§7Ex quo iam spiritalibus animis patere confido nullam naturam deo esse posse contrariam.
From this, I trust it is now clear to spiritual minds that no nature can be contrary to God.
si enim ille est et de solo deo proprie dici potest hoc uerbum — quod enim uere est, incommutabiliter manet, quoniam quod mutatur, fuit aliquid, quod iam non est, et erit, quod nondum est — nihil habet deus contrarium.
For if He is, and this word can properly be said of God alone—for that which truly is remains immutably, since that which changes was something which it no longer is, and will be what it is not yet—God has nothing contrary to Him.
si enim quaereretur a nobis, quid sit albo contrarium, responderemus nigrum; si quaereretur, quid sit calido contrarium, responderemus frigidum; si quaereretur, quid sit ueloci contrarium, responderemus tardum, et quaecumque similia.
For if it were asked of us what is contrary to white, we would answer black; if it were asked what is contrary to hot, we would answer cold; if it were asked what is contrary to swift, we would answer slow, and other similar things.
cum autem quaeritur, quid sit contrarium ei quod est, recte respondetur: quod non est.
But when it is asked what is contrary to that which is, it is rightly answered: that which is not.
§8Sed per temporalem, ut dixi, dispensationem quoniam ad nostram salutem et reparationem operante dei benignitate ab illa incommutabili dei sapientia natura mutabilis nostra suscepta est, temporalium rerum salubriter pro nobis gestarum adiungimus fidem, credentes in eum dei filium, qui natus est per spiritum sanctum ex uirgine Maria.
But through the temporal dispensation, as I said, since by the working of God’s benevolence for our salvation and restoration our mutable nature was assumed by that immutable wisdom of God, we add the faith in temporal things wholesomely done for us, believing in that Son of God who was born through the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Maria.
dono enim dei, hoc est sancto spiritu concessa nobis est tanta humilitas tanti dei, ut totum hominem suscipere dignaretur in utero uirginis, maternum corpus integrum inhabitans, integrum deserens.
For by the gift of God, that is, by the Holy Spirit, so great a humility of so great a God was granted to us, that He deigned to assume the whole man in the womb of the virgin, inhabiting the maternal body whole, leaving it whole.
cui temporali dispensationi multis modis insidiantur haeretici.
Against which temporal dispensation heretics lay snares in many ways.
sed quisquis tenuerit catholicam fidem, ut totum hominem credat a uerbo dei esse susceptum, id est corpus, animam, spiritum, satis contra illos munitus est.
But whoever holds the catholic faith, so as to believe that the whole man was assumed by the Word of God, that is, body, soul, and spirit, is sufficiently fortified against them.
quippe cum ista susceptio pro salute nostra gesta sit, cauendum est, ne, cum crediderit aliquid nostrum non pertinere ad istam susceptionem, non pertineat ad salutem.
For since this assumption was performed for our salvation, we must beware lest, when one believes some part of ours not to pertain to this assumption, it may not pertain to salvation.
et cum homo excepta forma membrorum, quae diuersis generibus animantium diuersa tributa est, non distet a pecore nisi rationali spiritu, quae mens etiam nominatur, quomodo sana est fides, qua creditur, quod id nostrum susceperit dei sapientia, quod habemus commune cum pecore, illud autem non susceperit, quod inlustratur luce sapientiae et quod hominis proprium est?
And since man, except for the form of the limbs, which is distributed diversely to diverse kinds of living things, does not differ from a beast except by the rational spirit, which is also called mind, how is that faith sound by which it is believed that the wisdom of God assumed that of ours which we have in common with the beast, but did not assume that which is illustrated by the light of wisdom and which is proper to man?
§9Detestandi autem etiam illi sunt, qui dominum nostrum Iesum Christum matrem Mariam in terris negant habuisse, cum illa dispensatio utrumque sexum, et masculinum et femininum, honorauerit et ad curam dei pertinere monstrauerit non solum quem suscepit, sed illum etiam, per quem suscepit, uirum gerendo, nascendo de femina.
Moreover, those also are to be detested who deny that our Lord Jesus Christ had a mother Mary on earth, although that dispensation honored each sex, both male and female, and showed that not only he whom He assumed, but also she through whom He assumed, pertains to the care of God, by bearing a man, by being born of a woman.
nec nos ad negandam Christi matrem cogit, quod ab eo dictum est: quid mihi et tibi est, mulier? nondum uenit hora mea, sed admonet potius, ut intellegamus secundum deum non eum habuisse matrem, cuius maiestatis personam parabat ostendere aquam in uinum uertendo.
Nor does that which was said by Him: "What is there to me and to you, woman? My hour has not yet come," force us to deny Christ's mother, but rather admonishes us that we should understand that according to God He did not have a mother, according to whose majesty He was preparing to show His person by turning water into wine.
quod autem crucifixus est, secundum hominem crucifixus est; et illa erat hora, quae nondum uenerat, quando dictum est: mihi et tibi quid est? nondum uenit hora mea, id est, qua te cognoscam.
But that He was crucified, He was crucified according to man; and that was the hour which had not yet come when it was said: "What is there to me and to you? My hour has not yet come," that is, in which I may recognize you.
tunc enim ut homo crucifixus cognouit hominem matrem et dilectissimo discipulo humanissime commendauit.
For then, crucified as man, He recognized His human mother and commended her most humanely to His beloved disciple.
nec illud nos moueat, quod, cum ei nuntiaretur mater eius et fratres, respondit: quae mihi mater aut qui fratres et cetera? sed potius doceat ministerium nostrum, quo uerbum dei fratribus ministramus, parentes cum inpediunt, non eos debere cognosci.
Nor should that move us which, when His mother and brothers were announced to Him, He answered: "Who is my mother, or who are my brothers?" and so forth; but rather let it teach us that in our ministry, by which we minister the Word of God to our brothers, when parents hinder us, they ought not to be recognized.
nam si propterea quisque putauerit non eum habuisse matrem in terris, quia dixit: quae mihi mater? cogatur necesse est et apostolus negare habuisse patres in terris, quoniam praecepit eis dicens: nolite nobis patrem dicere in terris; unus est enim pater uester, qui in caelis est.
For if anyone should think for this reason that He did not have a mother on earth, because He said: "Who is my mother?", he must of necessity be forced to deny also that the Apostle had fathers on earth, since He commanded them, saying: "Call no man your father on earth; for one is your Father, who is in heaven."