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Augustine’sArgumentationagainstReligiousFreedom
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theChurchanditsinternallaws.Ambrose,ontheotherhand,efectively
establishedanewkindofrelationshipbetweentheChurchandthestate.
HeviewedtheChurchasacustodianandguardianoftheuniversalGod’s
commandmentsandthusthechurchexertedpowerovertheemperorin
thisrespect.
Asaresult,itbecamethefoundationofrelationsbetweenthestate
andtheChurchinMiddleAgesthatabishopcouldanointarulerand
arulercouldnotappointabishop.
Augustine’sdecisionsinDonatistdispute
AugustinelearnedChristianityfromAmbrose.BeingabishopinAfrica,
thelatterhadbeeninvolvedindisputesbetweenCatholicsandDonatists.
Asitiscommonlyknown,headvocatedtheRomanmilitaryintervention
againstDonatistsandsupportedCatholics.Inthelightofwhathasbeen
saidsofar,itiseasytoexplainAugustine’sattitude.Augustinesimplyfol-
lowedAmbroseaswellascommonlyacceptedprinciplesofthosetimes.
ManyscholarsclaimthatonlyDonatistconflictforcedsensitive
Augustine,whoafterallhadhadalonghistoryofdisplayingspiritual
interestinManichaeismandhadexperiencedverypersonalconversion
inthespiritoffreedomandabsenceofanyexternalcoercion,torevise
hisbeliefs.Brieflyspeaking,theviewthatAugustine’sacceptanceoreven
requestofmilitaryaidfromRomeagainstDonatistswaspurelypractical
andsomewhatagainsthisdeepestbeliefsaboutGod’sactionsandthe
natureofman’srelationshipwithGod,isnotuncommonamongscholars
ofAugustine’sthought.
Inmyopinionhisapproachwascompletelydiferent.Augustinewas
convincedthatbeingabishopandapastoritwashisdutytouseany
means,includingdirectcoercivemeasurestobringthepeopleentrustedto
himtothetrueChurch.Itwastheresultofhisdeepestreligiousbeliefs.
Inotherwords,Augustineadoptedcogiteintrareprincipleduetohispro-
foundtheologicalreasons,andnotduetoexternalpoliticalandsocial
circumstances.
Cogiteintraremeans“compelthemtoenter”(seeLuke14:23).Augus-
tineregardedthewordsoftheParableoftheGreatBanquetasamottoof
hisapproachtothepeoplewhodidnotwanttoconvertvoluntarilyfrom
DonatismtotheCatholicChurch,butaboveallheadopteditasauniver-
salprincipleofdealingwiththosewhodidnotdemonstrategoodwillto
entertheChurch.
