HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD, the first-begot- 14. We believe also that HE SITTETH AT THE
326 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [CuHap. VII.
sons of God,' whom [also] He has deemed it meet to make His own joint-partners and joint-heirs. ° they operate in these according to their nature, and yet never become debased by any defilement thence contracted, albeit that the visible light is by nature in closer conjunction with visible pollutions. How much less, therefore, could the Word of God, who is neither corporeal nor visible, sustain defilement from the female body, wherein He assumed human flesh together with soul and spirit, through the incoming of which the majesty of the Word dwells in a less immediate conjunction with the frailty of a human body !* Hence it is manifest that the Word of God could in no way have been defiled by a human body, by which even the human soul is not defiled. For not when it rules the body and quickens it, but only when it lusts after the mortal good things thereof, is the soul defiled by the body. But if these persons were to desire to avoid the defilements of the soul, they would dread rather these falsehoods and profanities.
CHAP. 6.—OF CHRIST'S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN,
13. We believe that HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, which place of bléssedness He has likewise promised unto us, saying, '* They shall be as the angels in the heavens,'' 7 in that city which is the mother of us all,® the Jerusalem eternal in the heavens. But it is wont to give offense to certain parties, either impious Gentiles or heretics, that we should believe in the assumption of an earthly body into heaven. The Gentiles, however, for the most part, set themselves diligently to ply us with the arguments of the philosophers, to the effect of affirming that there cannot possibly be anything earthly in heaven. For they know not our Scriptures, neither do they understand how it has been said, '* It is sown an animal body, it is raised a spiritual body.''? For thus it has not been expressed, as if body were turned into spirit and became spirit; inasmuch as at present, too, our body, which is called animal (amale), has not been turned into soul and become soul (anima). But by a spiritual body is meant one which has been made subject to spirit in such wise" that it is adapted to a heavenly habitation, all frailty and every earthly blemish having been. changed and converted into heavenly purity and stability. This is the change concerning which the apostle likewise speaks thus: '* We shall all rise, but we shall not all be changed.''** And that this change is made not unto the worse, but unto the better, the same [apostle] teaches, when he says, *' And we shall be changed."'* But the question as to where and in what manner the Lord's body is in heaven, is one which it would be altogether over-curious and superfluous to prosecute. Only we must believe that it is in heaven. For it pertains not to our frailty to investigate the secret things of heaven, but it does pertain to our faith to hold elevated and honorable sentiments on the subject of the dignity of the Lord's body.
CHAP, 5.—OF CHRIST'S PASSION, BURIAL, AND
RESURRECTION,
11. But little [comparatively] was the humiliation (Aummzlitas) of our Lord on our behalf in His being born: it was also added that He deemed it meet to die in behalf of mortal men. For '*'He humbled Himself, being made subject even unto death, yea, the death of the cross:"? lest any one of us, even were he able to have no fear of death [in general], should yet shudder at some particular sort of death which men reckon most shameful. Therefore do we believe in Him wHo UNDER PoNTIUS PILATE WAS CRUCIFIED AND BURIED, For it was requisite that the name of the judge snould be added, with a view to the cognizance of the times. Moreover, when that burial is made an object of belief, there enters also the recollection of the new tomb,3 which was meant to present a testimony to Him in His destiny to rise again to newness of life, even as the Virgin's womb did the same to Him in His appointment to be born. For just as in that sepulchre no other dead person was buried,4 whether before or after Him; so neither in that womb, whether before or after, was anything mortal conceived.
7.—OF CHRIST'S SESSION AT FATHER'S RIGHT HAND. CHAP. THE
12. We believe also, that ON THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD, the first-begotten for brethren destined to come after Him, whom He has called into the adoption of the
14. We believe also that HE SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER, This, however, is
6 Rom. viii. 17. 5 Eph. i. s. ahi 8 Gal. iv. 26. 7 Matt. xxii. 30. 9 x Cor, xv. 44. 10 Adopting the Benedictine reading, guod ita spiritut subditum est, But several ss. give guza tla coaptandunt est=it is understood to be a spiritual body, in that it is to be so adapted as to suita heavenly habitation.
t The Benedictinetext gives, guibus utesadthcesiiae habitat mazestas Verbt ab humant corporis fr agiiitale secretius. Another well-supported version is, ad humant corports fragilstatem, etc.= more retired in relation to the frailty of the human body. 2 Phil. ii. 8, 3 For monumenti some editions give festasment7=testament, 4 John xix. 41.
11 y Cor. xv. 51, according to the Vulgate's transposition of the negative. 12 7 Cor. xv. 52.