustine for clarifying grace against Pelagius.
Timasius and Jacobus→Augustine of Hippo|c. 415 AD|Augustine of Hippo|To Hippo Regius|AI-assisted
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Source-visible Augustine letter absent from the New Advent/NPNF English index; modern English is a first-time Roman Letters translation from Latin.
To the truly Most Blessed lord, deservedly venerable father and bishop Augustine: Timasius and Jacobus send greetings in the Lord.
The grace of God, ministered through your word, has so refreshed and renewed us that we can truly say, "He sent his word and healed them," most blessed and deservedly venerable father. We found that Your Holiness examined the text of that little book with such care that we marvel at the answers given to every point: both where a Christian should refute, detest, or flee what is said, and where the author is not found to have gone badly wrong, though by some subtlety or other he thought God's grace should be suppressed even there.
Only one thing troubles us in such a great benefit: this splendid gift of God's grace shone out late. Some people have happened to be away, and the illumination of such clear truth was owed especially to their blindness. Yet even if it comes later, we do not lose confidence that by God's kindness the same grace will reach them too, since he wills all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
As for us, although long ago, taught by the spirit of clarity that is in you, we threw off submission to that error, we give thanks even now that the things we believed before we have now learned how to open for others, because the fuller speech of Your Holiness has made the path easier.
In another hand: May the mercy of our God glorify Your Blessedness forever, keeping you safe and mindful of us.
EPISTOLA 168
Scripta a. 415.
Timasius et Iacobus Augustino gratias agentes pro scripto ipsis libro De natura et gratia adversus Pelagii libellum, naturam non sine gratiae invidia defendentis.
DOMINO VERE BEATISSIMO, ET MERITO VENERABILI PATRI EPISCOPO AUGUSTINO, TIMASIUS ET IACOBUS, IN DOMINO SALUTEM.
Quantum Ecclesiasticae litterae Hieronymo debeant.
Ita nos refecit et recreavit gratia Dei, ministrata per verbum tuum, ut prorsus germani dicamus: Misit verbum suum, et sanavit eos 1, domine beatissime, et merito venerabilis pater. Sane ea diligentia ventilasse Sanctitatem tuam textum eiusdem libelli reperimus, ut ad singulos apices responsa reddita stupeamus, sive in his quae refutare, detestari, aut fugere deceat christianum; sive in illis in quibus non satis invenitur errasse, quamvis nescio qua calliditate, in ipsis quoque gratiam Dei credidit supprimendam. Sed unum est quod nos in tanto beneficio afficit, quia tarde hoc tam praeclarum gratiae Dei munus effulsit: siquidem contigit absentes fieri quosdam, quorum caecitati ista tam perspicuae veritatis illustratio deberetur; ad quos, etsi tardius, non diffidimus propitio Deo eamdem gratiam pervenire, qui vult omnes homines salvos fieri, et ad agnitionem veritatis venire 2. Nos vero, etsi olim spiritu claritatis, qui in te est, docti, subiectionem eius abiecerimus erroris, in hoc etiam nunc gratias agimus, quod haec quae ante credidimus, nunc aliis aperire didicimus, viam facilitatis uberiore Sanctitatis tuae sermone pandente. Et alia manu: Incolumem Beatitudinem tuam, nostrique memorem, misericordia Dei nostri glorificet in aeternum.
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To the truly Most Blessed lord, deservedly venerable father and bishop Augustine: Timasius and Jacobus send greetings in the Lord.
The grace of God, ministered through your word, has so refreshed and renewed us that we can truly say, "He sent his word and healed them," most blessed and deservedly venerable father. We found that Your Holiness examined the text of that little book with such care that we marvel at the answers given to every point: both where a Christian should refute, detest, or flee what is said, and where the author is not found to have gone badly wrong, though by some subtlety or other he thought God's grace should be suppressed even there.
Only one thing troubles us in such a great benefit: this splendid gift of God's grace shone out late. Some people have happened to be away, and the illumination of such clear truth was owed especially to their blindness. Yet even if it comes later, we do not lose confidence that by God's kindness the same grace will reach them too, since he wills all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
As for us, although long ago, taught by the spirit of clarity that is in you, we threw off submission to that error, we give thanks even now that the things we believed before we have now learned how to open for others, because the fuller speech of Your Holiness has made the path easier.
In another hand: May the mercy of our God glorify Your Blessedness forever, keeping you safe and mindful of us.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
EPISTOLA 168
Scripta a. 415.
Timasius et Iacobus Augustino gratias agentes pro scripto ipsis libro De natura et gratia adversus Pelagii libellum, naturam non sine gratiae invidia defendentis.
DOMINO VERE BEATISSIMO, ET MERITO VENERABILI PATRI EPISCOPO AUGUSTINO, TIMASIUS ET IACOBUS, IN DOMINO SALUTEM.
Quantum Ecclesiasticae litterae Hieronymo debeant.
Ita nos refecit et recreavit gratia Dei, ministrata per verbum tuum, ut prorsus germani dicamus: Misit verbum suum, et sanavit eos 1, domine beatissime, et merito venerabilis pater. Sane ea diligentia ventilasse Sanctitatem tuam textum eiusdem libelli reperimus, ut ad singulos apices responsa reddita stupeamus, sive in his quae refutare, detestari, aut fugere deceat christianum; sive in illis in quibus non satis invenitur errasse, quamvis nescio qua calliditate, in ipsis quoque gratiam Dei credidit supprimendam. Sed unum est quod nos in tanto beneficio afficit, quia tarde hoc tam praeclarum gratiae Dei munus effulsit: siquidem contigit absentes fieri quosdam, quorum caecitati ista tam perspicuae veritatis illustratio deberetur; ad quos, etsi tardius, non diffidimus propitio Deo eamdem gratiam pervenire, qui vult omnes homines salvos fieri, et ad agnitionem veritatis venire 2. Nos vero, etsi olim spiritu claritatis, qui in te est, docti, subiectionem eius abiecerimus erroris, in hoc etiam nunc gratias agimus, quod haec quae ante credidimus, nunc aliis aperire didicimus, viam facilitatis uberiore Sanctitatis tuae sermone pandente. Et alia manu: Incolumem Beatitudinem tuam, nostrique memorem, misericordia Dei nostri glorificet in aeternum.