§20Huic sententiae contradicunt, qui arbitrantur istam communionem, quam siue deitatem siue dilectionem caritatemue appellamus, non. esse substantiam; quaerunt autem secundum substantiam sibi exponi spiritum sanctum, nec intellegunt non aliter potuisse dici: deus dilectio est, nisi substantia esset dilectio.
oppose this opinion who think that this communion, which we call either deity or love or charity, is not a substance; they demand indeed that the Holy Spirit be explained to them as a substance, and do not understand that it could not otherwise have been said, "God is love," unless love were a substance.
ducuntur quippe consuetudine rerum corporalium, quoniam, si duo sibi corpora copulentur, ita ut iuxta inuicem conlocentur, ipsa copulatio non est corpus, quandoquidem separatis illis corporibus, quae copulata fuerant, nulla inuenitur; nec tamen quasi discessisse et migrasse intellegitur, sicut illa corpora.
For they are led by the habit of corporal things, because, if two bodies are coupled together so that they are placed next to each other, the coupling itself is not a body, since, when those bodies which had been coupled are separated, no coupling is found; nor yet is it understood to have departed and migrated, as those bodies do.
sed hi tales cor mundum faciant, quantum possunt, ut uidere ualeant in dei substantia non esse aliquid tale, quasi aliud ibi sit substantia, aliud quod accidat substantiae, et non sit substantia; sed quidquid ibi intellegi potest, substantia est.
But let such people make their heart clean, as much as they can, so that they may be able to see that in the substance of God there is nothing of such a kind, as if substance were one thing there, and that which happens to the substance, and is not substance, were another; but whatever can be understood there is substance.
uerum haec dici possunt facile et credi; uideri autem nisi corde puro quomodo se habeant, omnino non possunt.
Indeed, these things can be said easily and believed; but how they are cannot be seen at all except by a pure heart.
quapropter siue ista uera sit sententia, siue aliud aliquid sit, fides inconcussa tenenda est, ut deum dicamus patrem, deum filium, deum spiritum sanctum, neque tres deos, sed istam trinitatem unum deum, neque diuersas naturas, sed eiusdem substantiae, neque ut pater aliquando sit filius, aliquando spiritus sanctus, sed pater semper pater et filius semper filius et spiritus sanctus semper spiritus sanctus.
Wherefore, whether this opinion be true, or whether it be something else, an unshaken faith must be held, so that we say that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet not three gods, but this Trinity one God, nor of different natures, but of the same substance, nor that the Father is sometimes the Son and sometimes the Holy Spirit, but the Father always Father, and the Son always Son, and the Holy Spirit always Holy Spirit.
nec temere de inuisibilibus aliquid adfirmemus tamquam scientes, sed tamquam credentes, quoniam uideri nisi mundato corde non possunt.
Nor let us rashly affirm anything concerning invisible things as if we knew them, but as believing them, because they cannot be seen except by a cleansed heart.
et si quis ea uidet in hac uita ex parte, ut dictum est, atque in aenigmate, non potest efficere, ut et ille uideat, cui loquitur, si cordis sordibus inpeditur.
And if anyone sees them in this life in part, as it is said, and in an enigma, he cannot bring it about that he also to whom he speaks should see them, if that person is hindered by the filth of the heart.
beati autem mundi corde, quoniam ipsi deum uidebunt. haec fides est de deo conditore et renouatore nostro.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." This is the faith concerning God our Creator and Renewer.
§21Sed quoniam dilectio non tantum in deum nobis imperata est, cum dictum est: diliges dominum deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota mente tua, sed etiam in proximum — nam, diliges, inquit, proximum tuum tamquam te ipsum - nisi autem ista fides congregationem societatemque hominum teneat, in qua fraterna caritas operetur, minus fructuosa est, credimus et in sanctam ecclesiam, utique catholicam.
since love is commanded to us not only toward God, when it is said: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind," but also toward our neighbor—for, "You shall love," he says, "your neighbor as yourself"—and unless this faith holds together the congregation and society of men, in which fraternal charity may operate, it is less fruitful; therefore we believe also in the holy church, indeed the catholic one.
nam haeretici et schismatici congregationes suas ecclesias uocant.
For heretics and schismatics call their congregations churches.
sed haeretici de deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem uiolant; schismatici autem discissionibus iniquis a fraterna caritate dissiliunt, quamuis ea credant quae credimus.
But heretics, by thinking false things concerning God, violate the faith itself; while schismatics, by unjust divisions, leap apart from fraternal charity, although they believe the same things that we believe.
quapropter nec haeretici pertinent ad ecclesiam catholicam, quoniam diligit deum, nec schismatici, quoniam diligit proximum.
Wherefore neither heretics belong to the catholic church, since it loves God, nor schismatics, since it loves its neighbor.
et ideo peccatis proximi facile ignoscit, quia sibi precatur ignosci ab illo, qui nos reconciliauit sibi, delens omnia praeterita et ad uitam nouam nos uocans: quam uitam donec perfectam capiamus, sine peccatis esse non possumus; interest tamen qualia sint.
And therefore it easily forgives the sins of the neighbor, because it prays that forgiveness be granted to itself by Him who reconciled us to Himself, blotting out all past things and calling us to a new life; which life, until we receive it perfect, we cannot be without sins; yet it matters of what kind they are.
§22Nec de peccatorum differentia modo tractandum est, sed credendum omnino nullo modo nobis ignosci ea, quae peccamus, si nos inexorabiles ad ignoscenda peccata fuerimus.
is there need to treat of the difference of sins now, but it must be believed altogether that in no way are those things which we sin forgiven us, if we are inexorable in forgiving sins.
itaque credimus et remissionem peccatorum.
Therefore we believe also the remission of sins.