Augustine

Meaning

Augustine is an attributed authority for the interpretation of Christian affliction in Part IV: the spiritual comparison · unit 51. The named quotation tells the newly Christian reader not to be surprised by suffering: Christ is the head, believers are members, and their lives follow his. Its examples extend to Peter, Paul and John, none exempt from tribulation. The closing Latin formula, rendered 'Thus far Augustine', marks the end of the attributed speech. It is therefore important not to let the quotation silently absorb the whole surrounding alchemical comparison. The passage supplies an attribution and a quotation boundary, but no independently verified work or chapter for Augustine's words.