Letter 16: 1. Desiring to be frequently made glad by communications from you, and by the stimulus of your reasoning with which in a most pleasant way, and without violation of good feeling, you recently attacked me, I have not forborne from replying to you in the same spirit, lest you should call my silence an acknowledgment of being in the wrong. But I be...

Maximus of Madaura to Augustine. 1. I keep hoping to receive frequent communications from you, and to be stimulated by that reasoning of yours which recently challenged me in the most pleasant way — without any breach of good manners. So I have not held back from replying in the same spirit, lest you take my silence for an admission of defeat. But I ask you to give these lines a kind hearing, and to make allowances if they show the feebleness of old age. Greek mythology tells us — though without sufficient evidence to compel belief — that Mount Olympus is the dwelling place of the gods. But we can actually see the marketplace of our own town filled with a host of beneficent deities, and we approve of this. Who could possibly be so deranged as to deny that there is one supreme God, without beginning and without offspring of his own nature — the great and mighty Father of all, so to speak? The powers of this God, diffused throughout the universe he has made, we worship under many names, since we are all ignorant of his true name (the word "God" being common to every form of religious practice). And so, while in our various prayers we approach what seem to be distinct aspects of the divine being, we are in reality worshipping him in whom all those aspects are one. 2. But such is the scale of your delusion in another matter that I cannot hide my impatience. Who can stand to see Mygdo honored above Jupiter who hurls the thunderbolt? Or Sanae ranked above Juno, Minerva, Venus, and Vesta? Or the arch-martyr Namphanio — the horror of it! — exalted above all the immortal gods together? Among these supposed immortals, Lucitas too is looked up to with no less reverence, along with an endless parade of others bearing names detested by gods and men alike. These people met the ignominious end their character deserved, and capped their criminal careers by pretending to die nobly for a good cause — though they knew full well what infamous deeds had condemned them. The tombs of these individuals (it is a folly almost beneath our notice) are thronged by crowds of simpletons who have abandoned our temples and despise the memory of their ancestors. The indignant poet's prediction has been spectacularly fulfilled: "Rome shall, in the temples of the gods, swear by the shades of men." It almost seems to me as though a second Battle of Actium has begun, in which Egyptian monsters, doomed to swift destruction, dare to raise their weapons against the gods of Rome. 3. But I beg you, man of great wisdom — set aside for a moment the vigor of that eloquence which has made you famous everywhere. Lay down the arguments of Chrysippus that you are so fond of deploying. Leave your logic behind briefly — that logic which aims to leave nothing certain to anyone — and show me plainly and directly: who is this God whom you Christians claim as exclusively your own and pretend to perceive in secret gatherings? For it is in the open light of day, before the eyes and ears of all, that we worship our gods with devout prayers and propitiate them with fitting sacrifices — and we make sure these things are seen and approved by everyone. 4. But being frail and old, I withdraw from further contest, and willingly defer to the poet of Mantua: "Each is drawn by what delights him most." After all this, my excellent friend who has turned away from my faith, I have no doubt that this letter will be stolen by some thief and destroyed by fire or otherwise. Should that happen, the paper will be lost, but not my letter — I will always keep a copy, available to all who are devout. May you be preserved by the gods through whom all of us mortals on this earth, in apparent discord but real harmony, revere and worship the one who is the common Father of gods and mortals alike.

Letter 16 (A.D. 390) From Maximus of Madaura to Augustine. 1. Desiring to be frequently made glad by communications from you, and by the stimulus of your reasoning with which in a most pleasant way, and without violation of good feeling, you recently attacked me, I have not forborne from replying to you in the same spirit, lest you should call my silence an acknowledgment of being in the wrong. But I beg you to give these sentences an indulgent kindly hearing, if you judge them to give evidence of the feebleness of old age. Grecian mythology tells us, but without sufficient warrant for our believing the statement, that Mount Olympus is the dwelling-place of the gods. But we actually see the market-place of our town occupied by a crowd of beneficient deities; and we approve of this. Who could ever be so frantic and infatuated as to deny that there is one supreme God, without beginning, without natural offspring, who is, as it were, the great and mighty Father of all? The powers of this Deity, diffused throughout the universe which He has made, we worship under many names, as we are all ignorant of His true name, the name God being common to all kinds of religious belief. Thus it comes, that while in diverse supplications we approach separately, as it were, certain parts of the Divine Being, we are seen in reality to be the worshippers of Him in whom all these parts are one. 2. Such is the greatness of your delusion in another matter, that I cannot conceal the impatience with which I regard it. For who can bear to find Mygdo honoured above that Jupiter who hurls the thunderbolt; or Sanæ above Juno, Minerva, Venus, and Vesta; or the arch-martyr Namphanio (oh horror!) above all the immortal gods together? Among the immortals, Lucitas also is looked up to with no less religious reverence, and others in an endless list (having names abhorred both by gods and by men), who, when they met the ignominious end which their character and conduct had deserved, put the crowning act upon their criminal career by affecting to die nobly in a good cause, though conscious of the infamous deeds for which they were condemned. The tombs of these men (it is a folly almost beneath our notice) are visited by crowds of simpletons, who forsake our temples and despise the memory of their ancestors, so that the prediction of the indignant bard is notably fulfilled: Rome shall, in the temples of the gods, swear by the shades of men. To me it almost seems at this time as if a second campaign of Actium had begun, in which Egyptian monsters, doomed soon to perish, dare to brandish their weapons against the gods of the Romans. 3. But, O man of great wisdom, I beseech you, lay aside and reject for a little while the vigour of your eloquence, which has made you everywhere renowned; lay down also the arguments of Chrysippus, which you are accustomed to use in debate; leave for a brief season your logic, which aims in the forthputting of its energies to leave nothing certain to any one; and show me plainly and actually who is that God whom you Christians claim as belonging specially to you, and pretend to see present among you in secret places. For it is in open day, before the eyes and ears of all men, that we worship our gods with pious supplications, and propitiate them by acceptable sacrifices; and we take pains that these things be seen and approved by all. 4. Being, however, infirm and old, I withdraw myself from further prosecution of this contest, and willingly consent to the opinion of the rhetorician of Mantua, Each one is drawn by that which pleases himself best. After this, O excellent man, who hast turned aside from my faith, I have no doubt that this letter will be stolen by some thief, and destroyed by fire or otherwise. Should this happen, the paper will be lost, but not my letter, of which I will always retain a copy, accessible to all religious persons. May you be preserved by the gods, through whom we all, who are mortals on the surface of this earth, with apparent discord but real harmony, revere and worship Him who is the common Father of the gods and of all mortals. About this page Source. Translated by J.G. Cunningham. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1102016.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.