The Holy State, Book 4 · Chapter 11
St AVGUSTINE the Learned and painfull Bishop of Hippo, in Africa, for the space of 40 yeares where he dyed, in the 70th. yeare of His Age, about ye yeare of or Lord 430. W. Marshall sculp.
CHAP. 11. The life of S. AUGUSTINE.
AUgustine was born in the City of Tagasta in Africa, of Gentile parentage, Patricius and Monica, though their means bore not proportion to their birth, so that the breeding of their sonne at Learning much weakned their estate, in so much as Romanian a noble gentleman (all the world is bound to be thankfull to S. Augustines Benefactour) bountifully advanced his education.
It will be needlesse to speak of his youth, vitious in manners and erroneous in doctrine, especially seeing he hath so largely accus'd himself in his Confessions. 'Tis tyranny to trample on him that prostrates himself; and whose sinnes God hath gratiously forgotten, let no man despightfully remember.
Being made a Presbyter in the Church of Hippo, this great favour was allowed him, to preach constantly, though in the presence of *Posidonius in vit. August. cap 5.Valerius the Bishop: whereas in that age to heare a Priest preach when that a Bishop was in the Church, was as great a wonder as the Moon shining at mid-day. Yea godly Valerius, one that could do better then he could speak, and had a better heart then tongue, (being a Grecian, and therefore not well understood of the Africans) procured Augustine in his life-time to be designed Bishop of Hippo, and to be joyned *Idem cap. 8.fellow-Bishop with himself, though it was flatly against the Canons.
For a Coadjutour commonly proves an hinderer, and by his envious clashing doth often dig his Partners grave with whom he is joyn'd; besides that such a superinstallation seems an unlawfull bigamy, marrying two husbands at the same time to the same Church. Yea, S. Augustine himself, afterwards understanding that this was against the Constitutions of the Church, was sorry thereat (though others thought his eminency above Canons, and his deserts his dispensation) and desiring that his ignorance herein should not misguide others, obtained that the Canons (then not so hard to be kept as known, because obscure and scattered) were compiled together and published, that the Clergy might know what they were bound to observe.
Being afterwards sole Bishop, he was diligent in continuall preaching, and beating down of Hereticks especially the Manicheans, in whose Fence-school he was formerly brought up, and therefore knew best …
To come to his death. It happened that the Northern countreys, called by *Methodius Martyr & Paul Diacon.some Vagina gentium, the Sheath of people (though more properly they may be termed, Ensis dei, the Sword of God) sent forth the Vandalls, Albans, and Gothes, into the Southern parts, God punishing the pride of the Roman Empire to be confounded by Barbarous enemies. Out of Spain they came into Africa, and massacred all before them. The neighbouring villages like little children did flie to Hippo the mother-City for succour: thirteen moneths was Hippo besieged by the Gothes, and S. Augustine being therein prayed to God either to remove the siege, or to give the Christians therein patience to suffer, or to take him out of this miserable world, which he obtained, and dyed in the third monethmonth of the siege.
Falling very sick (besides the disease of age and grief) he lay languishing a pretty time, and took order that none should come to him save when his meat was brought, or Physicians visited him, that so he might have elbow-room the more freely to put off the clothes of his mortality.
The motion of Piety in him (by custome now made naturall) was velocior in fine, daily breathing out most pious Ejaculations. He died intestate, not for lack of time to make a will, but means to bestow, having formerly passed his soul to God, whilest his body of course bequeathed it self to the earth. As for the books of his own making, a treasure beyond estimation, he carefully consigned them to severall Libraries. He dyed in the seventy sixth yeare of his age, having lived a Bishop almost fourty years. Thus a Saint of God, like an oke, may be cut down in a moment; but how many years was he a growing! Not long after his death the City of Hippo was sack'd by the Gothes, it being no wonder if Troy was taken, when the Palladium was first fetch'd away from it.