Letter 256: Augustine sends Christinus a short spiritual maxim.

To my deservedly praiseworthy lord, my sincerely dearest and most desired brother Christinus: Augustine sends greetings in the Lord. Your letter told me that you wanted a letter from me. Brother Jacobus also arrived as a fuller witness of your desire for us, because he said more sweet things about you, learned by his own experience, than that small sheet could contain. So I congratulate your kindness, and I thank the Lord our God for your Christian heart, since these are his gifts, deservedly praiseworthy lord, sincerely dearest and most desired brother. As for your request that I seek you out by letters: I seek you by affection, which surpasses every letter, and I know where to seek you so that you may understand it well. As far as being read by me is concerned, I am more afraid that my wordiness will be criticized in your hands than that eloquence will be required. I will say briefly one thing which, if you chew over it in long reflection, you will taste its meaning: when easier and fruitful things are avoided on God's road through lazy fear, harder and barren things are endured on the road of the world through painful labor. May you flourish and make progress unharmed in Christ, deservedly praiseworthy lord, sincerely dearest and most desired brother.

EPISTOLA 256 Scripta post a. 395. A. Christino officiose scribit sententiam ei subiciens ad spiritalem profectum aptissimam. DOMINO MERITO PRAEDICANDO, SINCERITERQUE CARISSIMO AC DESIDERANTISSIMO FRATRI CHRISTINO, AUGUSTINUS, IN DOMINO SALUTEM. 1. Epistolam meam desiderare te, mihi tua epistola nuntiavit. Frater autem Iacobus eius desiderii erga nos tui locupletior testis accessit, quia plura mihi de te suavia atque in seipso experta locutus est, quam illa parva chartula potuit. Unde tuae benignitati congratulor, et de tuo pectore christiano Domino Deo nostro, cuius haec dona sunt, gratias ago, domine merito praedicande, sinceriterque carissime ac desiderantissime frater. Quod autem petis, ut litteris te quaeram; ego te affectu quaero, qui omnes litteras superat: et ubi te quaeram quod bene intellegas, novi. Quantum autem ad me legendum attinet, magis vereor in manibus vestris loquacitatem meam reprehendi, quam eloquium requiri. Illud breviter dixerim, quod diuturna cogitatione si ruminaveris, senties quid sapiat: cum in itinere Dei faciliora et fructuosa ignava formidine fugiuntur, in itinere saeculari duriora et sterilia aerumnoso labore tolerantur. Incolumis in Christo vigeas et proficias, domine merito praedicande, sinceriterque carissime ac desiderantissime frater.