忏悔录 Confessions | BookⅢ Chapter10 又一个预兆

BookⅢ Chapter10

又一个预兆

Thou gavest her meantime another answer, which I call to mind; for much I pass by, hasting to those things which more press me to confess unto Thee, and much I do not remember.

我记得你还给我另一个答复。我现在略去许多支节，为了早已迫不及待地要向你忏悔我所欲忏悔的事情，同时我也忘却了不少情节。

Thou gavest her then another answer, by a Priest of Thine, a certain Bishop brought up in Thy Church, and well studied in Thy books. Whom when this woman had entreated to vouch safe to converse with me, refute my errors, unteach me ill things, and teach me good things (for this he was won’t to do, when he found persons fitted to receive it), he refused, wisely, as I afterwards perceived. For he answered, that I was yet unteachable, being puffed up with the novelty of that heresy, and had already perplexed divers unskilful persons with captious questions, as she had told him: "but let him alone a while" (saith he), "only pray God for him, he will of himself by reading find what that error is, and how great its impiety." At the same time he told her, how himself, when a little one, had by his seduced mother been consigned over to the Manichees, and had not only read, but frequently copied out almost all, their books, and had (without any argument or proof from any one) seen how much that sect was to be avoided; and had avoided it. Which when he had said, and she would not be satisfied, but urged him more, with entreaties and many tears, that he would see me and discourse with me; he, a little displeased at her importunity, saith, "Go thy ways and God bless thee, for it is not possible that the son of these tears should perish."

你通过你的祭司，通过一个在教会内成长的、精通圣经的主教，给我另一个答复。我的母亲请他来和我作一次谈话，驳斥我的错误，诱导我去恶从善——因为他如遇到合适的对象是如此做的——他拒绝了，事后我才懂得他这一决定的明智。他回答说，我还不肯受教，因为，一如我母亲告知他的，我由于新近接受了这异端，还是意气洋洋，曾用一些狡狯的问题难倒了好些知识比较浅薄的人。接着又说：“让他去。你只要为他祈求上帝；他自会在书本中发现自己的错误和狂妄。”他还告诉我母亲，他的母亲也受摩尼教的迷惑，他幼时被送给摩尼教徒，该教所有书籍他几乎都读过，甚至抄写过，他没有和任何人争论过，也未受任何人的劝说，是他自己发觉这一教门是多么应受深恶痛绝的，因此他放弃了这教门。我的母亲听了这些话，依旧不放心，更加苦苦哀求，痛哭流涕，请他来看我，说服我。缠得他有些不耐烦而生气了，便说：“去吧，这样生活下去吧！你为你的儿子流下如许眼泪，这样一个儿子是不可能死亡的！”

Which answer she took (as she often mentioned in her conversations with me) as if it had sounded from heaven.

我的母亲和我谈话时，屡次提到这事，说她听到这话，恍如听到来自天上的声音。

↓ 往期内容链接 ↓

BookⅠ

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions |颂扬BookⅠChapter（1）

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions | 呼吁 BookⅠChapter（2)

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions | 呼吁 BookⅠChapter（3）

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions | 讴歌 BookⅠChapter（4）

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions | 洁净心灵 BookⅠChapter (5)

【有声】
忏悔录 Confessions | 孩童获宠 BookⅠChapter（6）

【有声】
忏悔录 Confessions | 孩子的天真 BookⅠ Chapter（7）

【有声】忏悔录 Confessions | 牙牙学语 BookⅠ Chapter（8）