Часть I. Заповеди жизни

A Christian, inspired by the example of Christ, fights evil 1. The crown of victory is promised only to those who fight. In the Holy Scriptures we constantly find the promise of a crown in the event of our victory. And in order not to bother ourselves with many testimonies, let us cite the very clear testimony of the Apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course. kept the faith; but now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (2 Tim 4:7–8) 15. But it is necessary to know who the enemy is, by defeating whom we will be crowned. This is the one whom our Lord first defeated, so that we, remaining in Him, would overcome. For the Power and Wisdom of God, the Word by whom all things were created, 16 being the Only Begotten Son of God, invariably abides above all creation. If the creation that has not sinned is subject to him, how much more is every sinful creation subject to him? And if all the holy angels are subordinate to Him, then much more are the transgressing angels subordinate to Him, whose head is the devil 17. And since the devil deceived our nature, the Only Begotten Son of God Himself deigned to accept this very nature of ours, so that by it itself the devil would be defeated, and who had always been under His power would now become under our power. This is exactly what He means when He says: “Today the prince of this world will be cast out” (John 12:31). Not that the devil was expelled from this world, as the heretics believe, but expelled from the souls of those who cling to the word of God and do not love the world, of which he is the prince. For the devil rules over those who love temporary blessings found in the visible world 18; not so that he himself is the ruler of this world, but the prince of those lusts with which [people] lust for everything transitory; so that those who despise the eternal God and love what is fragile and changeable are devoted to him: “For the root of all evil is covetousness (cupiditas), 19 which, having indulged in it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). Through this lust, the devil reigns in a person and holds his heart. Such are all those who love this world. The devil is cast out when one renounces the world with all his heart. For this is exactly how one renounces the devil, the prince of this world, renouncing his temptations, his luxury and his angels. Therefore, the Lord Himself, already bearing a victorious human nature, says: “Know that I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). 2. Multi autem dicunt: quornodo possumus uincere diabolum, quem non uidemus? Sed habemus magistrum, qui nobis demonstrare dignatus est, quomodo inuisibiles hostes uincantur. de illo enim dixit apostolus: exuens se carne principatus et potestates exemplauit fiducialiter triumphans eos in semet ipso. ibi ergo unicuntur inimicae nobis inuisibiles potestates, ubi unicuntur inuicimus temporalium rerum cupiditates, necesser est, ut in nobis ipsis uincamus et illum, qui per ispas cupiditates regnat in homine. Quando enim dictum est diabolö terram manducabis, dictum est peccatorï terra es, et in terram ibis. datus est ergo in cibum diaboli peccator. non simus terra, si nolumus manducari a serpente. sicut enim quod manducamus, in nostrum corpus conuertimus, ut cibus ipse secundum corpus hoc efficiatur quod nos sumus, sic malis moribus per nequitiam et superbiam et inpietatem hoc efficitur quisque quod diabolus, id est similis eius, et subicitur ei, sicut subiectum Est nobis corpus nostrum, et hoc est, quod dicitur manducari a serpente. quisquis itaque timet illium ignem, qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius, det operam triumphare de illo in semet ipso, eos enim, qui foris nos oppugnant, intus uincimus uincendo concupiscentias, per quas nobis dominantur. et quos inuenerint sui similes, se cum ad poenas trahunt. How is evil defeated? 2. Many will say: “How can we defeat the devil whom we cannot see?” But we have a Teacher, Who deigned to show us how invisible enemies are defeated. It is about Him that the Apostle says: “Having stripped himself of the flesh (exucns se carne), he truly put to shame the rulers and powers and, having triumphed over them in Himself” (Col 2:15) 20. For there the invisible powers hostile to us are overcome, where invisible passions are overcome. And if we ourselves overcome the desires for temporary things, then we necessarily overcome the one who through these lust reigns in man 21. After all, when it was said to the devil: “You will eat dust,” it was also said to the sinner: “You are dust, and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:14, 19). body, so that food is processed into what we physically are, and through bad morals, through malice, pride and wickedness, everyone becomes what the devil is, that is, similar to him, and submits to him, just as our body is subject to us. This is what is meant by the words “to be the food of the serpent.” So, everyone who fears “the fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41), let him make an effort to defeat it within himself. For those who attack us from without, we conquer internally, defeating the lusts through which they rule over us. They drag those like themselves along with them into torment. 3. Sic et apostolus dicit, quod in semet ipso pugnet aduersus potestates exteriores. ait enim: non est nobis conluctatio aduersus carnem et sanguinem, sed aduersus principes et potestates huius mundi, rectores harum tenebrarum, aduersus spiritalia nequitiae in caelestibus. caelum enim dicitur etiam iste aer, ubi uenti et nubes et procellae et turbines fiunt, sicut etiam scriptura dicit multis locis: et intonuit de caelo dominus, et: aues caeli, et: uolatilia caeli, cum manifestum sit aues in aere uolare. et nos in consuetudine hunc aerem caelum appellamus; nam cum de sereno uel nubilo quaerimus, aliquando dicimus: qualis est aer? Aliquandö quale est caelum? hoc dixi, ne quis existimet ibi habitare mala daemonia, ubi solem et lunam et stellas deus ordinauit. quae mala daemonia ideo apostolus appellat spiritalia, quia etiam mali angeli in scripturis 22 spiritus appellantur. ideo autem rectores harum tenebrarum eos dicit. quoniam peccatores homines tenebras appellat, quibus isti dominantur. ideo et alio loco dicit: fuistis enim aliquando tenebrae, nunc autem lux in domino, quia ex peccatoribus iustificati erant. non ergo arbitremur in summo caelo habitare diabolum cum angelis suis, unde lapsum esse credimus. The “celestial spirits of evil” do not rule in heaven, but are cast out from there 3. So the apostle says that in himself he fights against external forces. He says this: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers of this world, against the rulers of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the heavens” (Eph. 6:12) 23. After all, this air is also called heaven, where there are winds and clouds, storms and whirlwinds, as Scripture itself often says about this: “the Lord thundered from heaven” (Ps. 17:14 ) 24 ; or: “birds of the air” (Ps. 8:9; Matt. 6:26) 25, since it is obvious that birds fly through the air. And out of the same habit we call this air space the sky. After all, when we learn about clear or cloudy weather, we sometimes ask, “how is the weather?”, and sometimes, “What is the sky like?” I say this so that no one will think that evil demons live where God established the sun, moon and stars. If the Apostle calls demons “spirits” (Eph. 6:12), then this is because in the Scriptures 26 evil angels are also called spirits. He also calls them “rulers of this darkness” (ibid.) 27 because he calls sinful people over whom they rule as darkness. So, in another place he says: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8), for you were justified from among sinners 28 . So, let us not think that the devil and his angels dwell in the upper heaven, from where, as we believe, they fell 29 . 4. Sic enim errauerunt manichaei, qui dicunt ante mundi constitutionem fuisse gentem tenebrarum, quae contra deum rebellauit: in quo bello credunt miseri omnipotentem deum non sibi aliter potuisse succurrerre, nisi partem suam contra earm gentem mitteret. Cuius gentis principes, sicut illi dicunt, deuorauerunt partem dei et temperati sunt, ut posset de illis mundus fabricari. sic dicunt deum peruenisse ad uictoriam cum magnis calamitatibus et cruciatibus et miseriis membrorum suorum: quae membra dicunt esse commixta tenebrosis uisceribus principum illorum, uteostemperarent et a furore compescerent. et non intellegunt tam sacrilegam esse sectam suam, ut credant omnipotentem deum non per creaturam, quam fecerit, sed per ipsam naturam suam bellasse cum tenebris: quod nefas est credere, neque hoc solum, sed etiam illos, qui uicti sunt, factos esse meliores, quia furor eorum conpressus est; dei autem naturam, quae uicit, factamesse miserrimam. dicunt enim earn per ipsam commixtionem perdidisse intellectum et beatitudinem suam et magnis erroribus et cladibus esse inplicatam. quam si aliquando uel totam purgari dicerent, magnam tamen inpietatem contra omnipotentem deum adfirmarent, cuius partem crederent tanto tempore in erroribus ac poenis esse iactatam sine aliquo peccati crimine. nunc uero infelices audent adhuc dicere nec totam posse purgari; et ipsam partem, quae purgari non potuerit, proficere ad uinculum, ut inde inuoluatur et inligetur malitiae scpulcrum, et sic ibi semper sit pars ipsa dei misera, quae nihil peccauit et affigitur in aeternum carceri tenebrarum. hoc illi dicunt, ut simplices animas fallant. sed quis tam simplex est, ut ista non sentiat esse sacrilega, quibus affirmant omnipotentem deum necessitate oppressum esse, ut partem suam bonam et innocentem tantis cladibus obruendam et tanta inmunditia inquinandam daret et non totam liberare posset et quod liberare non potuerit, aeternis uinculis conligaret? Quis ergo ista non execretur? Quis non intellegat inpia esse et nefanda? sed illi quando capiunt homines, non ista prius dicunt – quae si dicerent, riderentur aut fugerentur ab omnibus – sed eligunt capitula de scripturis, quae simplices homines non intellegunt, et per ilia decipiunt animas inperitas quaerendo, unde sit malum, sicut in isto capitulo faciunt, quod ab apostolo scriptum est: rectores harum tenebrarum, et spiritalia nequitiae in caelestibus. quaerunt enim deceptores illi et interrogant hominem scripturas diuinas non intellegentem, unde sint in caelo rectores tenebrarum, ut, cum respondere non potuerit, traducatur ab eis per curiositatem, quia omnis anima indocta curiosa est. Qui autem fidem catholicam bene didicit et bonis moribus et uera pietate munitus est, quamuis eorum haeresim nesciat, respondet illis tamen. nec enim decipi potest, qui iam nouit, quid pertineat ad christianam fidem, quae catholica dicitur per orbem terrarum sparsa et contra omnes inpios et peccatores, neglegentes autem etiam suos domino gubernante secura. Manichaeans falsely interpret the concept of “power of darkness”, taken from the Holy Scriptures. Scriptures 4. This is exactly how the Manichaeans 30 are mistaken, who claim that before the creation of the world there was a race of darkness (gens tenebrarum) that rebelled against God. The unfortunate believe that in this war the almighty God could protect Himself only by sending a part of Himself against him. The rulers of this kind, as they claim, absorbed a part of God, and calmed down, having at the same time received the opportunity to create the world. Thus, they say, God achieved victory with great loss, suffering and misfortune of His members, which, as they say, mingled with the dark bowels of those rulers to restrain them and tame their fury. They do not understand how wicked their sect is, which encourages them to believe that Almighty God confronts darkness not through the creation He created, but by His very nature, which is criminal to even think about. But that's not all. After all, defeated, they became better, since their fury was tamed, but the nature of God, which won, became very unhappy. They say that through confusion she lost her mind and bliss, and was involved in grave losses and mistakes. But even if they had maintained that it would one day be completely purified, they would still have uttered great wickedness against Almighty God, a part of Whom would have been subject to wanderings and punishments for so long without any guilt of transgression. Now the unfortunate ones dare to assert that all of it cannot be purified, and that part that cannot be purified is led into chains, drawn into and chained to the tomb of malice. There the part of God that has not sinned is always in poverty; there it suffers in the eternal prison of darkness. They say this to deceive simple souls. But who is so simple as not to perceive that it is wicked to assert that Almighty God was of necessity forced to give up His innocent and good part to be covered with so many injuries and to be polluted with such impurity, and cannot free it all; and that part which he cannot free he has bound with eternal bonds. Who wouldn't be disgusted by this? Who will not understand that this is wicked and criminal? But they... when they want to catch people, they don’t talk about it at the beginning; for if they did, they would be ridiculed by everyone, and everyone would avoid them. They choose the heads of the Holy. Scriptures incomprehensible to simple people, and with them they deceive inexperienced souls, asking where evil comes from. This is what they do with the text written by the apostle about “the rulers of this darkness, the spirits of wickedness in heaven” (Eph. 6:12). The deceivers find and ask a person who does not understand the Divine Scriptures where the rulers of darkness come from in heaven; and since he cannot answer, he is attracted by them through curiosity, for every ignorant soul is curious. Anyone who is well taught the Catholic faith, strengthened by good morals and true piety, will be able to answer them, even if he is not familiar with their heresy. For it is impossible to deceive one who knows what pertains to the Christian faith, called Catholic, spread throughout the whole earth and protected by the Lord against all the wicked, sinners and their negligence. 5. Quoniam ergo dicebamus apostolum paulum dixisse habere nos conluctationem aduersus rectores tenebrarum et spiritalia nequitiae in caelestibus et probauimus etiam istum aerem terrae proximum caelum uocari, oportet credere aduersum diabolum et angelos eius nos dimicare, qui gaudent perturbationibus nostris. nam et ipse apostolus alio loco diabolum principem potestatis aeris huius appellat. quamuis ille locus, ubi ail: spiritalia nequitiae in caelestibus, possit et aliter intellegi, ut non ipsos praeuaricatores angelos in caelestibus esse dixerit, sed nos potius, de quibus alio loco dicit: conuersatio nostra in caelis est, ut nos in caelestibus constituti, id est in spiritalibus praeceptis dei ambulantes dimicemus aduersus spiritalia nequitiae, quae nos inde conantur abstrahere. magis ergo illud quaerendum est, quomodo aduersus eos, quos non uidemus, pugnare possimus et uincere, ne putent stulti aduersus aerem nos debere certare. br> The Christian's struggle is an internal struggle. 5. So, since we said that, according to the words of the Apostle Paul, our struggle is against the rulers of this darkness, against the spirits of heavenly wickedness, and we have proven that the airy region close to the earth is called heaven, we should believe that we are fighting against the devil and his angels, who rejoice in our disorder. For the apostle in another place calls the devil “the prince of the power of this air” (Eph. 2:2) 31. Although the place where he speaks about “spirits of evil in heaven” (Eph. 6:12) can be understood differently, in the sense that he did not speak about the fallen angels as dwelling in heaven, but rather about us, about whom he speaks in another place: “Our residence is on heavens" (Phil. 3:20), so that we, having established ourselves in heaven, that is, walking [there] in the spiritual commandments of God, would be at enmity against the spirits of malice who are trying to cast us out from there. Therefore, we should quickly seek how we can fight and defeat those whom we do not see, so that the foolish do not assume that we must fight with the air. 6. Docet itaque ipse apostolus dicens: non sic pugno quasi aerem caedens; sed castigo corpus meum et in seruitutem redigo, ne forte aliis praedicans ipse reprobus inueniar; item dicit: imitatores mei estote, sicut et ego christi. quare intellegendum est etiam ipsum apostolum in semet ipso triumphasse de potestatibus huius mundi, sicut de domino dixerat, cuius se imitatorem esse profitetur. imitemur ergo et nos ilium, sicut hortatur, et castigemus corpus nostrum et in seruitutem redigamus, si mundum uolumus uincere, quia per inlicitas delectationes suas et pompas et perniciosam curiositatem nobis dominari potest hie mundus, id est ea, quae in hoc mundo perniciosa delectatione conligant amatores rerum temporalium et diabolo atque angelis eius seruire cogunt: quibus omnibus si renuntiauimus, redigamus in seruitutem corpus nostrum. It is necessary first of all to subjugate the body 6. Thus, the Apostle himself teaches us, saying: “I do not fight as if I were fighting the air; But I subdue and enslave my body, so that, while preaching to others, I myself may not remain unworthy” (1 Cor. 9:26–27) 32. And further he says: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Therefore, it is necessary to understand that the apostle in himself triumphed over the powers of this world, as he said about the Lord (cf. Col. 2:15), whose imitator he professes to be. So, let us imitate him, as he calls us, and we will subdue our body and enslave it if we want to conquer the world. For through its lawless pleasures, luxury and destructive curiosity, the world can dominate us, that is, through things that with destructive pleasure attract lovers of temporary things and force them to serve the devil and his angels; If we renounce all this, we will enslave our body. 7. Sed ne quis forte hoc ipsum quaerat, quomodo fiat, ut corpus nostrum seruituti subiciamus, facile intellegi et fieri potest, si prius nos ipsos subiciamus deo bona uoluntate et caritate sincera. nam omnis creatura, uelit nolit, uni deo et domino suo subiecta est. Sed hoc admonemur, ut tota uoluntate seruiamus domino deo nostro, quoniam iustus liberaliter seruit, iniustus autem conpeditus seruit. omnes tamen diuinae prouidentiae seruiunt: sed alii oboediunt tamquam filii et faciunt cum ea quod bonum est; alii uero ligantur tamquam serui, et fit de illis quod iustum est. ita deus omnipotens, dominus uniuersae creaturae, qui fecit omnia, sicut scriptum est, bona ualde, sic ea ordinauit, ut et de bonis et de malis bene faciat. quod enim juste fit, bene fit. Just autem sunt beati boni, et juste mali poenas patiuntur. ergo et de bonis et de malis bene facit deus, quoniam omnia iuste facit. boni sunt autem, qui tota uoluntate deo seruiunt, mali autem necessitate seruiunt; nemo enim leges omnipotentis euadit. Sed aliud est facere quod lex iubet, aliud pati quod lex iubet. quapropter boni secundum leges faciunt. mali secundum leges patiuntur. Submission of the body is achieved by submitting oneself to God 7. And if anyone asks how we can subjugate our body, then it is easy to understand and do if we first submit ourselves to God out of good will and sincere love. For all creation, willy-nilly, is subordinate to the one God and Lord. Therefore, we are called to serve the Lord our God with all our will. And just as the righteous serves Him voluntarily, so the unrighteous serves Him involuntarily. Yet together they serve the Providence of God. Some are obedient [to him] like sons and do good with him, while others are bound [to him] as slaves, so that justice may be fulfilled. Almighty God, the Lord of all creation, who created everything, as it is written, “very good” (Gen. 1:31), so designed it to bring good from both the good and the evil. For everything that happens with justice is good. In justice the good are blessed, and in justice the evil are punished. So, God created good from both the good and the evil, for He created everything justly. The good ones are those who serve God with all their will, while the evil ones serve out of necessity, because no one can escape the laws of the Almighty. But it is one thing to do what the law commands, and another to experience its commands. That is why the good act according to the law, and the evil according to the law suffer 33. 8. Nec nos moueat, quod in hac uita secundum carnem, quam portant, iusti multa grauia et aspera tolerant, nihil enim mali patiuntur, qui iam possunt dicere, quod ille uir spiritualalis exultat et praedicat apostolus dicens: gloriamur in tribulationibus, scientes, quoniam tribulation patientiam operatur, patientia probationem, probatio spem 34; spes autem non confundit. Quia caritas dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per spirit uni sanctum, qui datus est nobis, si ergo in hac uita, ubi tanta tormenta sunt, possunt boni et iusti uiri. Cum talia patiuntur, non solum aequo animo tolerare, sed etiam in dei caritate gloriari, quid cogitandum est de ilia uita, quae nobis promittitur, ubi nullam de corpore molestiam sentiemus? quoniam non ad hoc resurgit corpus iustorum, ad quod resurgit corpus inpiorum, sicut scriptum est: omnes resurgimus, sed non omnes inmutabimur. et ne quisquam putet non iustis inmutationem istam promitti, sed potius iniustis, et earn existimet esse poenalem, sequitur et dicit: et mortui resurgunt incorrupti, et nos inmutabimur. Quicumque ergo mali sunt, sic ordinati sunt, quia et unusquisque sibi et omnes inuicem sibi nocent. hoc enim adpetunt, quod perniciose diligitur et quod eis auferri facile potest; et hoc sibi auferunt inuicem, quando se persequuntur. et ideo cruciantur, quibus auferuntur temporalia, quia diligunt ea; illi autem, qui auferunt, gaudent. sed talis laetitia caecitas est et summa miseria; ipsa enim magis inplicate animam et ad maiora tormenta perducit. nam gaudet et piscis, quando hamum non uidens escam deuorat; sed cum piscator eum adducere coeperit, uiscera eius torquentur primo; deinde ab omni laetitia sua per ipsam escam, de qua laetatus est, ad consumptionem trahitur. sic sunt omnes, qui de bonis temporalibus beatos se putant; hamum enim acceperunt et cum illo sibi uagantur; ueniet tempus, ut sentiant, quanta tormenta cum auditate deuorauerint. et ideo bonis nihil nocent, quia hoc eis auferunt, quod non diligunt; nam quod diligunt et unde beati sunt, auferre illis nemo potest, cruciatus uero corporis malas animas miserabiliter adfligit, bonas autem fortiter purgat. sic fit, ut et malus homo et malus angelus diuinae prouidentiae militent; Sed nesciunt, quid boni de illis operetur deus. non itaque pro meritis officii sed pro meritis malitiae stipendiantur. The suffering of the righteous and God's justice 8. Let it not bother us that the righteous in this life endure many sufferings and illnesses due to the flesh in which they are clothed. For those who can already pronounce what the spiritual man sings and preaches the Apostle do not suffer any evil, saying: “We glory in tribulations, knowing that from tribulation comes patience, from patience comes experience, from experience hope, 35 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts. the Holy Spirit given to us” (Rom. 5:3–5). So, if in this life, full of vicissitudes, good and righteous men, enduring such things, can not only endure it in peace of mind, but also boast in the love of God, then what should we think about the life that is promised to us, where we will not experience any difficulty from the side of the body? For the bodies of the righteous will not be resurrected for the same purpose as the bodies of the wicked. As it is written: “We will all rise again, but we will not all change” (1 Cor. 15:51) 36. And lest anyone think that change is promised not to the righteous, but rather to the wicked, understanding this as punishment, the apostle continues and says: “And the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed” (1 Cor. 15:52). The existence of the evil is determined in such a way that each of them harms himself, and all harm everyone. For they desire what is harmful to love and what can easily be taken away from them; and this is what they take from each other, being in a state of mutual struggle 37 . Hence those from whom temporary goods are taken away suffer because they love them; and those who take them away rejoice. But such joy is blindness and great misfortune: it binds the soul even more and leads it to even greater disasters. After all, the fish also rejoices when they swallow the bait and do not see the hook. As soon as the fisherman begins to pull the line, its insides are torn, and from all this joy due to the food that caused the joy, death occurs. This happens to everyone who considers themselves happy because of temporary blessings. They are hooked and are wandering everywhere. The time will come when they will feel how great torments they have swallowed along with greed. But [the evil] cannot harm the good in any way, because they take away from them what they do not like. For what they love and in which they are happy, no one can take away from them. Bodily suffering with force (miserabiliter) crushes the souls of the evil, but greatly purifies the good. So it turns out that both an evil man and an evil angel serve Divine providence. But they do not know about the good that God produces through them. Therefore, they receive reward not for their service, but for the atrocities they have committed. 9. Sed ut hae animae, quae habent uoluntatem nocendi et rationem cogitandi, sub diuinis legibus ordinatae sunt, ne aliquid iniustum quisque patiatur, ita omnia, et animalia et corporalia, in genere suo et in ordine suo diuinae prouidentiac legibus subdita administranlur. ideo dominus dicit: nonne duo passeres asse uencunt? et unus eorum non cadit in terrain sine uoluntate patris uestri. hoc enim dixit, uolens ostendere quidquid uilissimum homines putant omnipotentia dei gubernari. sic enim et uolatilia caeli ab eo pasci et lilia agri ab eo uestiri ueritas loquitur, quae capillos etiam nostros numeratos esse dicit. sed quoniam mundas animas rationales per se ipse deus curat, siue in optimis et magnis angelis siue in hominibus tota sibi uoluntate seruientibus, cetera uero per ipsos gubernat, uerissime dici potuit etiam illucl ab apostolö non enim de bubus cura est deo 38 . in scripturis enim sanctis deus homines clocet, quomodo cum hominibus agant et ipsi deo seruiant; quomodo autem agant cum pecoribus suis, ipsi sciunt, id est quomodo salutem pecorum suorum gubernent, usu et peritia et ratione naturali, quae quidem omnia de magnis sui creatoris opibus acceperunt. qui ergo potest intellegere, quomodo uniuersae creaturae conditor deus gubernet earn per animas sanctas, quae ministeria eius in caelis et in terris, quia et ipsae sanctae animae ab ipso factae sunt et in eius creatura primauim tenent: qui ergo potest intellegere, intellegat et intret in gaudium domini sui. 9. Just as souls possessing the desire to do evil and the ability to think are under the control of Divine laws, so that no one suffers from injustice, so all animate and corporeal beings, by their kind and order, are subject to the laws of Divine Providence and are governed by them. That is why the Lord says: “Are not two small birds sold for an assarium? And not one of them will fall to the ground without the will of your Father” (Matthew 10:29). He says this, wanting to show that even what people reverence as the most despised is controlled by Divine omnipotence. Thus “the birds of the air” feed on Him, and the lilies of the field are clothed by Him” (Matthew 6:26), in the words of the Truth itself, which says that “the hairs of our head are numbered” (Matthew 10:30). But since God Himself cares for pure rational souls, whether in the best and greatest angels, or in people who serve Him with all their will, and through them governs everything, it was truly said by the Apostle: “Not God cares for the oxen” (1 Cor. 9:9) 39. Indeed, in the scriptures God teaches people how they should treat people and serve Him. How to deal with their livestock, that is, how to keep their herds intact, they themselves know from custom, experience and natural reason; they received all this from the great creations of their Creator. And whoever is able to understand how the Creator of all creation, God, controls it through the holy souls who serve Him in heaven and on earth, for the holy souls themselves were created by Him, and occupy a primary position in His creation, so, whoever is able to understand this, let him understand and “enter into the joy of his Lord” (Matthew 25:21). 10. Si autem hoc non possumus, quamdiu sumus in hoc corpore et peregrinamur a domino, gustemus saltern, quam suauis est dominus, quia dedit nobis pignus spiritum, in quo sentiamus eius dulcedinem; et desideremus ipsum uitae fontem, ubi sobria ebrietate inundemur et inrigemur, sicut lignum, quod plantatum est secundum decursus aquarum et dat fructus in tempore suo et folium eius non decidet 40 . dicit enim spiritus sanctus: filii autem hominum in tegmine alarum tuarum sperabunt. inebriabuntur ab ubertate domus tuae, et torrente uoluptatis tuae potabis eos, quoniam apud te est fons uitae. talis ebrietas non euertit mentem. sed tamen rapit susum 41 et obliuionem praestat omnium terrenorum; sed si possumus toto affectu iam dicerë quemadmodum ceruus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, deus. 10. If we are not capable of this, while “being at home in the body, we are removed from the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:6), then let us at least taste how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9), for He “has given the pledge of the Spirit into our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:22), so that in Him we may taste His sweetness and desire the very Source of life, so that in a sober intoxication (sobria ebrietate) we may drink from it and into it to be immersed “like a tree planted by streams of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither” 42 (Ps. 1:3). For the Holy Spirit says: “The sons of men will hope in the cover of Your wings, they will drink from the abundance of Your house, and from the stream of Your sweets You will give them to drink” (Ps. 35:8-10) 43. Such intoxication does not darken the spirit, but exalts its grief and grants oblivion of everything earthly. Oh, if only we could say in fullness of feeling: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so longs my soul for You, O God!” (Ps. 41:2). 11. Quodsi forte adhuc propter aegritudines animae, quas de saeculi am ore concepit, nec gustarc sunius idonei quam dulcis est dominus, uel credamus diuinac auctoritati, quam uoluit esse in scripturis sanctis de fllio suo, qui factus est ci ex semine dauid secundum carnem, sicut apostolus loquitur; omnia enim per ipsum facta sunt, sicut in euangelio scriptum est, et sine ipso factumest nihil, qui nostrae in becillitatis misertus est: quam inbecillitatem non eius opere, sed nostra uoluntate meruimus; nam deus hominem inexterminabilem fecit et ei liberum uoluntatis arbitrium dedit. non enim esset optimus, si dei praeceptis necessitate, non uoluntate seruiret. facile est omnino, quantum existimo, quod intellegere nolunt, qui catholicam deseruerunt fidem et christiani uocari uolunt. nam si nobis cum fatentur naturam nostram non sanari nisi recte faciendo, fateantur earn non infirmari nisi peccando. et ideo non est credendum animam nostram hoc esse, quod deus est, quia, si hoc esset, nec sua uoluntate nec aliqua necessitate in dcterius mutaretur, quoniam omni modo incommutabilis intellegitur deus, sed ab eis, qui non in contentione et aemulatione et uanae gloriae cupiditate ainant loqui quod nesciunt, sed humilitate christiana sentiunt de domino in bonitate et in simplicitate cordis quaerunt eum. hanc ergo inbecillitatem nostram suscipere dignatus est filius dei, et uerbum caro factum est et liabitauit in nobis: non quia aelernilas ilia mutata est, sed quia mutabilem creaturam mutabilibus hominum oculis ostendit, quam incommutabili maiestate suscepit. The Son of God perceived our weakness that separated us from God 11. If, due to mental illnesses that happen because of love for this world, we are not able to taste how good the Lord is, let us believe the Divine authority revealed in the Holy Scriptures about His Son, “who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3), as the Apostle says. For “all things came into being through Him,” as it is written in the Gospel, “and without Him nothing came into being” (John 1:3). He had mercy on our weakness, which happened to us not by the work of His hands, but by our will. For “God created man incorruptible” (incxterminabilem, Wisdom 2:23) 44 and endowed him with free will. After all, he would not be perfect if he served the commandments of God out of necessity, and not out of will. What those who left the Catholic faith and want to be called Christians do not want to understand, I believe, is simple to understand. For if they admit with us that our nature is healed only by doing good, let them admit that it gets sick only by committing sin 45 . We should not think that our soul is God, for if this were so, then neither of its own will nor of necessity it could be damaged; after all, God is completely unchangeable, which is incomprehensible to those who, in the spirit of rivalry, envy and vain glory, love to talk about what they do not know, but understandable to those who, in Christian humility, “think about the Lord in goodness and in simplicity of heart seek “Him” (Wis. 1:1). So, the Son of God deigned to accept this weakness of ours, “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Not because His eternity changed, but because to the changing eyes of man He revealed a changeable creation, which He perceived in unchanging greatness. 12. Sunt autem stulti, qui dicunt: quare non poterat aliter sapiciitia dei homines liberare, nisi susciperet hominem et nasceretur de femina et a peccatoribus ilia omnia pateretur? Quibus dicimus: poterat omnino, sed si aliter faceret. similiter uestrar stulitiae displiceret. si enim non appareret oculis peccatorum, lumen eius aeternum utique, quod per interiores oculos uidetur, inquinatis mentibus uidere non possent. nunc autem quia uisibiliter nos commonere dignatus est, ut ad inuisibilia praepararet, displicet auaris, quia non aureum corpus habuit; displicet inpudicis, quia de femina natus est – multum enim oderunt inpudici, quod concipiunt et pariunt feminae; displicet superbis, quod contumelias patientissime pertulit; displicet delicatis, quia cruciatus est; displicet timidis quia mortuus est. et ut non uitia sua uideantur defendere, non in homine dicunt sibi hoc displicere, sed in filio dei. non enim intellegunt, quid sit aeternitas dei, quae hominem adsumpsit, et quid ipsa humana creatura, quae mutationibus suis in pristinam firmitatem reuocabatur, ut disceremus docente ipso domino infirmitates, quas peccando collegimus, recte faciendo posse sanari. ostendebatur enim nobis, ad quam fragilitatem homo sua culpa peruenerit et ex qua fragilitate diuino auxilio liberetur. itaque filius dei hominem adsumpsit et in illo humana perpessus est. haec medicina hominum tanta est, quanta non potest cogitari. nam quae superbia sanari potest, si humilitate filii dei non sanatur? Quae auaritia sanari potest, si paupertate filii dei non sanatur? quae iracundia sanari potest, si patientia filii dei non sanatur? quae inpietas sanari potest, quae caritate filii dei non sanatur? postremo quae timiditas sanari potest, si resurrectione corporis non sanatur? 46 erigat spem suam genus humanum et recognoscat naturam suam; uidcat, quantum locum habeat in opcribus dei. nolite uos ipsos contemnere, uiri; filius dei uirum suscepit. nolite uos ipsas contemnere, feminae; filius dei naius ex femina est. nolite tamen amarc carnalia, quia in fllio dei masculus nec femina sumus. nolite amare teinporalia, quia, si bene amarenlur, amaret ea homo, quem suscepit filius dei. nolite timere contumelias et cruces et mortem, quia, si nocereni homini, non ea pateretur homo, quem suscepil filius dei. haec omnis hortatio, quae iam ubique praedicatur, ubique ueneratur, quae omnem oboedientem animam sanat, non esset in rebus humanis, si non cssent facta ilia omnia, quae stultissimis displicent. quem dignatur imitari uitiosa iactantia, ut ad uirtutem percipiendam possit adduci, si crubescit imitari eum, de quo dictum est, antequam nasceretur, quod filius altissimi uocabitur, et per omnes iam gentes, quod negare nemo potest, filius altissimi uocatur? si multutn de nobis sentimus, dignemur imitari cum. qui filius altissimi uocatur; si parum de nobis sentimus, audeamus imitari piscatores et public anos, qui eum imitati sunt, o medicinam omnibus consulentem, omnia tumentia comprimentem, omnia tabescentia reficientem, omnia superflua rcsecantem, omnia necessaria custodientem, omnia perdita reparantem, omnia deprauata corrigentem! quis iam se extollat ​​contra filium dei? Quis de se desperet, pro quo tam humilis esse uoluit filius dei? quis beatam uitam esse arbitretur in his, quae contemnenda esse docuit filius dei? quibus aduersitatibus cedat, qui naturam hominis tantis persecutionibus custoditam credit in filio dei? quis sibi esse clausum regnum caelorum putet, qui cognoscit publicanos et meretrices imitatos esse filium dei? qua peruersitate non careat, qui facta et dicta intuetur et diligit et sectatur illius hominis, in quo se nobis ad exemplum uitae praebuit filius dei? The mystery of the Incarnation should not be a temptation 12. But there are fools who say: “Could not the Wisdom of God free man otherwise than by taking upon herself 47, being born of a wife and enduring all the suffering from sinners?” Our answer is this: Of course, she could, but even if she had acted differently, your stupidity would not have liked it either. If She had not appeared before the eyes of sinners, then. surely Her eternal light, visible with the inner eyes, could not be seen by a fallen mind. Now, having deigned to give us instruction in a visible way, in order to prepare us for the perception of invisible things, He irritates the greedy because He did not have a body of gold, irritates the intemperate because He was born of a woman (for the intemperate hate women for conception and birth), irritates the proud because He patiently endured insults, irritates the effeminate because He was crucified, irritates the timid because He died. But in order not to give the impression that they are defending their vices, they claim that their grievance is not that it applies to a person, but to the Son of God. They do not understand what is Divine eternity, which has taken on man, and what is human creation, called from [all] its variability into primordial power, so that we might learn, taught by the Lord Himself, that infirmities acquired in sin can be healed by a righteous life. Indeed, He showed us to what weakness man has reached through his own fault, and from what weakness he is freed by Divine help. This is why the Son of God took on man and endured humanity in him 48 . This healing of people is as great as it is impossible to imagine. For how else can pride be healed if not by the humility of the Son of God 49? How else can greed be cured if not through the poverty of the Son of God? How else can anger be healed if not through the patience of the Son of God? How else can wickedness be healed if not by the love of the Son of God? And finally, how else can fear be healed if not by bodily resurrection 50? May the human race rise in hope and come to know its nature, may it see how high a place it occupies among God’s creations. Do not despise yourselves, men: the Son of God took a husband. Do not despise yourselves, wives: the Son of God was born of a woman. However, do not love the things of the flesh, for in the Son of God we are neither male nor female. Do not love what is temporary, because if it were good to love it, a person perceived as the Son of God would love it. Do not be afraid of insults, the cross and death, because if this could harm a person, a person perceived as the Son of God would not have endured this. All this gospel (hortatio), already preached everywhere, revered everywhere, healing every obedient soul, would not have spread in human society (in rebus humanis) if everything that these worst of madmen do not like [so] did not come to pass. Which other person will deign to imitate vicious vanity in order to come to an understanding of virtue, if she is ashamed and blushes to imitate the one about whom before birth it was said: “He will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32), and about whom all nations now proclaim that He is the Son of the Most High. No one can deny this. If we think much about ourselves, let us deign to imitate Him who is called the Son of the Most High. If we think little of ourselves, let us dare to imitate the fishermen and tax collectors who imitated Him. Oh, medicine, useful to everyone, removing every inflammation, strengthening every weakness, cutting off every excess, preserving everything necessary, correcting everything corrupted! Who else will rebel against the Son of God? Who will despair when the Son of God wanted to humble himself for us? Who would call it bliss that the Son of God taught us to despise? To what vicissitudes will he succumb who believes that in the Son of God human nature has withstood such persecutions? Who will think that the Kingdom of God is closed to him, knowing that publicans and harlots followed the Son of God (imitatos esse) (cf. Matt. 21:31)? From what crime will we not be guarded who contemplates, loves and follows what was said and done by that man in whom the Son of God gave us an example of life 51? 13. Itaque iam et masculi et feminae et omnis aetas et omnis huius saeculi dignitas ad spem uitae aeternae commota est. alii neglectis temporalibus bonis conuolant ad diuina; alii cedunt eorum uirtutibus, qui haec faciunt, et laudant, quod imitari non audent; pauci autem adhuc murmurant et inani liuore torquentur, aut qui sua quaerunt in ecclesia, quamuis uideantur catholici, aui ex ipso christi nomine gloriam quaerentes haeretici aut peccatum inpietatis suae defendere cupientes iudaei aut curiositatem uanae licentiae perdere timentes pagani. sed ecclesia catholica per totum orbem longe late que diffusa inpet us eorum prioribus temporibus frangens magis magis que roborata est non resistendo, sed perferendo. nunc uero insidiosas eorum quaestiones fide inridet, diligentia discutit, intellegentia dissoluit; criminatores palearum suarum non curat, quia tempus messis et tempus arearum et tempus horreorum caute diligenter que distinguit; criminatores autem frumcnti sui aut errantes corrigit aut inuidentes inter spinas et zizania conputat. The hope of eternal life in Christ inspires the whole world 13. From now on, both men and women, every age and every dignity of this age are set in motion by the hope of eternal life. Some, leaving behind temporary blessings, rush to Divine blessings. Others bow before their virtues and praise what they dare not imitate. Few still grumble, driven by vain malice, whether from those who seek their own interest in the Church, only apparently belonging to it, from heretics who use the name of Christ for their own glory, from Jews who want to justify the sin of their wickedness, or from pagans who are afraid to lose the vain possibility of curiosity 52 . But the Catholic Church, having spread widely over the entire face of the earth, from the very first times repelled their attacks, becoming more and more strengthened not in resistance, but in patience. Now, with faith, she ridicules their insidious questions, carefully objects to them and intelligently refutes them. The Church does not pay attention to those who accuse her of tares, because she carefully and carefully distinguishes between the time of sowing, the time of harvest and the time of storage 53. Those who slander her wheat, if [they do this] by mistake, the Church corrects, and if out of envy, then she considers them thorns and thistles. 14. Subiciamus ergo animam deo, si uolumus seruituti subicere corpus nostrum et de diabolo triumphare. fides est prima, quae subiugat animam deo; deinde praccepta uiuendi, quibus custoditis spes nostra firmatur et nutritur caritas et lucere incipit, quod antea tantummodo credebatur. cum enim cognitio et actio beatum hominem faciant, sicut in cognitione cauendus est error, sic in actione cauenda est nequitia. errat autem quisquis put at ueritatem se posse cognoscere, cum adhuc nequiter uiuat. nequitia est autem mundum istum diligere et ea, quae nascuntur et transeunt, pro magno habere et ea concupiscere et pro his laborare, ut adquirantur; et laetari, cum abundarint, et timere, ne pereant, et contristari, cum pereunt. talis uita non potest puram illam et sinceram et incommutahilem uidere ueritatem et inhaerere illi et in aeternum iam non moueri. itaque priusquam mens nostra purgetur, debemus credere quod intellegere nondum ualemus, quoniam uerissime dictum est per prophetam: nisi credideritis, non intellegetis. Faith and virtue defeat the devil 14. Let us submit our souls to God if we wish to enslave our bodies and defeat the devil. Faith first subordinates the soul to God, then the commandments of life follow, by observance of which our hope is strengthened, love is nourished, and what was previously only believed begins to become clear. Since contemplation and doing make a person blessed, and just as in contemplation it is necessary to protect oneself from error, so in doing - from sin. He is mistaken who considers himself capable of knowing the truth while continuing to live wickedly. And wickedness is to love this world and consider great that which arises and disappears, to lust and work to acquire it, to rejoice at its abundance, to fear its loss and to be distressed at its disappearance. With such a life, it is impossible to see the pure, genuine and unchanging Truth, to cleave to it and never change again. Therefore, before our mind (mens nostra) is purified, we must believe what we are not yet able to understand, for what the prophet said is true: “If you do not believe, you do not understand” (Is. 7:9) 54. Here and below are quotes from St. The Scriptures are as close as possible to the Synodal translation. If the discrepancies between Augustine's text and the Synodal translation are large enough, the latter is placed in a footnote. In the case of an inaccurate quotation, it is marked with the word cf. The titles of parts and chapters are not contained in the original text and are inserted by the publishers. In his treatise “On the Christian Struggle,” St. Augustine develops in detail the doctrine of the forces of evil, the struggle against them and victory over them. The theological reflection of this Church father formed the basis for the Western Church's subsequent understanding of evil, the devil and fallen angels. Blessed Augustine discusses the spiritual nature of the devil in particular detail in his work “On the City of God” (X. 19). Here he dwells on the issue of the fall of angels who became demons. The devil, who by his deviation from God doomed himself to eternal torment, also serves as proof of the original goodness of God’s creation. Compare: Manca I., II copmbattimento cristiano. Introduction. R. 81. The last statement is especially important in the context of Augustine's tireless polemics with Mannheimian dualism. Already from the first lines of Augustine’s work, the theme of one of the most important moral and ascetic axioms of the Teacher of the Christian West can be traced: Uli, non frui - “To use, but not to enjoy.” The material world is loved by man by its very nature, and in order to preserve spiritual freedom in Christ, it is necessary to constantly maintain a kind of “distance of disobedience” in relation to what is around us. In Greek in the text, as in the Synod, trans., instead of “greed” there is “love of money” (θιλαργυρία). The word cupiditas used by Augustine has a wider range of meanings and can mean not only “passion for money”, but also “greed”, “covetousness”, “desire to possess”, “lust”. – Approx. ed. In the Synod, trans.: “Having taken away the strength of the principalities and powers, he imperiously subjected them to shame, having triumphed over them with Himself.” Probably, the words “putting off the flesh” mean the temporary difference between the soul and body of Christ during death on the cross and the descent of the soul into hell for triumph over death and the devil. Wed. Augustine. Er. 149.2. – Approx. ed. Speaking about the power of the forces of evil over man, St. Augustine simultaneously emphasizes the relativity and limitations of this very power. Fallen angels are completely dependent on the will of God. The Lord never allows demonic temptation to exceed the strength of a Christian. The devil's suggestions can influence our passions, but they do not have access to the holy of holies of human freedom. Wed. Roland-Gossrlin B. Le combat chretien // Oeuvres de saint Augustin. La morale chretienne (I). Paris, 1949. P. 524. PL: in Scripturis divinis. In the Synod trans.: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against afflictions, against authorities, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spirits of wickedness in high places.” By LXX. In Synod, trans.: “The Lord thundered in heaven.” Augustine gives two quotations: aves caeliat (Ps. 8:9) and volatilia cadi (Matt. 6:26), which literally means “birds of the air” and “feathered birds of the air.” PL: In the Divine Scriptures. In Synod, trans.: “Do you rule the world over the darkness of this age.” The term “justification” (lat. justificatio) carries a special meaning in the Latin church and theological tradition. Justification of a sinner means acceptance of him by Divine love, when the sinner becomes righteous here and now. Justification does not carry with it the need for ascetic feat characteristic of the Eastern tradition. Wed. Manca L. II combattimento cristiano. Introduction. P. 83: “In the works of Augustine one can trace a certain evolution in the understanding of the nature and habitat of demons. In his interpretation of the book of Genesis, written around 393, Augustine attributes to the fallen angels an airy body, inferior to the celestial body that they possessed before the Fall, but less heavy than a human one (De Gcncsi ad litteram. III.5.10). Fallen angels cannot dwell in the higher airy spheres, but in the lower and foggy ones (ibid.). In De agone christiano, Augustine says that the habitat of demons corresponds to the darkness of sin (III.3). In turn, when discussing the appearances of angels in the treatise “On the Trinity,” Augustine excludes the possibility of them accepting bodies heavier than the heavenly ones (De Trinitatc, III.15). In the treatise “On the City of God,” the Father of the Church speaks of the heavenly nature of angels, which prompts them not to be content with material sacrifices, but to demand divine honors (De Civitate Dei, X. 19).” On Manichaeism, see research: Purch H.L. Sul manicheismo e altri saggi. Torino, 1995; Tardieu M.I. II manichieismo. Cosenza, 1996; Khosroev A.L. History of Manichaeism. St. Petersburg, 2007. In Synod, trans.: “the prince of the power of the air.” In the Synod, trans.: “And therefore I do not run as if against the wrong thing, I do not fight as if I were just beating the air”... Compare: Roland-Gosselin B. Le combat chretien // Oeuvres de saint Auguslin. La morale chrétienne (1). P. 524. The concept of law, order, truth and justice, which ultimately means the concept of reason, occupies a special place in the worldview of St. Augustine. Every disorder and every inconsistency of a physical, rational or moral nature, as Augustine thought, is only a partial manifestation of the disorderly, compensated by the general order of the universe, which can neither be disturbed nor questioned. Two of Augustine’s works are specifically devoted to this topic: De Natura Boni (“On the Nature of Good”) and De Online (“On Order”). In his treatise “On Free Decision,” Augustine also dwells in detail on the providence of God in relation to the good and the evil (De libero arbitrio, III. 9). Unlike Augustine’s real work, which he wrote for simple people, the reasoning in “On Free Decision” is conducted in philosophical and intellectual language. PL: hope comes from experience. In Synod, trans.: “We will not all die, but we will all be changed.” Augustine’s words acquire a completely unexpected sound in the context of the philosophy and teachings of modern times: existence in the world as a struggle of individuals with each other (cf. the struggle of individuals for survival in evolutionism) and the life of a natural person as a constant and endless struggle for power and the possession of material wealth (cf. Nietzsche’s doctrine of the “will to power”). Without going into a detailed study of the origin and relationship of various teachings, it can be noted that the “anthropological pessimism” of the Latin patristic tradition, expressed with particular force in the theology of St. Augustine, is inextricably linked with the faith and confession of the redemption of man in Christ Jesus. The biological man of modern teachings exists and is perceived outside of this perspective. In Synod, trans.: “Does God care about oxen?” PL: et folia eius non decident. PL: whose leaves do not wither. According to LXX. In the Synod, trans.: “The sons of men are at rest in the shadow of Thy wings: they are satisfied from the fatness of Thy house, and from the stream of Thy sweets thou givest them to drink.” In Synod, trans.: “God created man for incorruptibility.” This refers to the Manichaeans, who divided the nature of the world and man into initially good or evil and denied free will. PL: si resurrectione corporis Christi Domini non sanatur. nisi susciperit hominem. In this case, as in many others, the word homo in Augustine does not mean a specific person, but human nature. – Approx. ed. According to Augustine, the incarnation of the Son of God is directly related to the Fall of man. “If man had not perished, the Son of Man would not have come,” says one of Augustine’s sermons (Sermo 175.1). Compare: Roland-Gosselin B. Le combat chretien // Oeuvres de saint Augustin. La morale chretienne (I). R. 524. Augustine contrasts impiety (impietas). or impiety. love (charitas). Love, as the meaning and fulfillment of all doctrinal and moral precepts, is a key concept in the theology of St. Augustine. Impiety (impietas) is caused by the lack of love for God and neighbor, without which all piety remains ungodliness. PL: if not by the bodily resurrection of the Lord Christ. This short chapter is a powerfully persuasive sketch of Augustine's Christology in its moral application. It is noteworthy how boldly Augustine ascribes the ultimate states of suffering and death to the humanity of Christ. Christ as a man is the subject of all his human actions. Man, accepted by the Son of God in Christ Jesus, is accepted by Him completely and truly according to the absolute gift of Divine love and freedom. A person saved in Christ Jesus, according to Augustine, is a real, one and only person, showing us an example of life in virtue and the mystery of Divine predestination. Compare: Manca L. II conihattimento cristiano. Introduction. P.97, n.12. Pagans, according to Augustine, are especially dependent on “curiosity” (Latin: curiusitas), a passion identified with the lust of the eyes. The pagan does not want to give up his right to curiosity, and in every possible way looks for ways to explain the world in his own way, to penetrate its secrets with the help of pseudo-scientific and magical exercises. On the meaning of the concept from antiquity to the late Middle Ages, see: Bos G. Curiositas: die Rczepiion eines antiken Begriffcs durch christliche Autoren bis Thomas von Aquin. Paderborn, 1995. Wed: Matthew 13:30. Augustine understands this Gospel parable in the sense that the tares, that is, Christians unworthy of their name, are preserved in the Church until the time of the Last Judgment. Nisi crcdideritis, non inielligtiis. According to LXX. In Synod, trans.: “If you do not believe, it is because you are not certified.” With this quote Augustine usually substantiates his doctrine of the superiority of reason over faith. See: Augustine. De ordine, II, 9; De vera religione, 24; De fide et symbolo, 1; In John., xl, 9; Scrmo 43. 7. 9; 118.1 and others – Note. ed.