Augustine of Hippo, on Deut 7:5

“But thus rather shall you deal with them: Destroy their altars, and break their statues, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven things.”

“When you have received lawful authority, do all this. Where authority has not been given to us, we don't do it; where it has been given, we don't fail to do it. Many pagans have these abominations on their estates. Do we march in and smash them? The first thing we try to do is to break the idols in their hearts. When they too become Christians, they either invite us in to perform this good work or else they get in first with it before us. The thing we have to do now is pray for them, not get angry with them.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.