Writings of St. Augustine as is the Case in Polemical Theology Middle of the 18th Century

The article discusses the problem of the relation to the works of St. Augustine and the views of the representatives of the conservative theological episcopal start community — the middle of the 18th century. Metropolitan Stefan (Yavorsky) svyaschennomuchennika Metropolitan Arseny (Matseevich) and Archbishop Theophylact (Lopatinskii). Analyzing quoting St. Augustine in the work of Russian scholars, we can understand how and for what purposes they are treated to the authority of the ancient saint in what consisted their difference from the progressive part of the so-called “Russian avgustinistov”. As research shows, these authors are actively turning to the works of St. Augustine and quoted many times in his various works, but it does not make them representatives of the so-called “Russian Augustinian”. They use the authority of St. Augustine, to neutralize the possibility of using its own theological and political opponents.It should also be noted that due to the insufficient level of study of the works of the traditionalists of the 18th century., most of which are not only studied, but have not been published, and some are only open for the study of the manuscript. For this reason, it is impossible to adequately assess the level of reception of the ideas of St. Augustine in the Russian theology of the early period of the Synod. It can be concluded that they have the choice was made in favor of the perception of Augustine as the interpreter of Sacred Scripture, whose poetic images fi ll their sermons poetic and theological content, leading to edify necessary for the preacher to the moral conclusion