augustine of hippo

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• confessesPear Theft

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  Augustine recounts and admits to the Pear Theft as a significant sin from his youth, expressing shame over it.

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  in that theft which I loved for the theft's sake; and it too was nothing, and therefore the more miserable I, who loved it

• was cured byGod

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  Augustine acknowledges that he was cured from the 'deep consumption of sin' by God, whom he refers to as the Physician.

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  was cured by that Physician, through whose aid it was that he was not, or rather was less, sick

• traveled toCarthage

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  Augustine records his arrival in the city of Carthage during his youth, marking a new phase of his life.

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  To Carthage I came, where there sang all around me in my ears a cauldron of unholy loves

• engaged inUnholy Loves

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  Augustine admits to falling into and being ensnared by 'unholy loves' during his time in Carthage, despite hating himself for his desires.

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  I fell headlong then into the love wherein I longed to be ensnared

• was carried away byStage-plays

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  Augustine confesses that he was greatly affected and influenced by stage-plays, which he found to be full of images of his miseries.

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  Stage-plays also carried me away, full of images of my miseries, and of fuel to my fire

• longs forRighteousness

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  Augustine expresses a deep desire for Righteousness, viewing it as beautiful and a source of entire rest.

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  But Thee I long for, O Righteousness and Innocency, beautiful and comely to all pure eyes

• longs forInnocency

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  Augustine expresses a deep desire for Innocency, viewing it as beautiful and comely, leading to an imperturbable life.

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  O Righteousness and Innocency, beautiful and comely to all pure eyes, and of a satisfaction unsating. With Thee is rest entire, and life imperturbable

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• wroteThe Confessions

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  Augustine states that he wrote 'those volumes' (referring to The Confessions) when he was in his mid-twenties.

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• studiedTen Predicaments

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  The narrator recounts reading and understanding Aristotle's 'ten Predicaments' unaided in his youth.

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  a book of Aristotle, which they call the ten Predicaments, falling into my hands (on whose very name I hung, as on something great and divine, so often as my rhetoric master of Carthage, and others, accounted learned, mouthed it with cheeks bursting with pride), I read and understood it unaided?

• had_teacherRhetoric Master of Carthage

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  The narrator mentions his 'rhetoric master of Carthage' as someone who spoke of the Predicaments.

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  my rhetoric master of Carthage, and others, accounted learned, mouthed it with cheeks bursting with pride

• misunderstoodGod

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  The narrator confesses that he wrongly imagined God to be subject to change and later as a 'vast and bright body'.

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• misunderstoodEvil

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  The narrator states he 'had not known or learned that neither was evil a substance,' indicating his prior misunderstanding.

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  For I had not known or learned that neither was evil a substance, nor our soul that chief and unchangeable good.

• readLiberal Arts

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  The narrator recounts reading and understanding 'all the books I could procure of the so-called liberal arts' by himself.

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  all the books I could procure of the so-called liberal arts, I, the vile slave of vile affections, read by myself, and understood?

• sought_refuge_inChurch

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  The narrator implies that 'Thy little ones' (faithful followers) find security and spiritual growth 'in the nest of Thy Church'.

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  that in the nest of Thy Church they might securely be fledged, and nourish the wings of charity, by the food of a sound faith.

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• inditedVerses

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  The narrator, Augustine, composed or wrote verses in his earlier life, experimenting with poetic forms.

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  I indited verses, in which I might not place every foot every where, but differently in different metres

• usedArt of Inditing

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  Augustine applied the principles of the art of inditing when composing his verses, even with varied forms.

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  Yet the art itself, by which I indited, had not different principles for these different cases, but comprised all in one

• censuredHoly Fathers

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  In his blindness and ignorance, Augustine criticized the Holy Fathers for their actions and prophecies.

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  And I in my blindness, censured the holy Fathers, not only wherein they made use of things present as God commanded and inspired them, but also wherein they were foretelling things to come, as God was revealing in them

• scoffed_atHoly Servants and Prophets

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  In his past ignorance, Augustine ridiculed God's holy servants and prophets, leading to him being mocked by God in turn.

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  These things I being ignorant of, scoffed at those Thy holy servants and prophets

• believedfig-tree wept

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  As part of his past follies, Augustine believed in the Manichaean concept that a fig-tree would weep when plucked.

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  as to believe that a fig-tree wept when it was plucked, and the tree, its mother, shed milky tears

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• experiencesTwo Wills (Augustine's)

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  Augustine describes a profound internal conflict between his nascent desire to serve God and his entrenched former desires.

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  Thus did my two wills, one new, and the other old, one carnal, the other spiritual, struggle within me; and by their discord, undid my soul

• is held captive byLaw of Sin

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  Augustine acknowledges that the Law of Sin, through his members, holds his mind captive against his better judgment.

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  another law in my members

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• contends not in judgment withGod

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  Augustine acknowledges his own iniquity and refrains from challenging God's judgment, recognizing divine authority.

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  I contend not in judgment with Thee; for if Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall abide it?

• speaks toGod

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  Augustine addresses God directly, appealing to divine mercy rather than to human scorn.

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  Yet suffer me to speak unto Thy mercy, me, dust and ashes. Yet suffer me to speak, since I speak to Thy mercy, and not to scornful man.

• came intoDying Life or Living Death

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  Augustine reflects on his entry into the human condition, questioning the nature of his existence as a 'dying life or living death'.

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  I know not whence I came into this dying life (shall I call it?) or living death.

• heard fromAugustine's Parents

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  Augustine recounts that he learned about his origins from his parents, though he doesn't remember the event itself.

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  I heard (for I remember it not) from the parents of my flesh

• receivedWoman's Milk

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  Augustine describes receiving nourishment and comfort through woman's milk during his infancy.

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  Thus there received me the comforts of woman's milk.

• experiencedHuman Infancy

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  Augustine reflects on his own infancy, though he remembers little of it personally, inferring much from observing other infants.

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  Thus, little by little, I became conscious where I was

• was indignant withAugustine's Elders

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  As an infant, Augustine felt anger towards his elders when his unintelligible or hurtful wishes were not obeyed.

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  I was indignant with my elders for not submitting to me, with those owing me no service, for not serving me

• avenged self onAugustine's Elders

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  Infant Augustine expressed his displeasure with his elders by crying when his desires were not fulfilled.

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  and avenged myself on them by tears.

• lacksHuman Memory

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  Augustine explicitly states that he has no personal memory of his own infancy.

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  of myself I remember it not.

• spent time withinMother's Womb

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  Augustine speculates if an age of his life was spent within his mother's womb, an experience he has heard about.

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  was it that which I spent within my mother's womb?

• sees inHuman Infancy

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  Augustine observes behaviors in other infants that remind him of his own forgotten infancy, including early signs of sin.

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  doth not each little infant, in whom I see what of myself I remember not?

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