Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/443

 AUGUSTINE. 407 Being defirous of a new thr.itre to di'p'ay his genius on, Auguftme rdoK-ed to go to Rom- ; and, thut he might not be diverted from this deflgn, embarked without acquainting his mother, or his relation Rom mian, who had maintained him at fchool, his father dying about 372. He taught rhe- toric in that place with the fame fuccels as he had done at Carthage; and Symmachus, prefedl of the city, appointed him, in -383, to be public profeflor of rhetoric at Milan, in which orrue he acquired great reputation. He made a vifit to St. Ambroff, by whom he was very kindly received. He alfo went to hear that prelate preach, not fo much out of de- votion, as from a critical curiofity to know whether his elo- quence deferved the character it had gained. Ambrofe's fer- mons made fuch an impreffion on him, that he became a ca- tholic in 384. His mother, who was come to fee him af Milan, advifed him to marry, that he might abandon his lewd practices ; and having agreed to this propofal, he, with the utmoft relu&ancy, fent back his miftrefs to Africa: but as the young lady intended for his wife would not be fit for marriage till two years after, his conftitution was fucri that he was forced to take in the mean while another woman. At laft, the reading of " St. Paul's Epiftles," the felicita- tions and tears of his mother, and the converfation of fome of his friends, completed in him the work of grace; and he became a lincere believer, ready to abandon every thing forBayle, the fake of Chrift. He refigned his place of profeflor of rhe- toric, and was baptized by St. Ambrofe on Eafter-evfe in 387. The year following he returned to Africa; was ordained prielt in 391, by Valerius biihop of Hippo; and four years after made coadjutor to that prelate. His death happened on the z8th of Auguft, 430. The approbation given by councils and popes to Auguf-ibld. tine's opinion relating to the doctrine of grace, has been a great advantage to his reputation [A], When he became an orthodox bi(hop, he propagated and defended the doitrine of predeftinarian fatality, and the doctrine of perfecution ; for which poflerity is little obliged to him. As to the affair of perfecution, he leems to have been fevefe by religion, and gentle by temper; which (hews how important and necefiary [A] Petaviirs informs us, that not catholic, anfl have ATI. or THFM only all the fathers and doctors who BEEN OF OPIN ION that it was a fuf came after St. Auguftine, but even the ficient proof of themith of any opinion, popes themfelves, and the councils of that this faint had taught it. Dogmat. other bifhops, have maintained his Theolog, tom, ! lib* ix. cap. 6. concerning grace as certain and Bayle. D d 4 %