1. The Church in Fourth Century : from Constantine to Augustine Class #16: “Tolle Lege” – Augustine’s Confessions

2. Augustine Born: 11/354 Father: Patricius – practical, sensible, distant Mother: Monica – noble, pious, devoted Schooled: Madaura & Carthage Traveled: Rome & Milan

3. The Confessions – written in his 46 th year Auto-biography, prayer, philosophical reflections, testimony, and witness Overall theme: the superiority and truth of the Gospel of Christ vs. all other philosophical thought. You stir us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you. Augustine

4. After growing up rather spoiled, he is given a pragmatic education in rhetoric. His philosophical pursuits quickly make him reject the Bible as being ‘beneath dignity’. He embraces Manichaeanism through peer influences which gives him an academic skepticism and a pursuit of Platonic idealism.

6. Monica Submissive & dutiful wife to an adulterous, secular husband. Both parents discourage Augustine from early marriage in order to get his education. Her life-long burden is for Augustine’s salvation. "the child of those tears shall never perish." Augustine disappoints her with his sinful youthful adventures and relationships and his prideful rejection of Christianity.

7. Ambrose Augustine begins to attend Ambrose’ church and listen to him preach. Augustine’s rejection of the Bible as being ‘too humble’ is slowly turning to embracing it for its humility. An unexpected conversion and death of ‘a friend’ rattles him deeply. Hearing a child say “tolle lege”, he reads from the book of Romans.

8. “Tolle Lege!” Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:13-14)

9. Augustine Augustine becomes a Christian at the age of 33 and is baptized by Ambrose (387). He sends off his concubine (eventually): “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.“ His mother, Monica, dies. He slowly withdraws from his career teaching rhetoric.

10. Augustine Augustine is chosen to be a presbyter of Hippo in 391 and made bishop in 395 (to which he expresses great reluctance). He commences a heavy teaching/preaching schedule, writing and involvement in the church councils and issues of the day. Founded the Augustinian order of Monasticism (from which Martin Luther will emerge in the 16 th c.)

11. Augustine Augustine becomes the leading theologian in Western Christianity. “He combined the creative power of Tertullian with the churchly spirit of Cyprian, the speculative intellect of the Greek church with the practical tact of the Latin. He was a Christian philosopher and a philosophical theologian to the full. It was his need and his delight to wrestle again and again with the hardest problems of thought, and to comprehend to the utmost the divinely revealed matter of the faith.” (Schaff) Augustine is evangelical/Pauline in his doctrine of sin and grace and in his old-catholic doctrine of the church (in contrast to the Roman Catholic doctrine which will immediately follow).

12. Augustine As Augustine ages, he again writes reflectively (Recantations) and philosophically (City of God). At the same time, Vandals are moving south and east and are sacking and destroying all in their path. Augustine dies in 430 at the age of 76. Immediately afterward, Hippo falls and is destroyed and the western empire fell.

15. New Covenant Presbyterian Church Preaching God’s Sovereign Grace to a World of Need 128 St. Mary’s Church Rd. Abingdon, MD 21009 410-569-0289 www.ncpres.org www.ephesians515.com