Introduction to the Philosophy of Saint Augustine (continued)
me him," he says. "It will be manifest that his power comes from me. Granted that I shall be fashioning a senator, an orator, and an emperor: from time to time I shall indeed fashion a senator, but more certainly a fisherman. A senator can take pride in himself; so may an orator and an emperor. The fisherman cannot except from Christ. Let him stand as a wholesome lesson in humility. First let the fisherman come. Through him it will be easier to lead the emperor on."
7. Remember, therefore, that fisherman, holy, righteous, good, filled with Christ, by whose nets cast about the world even those who already belonged there were destined to be taken. Remember he said: In the message of the prophet we have something still more certain. Consequently for the resolution of this controversy give me the prophet as judge. What was the question between us? You were saying: "Let me understand in order that I may believe." I was saying, Unless you believe, you will not understand.
8. Do you suppose, dearly beloved, that even he who says "Let me understand in order to believe" is saying nothing? What are we doing now except aiming at faith, not in those who have no faith, but in those in whom faith is still weak. If they had no faith at all, they would not be here. It is faith that drew them here to listen. The word of God has brought them to faith, but this very faith that has taken root must be watered, nourished, strengthened.
This is what we are doing now. As we have heard said: I planted the seed, and Apollo watered it; but God made it grow. Thus it ts not the gardeners with their planting and watering who count, but God, who makes it grow. (I Cor. 3:6-7) Through speech, encouragement, teaching, and exhortation we can plant and water, but we cannot give growth. That man was fully aware of whom he was speaking to, when, begging help for a nascent faith, still tender and weak, to a large extent wavering, but still faith, he said to him, Lord, I believe. (Mark 9:23)
9. A little while ago when the Gospel was being read you heard the Lord Jesus saying to the father of the boy: If you can believe, everything is possible to him who believes. (Mark 9:22) And he, turning his eye inward and gazing at himself, not in a spirit of rash confidence but first examining his conscience, sees in himself some faith, and he sees also some wavering. Both these things he sees. He declares that he has the one, and he begs help for the other. I believe, Lord, he says. What followed from this except "Help my faith'? But he did not say this. J believe, Lord.
I see here something about which I did not lie. I believe, I am telling the truth. But I also see here something or other that displeases me. I wish to stand, but I waver. I speak standing, I have not fallen down because I believe. But still I waver: Help my unbelief. (Mark 9:23) Therefore, dearly beloved, my opponent too, by reason of whose dispute between us I demanded the prophet as judge, has something when he says: "I would understand in order that I may believe." Certainly, what I am now saying, I say with the object that those may believe who do not yet believe. Nevertheless unless they understand what I am saying, they cannot believe. Hence what he says is in some part true, "I would understand in order that I may believe." And I, too, am right when I say, as does the prophet: "Nay, believe in order that thou mayest understand." We both speak the truth; we are in agreement. Therefore, understand in order to believe; believe in order to understand. Here is a brief statement of how we can accept both without controversy. Understand in order that you may believe my word; believe, in order that you may understand the word of God. ii PREDESTINATION OF THE SAINTS 2 >& And, there. fore, commending that grace which is not given according to any merits, but is the cause of all good merits, he says, ""Not that we are sufficient to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." Let them give attention to this and well weigh these words, who think that the beginning of faith is of ourselves and the supplement of faith is of God. For who cannot see that that thinking is prior to believing? For no one believes anything unless he has first thought that it is to be believed. For however suddenly, however rapidly, some thoughts fly before the will to believe, and this presently follows in such wise as to attend them, as it were, in closest conjunction, it is yet necessary that everything which is believed should be believed after thought has preceded; although even belief itself is nothing else than to think with assent. For it is not everyone who thinks that believes, since many think in order that they may not believe; but everybody who believes, thinks— both thinks in believing and believes in thinking. Therefore in what pertains to religion and piety if we are not capable of thinking anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, we are certainly not capable of believing anything of ourselves, since we