Monologion: Chapter 75/Chapter 76
BASIC WRITINGS
Chapter 75 That one ought to hope for the supreme essence But the human soul could in no way exert itself in this effort if it despaired of being able to attain what it is striving for. Therefore, the hope of success is as necessary to it as persistence in struggling is useful.
Chapter 76 That one ought to believe in him71 But one cannot love or hope for what one does not believe. And so it is beneficial for the human soul to believe the supreme essence and those things without which he cannot be loved, so that by believing them it might strive for [in] him. I think the same thing can be signified fittingly and more briefly if one says "believe in [in] the supreme essence" instead of "by believing to strive for [in] the supreme essence." For if someone says that he believes in [in] him, he seems to make it quite clear both that he strives unto [ad] the supreme essence through the faith he professes, and that he believes those things that pertain to this striving. For someone who believes what does not pertain to striving for [in] him, or who does not strive unto [ad] him in virtue of what he believes, does not appear to believe in [in] him. And perhaps it would make no difference whether we say that someone believes "in [in] him" or "on [ad] him," just as "by believing to strive for [in] him" and "by believing to strive unto [ad] him" can be regarded as meaning the same thing, except for the fact that whoever comes to him by striving unto [ad] him will not remain outside him but will abide within him for ever.This is more explicitly and readily signified by saying that one ought to strive "for [in] him" rather than "unto [ad] him."72 And so by this argument I think it can be more fittingly said that one ought to believe "in [in] him" rather than "on [ad] him."
71 Much of the argument in this chapter turns on the question of which of two prepositions is most suitably used with the verbs tendere (to strive) and credere (to believe). Unfortunately in English we have to use four different prepositions if we are not to outrage idiom, and the point is thus lost in translation. So in order to show what Anselm is doing, I have indicated the Latin preposition in brackets after each occurrence in the English.
72 Since the Latin in suggests the idea of motion into something, whereas ad merely suggests the idea of motion toward something.