PL 38 · cols. 252–257

Augustine, Sermones 35-45 (Classis I, de Scripturis: de Proverbiis, Ecclesiastico, Isaia)

Sermons XLII–XLIII

ut suavius inveniretur. Ubi ergo ille proximum nominavit, tu Christum nomina; quia et ille Christum ita prophetice nominavit: tu Christum nomina, et vide currentem liquidam sententiam, et tanquam de fonte veritatis irrigantem sitim tuam. Fidem posside cum Christo in paupertate ipsius, ut et bonis ipsius perfruaris. Quid est, Fidem posside cum Christo? In eo quod propter te homo factus est, in eo quod de virgine natus est, in eo quod accepit contumelias, quod flagellatus est, quod ligno suspensus, quod lancea vulneratus, quod sepultus: noli ista spernere, non tibi incredibilia videantur; et sic fidem posside cum proximo. Haec est enim paupertas ejus. Quid est autem, Ut et bonis ejus perfruaris? Audi, quia hoc voluit; audi, quia ideo in paupertate ad te venit; audi vocem pauperis propter te Domini Dei tui ditantis te: vide quomodo bonis ejus perfruaris, si fidem cum eo in paupertate servaveris. Pater, in⟨q⟩uit, volo ut ubi ego sum, et ipsi sint mecum (Joan. XVII, 24).

that it might be found the sweeter. Where, therefore, he named the neighbour, you name Christ; because he too named Christ thus prophetically: you name Christ, and see the clear sentence flowing, and as if from the fountain of truth watering your thirst. Possess faith with Christ in His poverty, so that you may also fully enjoy His good things. What is, Possess faith with Christ? In that He was made man for your sake, in that He was born of a virgin, in that He received insults, that He was scourged, that He was hung on the wood, that He was wounded with a lance, that He was buried: do not despise these things, let them not seem incredible to you; and thus possess faith with your neighbour. For this is His poverty. And what is, That you may also fully enjoy His good things? Hear, because He willed this; hear, because for this reason He came to you in poverty; hear the voice of One poor for your sake, the Lord your God enriching you: see how you may fully enjoy His good things, if you keep faith with Him in poverty. Father, He says, I will that where I am, they too may be with Me (John 17:24).

SERMO XLII. De eo quod scriptum est in Isaia, cap. I, 11, Quo mihi multitudinem sacrificiorum vestrorum? Et in Psalmo CXXXIX, 1, Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo.

Sermon 42. On what is written in Isaiah, chapter 1:11, To what purpose to Me is the multitude of your sacrifices? And in Psalm 139:1, Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Eleemosyna in pauperem sacrificium est christiani. Duo genera eleemosynarum. Ego, fratres, ⟨v⟩ires parvas habeo, sed verbum Dei magnas habet. Valeat in cordibus vestris. Ergo et quod lente dicimus, valde auditis, si obedieritis. Tanquam per nubem suam, per Isaiam prophetam Dominus tonuit: si sensum habetis, expavistis. Manifeste enim dixit, nec expositorem habent ista necessarium, sed factorem. Quo mihi, inquit, multitudinem sacrificiorum vestrorum? Quis enim exquisivit ista de manibus vestris? Deus nos quaerit, non nostra. Sed sacrificium christiani est eleemosyna in pauperem. Hinc enim fit Deus peccatis propitius. Nisi autem peccatis propitius fiat Deus, quis remanet nisi reus? Ab eis peccatis et delictis, sine quibus vita ista non ducitur, mundantur homines per eleemosynas: quae sunt duorum generum, erogando et remittendo; erogando quod habes bonum, remittendo quod pateris malum. Haec duo genera eleemosynarum Dominus magister bonus, qui verbum breviavit super terram, ut esset fructuosum, et non onerosum, quam breviter fuerit complexus, audite: Remittite, inquit, et remittetur vobis; date, et dabitur vobis (Luc. VI, 37 et 38). Remittite, et remittetur robis, pertinet ad ignoscendum; date, et dabitur vobis, pertinet ad erogandum. Ex illa eleemosyna, qua ignoscis homini, nihil perdis. Ecce statim veniam petit, ignovisti, nihil amisisti. Charitate amplior domum redisti. Illud aliud genus eleemosynarum, ubi jubemur erogare indigentibus, grave videtur: quia quod quisque dederit,

Chapter I. — 1. Alms to the poor is the sacrifice of the Christian. Two kinds of alms. I, brethren, have small strength, but the word of God has great [strength]. May it prevail in your hearts. Therefore even what we say slowly, you hear very well, if you obey. As through His cloud, through Isaiah the prophet the Lord has thundered: if you have sense, you have been terrified. For He spoke plainly, and these things do not need an expositor, but a doer. To what purpose to Me, He says, is the multitude of your sacrifices? For who has required these things at your hands? God seeks us, not what is ours. But the sacrifice of the Christian is alms to the poor. For from this God becomes propitious to sins. And unless God becomes propitious to sins, who remains but a guilty man? From those sins and offences, without which this life is not led, men are cleansed through alms: which are of two kinds, by giving and by forgiving; by giving the good that you have, by forgiving the evil that you suffer. These two kinds of alms, hear how briefly the Lord, the good Master, Who shortened the word upon the earth, that it might be fruitful and not burdensome, has comprised them: Forgive, He says, and it will be forgiven you; give, and it will be given to you (Luke 6:37–38). Forgive, and it will be forgiven you, pertains to pardoning; give, and it will be given to you, pertains to giving out. From that alms by which you pardon a man, you lose nothing. Behold, at once he asks pardon, you have pardoned, you have lost nothing. You have returned home the richer in charity. That other kind of alms, where we are commanded to give out to the needy, seems burdensome: because what each one

Editors' notes and page, col. 252

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: in cordibus vestris› · call in col 252

Plerique Mss., Sed verbum Dei magnas habet valere in cordibus vestris. Victorinus, habere valet.

Most manuscripts: Sed verbum Dei magnas habet valere in cordibus vestris ("But the word of God has great [strength] to prevail in your hearts"). The Saint-Victor manuscript: habere valet ("is able to have").

(printed under page 132)

(2) ‹anchor: peccatis et delictis› · call in col 252

Hic Mss. quidam interponunt, Remittite, et remittetur vobis: non mortalibus dico, ne contemnantur. Ex his Remigiensis, non mortalibus, nisi contemnantur.

Here certain manuscripts insert: Remittite, et remittetur vobis: non mortalibus dico, ne contemnantur ("Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you: I do not say this of mortal sins, lest they be made light of"). Of these the Reims manuscript has: non mortalibus, nisi contemnantur ("not of mortal sins, unless they are made light of").

(printed under page 132) (*) ‹anchor: SERMO XLII› · call in col 252 Ad duos cl. ad gr. rm. v. Am. Er. Par. Lov. recensitus.

Revised against two cl. manuscripts, against gr., rm., v., and Amerbach, Erasmus, the Paris edition and the Louvain edition.

(printed under page 132)

(a) ‹anchor: SERMO XLII› · call in col 252

Alias, 20 ex Homiliis 50.

Formerly, the 20th of the Fifty Homilies.

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Page

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other: the word dederit, was split at the column break and stands whole here (joined on receipt); check that the English reads whole across the break into col 253
other: misprint kept as printed: robis (read vobis), in the second Remittite, et remittetur, before pertinet ad ignoscendum (listed by QA Q1b; the italic letter is faint in the scan)
other: QA Q1b, UNSURE: the numeral in note (a) reads 20 or 29 in the scan; left as set

PL 38:253

hoc ipsum quod dabit non habebit.

gives, he will not have this very thing which he will give.

CAPUT II. — 2. Eleemosynarum mensura et merces. Fenus trajectitium facere quid. Equidem et hinc securos nos facit Apostolus, qui dixit: Prout quisque habet, non ut aliis sit refectio, vobis angustia (II Cor. VIII, 12, 13). Metiatur ergo unusquisque vires suas, non thesaurizare attendat in terra: det, non perit quod dat. Non dico, Hoc non perit; sed dico, Hoc solum non perit. Alia vero quae non dederis, et abundant tibi, aut cum vivis amittis, aut cum moreris dimittis. Deinde, fratres mei, tanta promissio quo nos hortetur, attendite: Dimittite, inquit, et dimittetur vobis; date, et dabitur vobis. Quando dicit, Date, et dabitur vobis, attende cui dicat. Homini dicit Deus, mortali dicit immortalis, mendico dicit tantus paterfamilias. Neque enim hoc revocaturus est quod dedimus. Invenimus quem feneremus. Demus in usuram, sed Deo, non homini. Ei damus qui abundat, ei damus qui dedit quod demus. Et pro modicis rebus, pro frivolis, pro mortalibus, pro putribilibus, pro terrenis, aeterna, incorruptibilia, sine fine manentia: quid multa dicturus sum? se promittit, qui promittit. Si amas illum, eme illum ab illo. Et ut noveris te ipsi dare, audi illum dicentem: Esurivi, et dedistis mihi manducare; sitivi, et dedistis mihi potum; hospes fui, et suscepistis me; nudus fui, et vestistis me; aeger, visitastis me; inclusus, venistis ad me. Et dicent illi: Quando te vidimus in his necessitatibus constitutum, et ministravimus tibi? Et ille: Quando uni ex minimis meis fecistis, mihi fecistis (Matth. XXV, 35-40). Dat de coelo, accipit in terra. Ipse dat, ipse accipit. Quasi fenus trajectitium facis. Hic das, ibi recipis: hic das res perituras, ibi recipis res sine fine mansuras.

Chapter II. — 2. The measure and reward of almsgiving. What it is to make an overseas loan. Indeed, on this point too the Apostle makes us secure, who said: According as each one has, not that there should be relief for others, and distress for you (2 Cor. 8:12–13). Let each one, then, measure his own strength, and not be intent on laying up treasure on earth: let him give; what he gives does not perish. I do not say, This does not perish; but I say, This alone does not perish. As for the other things which you have not given away, even though they abound for you, either you lose them while you live, or you leave them behind when you die. Next, my brothers, consider to what so great a promise urges us: Forgive, He says, and it will be forgiven you; give, and it will be given to you. When He says, Give, and it will be given to you, consider to whom He says it. God says it to a man, the immortal One says it to a mortal, so great a Householder says it to a beggar. For He is not going to call back what we have given. We have found someone to whom we may lend at interest. Let us lend at usury, but to God, not to man. We give to Him Who abounds, we give to Him Who gave what we give. And in return for slight things, for trifling things, for mortal things, for perishable things, for earthly things, [He gives] things eternal, incorruptible, abiding without end: why should I say much? He promises Himself, He Who makes the promise. If you love Him, buy Him from Him. And that you may know that you are giving to Him, hear Him saying: I was hungry, and you gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; I was naked, and you clothed Me; sick, you visited Me; shut in, you came to Me. And they will say: When did we see You placed in these necessities, and minister to You? And He: When you did it to one of the least of Mine, you did it to Me (Matt. 25:35–40). He gives from heaven, He receives on earth. He Himself gives, He Himself receives. It is as though you were making an overseas loan. Here you give, there you receive back: here you give things that will perish, there you receive back things that will abide without end.

CAPUT III. — 3. Homo malus. Et quandocumque dicis Deo, Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo: hoc enim modo cantavimus. Scio enim quo gemitu dicas, Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo. Quis enim in isto saeculo non patitur aliquem hominem malum? Quando ergo hoc dicis Deo, Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo; sicut totis praecordiis dicis, sic intentis oculis te prius attende. Libera me, Domine, ab homine malo. Fac tibi respondisse Deum, A quo? dicturus es a Gaio, a Lucio, a nescio quo quem pateris. Et respondet tibi: De te mihi nihil dicis? Si ab homine malo libero te, prius es l⟨i⟩berandus a te ipso. Pateris malum, noli te ipsum pati malum. Videamus si inveuit in te, quid tibi faciat alter malus. Quid tibi faciat malus? Tu noli esse malus. Non tibi dominetur avaritia, non te calcet concupiscentia tua, non te trituret ira tua. Isti hostes interiores tui sunt. Tu ipse non tibi aliquid facias. Videamus quid tibi facit vicinus malus, patro⟨n⟩us malus, potens malus: videamus quid tibi facit. Justum te inveniat, fidelem te inveniat, christianum te inveniat: quid tibi facturus est? Quod Stephano Judaei fecerunt. Faciendo malum, miserunt

Chapter III. — 3. The evil man. And whenever you say to God, Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man (for in this way we have sung): I know indeed with what groaning you say, Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man. For who in this world does not suffer some evil man? When, therefore, you say this to God, Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, just as you say it with your whole heart, so with attentive eyes look first at yourself. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man. Suppose God has answered you, From whom? You will say, from Gaius, from Lucius, from I know not whom whom you suffer. And He answers you: Do you tell Me nothing about yourself? If I deliver you from the evil man, you must first be delivered from yourself. You suffer an evil man; do not suffer yourself as an evil man. Let us see, if he finds [such a one] in you, what another evil man may do to you. What may an evil man do to you? Do not you be evil. Let avarice not lord it over you, let your lust not trample you, let your anger not grind you down. These are your inner enemies. Do not you yourself do anything to yourself. Let us see what an evil neighbour does to you, an evil patron, an evil man in power: let us see what he does to you. Let him find you just, let him find you faithful, let him find you a Christian: what is he going to do to you? What the Jews did to Stephen. By doing evil, they sent

Editors' notes and page, col. 253

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 253

Ms. Colbertinus, non ut aliis sit consolatio.

The Colbert manuscript: "not that it may be a consolation to others."

(printed under page 133)

(2) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image; the numeral of the call is indistinct and looks like 1 again› · call in col 253

Sic potiores Mss. At Remigiensis, tanta est promissio quae nos hortatur. Editi, tanta promissio quem non hortatur?

So the better manuscripts. But the Reims manuscript: "so great is the promise that exhorts us." The printed editions: "so great a promise, whom does it not exhort?"

(*) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 254 Ad tres bn. ad quatuor cl. ad cb. f. fl. fs. g. l. m. pr. rm. vd. Am. Er. Par. Lov. recognitus.

Revised against three bn. manuscripts, against four cl., against cb. f. fl. fs. g. l. m. pr. rm. vd., and against the editions of Amerbach, Erasmus, Paris and Louvain.

(printed under page 133)

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ad bonum. Ergo quando petis ut liberet te Deus ab homine malo, attende te, noli tibi parcere: te a te liberet. Quomodo te a te liberat? Dimittendo peccata, donando merita, dando tibi vires pugnandi adversus concupiscentias tuas, inspirando virtutem, dando menti tuae coelestem delectationem, qua omnis terrena delectatio superetur. Haec cum tibi praestat Deus, liberat te a te, et securus exspectas in hujus saeculi malis transitoriis cum eis bonis venturum Dominum, quae transire non possunt. Satis sint vobis. Videtis certe, quia nescio quomodo ego invalidus accedo, et loquendo fortis fio. Tantus est mihi animus, tanta intentio in profectu vestro! Operarius enim in agro fructum sperans, minus sentit laborem. Sitis fructus mei, ut vobiscum sim, et omnes simus fructus Dei.

to good. Therefore, when you ask that God deliver you from the evil man, look to yourself, do not spare yourself: let Him deliver you from yourself. How does He deliver you from yourself? By forgiving sins, by bestowing merits, by giving you strength to fight against your lusts, by inspiring virtue, by giving your mind a heavenly delight, by which every earthly delight may be overcome. When God grants you these things, He delivers you from yourself, and amid the passing evils of this world you wait in security for the Lord who is to come with those good things which cannot pass away. Let this be enough for you. You surely see that, I know not how, I come to you weak, and by speaking I become strong. So great is my desire, so great my concern for your progress! For the labourer in the field, hoping for fruit, feels the labour less. May you be my fruit, so that I may be with you, and may we all be the fruit of God.

SERMO XLIII. De eo quod scriptum est in Isaia, cap. VII, 9, Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis.

Sermon 43. On what is written in Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 9: Unless you believe, you will not understand.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Fides necessaria. Initium bonae vitae, cui vita etiam aeterna debetur, recta fides est. Est autem fides, credere quod nondum vides: cujus fidei merces est, videre quod credis. Tempore igitur fidei tanquam tempore sementis, non deficiamus, et usque in finem non deficiamus: sed perseveremus, donec quod seminavimus metamus. Cum enim aversum esset genus humanum a Deo, et jaceret in delictis suis, sicut Creatore opus habebamus ut essemus, sic Salvatore ut revivisceremus. Justus Deus damnavit hominem, misericors Deus liberat hominem. Deus Israel ipse dabit virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae: benedictus Deus (Psal. LXVII, 36). Sed accipiunt credentes, non accipiunt contemnentes.

Chapter I. — 1. Faith is necessary. The beginning of a good life, to which eternal life also is due, is right faith. Now faith is to believe what you do not yet see: and the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. In the time of faith, then, as in the time of sowing, let us not grow faint, and let us not grow faint even to the end: but let us persevere until we reap what we have sown. For since the human race had turned away from God and lay in its offences, just as we needed a Creator in order to exist, so we needed a Saviour in order to come back to life. The just God condemned man; the merciful God delivers man. The God of Israel Himself will give power and strength to His people: blessed be God (Ps. 67:36). But believers receive it; scorners do not receive it.

2. Fides magnum Dei donum. Nec de ipsa fide tamen ita gloriandum est, quasi aliquid nos possimus. Non enim fides nihil est, sed magnum aliquid: quam si habes, profecto accepisti. Quid enim habes, quod non accepisti (I Cor. IV, 7)? Videte, charissimi, unde Domino Deo gratias agatis: ne in aliquo dono ejus ingrati maneatis, et propter hoc quod ingrati estis, quod accepistis perdatis. Laus fidei explicari a me nullo modo potest, sed a fidelibus cogitari potest.

2. Faith is a great gift of God. Yet we must not boast even of faith itself as though we could do anything [of ourselves]. For faith is not nothing, but something great: and if you have it, you have certainly received it. For what do you have that you have not received (1 Cor. 4:7)? See, dearly beloved, for what you should give thanks to the Lord God: lest you remain ungrateful for any gift of His, and because you are ungrateful, lose what you have received. The praise of faith can in no way be set forth by me, but it can be pondered by the faithful.

CAPUT II. — Porro si ex aliqua parte, ut dignum est, cogitetur, quis digne cogitet, quam multis donis Dei ipsius praeferatur? Et si minora Dei dona in nobis debemus agnoscere, quanto magis illud quod ea superat, debemus agnoscere?

Chapter II. — Further, if it be pondered in some measure, as is fitting, who could worthily ponder how many gifts of God Himself it is preferred to? And if we ought to acknowledge the lesser gifts of God in us, how much more ought we to acknowledge that which surpasses them?

3. Dei in hominem beneficia. Aliud intellectus et aliud ratio. A Deo debemus esse quod sumus. Quia quod non nihil sumus, nisi a Deo a quo habemus? Sed sunt et ligna, sunt et lapides, a quo nisi a Deo? Nos ergo quid plus? Non vivunt ligna et lapides: nos autem vivimus. Sed adhuc nobis idipsum vivere

3. The benefits of God towards man. Understanding is one thing and reason another. To God we owe it that we are what we are. For the fact that we are not nothing, from whom do we have it, if not from God? But trees too exist, stones too exist: from whom, if not from God? What more, then, have we? Trees and stones do not live: but we live. But still that very living to us

Editors' notes and page, col. 254

Footnotes

(a) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 254

Alias, de verbis Apostoli 27.

Formerly, On the Words of the Apostle 27.

(printed under page 133)

(b) ‹anchor: not visible in the foot image› · call in col 254

Hujus serm. excerptum exstat in Flori collectione ad I Cor. I.

An excerpt of this sermon is extant in the collection of Florus, at 1 Cor. 1.

(printed under page 133)

Forte A Deo habemus; aut, Deo debemus.

Perhaps "From God we have"; or, "To God we owe." [The first letter after "Forte" is damaged in the scan; read as "A".]

(printed under page 133)

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cum arboribus frutetisque commune est. Dicuntur enim et vites vivere. Nam si non viverent, non scriptum esset: Occidit in grandine vineas eorum. (Psal. LXXVII, 47). Vivit, cum viret; arescit, cum moritur. Sed vita ista non habet sensum. Quid nos amplius? Sentimus. Quinquepartitus corporis notus est sensus. Videmus, audimus, olfacimus, gustamus, tactu etiam per totum corpus nostrum mollia dijudicamus et dura, aspera et lenia, calida et frigida. Est ergo in nobis sensus quinquepartitus: sed hunc habent et bestiae. Habemus ergo aliquid amplius nos. Et ista tamen quae enumeravimus, fratres mei, si consideremus in nobis, quantam de his gratiarum actionem, quantam Creatori laudem debemus? Sed tamen amplius quid habemus? Mentem, rationem, consilium, quod non habent bestiae, non habent volucres, non habent pisces: in eo facti sumus ad imaginem Dei. Denique ubi Scriptura narrat quod facti sumus, ibi subjungit, ut nos pecoribus non solum anteponat, sed et praeponat, id est, ut ea nobis subjecta sint: Faciamus, inquit, hominem ad imaginem et similitudinem nostram, et habeat potestatem piscium maris, et volatilium coeli, et omnium pecorum, et serpentium quae repunt super terram (Gen. I, 26). Unde habeat potestatem? Propter imaginem Dei. Unde quibusdam dicitur increpando: Nolite esse sicut equus et mulus, quibus non est intellectus (Psal. XXXI, 9). Sed aliud est intellectus, aliud ratio. Nam rationem habemus et antequam intelligamus; sed intelligere non valemus, nisi rationem habeamus. Est ergo animal rationis capax: verum ut melius et citius dicam, animal rationale, cui natura inest ratio, et antequam intelligat jam rationem habet. Nam ideo vult intelligere, quia ratio praecedit.

is common [to us] with trees and shrubs. For vines too are said to live. For if they did not live, it would not have been written: He killed their vines with hail (Ps. 77:47). It lives when it is green; it withers when it dies. But that life has no sensation. What more do we have? We sense. The fivefold sense of the body is well known. We see, we hear, we smell, we taste, and by touch, too, throughout our whole body we distinguish soft and hard, rough and smooth, hot and cold. There is therefore in us a fivefold sense: but the beasts have this as well. We therefore have something more. And yet these very things which we have listed, my brothers, if we consider them in ourselves, how great a thanksgiving for them, how great a praise do we owe to the Creator? But still, what more do we have? Mind, reason, counsel, which the beasts do not have, the birds do not have, the fishes do not have: in this we were made to the image of God. Finally, where Scripture relates that we were made, there it adds that it sets us not only before the cattle but also over them, that is, that they should be subject to us: Let us make, He says, man to Our image and likeness, and let him have power over the fishes of the sea, and the flying things of the sky, and all the cattle, and the serpents that creep upon the earth (Gen. 1:26). Whence would he have power? Because of the image of God. Hence it is said to certain people by way of rebuke: Do not be like the horse and the mule, which have no understanding (Ps. 31:9). But understanding is one thing, reason another. For we have reason even before we understand; but we are not able to understand unless we have reason. He is therefore an animal capable of reason: but, to say it better and more quickly, a rational animal, in whose nature reason is present, and who has reason already before he understands. For he wishes to understand precisely because reason goes before.

CAPUT III. — 4. An prius credendum quod postea intelligatur. Hoc ergo unde bestias antecedimus, maxime in nobis excolere debemus, et resculpere quodam modo et reformare. Sed quis poterit, nisi sit artifex qui formavit? Imaginem in nobis Dei deformare potuimus, reformare non possumus. Habemus ergo, ut cuncta breviter retexamus, ipsum esse cum lignis et lapidibus; vivere, cum arboribus; sentire, cum bestiis; intelligere, cum Angelis. Dijudicamus ergo oculis colores, auribus sonores, naribus odores, gustatu sapores, tactu calores, intellectu mores. Intellige. Omnis homo vult intelligere; nemo est qui nolit: credere non omnes volunt. Dicit mihi homo, Intelligam, ut credam: respondeo, Crede, ut intelligas. Cum ergo nata inter nos sit controversia talis quodam modo, ut ille mihi dicat, Intelligam, ut credam; ego ei respondeam, Imo crede, ut intelligas: cum hac controversia veniamus ad judicem, neuter nostrum praesumat pro sua parte sententiam. Quem judicem inventuri sumus? Discussis omnibus hominibus, nescio utrum meliorem judicem invenire possimus,

Chapter III. — 4. Whether one must first believe what is afterwards to be understood. This, then, by which we surpass the beasts, we ought above all to cultivate in ourselves, and in a certain manner to carve anew and to re-form. But who will be able to, unless it be the craftsman who formed it? We were able to deform the image of God in ourselves; we are not able to re-form it. We have, then, to go over everything briefly, being itself in common with wood and stones; living, with trees; sensing, with beasts; understanding, with the Angels. We therefore distinguish colours with the eyes, sounds with the ears, smells with the nostrils, flavours with the taste, heat with touch, morals with the understanding. Understand. Every man wishes to understand; there is no one who does not wish it: not all wish to believe. A man says to me, Let me understand, so that I may believe: I answer, Believe, so that you may understand. Since, then, a controversy of this kind has in a certain manner arisen between us, so that he says to me, Let me understand, so that I may believe; and I answer him, Nay, believe, so that you may understand: let us come with this controversy to a judge, and let neither of us presume a verdict for his own side. What judge are we going to find? Having examined all men, I do not know whether we can find a better judge

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Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: quia ratio› · call in col 255

Ita Corbeiensis Ms. Alii, ratione. Editi vero, rationem.

So the Corbie manuscript. Others: "ratione." The printed editions, however: "rationem."

(printed under page 134)

(2) ‹anchor: nisi sit artifex› · call in col 255

Lov., nisi adsit artifex; repugnantibus caeteris libris.

The Louvain edition: "nisi adsit artifex" ("unless the craftsman be at hand"); the other books are against it.

(printed under page 134)

(3) ‹anchor: qui nolit› · call in col 255

Mss.: Intelligi omnis homo vult, intelligere nemo est qui nolit.

The manuscripts: "Every man wishes to be understood; there is no one who does not wish to understand."

(printed under page 134)

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quam hominem per quem loquitur Deus. Non eamus ergo in hac re et in hac controversia ad litteras saeculares; non inter nos judicet poeta, sed propheta.

-simus, than the man through whom God speaks. Let us not, therefore, in this matter and in this controversy, go to secular literature; let not a poet judge between us, but a prophet.

5. Propheticus sermo ad firmandam fidem efficacior. Beatus apostolus Petrus cum duobus aliis Christi Domini discipulis Jacobo et Joanne in monte cum ipso Domino constitutus, audivit vocem delatam de coelo: Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo bene complacui; ipsum audite (Matth. XVII, 5). Quod commendans memoratus Apostolus in Epistola sua dixit: Hanc vocem nos audivimus de coelo delatam, cum essemus cum illo in monte sancto. Et cum dixisset, Hanc vocem nos audivimus de coelo delatam; subjunxit atque ait, Et habemus certiorem propheticum sermonem (II Petr. I, 18, 19). Sonuit vox illa de coelo, et certior est propheticus sermo.

5. The prophetic word is more effective for strengthening faith. The blessed apostle Peter, when he was placed on the mountain with the Lord Himself, together with two other disciples of Christ the Lord, James and John, heard a voice borne down from heaven: This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear Him (Matt. 17:5). Commending this, the aforementioned Apostle said in his Epistle: This voice we heard borne down from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And when he had said, This voice we heard borne down from heaven, he added and said, And we have a surer prophetic word (2 Pet. 1:18–19). That voice sounded from heaven, and the prophetic word is surer.

CAPUT IV. — Attendite, charissimi, adjuvet Dominus et voluntatem meam et exspectationem vestram, ut dicam quod volo, quomodo volo. Quis enim nostrum non miretur delata voce de coelo certiorem propheticum sermonem ab Apostolo dictum esse? Certiorem sane dixit: certiorem, non meliorem, non veriorem. Tam enim verus ille sermo de coelo, quam sermo propheticus; tam bonus, tam utilis. Quid est ergo, certiorem, nisi in quo magis confirmetur auditor? Quare hoc? Quoniam sunt homines infideles, qui sic detrahunt Christo, ut dicant eum magicis artibus fecisse quae fecit. Possent ergo infideles etiam istam vocem delatam de coelo, per conjecturas humanas et illicitas curiositates ad magicas artes referre. Sed Prophetae ante fuerunt; non dico ante istam vocem, sed ante Christi carnem. Nondum erat homo Christus, quando misit Prophetas. Quisquis eum dicit magum fuisse: si ergo magicis artibus fecit ut coleretur et mortuus, numquid magus erat, antequam natus? Ecce quare ait apostolus Petrus, Habemus certiorem propheticum sermonem. Vox de coelo, qua fideles admoneantur: propheticus sermo, quo infideles convincantur. Intelleximus, quantum mihi videtur, charissimi, quare dixerit apostolus Petrus, Habemus certiorem propheticum sermonem, post vocem de coelo delatam.

Chapter IV. — Pay attention, dearly beloved; may the Lord assist both my will and your expectation, that I may say what I wish, as I wish. For which of us would not wonder that, when a voice had been borne down from heaven, the prophetic word was called surer by the Apostle? Surer indeed he said: surer, not better, not truer. For that word from heaven is as true as the prophetic word; as good, as useful. What then is "surer", except that by which the hearer is more strongly confirmed? Why this? Because there are unbelieving men who so disparage Christ as to say that He did by magic arts the things He did. Unbelievers could therefore, by human conjectures and illicit curiosities, attribute even this voice borne down from heaven to magic arts. But the Prophets came before; I do not say before this voice, but before the flesh of Christ. Christ was not yet man when He sent the Prophets. Whoever says that He was a magician: if, then, by magic arts He brought it about that He should be worshipped even when dead, was He a magician before He was born? See why the apostle Peter says, We have a surer prophetic word. The voice from heaven, by which the faithful are admonished; the prophetic word, by which unbelievers are convicted. We have understood, as it seems to me, dearly beloved, why the apostle Peter said, We have a surer prophetic word, after the voice borne down from heaven.

CAPUT V. — 6. Piscatores et idiotae in apostolos cur electi. Et ipsa Christi quanta dignatio? Petrus iste, qui sic loquitur, piscator fuit: et modo magnam laudem habet orator, si potuerit ab illo intelligi piscator. Propterea primis Christianis loquens apostolus Paulus ait: Videte vocationem vestram, fratres, quia non multi sapientes secundum carnem, non multi potentes, non multi nobiles: sed infirma mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat fortia; et stulta mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat sapientes; et ignobilia mundi et contemptibilia elegit Deus, et ea quae non sunt tanquam sint, ut ea quae sunt evacuarentur (I Cor. I, 26-28). Si enim eligeret Christus primitus oratorem, diceret orator: Eloquentiae meae merito electus sum. Si eligeret senatorem, diceret senator: Dignitatis meae merito electus sum. Postremo, si prius eligeret

Chapter V. — 6. Why fishermen and unlettered men were chosen as apostles. And how great is that very condescension of Christ? This Peter, who speaks thus, was a fisherman: and nowadays an orator wins great praise if the fisherman can be understood by him. Therefore the apostle Paul, speaking to the first Christians, says: See your calling, brethren, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many noble: but God has chosen the weak things of the world, that He may confound the strong; and God has chosen the foolish things of the world, that He may confound the wise; and God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible things of the world, and the things that are not as though they were, that the things that are might be brought to nothing (1 Cor. 1:26–28). For if Christ had chosen an orator first, the orator would say: I was chosen on the merit of my eloquence. If He had chosen a senator, the senator would say: I was chosen on the merit of my dignity. Finally, if He had first chosen

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imperatorem, diceret imperator: Potestatis meae merito electus sum. Quiescant et differantur isti, paululum quiescant: non omittantur, non contemnantur; sed aliquantulum differantur, qui possunt gloriari de semetipsis in semetipsis. Da mihi, inquit, illum piscatorem, da mihi idiotam, da mihi imperitum, da mihi eum cum quo non dignatur loqui senator, nec quando emit piscem: ipsum, inquit, da; hunc si implevero, manifestum erit quod ego facio. Quanquam et senatorem et oratorem et imperatorem ego sum facturus: quandocumque facturus ego et senatorem, sed certius ego piscatorem. Potest senator gloriari de semetipso, potest orator, potest imperator: non potest nisi de Christo piscator. Veniat propter docendam humilitatem salubrem, prius veniat piscator; per ipsum melius adducitur imperator.

an emperor, the emperor would say: "By the merit of my power I was chosen." Let these be quiet and be put off; let them be quiet a little while: let them not be passed over, let them not be despised; but let them be put off for a little while, those who can glory about themselves in themselves. "Give Me," He says, "that fisherman, give Me an unlettered man, give Me an unskilled man, give Me the one with whom a senator does not deign to speak, not even when he buys fish: him," He says, "give Me; if I fill him, it will be manifest that it is I who do it." Although I am going to make a senator and an orator and an emperor too: at some time I am going to make a senator too, but more surely I [make] a fisherman. A senator can glory about himself, so can an orator, so can an emperor: a fisherman cannot, except about Christ. For the sake of teaching wholesome humility, let the fisherman come; let the fisherman come first; through him the emperor is better brought in.

CAPUT VI. — 7. Fides praecedit intelligere. Mementote ergo piscatorem sanctum, justum, bonum, Christo plenum, ad cujus missa per mundum retia capiendus cum caeteris etiam populus iste pertinuit: ergo mementote eum dixisse, Habemus certiorem propheticum sermonem. Da mihi ergo ad illam controversiam judicem prophetam. Quid inter nos agebatur? Tu dicebas, Intelligam, ut credam; ego dicebam, Ut intelligas, crede. Nata est controversia, veniamus ad judicem, judicet propheta, imo vero Deus judicet per prophetam. Ambo taceamus. Quid ambo dixerimus, auditum est. Intelligam, inquis, ut credam: Crede, inquam, ut intelligas. Respondeat propheta: Nisi credideritis, non intelligetis (Isai. VII, 9 sec. LXX).

Chapter VI. — 7. Faith precedes understanding. Remember, then, the fisherman, holy, just, good, full of Christ, to whose nets, cast throughout the world, this people too, along with the rest, belonged, to be caught: remember, then, that he said, We have a surer prophetic word. Give me, then, a prophet as judge in that controversy. What was being debated between us? You were saying, "Let me understand, that I may believe"; I was saying, "That you may understand, believe." A controversy has arisen; let us come to the judge; let the prophet judge, or rather let God judge through the prophet. Let us both be silent. What we have both said has been heard. "Let me understand," you say, "that I may believe": "Believe," I say, "that you may understand." Let the prophet answer: Unless you believe, you will not understand (Isa. 7:9 according to the Septuagint).

8. Fides intelligendo crescit. Putatis autem, charissimi, nihil dicere etiam illum qui dicit, Intelligam, ut credam? Quid enim nunc agimus, nisi ut credant, non qui non credunt, sed qui adhuc parum credunt? Nam si nullo modo credidissent, hic non essent. Fides eos adduxit, ut audiant; fides eos fecit praesentes verbo Dei: sed ipsa fides quae germinavit irriganda est, nutrienda est, roboranda est. Hoc est quod agimus. Ego, inquit, plantavi, Apollo rigavit; sed Deus incrementum dedit. Itaque neque qui plantat est aliquid, neque qui rigat; sed qui incrementum dat Deus (I Cor. III, 6 et 7). Loquendo, hortando, decendo, suadendo plantare pos⟨s⟩umus et rigare, non autem incrementum dare. Noverat autem ille cum quo loquebatur, qui fidei suae germinanti et adhuc tenerae, et adhuc infirmae, et ex magna parte titubanti, non tamen nullae fidei, sed alicui fidei adjutorem orabat, cui dicebat, Credo, Domine.

8. Faith grows by understanding. But do you think, dearly beloved, that he too says nothing who says, "Let me understand, that I may believe"? For what are we doing now, except [working] that they may believe, not those who do not believe, but those who as yet believe little? For if they had not believed in any way, they would not be here. Faith has brought them, that they may hear; faith has made them present to the word of God: but that very faith which has sprouted must be watered, must be nourished, must be strengthened. This is what we are doing. I, he says, planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters; but God Who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6–7). By speaking, exhorting, teaching, persuading, we can plant and water, but not give the increase. But he knew with Whom he was speaking, who was praying to a helper for his faith, sprouting and still tender, and still weak, and in great part tottering, yet not no faith, but some faith, when he said to Him, I believe, Lord.

CAPUT VII. — 9. Quomodo et credendum quod intelligatur, et intelligendum quod credatur. Modò cum Evangelium legeretur, audistis: Si potes credere, ait Dominus Jesus patri pueri, si potes credere, omnia possibilia sunt credenti. Et ille intuens semetipsum, et positus ante semetipsum, non habens temerariam confidentiam; sed prius discutiens conscientiam, vidit in se esse aliquam fidem, vidit et titubationem, utrumque vidit. Unum se habere confessus est, et alteri adjutorium postulavit. Credo, inquit, Domine. Quid sequebatur, nisi, Adjuva fidem meam? Non hoc dixit,

Chapter VII. — 9. How what is understood must be believed, and what is believed must be understood. Just now, when the Gospel was being read, you heard: If you can believe, says the Lord Jesus to the boy's father, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. And he, looking into himself, and placed before himself, not having rash confidence, but first examining his conscience, saw that there was some faith in him; he saw also the tottering; he saw both. The one he confessed that he had, and for the other he asked help. I believe, he says, Lord. What followed, except, Help my faith? He did not say this,

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