PL 39 · cols. 1524–1528

Augustine, Sermones 347-352 (Classis IV, de Diversis)

Sermons CCCXLVII–CCCXLVIII

SERMO CCCXLVII. De timore Dei, I.

Sermon 347. On the Fear of God, 1.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Timor Dei in Scripturis quam crebro commendatus. Multa nobis, fratres, de Dei timore praecepta sunt, et quam sit utile timere Deum, innumerabiliter divina eloquia sonuerunt. Ex qua uberrima copia pauca me commemorantem, et ad ea, quantum pro temporis brevitate potuero, disserentem libenter advertite. Quis non sapientem se esse laetetur, aut si nondum est, esse desideret? Sed quid dicit Scriptura? Initium sapientiae timor Domini (Psal. CX, 10). Quem non regnare delectet? Sed audiamus quid in Psalmo Spiritus moneat: Et nunc, reges, intelligite; erudimini, qui judicatis terram: servite Domino in timore, et exultate ei cum tremore (Psal. II, 10, 11). Unde et Apostolus dicit: Cum timore et tremore vestram ipsorum salutem operamini (Philipp. II, 12). Legimus etiam scriptum, Concupisti sapientiam, serva justitiam, et Dominus praebebit illam tibi. Multos enim reperimus negligentissimos justitiae, et avidissimos sapientiae. Hos docet Scriptura divina pervenire non posse ad id quod appetunt, nisi servando quod negligunt. Serva, inquit, justitiam, et praebebit illam tibi Dominus, quam concupisti sapientiam. Quis autem potest, nisi Deum timeat, servare justitiam? Dicit enim alio loco, Nam qui sine timore est, non poterit justificari (Eccli. I, 16, 33, 28). Porro si Dominus non praebet sapientiam, nisi servanti justitiam, qui autem sine timore est, non poterit justificari: recurritur ad illam sententiam, Initium sapientiae timor Domini.

Chapter One. — 1. How often the fear of God is commended in the Scriptures. Many precepts have been given to us, brethren, concerning the fear of God, and the divine utterances have proclaimed times without number how useful it is to fear God. From that most abundant store, listen willingly to me as I recall a few of them and discourse on them, as far as I can in the shortness of the time. Who would not rejoice to be wise, or, if he is not yet, desire to be so? But what does Scripture say? The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Ps. 110:10). Whom would it not delight to reign? But let us hear what the Spirit admonishes in the Psalm: And now, kings, understand; be instructed, you who judge the earth: serve the Lord in fear, and exult to Him with trembling (Ps. 2:10–11). Hence the Apostle too says: With fear and trembling work out your own salvation (Phil. 2:12). We also read it written: You have desired wisdom, keep justice, and the Lord will supply it to you. For we find many who are most negligent of justice and most avid for wisdom. These the divine Scripture teaches that they cannot attain what they seek except by keeping what they neglect. Keep, it says, justice, and the Lord will supply to you that wisdom which you have desired. But who can keep justice unless he fears God? For it says in another place, For he who is without fear will not be able to be justified (Ecclus. 1:16, 33, 28). Further, if the Lord does not supply wisdom except to one who keeps justice, and he who is without fear will not be able to be justified, we are brought back to that saying, The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

CAPUT II. — 2. Gradus a timore ad sapientiam. I⟨s⟩aias etiam propheta cum septem illa notissima dona spiritualia commendaret, incipiens a sapientia pervenit ad timorem Dei, tanquam de sublimi descendens ad nos, ut nos doceret ascendere. Inde ergo coepit, quo volumus pervenire; et illuc pervenit, unde debemus incipere. Requiescet in eo, inquit, Spiritus Dei, Spiritus sapientiae et intellectus, Spiritus consilii et fortitudinis, Spiritus scientiae et pietatis, Spiritus timoris Domini (Isai. XI, 2, 3). Sicut ergo ille, non deficiendo, sed docendo a sapientia usque ad timorem descendit; sic nos, non superbiendo, sed proficiendo a timore usque ad sapientiam oportet ascendere. Initium enim sapientiae timor Domini. Ipsa est enim convallis plorationis, de qua Psalmus dicit, Ascensiones in corde ejus disposuit in convalle plorationis. Per convallem

Chapter II. — 2. The steps from fear to wisdom. The prophet Isaiah too, when he was commending those seven most famous spiritual gifts, began from wisdom and came down to the fear of God, as though descending from on high to us in order to teach us to ascend. He began, then, from the point we wish to reach, and he arrived at the point from which we ought to begin. There shall rest upon Him, he says, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:2–3). As, then, he descended from wisdom down to fear, not by failing but by teaching, so we must ascend from fear up to wisdom, not by being proud but by making progress. For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. For this is the valley of weeping, of which the Psalm says, He has set ascents in his heart in the valley of weeping. By the valley

Editors' notes and page, col. 1524

Footnotes

(*) ‹anchor: after "SERMO CCCXLVII."› · call in col 1524 Emendatus pariter ad cs. cl. m. et ad Am. Er. Par. Lov.

Likewise corrected against the manuscripts named here (cs. cl. m.) and against the Amerbach, Erasmus, Paris and Louvain editions.

(printed under page 24)

(a) ‹anchor: after "SERMO CCCXLVII."› · call in col 1524

Alias, de Sanctis 17.

Elsewhere numbered "On the Saints" 17.

(printed under page 24)

(b) ‹anchor: after "De timore Dei, I"› · call in col 1524

Hunc a Beda vulgato citari monent Parisienses et Lovanienses Theologi; sed falso. Errori occasionem praebuit fragmentum ex sermone 191, de Natali Domini 8, quod huic assutum erat in editis Am. Er. et Parisiensium.

The theologians of Paris and of Louvain note that this sermon is cited by the printed Bede; but wrongly. The occasion of the error was a fragment from Sermon 191 (On the Lord's Nativity 8), which had been stitched onto this one in the editions of Amerbach, Erasmus and the Parisians.

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other: the column opens with the end of the previous work (another unit); not set here: the unit begins at SERMO CCCXLVII.
other: "timore" (§1) and "Requiescet" (§2) print with a broken e (crossbar lost, reads as c), as throughout this scan; set as e (QA Q1).

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quippe humilitas significatur. Quis est autem humilis, nisi timens Deum, et eo timore conterens cor in lacrymis confessionis et poenitentiae? Quia cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non spernit (Psal. L, 19). Sed non timeat ne in convalle remaneat. In ipso enim corde contrito et humiliato, quod Deus non spernit, ascensiones per quas in illum assurgamus, ipse disposuit. Nam ita Psalmus dicit: Ascensiones in corde ejus disposuit in convalle plorationis, in locum quem disposuit (Psal. LXXXIII, 6, 7). Ubi fiunt ascensiones? In corde, inquit. Sed unde ascendendum est? Utique a cunvalle plorationis. Et quo ascendendum est? In locum, inquit, quem disposuit. Quis iste est locus, nisi quietis et pacis? Ibi enim est illa clara, et quae nunquam marcescit sapientia. Unde ad nos exercitandos quibusdam doctrinae gradibus descendit Isaias a sapientia usque ad timorem, a loco scilicet sempiternae pacis usque ad convallem temporalis plorationis: ut nos in confessione poenitentiae dolendo, gemendo, flendo, non remaneamus in dolore et gemitu et fletu; sed ascendentes ab ista convalle in montem spiritualem, ubi civitas sancta Jerusalem mater nostra ⟨ae⟩terna fundata est, imperturbabili laetitia perfruamur. Ergo ille cum praeposuisset sapientiam, lumen scilicet mentis indeficiens, adjunxit intellectum: tanquam quaerentibus unde ad sapientiam veniretur, responderet, Ab intellectu; unde ad intellectum, A consilio; unde ad consilium, A fortitudine; unde ad fortitudinem, A scientia; unde ad scientiam, A pietate; unde ad pietatem, A timore. Ergo ad sapientiam a timore; quia initium sapientiae timor Domini. A convalle plorationis usque ad montem pacis.

indeed humility is signified. But who is humble, except one who fears God, and by that fear crushes his heart in tears of confession and penitence? For a contrite and humbled heart God does not spurn (Ps. 50:19). But let him not fear that he may remain in the valley. For in the very heart, contrite and humbled, which God does not spurn, He Himself has set the ascents by which we may rise up to Him. For thus the Psalm says: He has set ascents in his heart in the valley of weeping, into the place which He has set (Ps. 83:6–7). Where do the ascents come about? In the heart, it says. But from where must one ascend? From the valley of weeping, surely. And whither must one ascend? Into the place, it says, which He has set. What is this place, if not [the place] of quiet and peace? For there is that bright wisdom which never fades. Hence, to exercise us by certain steps of teaching, Isaiah descends from wisdom down to fear, that is, from the place of everlasting peace down to the valley of temporal weeping: so that we, grieving, groaning, weeping in the confession of penitence, may not remain in grief and groaning and weeping; but ascending from this valley to the spiritual mountain, where the holy city Jerusalem, our eternal mother, is founded, may enjoy undisturbable gladness. Therefore he, when he had put wisdom first, that is, the unfailing light of the mind, added understanding: as if to those asking from where one comes to wisdom he were answering, From understanding; from where to understanding, From counsel; from where to counsel, From fortitude; from where to fortitude, From knowledge; from where to knowledge, From piety; from where to piety, From fear. Therefore to wisdom from fear; for the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. From the valley of weeping up to the mountain of peace.

CAPUT III. — 3. Gradus ex Isaia septem comparantur ad octo beatitudines Evangelii. — Beati enim pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum (Matth. V, 3). Ipsi sunt in convalle humiles, ipsi in tremore, cor contritum et humiliatum sacrificant Deo: unde ascendunt ad pietatem, ut non resistant voluntati ejus, sive in sermonibus ejus, ubi non capiunt sensum ejus; sive in ordine ipso et gubernatione creaturae, cum pleraque aliter accidunt, quam privata hominis voluntas exposcit: ibi quippe dicendum est, Verum non quod ego volo, sed quod tu vis, Pater (Id. XXVI, 39). Beati enim mansueti, quoniam ipsi haereditate possidebunt terram (Id. V, 4): non terram morientium, sed terram de qua dictum est, Spes mea es tu, portio mea in terra viventium (Psal. CXLI, 6). Ab ista quippe pietate merebuntur scientiae gradum, ut noverint non solum mala praeteritorum peccatorum suorum, de quibus in primo gradu poe⟨n⟩itentiae dolore fleverunt, sed etiam in quo malo sint hujus mortalitatis et peregrinationis a Domino, etiam cum felicitas saecularis arridet. Nam ideo scriptum est, Qui apponit scientiam, apponit et dolorem (Eccle. I, 18). Beati enim lugentes, quoniam ipsi consolabuntur. Iude assurgunt ad fortitudinem, ut mundus eis crucifigatur, et ipsi mundo, ut in hujus vitae perversitate et abundantia iniquitatis charitas non refrigescat; sed toleretur fames sitisque jus⟨t⟩itiae, donec ad ejus saturitatem

Chapter III. — 3. The seven steps from Isaiah are compared to the eight beatitudes of the Gospel. — For blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:3). They are the humble in the valley, they in trembling sacrifice to God a contrite and humbled heart: from there they ascend to piety, so as not to resist His will, whether in His words, where they do not grasp His meaning, or in the very order and governance of creation, when most things happen otherwise than the private will of a man demands: for there one must say, Yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt, Father (Matt. 26:39). For blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth by inheritance (Matt. 5:4): not the land of the dying, but the land of which it is said, Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living (Ps. 141:6). For from this piety they will merit the step of knowledge, so that they may know not only the evils of their past sins, over which they wept with the pain of penitence in the first step, but also in what evil of this mortality and of pilgrimage away from the Lord they are, even when worldly prosperity smiles. For this is why it is written, He who adds knowledge adds also sorrow (Eccl. 1:18). For blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. From there they rise to fortitude, so that the world is crucified to them, and they to the world, so that in the perverseness of this life and the abundance of iniquity charity may not grow cold; but hunger and thirst for justice is endured, until to its satiety

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veniatur in illa immortalitate sanctorum, et societate Angelorum. Beati enim qui esuriunt et sitiunt justitiam, quoniam ipsi saturabuntur (Matth. V, 5, 6). Verumtamen propter inquietudinem tentationum, et quod dictum est, Vae mundo ab scandalis (Id. XVIII, 7); si qua forte delicta minutatim furtimque subrepunt, quibus humana praeoccupatur infirmitas, consilium deesse non debet. Neque enim tantum potest in ista mortali vita ille fortitudinis gradus, ut qui cum astutissimo adversario continua certatione confligit, non aliquando feriatur: maxime per tentationes linguae, ubi si dixerit quis fratri suo, Fatue; reus erit gehennae ignis. (Id. V, 22). Quod est ergo consilium, nisi quod Dominus dicit, Dimittite, et dimittetur vobis (Luc. VI, 37)? Et ideo sicut in gradibus quos per Isaiam discimus, quintum est consilium; sic in Evangelio in illis beatitudinis laudibus quinto loco ponitur, Beati misericordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequentur. Sextus est apud Isaiam intellectus: ubi ab omni falsitate carnalis vanitatis corda mundantur, ut pura intentio dirigatur in finem. Propterea sexto loco etiam Dominus dixit, Beati mundo corde, quoniam ipsi Deum videbunt (Matth. V, 7, 8). Cum vero ad finem perventum fuerit, jam consistitur, jam requiescitur, jam secura pace triumphatur. Et quis finis, nisi Deus Christus? Finis enim legis Christus, ad justitiam omni credenti (Rom. X, 4). Et sapientia Dei quis, nisi Christus? Et filius Dei quis, nisi Christus? In illo ergo sapientes, et in illo filii Dei fiunt, quicumque fiunt: et haec est pax plena atque perpetua. Ideo cum apud Isaiam sit septima sapientia sursum versus ascendentibus, unde coepit ipse ad nos docendo descendere; septimo etiam loco Dominus qui nos erigit, posuit, Beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur. Has igitur promissiones habentes, et his gradibus tendentes ad Dominum, omnia mundi hujus aspera et dura toleremus, nec nos ejus frangat saevitia, qua victa in aeterna pace gaudebimus. Ad hoc nos enim jam demonstrato fine cohortatur octava sententia, Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter justitiam, quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum (Matth. V, 9, 10).

one may come into that immortality of the saints and the fellowship of the Angels. For blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they themselves shall be filled (Matt. 5:5, 6). Nevertheless, because of the restlessness of temptations, and because it has been said, Woe to the world because of scandals (Matt. 18:7), if perhaps any sins creep in little by little and by stealth, by which human weakness is overtaken, counsel ought not to be lacking. For that degree of fortitude cannot be so great in this mortal life that one who fights in continual combat with a most cunning adversary is not at some time struck: above all through temptations of the tongue, where, if anyone says to his brother, Fool, he will be liable to the fire of Gehenna (Matt. 5:22). What, then, is the counsel, except what the Lord says, Forgive, and it will be forgiven you (Luke 6:37)? And therefore, just as in the steps which we learn through Isaiah, the fifth is counsel, so in the Gospel, in those praises of blessedness, there is placed in the fifth place, Blessed are the merciful, for they themselves shall obtain mercy. The sixth in Isaiah is understanding, where hearts are cleansed of all the falsehood of carnal vanity, so that a pure intention may be directed towards the end. For this reason the Lord too said in the sixth place, Blessed are the clean of heart, for they themselves shall see God (Matt. 5:7, 8). But when the end has been reached, then there is standing firm, then there is rest, then there is triumph in secure peace. And what is the end, except God, Christ? For Christ is the end of the law, unto righteousness for everyone who believes (Rom. 10:4). And who is the wisdom of God, except Christ? And who is the Son of God, except Christ? In Him, therefore, they become wise, and in Him they become sons of God, whoever become so: and this is peace full and everlasting. Therefore, since in Isaiah wisdom is seventh for those ascending upwards, from where He Himself began to descend to us by teaching, the Lord too, Who raises us up, placed in the seventh place, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Having, then, these promises, and striving towards the Lord by these steps, let us endure all the harsh and hard things of this world, and let not its savagery break us; for when it has been conquered we shall rejoice in eternal peace. For to this, now that the end has been shown, the eighth saying exhorts us, Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:9, 10).

SERMO CCCXLVIII. De timore Dei, II.

Sermon 348. On the fear of God, II.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Timore Dei fortitudo vera comparatur. Timor charitate pellendus non vanitate. Non dubito, dilectissimi fratres, insitum esse cordibus vestris timorem Dei, quo ad veram et solidam fortitudinem perducamini. Cum enim fortis ille dicatur, qui neminem timet; perverse fortis est, qui primo Deum non vult timere, ut timendo audiat, audiendo diligat, et diligendo non timeat. Tunc erit vere fortissimus, non superba duritia, sed secura justitia.

Chapter I. — 1. True fortitude is acquired by the fear of God. Fear is to be driven out by charity, not by vanity. I do not doubt, dearly beloved brethren, that the fear of God has been implanted in your hearts, by which you may be led to true and solid fortitude. For although he is called brave who fears no one, he is perversely brave who does not wish first to fear God, so that by fearing he may listen, by listening he may love, and by loving he may not fear. Then he will be truly most brave, not by proud hardness, but by secure justice.

Editors' notes and page, col. 1526

Footnotes

(*) ‹anchor: SERMO CCCXLVIII› · call in col 1526 Emendatus ad eosdem Mss. et Edd. in sermone praecedenti modo designatos.

Corrected against the same manuscripts and editions indicated just now in the preceding sermon.

(printed under page 25)

(a) ‹anchor: SERMO CCCXLVIII› · call in col 1526

Alias, de Tempore 214.

Elsewhere numbered "On the Season" 214.

(printed under page 25)

(b) ‹anchor: De timore Dei, II› · call in col 1526

Citat Florus ad Rom. XI. Sed hunc sermonem, quem Augustinus in fine longiorem dicit, nescimus an integrum hic habeas. Certe multo brevior erat in prius editis, in quibus id totum desideratur, quod ante caput tertium, ab istis verbis, « Quapropter invidendi sunt, » etc., n. 3, continetur. Hoc nos restitutum imus ex veteri codice Michaelino.

Florus cites it on Romans 11. But whether you have here the whole of this sermon, which Augustine at its end calls rather long, we do not know. Certainly it was much shorter in the earlier editions, which lack the whole of what is contained before chapter three, from the words "Wherefore they are to be envied," etc., n. 3. We restore this from an old manuscript of Saint-Michel.

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Sic etiam scriptum est, Timor Domini, spes fortitudinis (Prov. XIV, 26). Cum enim timetur poena quam minatur, discitur amari praemium quod pollicetur: ac sic per timorem poenae bona vita retinetur; per bonam vitam bona conscientia comparatur, ut per bonam conscientiam nulla poena timeatur. Quapropter discat timere, qui non vult timere. Discat ad tempus esse sollicitus, qui semper vult esse securus. Ut enim dicit Joannes, Timor non est in charitate, sed perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem (I Joan. IV, 18). Dixit sane, et veraciter dixit. Si ergo habere non vis timorem, prius vide utrum jam perfectam habeas charitatem, quae foras mittit timorem. Si vero ante istam perfectionem timor excluditur, superbia inflat, non charitas aedificat. Nam sicut in bona valetudine fames non fastidio, sed cibo pellitur; ita in bona mente timor non vanitate, sed charitate pellendus est.

Thus also it is written, The fear of the Lord is the hope of strength (Prov. 14:26). For when the punishment that He threatens is feared, one learns to love the reward that He promises: and thus through fear of punishment a good life is held fast; through a good life a good conscience is acquired, so that through a good conscience no punishment is feared. Therefore let him learn to fear who does not wish to fear. Let him learn to be anxious for a time who wishes to be secure for ever. For as John says, Fear is not in charity, but perfect charity casts out fear (1 John 4:18). He said it indeed, and said it truly. If therefore you do not wish to have fear, first see whether you already have perfect charity, which casts out fear. But if fear is shut out before that perfection, pride puffs up, not charity builds up. For just as in good health hunger is driven away not by loathing but by food, so in a sound mind fear must be driven out not by vanity but by charity.

CAPUT II. — 2. Timore carere, qua dilectione contingat, discutiendum. Discute itaque conscientiam tuam, quisquis timere jam non vis. Noli superficiem compalpare, descende in te, penetra interiora cordis tui. Rimare diligenter, utrum nulla ibi vena venenata tabificum amorem saeculi sugat et sorbeat, utrum nulla carnalis voluptatis movearis et capiaris illecebra, nulla inani jactantia tumidus extollaris, nulla cura vanitatis exaestues: audeas nuntiare purum ac liquidum te videre, quidquid latebrarum in conscientia perscrutaris, a factis, a dictis, a cogitationibus pravis; si jam iniquitatis diligentia non fatigat, utrum aequitatis negligentia nulla subrepat. Si haec ita sunt, recte gaudes, gaude esse te sine timore. Excluserit autem eum charitas Dei, quem diligis ex toto corde, et ex tota anima, et ex tota mente tua. Excluserit eum et charitas proximi, quem diligis tanquam te ipsum: et ideo pro illo satagis, ut etiam ipse tecum ex toto corde, ex tota anima, ex tota mente diligat Deum; quia non aliter recte diligis et te ipsum, nisi quia sic diligis Deum, ut non propterea minus eum diligas, quia converteris vel ad te ipsum. Si autem quamvis intra te ipsum nulla irritaris cupiditate (quod quidem de se quis audeat gloriari?), tamen si te ipsum in te ipso diligis, et de te ipso tibi places, hoc ipsum vehementius timere debes, quia nihil times. Non enim quacumque dilectione foras mittendus est timor, sed recta dilectione qua tota diligimus Deum, et propterea proximum, ut sic et ipse diligat Deum. Se autem in se diligere, et sibi placere, non est justitiae charitas, sed superbiae vanitas. Ac per hoc Apostolus justa reprehensione percussit se ipsos amantes et sibi placentes (II Tim. III, 1-5). Perfecta ergo charitas foras mittit timorem. Sed ea dicenda est charitas, quae non est vilitas. Quid autem vilius quam homo sine Deo? Ecce quid amat, qui se ipsum non in Deo, sed in se ipso amat. Recte huic dicitur, Noli altum sapere, sed time (Rom. XI, 20). Quia enim altum sapit, et ideo non timet, utique perniciose non timet, qui non in solido collocatur, sed flatu superbiae ventilatur.

Chapter II. — 2. By what love it comes about that one is without fear must be examined. Examine therefore your conscience, whoever you are that no longer wish to fear. Do not merely stroke the surface; descend into yourself, penetrate the inner recesses of your heart. Search carefully whether no poisoned vein there sucks and drinks in the wasting love of the world, whether you are moved and caught by no allurement of carnal pleasure, whether you are lifted up, swollen, by no empty boasting, whether you seethe with no care of vanity: whether you dare to declare that you see as pure and clear whatever hiding places in your conscience you search through, [free] from wicked deeds, from words, from thoughts; whether, if the zeal of iniquity no longer wearies you, no negligence of equity creeps in. If these things are so, you rightly rejoice; rejoice that you are without fear. Then the charity of God will have shut it out, Whom you love with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole mind. The charity of your neighbour too will have shut it out, whom you love as yourself: and therefore you busy yourself on his behalf, that he also, together with you, may love God with his whole heart, with his whole soul, with his whole mind; because you do not rightly love even yourself in any other way than by so loving God that you do not love Him any the less because you turn even towards yourself. But if, although within yourself you are provoked by no desire (and who would dare to boast this of himself?), you nevertheless love yourself in yourself, and are pleasing to yourself, you ought to fear this very thing the more vehemently, that you fear nothing. For fear is not to be cast out by just any love, but by the right love, whole, with which we love God, and on that account our neighbour, so that he too may love God. But to love oneself in oneself, and to be pleasing to oneself, is not the charity of justice but the vanity of pride. And for this reason the Apostle struck with just rebuke those who love themselves and are pleasing to themselves (2 Tim. 3:1–5). Perfect charity therefore casts out fear. But that is to be called charity which is not cheapness. And what is cheaper than man without God? Behold what he loves who loves himself not in God but in himself. Rightly is it said to him, Do not be high-minded, but fear (Rom. 11:20). For because he is high-minded, and therefore does not fear, he certainly does not fear to his ruin, since he is not set on solid ground but is tossed about by the blast of pride.

Editors' notes and page, col. 1527

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: irritaris cupiditate› · call in col 1527

Michaelinus Ms., extra te ipsum nulla irretiris cupiditate.

The Saint-Michel manuscript: "outside yourself you are snared by no desire."

(printed under page 26)

(2) ‹anchor: qua tota› · call in col 1527

Idem Ms., tota mente.

The same manuscript: "with the whole mind."

(printed under page 26)

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old-edition numerals: (none)

PL 39:1528

Neque mitis et pius est, qui se ipsum in se ipso amat et laudat : sed elatus et ferox, non novit dicere, In Domino laudabitur anima mea ; audiant mites, et jucundentur (Psal. XXXIII, 3). Quid enim bo⟨n⟩i amat, qui forte hoc ipsum propter hoc ipsum am⟨at⟩ nihil timere? Potest enim hoc sibi persuadere, no⟨n⟩ sanitate, sed immanitate. Verbi gratia, est aliquis audacissimus latro, quanto perverse fortior, tanto periculose crudelior, qui propter ipsum amorem suum quo amat nihil timere, ingentia facinora moliatur, ut quod amat exerceat, et exercendo corroboret : quanto ejus fuerint majora commissa, tanto major erit non timentis audacia. Non hoc ergo pro magno bono amandum est, quod et in homine pessimo inveniri potest.

Nor is he gentle and pious who loves and praises himself in himself: but the proud and fierce man does not know how to say, In the Lord shall my soul be praised; let the gentle hear and rejoice (Ps. 33:3). For what good does he love who perhaps loves this very thing, to fear nothing, for the sake of this very thing? For he can persuade himself of this, not by soundness but by savagery. For example, there is some most audacious robber, the more perversely brave, the more dangerously cruel, who, on account of that very love of his by which he loves to fear nothing, undertakes enormous crimes, so that he may exercise what he loves, and by exercising strengthen it: the greater his misdeeds have been, the greater will be the audacity of the man who does not fear. This, therefore, is not to be loved as a great good, which can be found even in the worst of men.

3. Epicurei et Stoici carere timore amant, sed perverse. Quapropter irridendi sunt hujus mundi philosophi, non solum Epicurei, qui etiam ipsam justitiam venalem habent, carnalis pretio voluptatis. Dicunt enim propterea sapientem, justum esse debere, ut vel acquirat, vel teneat ex corpore voluptatem. Nam et hi fortissimos se jactant, et nihil omnino timere se dicunt : quia nec quidquam Deum res humanas curare arbitrantur, et consumpta ista vita nullam postea credunt futuram ; et si quid eis adversitatis in hac ipsa contingit, eo se munitos existimant, quia corporis voluptatem, cum eam in ipso corpore tenere non possunt, possunt tamen animo cogitare, et ea cogitatione sese oblectando, corporalis voluptatis beatitudinem, etiam contra corporalis doloris impetum custodire. Numquid non et apud istos dilectio foras mittit timorem? Sed dilectio sordidissimae voluptatis, imo dilectio turpissimae vanitatis. Nam cum ipsam voluptatem de membris corporis irruens dolor excluserit, per falsam ejus imaginem in animo vanitatis remanebit. Quae vanitas tantum amatur, ut cum eam vanus homo totis viribus cordis amplectitur, etiam doloris saevitia mitigetur. Non solum ergo isti deridendi sunt, sed etiam ipsi Stoici. Nam istae duae sectae Epicureorum et Stoicorum, sicut in Apostolorum Actibus legimus, adversus lumen Pauli nostri fumos suos ausae sunt jactitare (Act. XVII, 18). Nam et Stoici se fortissimos praeferunt, et non propter corporis voluptatem, sed propter animi virtutem, idipsum non timere propter non timere custodiunt, typho turgidi, et non sapientia sanati, sed errore durati. Eo quippe minus minusque sani sunt, quo aegrotum animum a se ipsis sanari posse crediderunt. Hanc autem putant esse animi sanitatem, ut nec misereri dicant debere sapientem. Si enim miseretur, inquiunt, dolet : quod autem dolet, sanum non est. O stulta caecitas! Quid, si eo minus dolet, quo sanum non est? Interest enim utrum perfecta sanitate non doleat : quale erit sanctorum et corpus et animus in resurrectione mortuorum, quam isti non credunt ; quia indoctos magistros habent, cum se ipsos habent. Interest ergo utrum aliquid sanitate,

3. The Epicureans and the Stoics love to be without fear, but perversely. Wherefore the philosophers of this world are to be laughed at, not only the Epicureans, who hold even justice itself up for sale at the price of carnal pleasure. For they say that the wise man ought to be just for this reason, that he may either acquire or retain pleasure from the body. For these too boast that they are most brave, and say that they fear nothing at all: because they think that God does not care about human affairs in any way, and they believe that, once this life is spent, there will be none afterwards; and if anything adverse befalls them in this very life, they consider themselves fortified by this, that the pleasure of the body, when they cannot hold it in the body itself, they can nevertheless contemplate in the mind, and, by delighting themselves with that thought, guard the blessedness of bodily pleasure even against the onslaught of bodily pain. Does not love among these too cast out fear? But it is a love of most sordid pleasure, nay rather a love of most base vanity. For when pain rushing in has shut out pleasure itself from the members of the body, [the love] of vanity will remain in the mind through a false image of it. This vanity is so loved that, when the vain man embraces it with all the strength of his heart, even the savagery of pain is softened. Not only, then, are these men to be derided, but also the Stoics themselves. For these two sects of the Epicureans and the Stoics, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles, dared to toss up their smoke against the light of our Paul (Acts 17:18). For the Stoics too put themselves forward as most brave, and, not for the sake of bodily pleasure but for the sake of virtue of the mind, they maintain this very not fearing for the sake of not fearing, swollen with pride, and not healed by wisdom but hardened by error. For they are the less and less healthy, the more they have believed that a sick mind can be healed by themselves. And they think this to be the health of the mind, that they say the wise man ought not even to feel pity. For if he pities, they say, he suffers pain: but what suffers pain is not healthy. O foolish blindness! What if it suffers pain the less because it is not healthy? For it makes a difference whether it does not suffer pain through perfect health: such as both the body and the mind of the saints will be in the resurrection of the dead, which these men do not believe; because they have unlearned teachers, since they have themselves. It makes a difference, therefore, whether something through health,

Editors' notes and page, col. 1528

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: not visible› · call in col 1528

Sic Michaelinus Ms. At editi: Qui enim altum sapit, et ideo non timet, utique perniciose non timet. Neque enim nu[‹illegible›]tis, etc.

So the Saint-Michel manuscript. But the printed editions: "For he who is high-minded, and therefore does not fear, surely does not fear to his ruin. For neither [… (word partly illegible)]," etc.

(printed under page 26)