§21Quamobrem quid habet argumenti aestuans in utramque partem deliberatio modo in peccatum prona, modo in recte factum subuecta, ut duo animarum genera, quorum alterius natura ex deo sit, alterius non sit, cogamur accipere, cum alias tot causas alternantis cogitationis conicere liceat? sed haec obscura esse et incassum ab animis lippientibus quaeri quisquis bonus rerum existimator est, uidet.
Therefore, when it is allowed to surmise so many other causes of alternating thought, what argument does the deliberation raging on both sides, now prone to sin, now raised up to right action, possess, that we should be forced to accept two kinds of souls, the nature of one of which is from God, and that of the other is not? But whoever is a good judge of things sees that these matters are obscure and are sought in vain by blear-eyed minds.
quare illa potius, quae de uoluntate atque peccato dicta sunt, illa, inquam, quae summa iustitia neminem ratione utentem ignorare permittit, illa quae si auferuntur nobis, nihil est, unde disciplina uirtutis inchoetur, nihil, unde a uitiorum morte surgatur, etiam atque etiam considerata satis clare ac dilucide Manichaeorum haeresim falsam esse conuincunt.
Wherefore those things rather which have been said concerning the will and sin—those, I say, which the supreme justice permits no one using reason to be ignorant of, those which if they are taken away from us, there is nothing from which the discipline of virtue may begin, nothing from which one may rise from the death of vices—when considered again and again, convince us clearly and lucidly enough that the heresy of the Manichaeans is false.
§22Horum simile est, quod de paenitendo nunc dicam.
Similar to these is what I shall now say about repentance.
nam ut inter omnes sanos constat et quod ipsi Manichaei non solum fatentur. sed et praecipiunt, utile est paenitere peccati.
For as is agreed among all sane people, and what the Manichaeans themselves not only confess but even command, it is useful to repent of sin.
quid ego nunc in hanc rem diuinarum scripturarum testimonia, quae usquequaque diffusa sunt, colligam? uox est etiam ista naturae: neminem stultum rei huius notitia deseruit; hoc nobis nisi esset penitus insitum, periremus.
Why should I now collect testimonies of the divine scriptures on this matter, which are scattered everywhere? This is also the voice of nature: the knowledge of this thing has left no foolish person; unless this were deeply implanted in us, we would perish.
potest aliquis dicere non se peccare: non sibi esse autem, si peccauerit, paenitendum, nulla barbaries dicere audebit.
Someone can say that he does not sin; but no barbarity will dare to say that, if he has sinned, he does not need to repent.
quae cum ita sint, quaero ex duobus illis generibus animarum, cuius sit paenitere peccati? scio quidem neque illius esse posse, qui male facere, neque illius, qui bene facere non potest.
Since these things are so, I ask from those two kinds of souls, whose part is it to repent of sin? Indeed, I know that it can belong neither to that which cannot do evil, nor to that which cannot do good.
quare ut eorum uerbis loquar, si animam tenebrarum peccati peccati, non est de substantia summi mali; si animam lucis, non est de substantia summi boni.
Wherefore, to speak in their words, if the soul of darkness repents of sin, it is not of the substance of the supreme evil; if the soul of light, it is not of the substance of the supreme good.
paenitendi enim adfectio illa, quae prodest, et male fecisse paenitentem et bene facere potuisse testatur.
For that affection of repentance, which is beneficial, testifies both that the penitent did evil and that he could have done well.
quomodo igitur nihil ex me mali, si ego perperam feci? aut quomodo me recte paenitet, si ego non feci? audi partem alteram: quomodo ex me nihil boni est, cui bona uolunta.
How then is there nothing of evil from me, if I have done wrong? Or how do I rightly repent, if I did not do it? Hear the other part: how is there nothing of good from me, in whom a good will dwells?
s inest? aut quomodo me recte paenitet, si non inest? quamobrem aut negent isti esse paenitendi magnam utilitatem, ut non solum a christiano nomine, sed ab omni etiam uel imaginaria ratione pellantur, aut animarum duo illa genera, unum ex quo nihil mali, alterum ex quo nihil boni sit, discere atque docere iam desinant: quod si faciant, Manichaei esse utique desinent;
Or how do I rightly repent, if it does not dwell? Therefore, let them either deny that there is great utility in repentance, so that they may be expelled not only from the Christian name but also from all even imaginary reason, or let them now cease to learn and teach those two kinds of souls, one from which there is nothing of evil, the other from which there is nothing of good; which if they do, they will surely cease to be Manichaeans.
nam tota illa secta ista bicipiti uel potius praecipiti animarum uarietate fulcitur.
For that whole sect is supported by this two-headed, or rather headlong, variety of souls.
§23Ac mihi quidem satis est sic scire, quod Manichaei errent, ut scio paenitendum esse peccati.
And for me indeed it is enough to know that the Manichaeans err in the same way as I know that we must repent of sin.
et tamen si nunc amicorum meorum aliquem, qui usque adhuc illos audiendos putat. conpellam iure amicitiae et ei dicam: scisne utile esse, cum quisque peccauerit, paenitere? sine dubitatione se scire iurabit.
And yet, if I now appeal by the right of friendship to some one of my friends, who up to this point thinks they ought to be listened to, and say to him: "Do you know that it is useful, when anyone has sinned, to repent?" without doubt he will swear that he knows it.
si ergo te fecero ita scire falsam esse Manichaeorum haeresim, desiderabisne amplius? quid amplius se posse in hac re desiderare respondeat.
If therefore I make you know in the same way that the heresy of the Manichaeans is false, will you desire anything more? He would answer what more he could desire in this matter.
bene quidem huc usque.
Well indeed up to this point.
sed cum ostendere coepero certas necessariasque rationes, quae illam propositionem adamantinis, ut dicitur, catenis nexae consequuntur. remque totam ad conclusionem, qua illa euertitur secta, perduxero: negabit se forsitan scire utilitatem illam paenitendi, quam nemo doctus, nemo indoctus ignorat, et potius se scire contendet, cum dubitamus et deliberamus duas in nobis animas patrocinia propria singulis quaestionis partibus adhibere.
But when I begin to show the certain and necessary reasons which follow that proposition, bound by what are called adamantine chains, and lead the whole matter to the conclusion by which that sect is overturned: he will perhaps deny that he knows that utility of repentance which no learned, no unlearned person is ignorant of, and will rather contend that he knows, when we doubt and deliberate, that two souls in us afford their own advocacy to each of the parts of the question.
o consuetudo peccati! o comes poena peccati! uos me tunc a rerum tam manifestarum consideratione auertistis, sed non sentienti nocebatis; nunc uero in familiarissimis meis similiter non sentientibus me iam uulneratis torquetisque sentientem.
O custom of sin! O companion punishment of sin! You then turned me away from the consideration of things so manifest, but you were harming me when I did not feel it; now indeed, in my most familiar friends who similarly do not feel it, you already wound me and torment me who feel it.
§24Adtendite ista, quaeso, carissimi; uestra ingenia bene noui.
Attend to these things, I pray, my dearest; I know your talents well.
si mihi nunc uos qualiscumque hominis mentem rationemque conceditis, multo certiora sunt quam quae ibi uel uidebamur discere uel magis credere cogebamur.
If you now grant me the mind and reason of any kind of man, these things are much more certain than what we either seemed to learn there or rather were forced to believe.
deus magne, deus omnipotens, deus summae bonitatis, quem inuiolabilem atque incommutabilem credi atque intellegi fas est, trina unitas. quam catholica ecclesia colit, subplex oro expertus in me misericordiam tuam, ne homines, cum quibus mihi a pueritia in omni conuictu fuit summa consensio, in tuo cultu a me dissentire permittas.
Great God, almighty God, God of supreme goodness, whom it is right to believe and understand as inviolable and immutable, triune unity whom the Catholic Church worships, suppliant I pray, having experienced your mercy in myself, that you do not permit men, with whom from childhood in all companionship I have had the greatest agreement, to dissent from me in your worship.
uideo maxime expectari hoc loco. quomodo etiam catholicas scripturas a Manichaeis accusatas uel tunc defenderem, si, ut dico, cautus essem, uel nunc defendi posse demonstrem.
I see that it is highly expected in this place how I would either defend then, if I were cautious as I say, or demonstrate now that they can be defended, the Catholic scriptures accused by the Manichaeans.
sed in aliis uoluminibus deus adiuuabit propositum meum; nam huius iam, quantum arbitror, moderata parci sibi postulat longitudo.
But in other volumes God will help my purpose; for the moderate length of this one, as I judge, already demands that it be spared.