often happens that, in environments among philosophers pious or moderately well informed, is much talk of San Agustín (like many others) without reading in depth and breadth, which is broadcast caricatured vision sweetened and Bishop of Hippo apologetic little or nothing to do with reality. A typical example is that no was the worst of the dissolute or a sexual predator, so say those who have heard it ment the Confessions , but have never bothered to read it slow. Nor hold of you (perhaps only in obedience) many of the ideas of Catholicism today, much less some of the doctrines attributed to him, and never said a legal primacy of the Roman See, not holding a very balanced view of faith and reason as Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II, vehemently oppose any ethics and spirituality of merit and works, was always a pessimistic anthropological and existential, laugh at all utopias religious and secular, will miss the division between Church and State, and, above all, radically deny the human capacity to do good: to the terrible consequences of original sin, fallen man must be rescued and assisted by the grace to believe, act and be faithful, even against their will (predestination!). I refer to include here a proof, a passage from a relatively obscure work, which makes it very clear how the human will to be truly free, must not only recognize waste (on the initiative of grace) and allow the grace it acts upon it, without any kind of merit you.
José de Ribera, Holy hermit, c. 1650. 'Suppose a man that nothing looks and lives according to his old life in a misleading security. Do not think there's anything after this life, that one day has to end. Is negligent and slothful. Her heart is dulled by the pleasures of the world and sleep with deadly delights. For such a one be excited to find the grace of God, that becomes caring and wakes from sleep, did not have to wake the hand of God? However, he does not know who it is that wakes you up. But already beginning to be of God, when he begins to acknowledge the truth of faith. Even before knowing is sorry for his mistake, is recognized in error, want to know the truth: where you can call, gropes he can, where you can wander, hungry and the same truth. After the first temptation is to error and hunger. When fatigued at this temptation cries out to God, is led to the path of faith, from where he began walking toward the city of repose: it is therefore led to Christ who said "I am the way."
Suppose that is already on the road and who knows what to watch. Often attributed powers does not, and boasts forces. Begins to want to fight the sins and be overcome by pride. Are tied together by the difficulties they present their own desires, is that you can not go his way because of the obstacles. Feel tied to the difficulty of vice, and shrugs as if to get up a wall of difficulties before him. Go closed doors and is no where to go to live well. You know how to live. If we were in error and actually went hungry, and given the delicacy of the truth and you're on the road. Listen, live well as you know, living in accordance with what you know. Before you did not know how you had to live. But you've received and now you know. The unfortunate tries and fails. Feel tied down and cry unto the Lord. The second temptation is thus the difficulty in good deeds, as the first was the error and hunger. Also in this temptation Man cries to the Lord and the Lord spared the difficulties, breaks the bonds of difficulty, and places him in the way of doing equity. Begins to be easy what once found it difficult to refrain from evil, not to commit adultery, nor steal, nor commit sacrilege, or suffer the alien. It is easy what was once difficult. The Lord could facilitate it. Of course if we'd won it easily, would not recognize the giver of this good. If it at first, just want the sinner could, and did not feel the hunger remittent against himself, nor soul locked collided with his bonds, own forces attributed to what he feels can, and do not "his mercies confess to the Lord."
After these two temptations, the first error and lack of truth, and the second difficulty in good deeds, the Third Man assaults. I talk to who has already gone through the first two. I warn you that these two temptations the many known, Who does not know who has come from ignorance to truth, the path error, the name of wisdom to the word of faith? Many also struggle with the difficulties attached to their vices, and bound by custom still live as shut and locked. Recognize this temptation, although they say, if ever say Man unhappy with me, who I release the body of this death? ". Watch the very narrow ties: "Meat" says, "fancy against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, that those things that you want, that ye" . Some have been helped in his spirit, not wishing to be adulterous, and not to be in fact, not wanting to be a thief, and not to be, and similarly for the other orders that the men wanted to overcome, and often feel dejected and defeated them. This will see the accuracy of crying to God, and out of their predicament and free, and confess to God and his mercy. Who is this, and have overcome such difficulties, and live longer among Men, without complaint of bad habits, will stop at the third atentación. That temptation is a kind of boredom in the pilgrimage of this life. Sometimes it gets to the point that neither you nor delight to read the prayer, and that the third temptation is the opposite of the first. Now in danger of boredom, hunger dangerous as before. And where does that state, but a principle of languor of the soul? You no longer delights of adultery, but also delights you the word of God. Has passed the danger of ignorance and greed. You're glad I escaped from these two dangers, take care now that you do not ruin the sloth and boredom! This is not a slight temptation. See yourself in it and cry unto the Lord, that here also free you from your needs, and when you've been freed "him confess his mercies " ...
If you already delights God's word, not as a work upon themselves to you you, or inflate you so proudly. Feeling hungry delicacy, do not be puffed up against those who are in danger in disgust. "
San Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalms, CVI, 4SS.
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