Untitled - Shattering Denial

16 THE INQUISITION
was ready to admit the justice of the law of Theodosius,
which imposed a fine of ten gold pieces upon those schis
matics who had committed open acts of violence. But no
man was to be punished by the State for private heretical
opinions. 1
The imperial laws were carried out in some cities of
North Africa, because many of St. Augustine s colleagues
did not share his views. Many Donatists were brought
back to the fold by these vigorous measures. St. Augus
tine, seeing that in some cases the use of force proved
more beneficial than his policy of absolute toleration,
changed his views, and formulated his theory of moderate
persecution: temperata
severitas. 2
Heretics and schismatics, he maintained, were to be
regarded as sheep who had gone astray. It is the shep
herd s duty to run after them, and bring them back to
the fold by using, if occasion require it, the whip and
the goad. 3
There is no need of using cruel tortures
like the rack, the iron pincers, or sending them to the
stake; for flogging is sufficient. Besides this mode of
quorum primo libro dixi, non mihi placere ullius secularis potestatis impetu
schismaticos ad communionem violenter arctari." Retract., lib. ii, cap. v.
We wonder how this text escaped the Abbe Martin, who in his Saint
Augustin, Paris, 1901, p. 373, maintains that the Bishop of Hippo "always
denied the principle of toleration."
1 "Non esse petendum ab imperatoribus ut ipsam hasresim juberent omnino
non esse, pjenam constituendo eis qui in ea esse voluerint." Ep. clxxxv, n. 25.
2 Ep. xciii, n. 10.
3 "Pertinet ad diligentiam pastoralem . . . inventas ad ovile dominicum,
si resistere voluerint, flagellorum terroribus vel etiam doloribus revocare."
Ep. clxxxv, n. 23.