us, not only toward God, when it was said, called the mind, regarding which an apostle
ON FAITH AND THE CREED. 331
Cuap. X.]
whether the opinion in question be true, or| something else be the case, the faith ought to be maintained unshaken, so that we should call the Father God, the Son God, the Holy Spirit God, and yet not affirm three Gods, but hold the said Trinity to be one God; and again, not affirm these [Persons| to be different in nature, but hold them to be of the same substance; and further uphold it, not as if the Father were sometime the Son, and sometime the Holy Spirit, but in such wise that the Father is always the Father, and the Son always the Son, and the Holy Spirit always the Holy Spirit. Neither should we make any affirmation on the subject of things unseen rashly, as if we had knowledge, but [only modestly] as believing. For these things cannot be seen except by the heart made pure; and [even] he who in this life sees them ''in part,'' as it has been said, and '*in an enigma," * cannot secure it that the person to whom he speaks shall also see them, if he is hampered by impurities of heart. '*' Blessed,'' however, "* are they of a pure heart, for they shall see God." ? This is the faith on the subject of God our Maker and Renewer.
by Him who has reconciled us to Himself, doing away with all past things, and calling us to a new life. And until we reach the perfection of this new life, we cannot be without sins, Nevertheless it is a matter of consequence of what sort those sins may be.
22. Neither ought we only to treat of the difference between sins, but we ought most thoroughly to believe that those things in which we sin are in no way forgiven us, if we show ourselves severely unyielding in the matter of forgiving the sins of others.5 Thus, then, we believe also in THE REMISSION OF SINS,
23. And inasmuch as there are three things of which man consists,—namely, spirit, soul, and body,—which again are spoken of as two, because frequently the soul is named along with the spirit; for a certain rational portion of the same, of which beasts are devoid, is called spirit: the principal part in us is the spirit; next, the life whereby we are united with the body is called the soul; finally, the body itself, as it is visible, is the last part in us. This '* whole creation" (creatura), however, '' groaneth and travaileth until now.''® Nevertheless, He has given it the first-fruits of the Spirit, in that it has believed God, and is now of a good will.?7 This spirit is also called the mind, regarding which an apostle speaks thus: '' With the mind I serve the law of God.''®& Which apostle likewise expresses himself thus in another passage: '*For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit.''9 Moreover, the soul, when as yet it lusts after carnal good things, is called the flesh. Foracertain part thereof resists'? the Spirit, not in virtue of nature, but in virtue of the custom of sins; whence it is said,
21. But inasmuch as love is enjoined upon us, not only toward God, when it was said, '*Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;''? but also toward our neighbor, for '* thou shalt love,'' saith He, "* thy neighbor as thyself;''4 and inasmuch, moreover, as the faith in question is less fruitful, if it does not comprehend a congregation and society of men, wherein brotherly charity may operate ;—
With the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.'"' And this custom has been turned into a nature, according to mortal generation, by the sin of the first man, Consequently it is also written in this wise, ''And we were sometime by nature the children of wrath," ** that is, of vengeance, through which it has come to pass that we serve the law of sin. The nature of the soul, however, is perfect when it is made subject to its own spirit, and when it follows that spirit as the same follows God. Therefore *'the animal man" receiveth not the things which are of the Spirit of God.''% But the soul is not so speedily subdued to the spirit
CHAP, 10,—OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE RE-
MISSION OF SINS, AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH. —Inasmuch, I repeat, as this is the case, we believe also in THE HOLY CHURCH, [intending thereby] assuredly the caTHoLIc. For both heretics and schismatics style their congregations churches. But heretics, in holding false opinions regarding God, do .injury to the faith itself; while schismatics, on the other hand, in wicked separations break off from brotherly charity, although they may believe just what we believe. Wherefore neither do the heretics belong to the Church catholic, which loves God; nor do the schismatics form a part of the same, inasmuch as it loves the neighbor, and consequently readily forgives the neighbor's sins, because it prays that forgiveness may be extended to itself
5 Matt. vi. 15. 6 Rom. viii. 22. 7 Reading sJirztis. Taking sfirttus, the sense might be = Nevertheless, the spirit hath imparted the first-fruits, in that it has believed God, and is now of 4 good will.
8 Rom, vii. 25. 9 Rom. i. 9. 10 Instead of caro nominatur. Pars enim esus quedam resistit, etc., some good mss. read caro nominatur et resistit, etc. = is called the flesh, and resists, etc.
1r Eph. ii. 3. 12 Animalts homo, literally—the soudish man. 13 1 Cor. ii. 14.
I x Cor, xiii. 12. 2 Matt. v. 8. 3 Deut. vi. 5. 4 Luke x. 27.