Chapter 5 (90): 1. On The Equality Of Faith, Hope, Charity, And Work, Which Are
110 | THE SENTENCES, BOOK 3
there cannot be salvation without faith in Christ, and yet Cornelius' prayers were heard before he believed in Christ. This may be understood in this sense: namely, before he knew that Christ, in whom he believed under a mystery, had become incarnate.
Chapter 5 (90)
1. ON THE EQUALITY OF FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY, AND WORK, WHICH ARE
EQUAL IN SOME RESPECT. Nor is it also to be omitted that faith, hope, charrity, and work are equal in some respect in our present state.—
GREGORY, ON EZECHIEL. Hence Gregory: "For so long as we are in this life, we find that in us faith, hope, charity, and work are equal to each other because we love as much as we believe, and insofar as we love we are certain of our hope. For each of the faithful believes as much as he hopes and loves, and works as much as he believes, loves, and hopes.
And yet charity is said to be greater than hope and faith because, when we come before God's face, hope and faith pass away, but charity remains,"! and because (AMBROSE) "charity is the mother of all the virtues.' And so it is not placed after faith and hope because it arises from them,' but because it will remain and increase after they pass away, since charity shall never fail.* Therefore the aforesaid equality is to be properly considered according to the intention of interior acts.
2. But what has been said here and earlier,' namely that charity is not from faith and hope, but that the converse is true, seems to be contradicted by the Apostle's statement: The end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a faith unfeigned..—AUuGUSTINE. Expounding this, Augustine takes heart for intellect, and conscience for hope; he says: "Which charity is the end of the commandment?
The one proceeding from a pure heart, that is, from a pure intellect, so that nothing is loved but God; and a good conscience, that is, hope; and a faith unfeigned, that is, not simulated.' And so it is not charity that precedes faith or hope, but faith and hope seem to precede charity.—But understand this to be taught in this sense: not that faith and hope precede charity, which is the mother of all the virtues, in cause or time, but because without them charity cannot exist in anyone. But they can exist without charity, although there is no pious faith or hope without charity. And 'Gregory, In Ezechielem, bk 2 hom. 10 n17.
°Cf. Ambrosiaster, on Rom. 14, 5.
3Cf. above dist. 23 c9 n2.
Corslens:
Dist. 23 c8 n3 and c9.
"Il Win, I, 5:
'Augustine, De doctrina christiana, bk | c40 n44.