Chapter XII
St. Anselm The Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury sparest. Verily then all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth24 and yet the Lord is just or righteous in all His ways25: and that without contradiction, since those whom Thou dost will to punish, it is not just should be saved: and whom Thou dost will to spare, it is not just should be condemned. For that alone is just, which Thou dost will, and that not just, which Thou wiliest not.
Thus then is Thy mercy born of Thy justice, because it is just that Thou shouldest be so good as to be good even in sparing; and this is perchance why the supremely just can will good to the evil.
But if it can at all be apprehended why Thou canst will to save the wicked; certainly that can by no means be comprehended why among those alike wicked Thou savest these rather than those by Thy supreme goodness and condemnest those rather than these by Thy supreme justice. Thus then hast Thou indeed perception and omnipotence, art pitiful and yet without passion; as Thou hast life, wisdom, goodness, blessedness, eternity and whatsoever other attributes it is better to have than not to have.
CHAPTER XII
BUT certainly whatsoever Thou art, this Thou art by reason of nothing else outside of Thyself.26
Thou therefore art the life whereby Thou livest; and that wisdom whereby Thou art wise; and that very goodness, whereby Thou art good both to the good and also to the evil; and so with the rest of Thine attributes.
CHAPTER XIII
BUT everything which is anyhow comprehended in place or time, is less than that which no law of place or time restraineth. Since then there is nothing greater than Thou, no place or time comprehendeth Thee, but Thou art everywhere and always: and of Thee alone can it be said Thou
Ps. xxv. 9.
Ps. cxlv. 17.
St Anselm means that there is this difference between God and us: if one of us is living or wise or good we partake of a life or wisdom or a goodness which is not ourselves: we are said to have life or wisdom or goodness, not to be life or wisdom or goodness: we may cease to have them or partake of them, and then we are living or wise or good no longer. But with God this is not so; there is no such distinction between Him and His life or wisdom or goodness; He is that life or wisdom or goodness, in virtue of which He is said to be living or wise or good.