The Confessions — Book 6

St. Augustine of Hippo

1. 0. Greeting
2. 1. His Mother Having Followed Him to Milan, Declares that She Will Not Die Before Her Son Shall Have Embraced the Catholic Faith.
3. 2. She, on the Prohibition of Ambrose, Abstains from Honouring the Memory of the Martyrs.
4. 3. As Ambrose Was Occupied with Business and Study, Augustine Could Seldom Consult Him Concerning the Holy Scriptures.
5. 4. He Recognises the Falsity of His Own Opinions, and Commits to Memory the Saying of Ambrose.
6. 5. Faith is the Basis of Human Life; Man Cannot Discover that Truth Which Holy Scripture Has Disclosed.
7. 6. On the Source and Cause of True Joy — The Example of the Joyous Beggar Being Adduced.
8. 7. He Leads to Reformation His Friend Alypius, Seized with Madness for the Circensian Games.
9. 8. The Same When at Rome, Being Led by Others into the Amphitheatre, is Delighted with the Gladiatorial Games.
10. 9. Innocent Alypius, Being Apprehended as a Thief, is Set at Liberty by the Cleverness of an Architect.
11. 10. The Wonderful Integrity of Alypius in Judgment. The Lasting Friendship of Nebridius with Augustine.
12. 11. Being Troubled by His Grievous Errors, He Meditates Entering on a New Life.
13. 12. Discussion with Alypius Concerning a Life of Celibacy.
14. 13. Being Urged by His Mother to Take a Wife, He Sought a Maiden that Was Pleasing Unto Him.
15. 14. The Design of Establishing a Common Household with His Friends is Speedily Hindered.
16. 15. He Dismisses One Mistress, and Chooses Another.
17. 16. The Fear of Death and Judgment Called Him, Believing in the Immortality of the Soul, Back from His Wickedness, Him Who Aforetime Believed in the Opinions of Epicurus.

Attaining his thirtieth year, he, under the admonition of the discourses of Ambrose, discovered more and more the truth of the Catholic doctrine, and deliberates as to the better regulation of his life.