Enchiridion: Being a Treatise on Faith, Hope and Love

Chapter 1

CHAPTER I

THE OCCASION AND PURPOSE OF THIS "MANUAL" -- 5 of 112 -- ARGUMENT LAURENTIUS HAVING ASKED AUGUSTIN TO FURNISH HIM WITH A HANDBOOK OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, CONTAINING IN BRIEF COMPASS ANSWERS TO SEVERAL QUESTIONS WHICH HE

Chapter 2

1. I CANNOT express, my beloved son Laurentius, the delight with

which I witness your progress in knowledge, and the earnest desire I have that you should be a wise man: not one of those of whom it is said, "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world?

Chapter 3

2. For you have the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. What can be briefer

to hear or to read? What easier to commit to memory? When, as the result of sin, the human race was groaning under a heavy load of misery, and was in urgent need of the divine compassion, one of the prophets, anticipatin

Chapter 4

CHAPTER III

GOD THE CREATOR OF ALL; AND THE GOODNESS OF ALL CREATION 9.—WHAT WE ARE TO BELIEVE. IN REGARD TO NATURE IT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO KNOW MORE THAN THAT THE GOODNESS OF THE CREATOR IS THE CAUSE OF ALL THINGS

Chapter 5

3. When, then, the question is asked what we are to believe in regard

to religion, it is not necessary to probe into the nature of things, as was done by those whom the Greeks call physici; nor need we be in alarm lest the Christian should be ignorant of the force and number of the element

Chapter 6

4. All things that exist, therefore, seeing that the Creator of them all

is supremely good, are themselves good. But because they are not, like their Creator, supremely and unchangeably good, their good may be diminished and increased. But for good to be diminished is an evil, although, howev

Chapter 7

CHAPTER V

THE KINDS AND DEGREES OF ERROR 16.—IT IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO MAN'S HAPPINESS THAT HE SHOULD KNOW THE CAUSES OF PHYSICAL CONVULSIONS; -- 18 of 112 -- BUT IT IS, THAT HE SHOULD KNOW THE CAUSES OF GOOD AND EVIL

Chapter 8

5. Now, in view of these considerations, when we are pleased with

that line of Maro, "Happy the man who has attained to the knowledge of the causes of things," we should not suppose that it is necessary to happiness to know the causes of the great physical convulsions, causes which lie

Chapter 9

6. But here arises a very difficult and very intricate question, about

which I once wrote a large book, finding it necessary to give it an answer. The question is this: whether at any time it can become the duty of a good man to tell a lie? For some go so far as to contend that there are oc

Chapter 10

CHAPTER VII

DISPUTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LIMITS OF KNOWLEDGE AND CERTAINTY IN VARIOUS MATTERS 20.—EVERY ERROR IS NOT A SIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE OPINION OF THE ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHERS, THAT TO AVOID ERROR WE SHOULD IN ALL CASES SUSPE

Chapter 11

7. I am not sure whether mistakes such as the following,—when one

forms a good opinion of a bad man, not knowing what sort of man he is; or when, instead of the ordinary perceptions through the bodily senses, other appearances of a similar kind present themselves, which we perceive in

Chapter 12

8. As it is right that we should know the causes of good and evil, so

much of them at least as will suffice for the way that leads us to the -- 28 of 112 -- kingdom, where there will be life without the shadow of death, truth without any alloy of error, and happiness unbroken by any sorr

Chapter 13

CHAPTER IX

-- 31 of 112 -- THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FALLEN ANGELS BY ELECT MEN (28-30); THE NECESSITY OF GRACE (30-32) 28.—WHEN THE REBELLIOUS ANGELS WERE CAST OUT, THE REST REMAINED IN THE ENJOYMENT OF ETERNAL HAPPINESS WITH GOD

Chapter 14

9. Whilst some of the angels, then, in their pride and impiety rebelled

against God, and were cast down from their heavenly abode into the lowest darkness, the remaining number dwelt with God in eternal and unchanging purity and happiness. For all were not sprung from one angel who had falle

Chapter 15

10. And so the human race was lying under a just condemnation, and

all men were the children of wrath. Of which wrath it is written: "All our days are passed away in Thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told." Of which wrath also Job says: "Man that is born of a woman is of f

Chapter 16

CHAPTER XI

-- 38 of 112 -- THE INCARNATION AS PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE ACTION OF GOD'S GRACE 35.—JESUS CHRIST, BEING THE ONLY SON OF GOD, IS AT THE SAME TIME MAN Wherefore Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is both God and man; God before

Chapter 17

11. Now here the grace of God is displayed with the greatest power

and clearness. For what merit had the human nature in the man Christ earned, that it should in this unparalleled way be taken up into the unity of the person of the only Son of God? What goodness of will, what goodness o

Chapter 18

CHAPTER XII

THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT -- 41 of 112 -- 38.—JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, WAS NOT BORN OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SUCH A SENSE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS HIS FATHER

Chapter 19

12. Nevertheless, are we on this account to say that the Holy Ghost is

the father of the man Christ, and that as God the Father begat the Word, so God the Holy Spirit begat the man, and that these two natures constitute the one Christ; and that as the Word He is the Son of God the Father, a

Chapter 20

13. Begotten and conceived, then, without any indulgence of carnal

lust, and therefore bringing with Him no original sin, and by the grace of God joined and united in a wonderful and unspeakable way in one person with the Word, the Only-begotten of the Father, a son -- 44 of 112 -- by

Chapter 21

14. Nevertheless, that one sin, admitted into a place where such

perfect happiness reigned, was of so heinous a character, that in one man the whole human race was originally, and as one may say, radically, condemned; and it cannot be pardoned and blotted out except through the one Me

Chapter 22

15. And now, having spoken of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our

Lord, with the brevity suitable to a confession of our faith, we go on to say that we believe also in the Holy Ghost,—thus completing the Trinity which constitutes the Godhead. Then we mention the Holy Church. And thus w

Chapter 23

CHAPTER XVI

PROBLEMS ABOUT HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY DIVISIONS OF THE CHURCH 60.—IT IS MORE NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO DETECT THE WILES OF SATAN WHEN HE TRANSFORMS HIMSELF INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT -- 58 of 112 --

Chapter 24

16. It is more necessary to use all our powers of discrimination and

judgment when Satan transforms himself into an angel of light, lest by his wiles he should lead us astray into hurtful courses. For, while he only deceives the bodily senses, and does not pervert the mind from that true

Chapter 25

17. But the angels even now are at peace with us when our sins are

pardoned. Hence, in the order of the Creed, after the mention of the Holy Church is placed the remission of sins. For it is by this that the Church on earth stands: it is through this that what had been lost, and was fou

Chapter 26

18. It is believed, moreover, by some, that men who do not abandon

the name of Christ, and who have been baptized in the Church by His baptism, and who have never been cut off from the Church by any schism or heresy, though they should live in the grossest sin, and never either wash it

Chapter 27

19. We must beware, however, lest any one should suppose that gross

sins, such as are committed by those who shall not inherit the kingdom of God, may be daily perpetrated, and daily stoned for by almsgiving, The life must be changed for the better; and almsgiving must be used to propiti

Chapter 28

20. Assuredly, then, those who live in gross wickedness, and take no

care to reform their lives and manners, and yet amid all their crimes and vices do not cease to give frequent alms, in vain take comfort to themselves from the saying of our Lord: "Give alms of such things as ye have; an

Chapter 29

21. Now, what sins are trivial and what heinous is not a matter to be

decided by man's judgment, but by the judgment of God. For it is plain that the apostles themselves have given an indulgence in the case of certain sins: take, for example, what the Apostle Paul says to those who are mar

Chapter 30

22. I shall now say this, which I have often said before in other places

of my works. There are two causes that lead to sin: either we do not yet know our duty, or we do not perform the duty that we know. The former is the sin of ignorance, the latter of weakness. Now against these it is our

Chapter 31

23. Now, as to the resurrection of the body,—not a resurrection such

as some have had, who came back to life for a time and died again, but a resurrection to eternal life, as the body of Christ Himself rose again,—I do not see how I can discuss the matter briefly, and at the same time giv

Chapter 32

24. Thus, when reprobate angels and men are left to endure

everlasting punishment, the saints shall know more fully the benefits they have received by grace. Then, in contemplation of the actual facts, they shall see more clearly the meaning of the expression in the psalms, "I w

Chapter 33

25. And, moreover, who will be so foolish and blasphemous as to say

that God cannot change the evil wills of men, whichever, whenever, and wheresoever He chooses, and direct them to what is good? But when He does this, He does it of mercy; when He does it not, it is of justice that He do

Chapter 34

26. These are the great works of the Lord, sought out according to all

His pleasure, and so wisely sought out, that when the intelligent creation, both angelic and human, sinned, doing not His will but their own, He used the very will of the creature which was working in opposition to the C

Chapter 35

27. Accordingly, when we hear and read in Scripture that He "will

have all men to be saved" although we know well that all men are not saved, we are not on that account to restrict the omnipotence of God, but are rather to understand the Scripture, "Who will have all men to be saved,"

Chapter 36

28. Wherefore, God would have been willing to preserve even the

first man in that state of salvation in which he was created, and after he had begotten sons to remove him at a fit time, without the intervention of death, to a better place, where he should have been not only free from

Chapter 37

29. During the time, moreover, which intervenes between a man's

death and the final resurrection, the soul dwells in a hidden retreat, where it enjoys rest or suffers affliction just in proportion to the merit it has earned by the life which it led on earth. 110.—THE BENEFIT TO THE S

Chapter 38

30. Out of this confession of faith, which is briefly comprehended in

the Creed, and which, carnally understood, is milk for babes, but, spiritually apprehended and studied, is meat for strong men, springs the good hope of believers; and this is accompanied by a holy love. But of these mat

Chapter 39

31. And now as to love, which the apostle declares to be greater than

the other two graces, that is, than faith and hope, the greater the -- 106 of 112 -- measure in which it dwells in a man, the better is the man in whom it dwells. For when there is a question as to whether a man is goo

Chapter 40

32. All the commandments of God, then, are embraced in love, of

which the apostle says: "Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." Thus the end of every commandment is charity, that is, every commandment has lov

Chapter 41

33. But now there must be an end at last to this volume. And it is for

yourself to judge whether you should call it a hand-book, or should use it as such. I, however, thinking that your zeal in Christ ought not to be despised, and believing and hoping all good of you in dependence on our Re