§14AUG. dixit: Ita credo, sed uniuersa, quae facta sunt. FORT.. dixit: Facta consonant, sed quia inconuenientia sibi sunt haec, per hoc ergo constat non esse unam substantiam, licet ex unius iussione eadem ad compositionem mundi huius et faciem uenerint.
Aug. said: "I believe so, but only of the universe of things that were made." Fort. said: "Made things agree, but because these things are incompatible with one another, it is established by this that there is not one substance, although they came by the command of one to the composition and appearance of this world.
ceterum rebus ipsis paret, quia nihil simile tenebrae et lux. nihil simile ueritas et mendacium, nihil simile mors et uita, nihil simile anima et corpus et cetera istis similia, quae et nominibus et speciebus distant ab inuicem, et merito dixisse dominum nostrum: arbor. quam non plantauit pater meus caelestis, eradicabitur et in ignem mittetur, quae non adferet fructus bonos, et esse arborem radicatam.
Moreover, it is clear from the facts themselves, because darkness and light are in no way similar, truth and falsehood are in no way similar, death and life are in no way similar, soul and body are in no way similar, and other things like them, which differ from one another both in names and in forms, and that our Lord rightly said: 'The tree which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up and cast into the fire, which will not bear good fruit,' and that there is a rooted tree.
hinc uero constat et ratione rerum, quod duae sunt substantiae in hoc mundo, quae speciebus et nominibus distant: quarum est una corporis. alia uero aeterna, patris omnipotentis quam esse credimus. §15AUG. dixit: Contraria ista, quae te mouent, ut aduersa sentiamus, propter peccatum nostrum, id est propter peccatum hominis contigerunt.
From this indeed, and by the reason of things, it is established that there are two substances in this world, which differ in forms and names: of which one is of the body, and the other is eternal, which we believe to be of the almighty Father." Aug. said: "Those contrary things, which move you to think that we experience adverse things, have happened because of our sin, that is, because of the sin of man.
nam omnia deus et bona fecit, et bene ordinauit; peccatum autem non fecit et hoc est solum, quod dicitur malum, uoluntarium nostrum peccatum.
For God made all things both good, and ordered them well; but He did not make sin, and this is the only thing which is called evil, our voluntary sin.
est et aliud genus mali, quod est poena peccati.
There is also another kind of evil, which is the punishment of sin.
cum ergo duo sint genera malorum, peccatum et poena peccati, peccatum ad deum non pertinet, poena peccati ad uindicem pertinet.
Since, therefore, there are two kinds of evils, sin and the punishment of sin, sin does not belong to God, but the punishment of sin belongs to Him as the avenger.
etenim ut bonus est deus, quia omnia constituit. sic iustus est, ut uindicet in peccatum.
For just as God is good because He established all things, so He is just in that He punishes sin.
cum ergo omnia optime sint ordinata, quae uidentur nobis nunc aduersa esse. merito contigit hominis lapsi, qui legem dei seruare noluit.
Since therefore all things are ordered in the best way, those things which seem to us now to be adverse have deservedly happened to fallen man, who would not keep the law of God.
animae enim rationali, quae est in homine, dedit deus liberum arbitrium; sic enim posset habere merita, si uoluntate. non necessitate boni essemus.
For to the rational soul which is in man, God gave free will; for in this way it could have merits, if we were good by will, and not by necessity.
cum ergo oporteat non necessitate, sed uoluntate bonum esse, oportebat, ut deus animae daret liberum arbitrium.
Since therefore it is necessary to be good not by necessity, but by will, it was appropriate that God should give free will to the soul.
huic autem animae obtemperanti legibus suis omnia subiecit sine aduersitate, ut ei cetera, quae deus condidit, seruirent. si et ipsa deo seruire uoluisset; si autem ipsa noluisset deo seruire, ut ea, quae illi seruiebant, in poenam eius conuerterentur.
To this soul, moreover, if it obeyed His laws, He subjected all things without adversity, so that the other things which God created should serve it, if indeed it also had wished to serve God; but if it had been unwilling to serve God, those things which served it should be turned into its punishment.
quare si recte omnia a deo ordinata sunt, et bona sunt et deus non patitur malum. FORT. dixit: Non patitur, sed malum praeuenit deus. §16AUG. dixit: A quo enim passurus erat?
FORT. dixit: Hoc meum est, quia praeuenire uoluit, non temere, sed uirtute et praescientia.
Therefore, if all things have been rightly ordered by God, they are both good and God does not suffer evil." Fort. said: "He does not suffer it, but God forestalls evil." Aug. said: "For from whom was He going to suffer?" Fort. said: "This is my point, because He wished to forestall it, not rashly, but by power and foreknowledge.
ceterum nega malum praeter deum esse, cum per praecepta ostendit, quia sunt alia, quae praeter uoluntatem ipsius fiunt.
But deny, if you can, that there is evil apart from God, when He shows through commandments that there are other things which are done contrary to His will.
praeceptum non intercedit, nisi ubi est et contrarietas; libera facultas uiuendi non datur, nisi ubi est lapsus secundum apostoli rationem, qui dicit: et uos cum essetis mortui delictis et peccatis uestris. in quibus aliquando ambulastis secundum magisterium huius mundi, secundum principem potestatis aeris huius. spiritus, qui nunc operatur in filiis diffidentiae, in quibus et nos et omnes aliquando con-. uersati sumus in desideriis carnis nostrae facientes uoluntates consiliorum carnis. et eramus naturaliter filii irae, sicut et ceteri.
A commandment does not intervene except where there is also contrariety; free power of living is not given except where there is a fall, according to the argument of the Apostle, who says: 'And you, when you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the ruling principle of this world, according to the prince of the power of this air, the spirit that now works in the sons of disobedience; among whom we also and all once lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the desires of the counsels of the flesh, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
deus autem, qui diues est in omni misericordia, misertus est nobis.
But God, who is rich in all mercy, had mercy on us.
et cum mortui essemus peccatis, conuiuificauit nos in Christo, cuius gratia estis salui facti; et simul suscitauit et cum eo collocauit in caelestibus cum Christo Iesu, ut ostenderet in saeculis superuenientibus et cetera usque ad id, quod scriptum est interficiens inimicitiam in semet ipso.
And when we were dead in sins, He made us alive together in Christ, by whose grace you have been saved; and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places with Him, with Christ Jesus, that He might show in the ages to come,' and so on, up to that which is written: 'killing the enmity in Himself.
et ueniens euangelizauit pacem uobis, qui longe, pacem iis, qui prope.
And coming He preached peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near.
quoniam per ipsum habemus uterque in uno spiritu accessum ad patrem.
For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.'"