after a brief period of meditation in retirement, was baptized by Saint Ambrose. His mother
rejoiced, but died not long afterwards. In 388 he returned to Africa, where he remained for the rest
of his life, fully occupied with his episcopal duties and with controversial writings against various
heresies, Donatist, Manichæan, and Pelagian,
CHAPTER IV Saint Augustine's Philosophy and TheologySAINT AUGUSTINE was a very voluminous writer, mainly on theological subjects. Some of his
controversial writing was topical, and lost interest through its very success; but some of it,
especially what is concerned with the Pelagians, remained practically influential down to modern
times. I do not propose to treat his works exhaustively, but only to discuss what seems to me
important, either intrinsically or historically. I shall consider:
First: his pure philosophy, particularly his theory of time;
Second: his philosophy of history, as developed in The City of God;
Third: his theory of salvation, as propounded against the Pelagians.
I. PURE PHILOSOPHYSaint Augustine, at most times, does not occupy himself with pure philosophy, but when he does
he shows very great ability. He is the first of a long line whose purely speculative views are
influenced by the necessity of agreeing with Scripture. This cannot be said of earlier Christian
philosophers, e.g., Origen; in Origen, Christianity