The Essential Augustine
wise, and I see that it follows from those things that I conceded, that I should not hesitate to say I am a fool. A. Therefore the fool knows wisdom. For he would not be sure, as we said just now is the case, that he wished to be wise, and that he ought to wish it, if there were not inherent in his mind a notion of wisdom as having to do with those matters, concerning which you answered when asked about them separately, and which pertain to wisdom, and in the knowledge of which you rejoiced. E. It is as you say.
What else therefore do we do when we study to be 41. wise, except to concentrate our whole soul with all the ardor we can upon what we touch with our mind, and as it were place it there and fix it unshakeably; so that it may no longer enjoy privately what has entangled it in passing things, but freed from all influence of times or places may lay hold on that which is ever one and the same. For just as the soul is the whole life of the body, the happy life of the soul is God. While we do this, and until we have completed it, we are on the way
And it is granted to us to rejoice in these true and sure goods, albeit they are as yet but flickering lights on this dark road. For is not this what is written about wisdom, when we are told how she deals with her lovers when they come to her: She showeth herself joyfully to them along the ways, and runneth to meet them with all providence. [Wisd. 6:17] For whithersoever you turn, by certain marks imprinted on her works she speaks to you, and when you slip back into external things, she again calls you within by the very forms of those things outside; so that you see that whatever delights you in the body, or allures through the bodily senses, is numbered. And you ask why this is, and return within yourself and understand that you cannot approve or find fault with that which you touch with your bodily senses, unless you have at hand certain laws of beauty, to which you may refer whatever beautiful things you may perceive externally.
Look on earth and sky and sea, and whatsoever 42. things are in them or shine from above or creep beneath or fly or swim; they have forms because they have numbers: take these away, they will be nothing. From what then are they, if not from number, seeing that they have being only in so far as they have number?
And even human rtificers, makers of all corporeal forms, have numbers in their art to which they fit their works; and they move hands and tools in the fashioning till
APPROACHING GOD THROUGH UNDERSTANDING
that which is formed outside, carried back to the light of numbers which is within, so far as may be attains perfection, and through the mediating sense pleases the inner judge looking upon the heavenly numbers.
Then seek what moves the limbs of the artificer himself: it will be number; for they too are moved in the rhythm of numbers. And if you take away the work from the hands, and from the mind the intention of making something, and that motion is directed toward pleasure, you will have a dance. Seek then what it is that gives pleasure in a dance; number will answer, "Behold, it is I."
Look now upon the beauty of the formed body; numbers are held in space. Examine the beauty of mobility in the body; numbers move around in time. Go into the art whence these proceed, seek in it time and place: never will it be, nowhere will it be; yet number lives in it, nor is its region of spaces, nor its age of days; and yet when they who would be artists apply themselves to learning the art, they move their bodies through space and time, and even their mind through time—with the passing of time, to be sure, they become more skillful. Transcend, therefore, the artist's mind also, to see the sempiternal number. Now wisdom will flash forth to you from her innermost throne, and from the very sanctuary of truth. If she dazzles and blinds your as yet too feeble vision, turn back the eye of the mind into that path where she showed herself joyfully; but remember then that you have put off the vision which, when you are stronger and sounder, you may seek again.
THE SOUL'S ASCENT TO GOD*
Being thence admonished to return to myself, I en10.16. tered even into my inward self, Thou being my Guide, and able I was, for Thou wert become my Helper. And I entered and beheld with the eye of my soul
(such as it was), above the same eye of my soul, above my mind, the Light Unchangeable. Not this ordinary light, which all flesh may look upon, nor as it were a greater of the same kind, as though the brightness of this should be manifold brighter, and with its greatness take up all space.
Not such was this light, but other, yea, far other from all these. Nor was it above my soul, as oil is above waiter, nor
Confessions, VII, 10.16-17.23; trans. E. B. Pusey, in Library of the Fathers (Oxford, 1838).
yet as heaven above earth: but above to my soul, because It made me; and I below It, because I was made by It. He that knows the Truth, knows what that Light is; and he that knows It, knows eternity. Love knoweth it. O Truth Who art Eternity! and Love Who art Truth! and Eternity Who art Love! Thou art my God, to Thee do I sigh night and day. Thee when I first knew, Thou liftedst me up, that I might gee there was what I might see, and that I was not yet such as to see. And Thou didst beat back the weakness of my sight, streaming forth Thy beams of light upon me most strongly, and I trembled with love and awe: and I perceived myself to be far off from Thee, in the region of unlikeness, as if I heard this Thy voice from on high: "I am the food of grown men; grow and thou shalt feed upon Me; nor shalt thou convert Me, like the food of thy flesh, into thee, but thou shalt be converted into Me." And I learned that Thou for iniquity chastenest man, and Thou madest my soul to consume away like a spider. And I said, "Is Truth therefore nothing because it is not diffused through space finite or infinite?" And Thou criedst to me from afar: "Yea verily, I AM that I AM." And I heard, as the heart heareth, nor had I room to doubt, and I should sooner doubt that I live, than that Truth is not, which is clearly seen, being understood by those things which are made.
And I beheld the other things below Thee, and I 11.17. perceived that they neither altogether are, nor altogether are not, for they are, since they are from Thee, but are not, because they are not what Thou art. For that truly is which remains unchangeably. It' is good then for me to hold fast unto God; for if I remain not in Him, I cannot in myself; but He, remaining in himself, reneweth all things. And Thou art the Lord my God, since Thou standest not in need of my goodness.
And it was manifested unto me, that those things be 12.18. good which yet are corrupted; which neither were they sovereignly good, nor unless they were good, could be corrupted: for if sovereignly good, they were incorruptible; if not good at all, there were nothing in them to be corrupted. For corruption injures, but unless it diminished goodness, it could not injure. Either then corruption injures not, which cannot be; or, which is most certain, all which is corrupted is deprived of good. But if they be deprived of all good, they shall cease to be. For if they shall
- be, and can now no longer be corrupted, they shall be better than before, because they shall abide incorruptibly. And what more monstrous than to affirm things to become better by losing all their good? Therefore, if they shall be deprived of all good, they shall no longer be. So long therefore as they are, they are good: therefore, whatsoever is, is good. That evil then which I sought whence it is, is not any substance: for were it a substance, it should be good. For either it should be an incorruptible substance, and so a chief good: or a corruptible substance, which unless it were good could not be corrupted. I perceived therefore, and it was manifested to me, that Thou madest all things good, nor is there any substance at all which Thou madest not; and for that Thou madest not all things equal, therefore are all things; because each is good, and altogether very good, because our God made all things very good.
And to Thee is nothing whatsoever evil: yea, not 13.19. only to Thee, but also to Thy creation as a whole, because there is nothing without, which may break in and corrupt that order which Thou hast appointed it. But in the parts thereof some things, because unharmonizing with other some, are accounted evil: whereas those very things harmonize with others, and are good; and in themselves are good....
There is no soundness in them, whom aught of Thy 14.20. creation displeaseth: as neither in me, when much which Thou hast made displeased me. And because my soul durst not be displeased at my God, it would fain not account that Thine, which displeased it. Hence it had gone into the opinion of two substances, and had no Test, but: talked idly. And returning thence, it had made to itself a God, through infinite measures of all space; and thought it to be Thee, and placed it in its heart; and had again become the temple of its own idol, to Thee abominable. But after Thou hadst soothed my head, unknown to me, and closed mine eyes that they should not behold vanity, I ceased somewhat of my former self, and my frenzy was lulled to sleep; and I awoke in Thee, and saw Thee infinite, but in another way, and this sight was not derived from the flesh.
And I looked back on other things, and I saw 15.21. that they owed their being to Thee, and were all bounded in Thee but in a different way; not as being in space, but because Thou containest all things in Thine hand in Thy Truth, and all things are true so far as they be; nor is there any falsehood, unless when that is thought to be which is not. And I saw that all things did harmonize, not with their places only, but with their seasons. And that Thou, who only art Eternal, didst not begin to work after innumerable spaces of times spent; for that all spaces of times, both which have passed and which shall pass, neither go nor come but through Thee, working and abiding.
And I perceived and found it nothing strange that 16.22. bread which is pleasant to a healthy palate is loathsome to one distempered: and to sore eyes light is offensive, which to the sound is delightful. And Thy righteousness displeaseth the wicked; much more the viper and reptiles, which Thou hast created good, fitting in with the inferior portions of Thy creation, with which the very wicked also fit in; and that the more, by how much they be unlike Thee; but with the superior creatures, by how much they become more like to Thee. And I inquired what iniguity was, and found it to be no substance, but the perversion of the will, turned aside from Thee, O God, the Supreme, towards these lower things, and casting out its bowels and puffed up outwardly.
And I wondered that I now loved Thee, and no 17.23. phantasm for Thee. And yet did I not press on to enjoy my God, but was borne up to Thee by Thy beauty, and soon borne down from Thee by mine own weight, sinking with sorrow into these inferior things. This weight was carnal custom. Yet dwelt there with me a remembrance of Thee; nor did I any way doubt that there was One to Whom I might cleave, but that I was not yet such as to cleave to Thee: for that the body which is corrupted presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth ~ down the mind that museth upon many things. And most certain I was that Thy invisible works from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even Thy eternal power and Godhead. For examining whence it was that I admired the beauty of bodies celestial or terrestrial, and what aided me in judging soundly on things mutable, and pronouncing, "This ought to be thus, this not"; examining, I say, whence it was that I so judged, seeing I did so judge, I had found the unchangeable and true Eternity of Truth, above my changeable mind.
And thus by degrees, I passed from bodies to the soul, which through the bodily senses perceives, and thence to its