them which they will have left in passing in the memory; since then, too, there will be a trinity, when that trace, be it of what sort it may, shall be retained in the memory, and truly recognised, and then these two be joined by will as a third.
Chap. x. — How a trinity is produced by the mind remembering y understanding, and loving itself.
13. In the knowledge of all these temporal things which we have mentioned, there are some knowable things which precede the acquisition of the knowledge of them by an inter- val of time, as in the case of those sensible objects which were already real before they were known, or of all those things that are learned through history; but some things begin to be at the same time with the knowing of them, — ^just as, if any visible object, which did not exist before at all, were to rise up before our eyes, certainly it does not precede our knowing it; or if there be any sound made where there is some one to hear, no doubt the sound and the hearing that sound begin and end simultaneously. Yet none the less, whether preceding in time or beginning to exist simultaneously.
CHAP. XL] MEMORY IS ALSO OF THINGS PRESENT. 361 knowable things generate knowledge, and are not generated by- knowledge. But when knowledge has come to pass, when- ever the things known and laid up in memory are reviewed by recollection, who does not see that the retaining them in the memory is prior in time to the sight of them in recollec- tion, and to the uniting of the two things by will as a third? In the mind, however, it is not so. For the mind is not ad- ventitious to itself, as though there came to itself already existing, that same self not already existing, from somewhere else; or did not indeed come from somewhere else, but that in the mind itself already existing, there was born that same mind not already existing; just as faith, which before was not, arises in the mind which already was. Nor does the mind see itself, as it were, set up in its own memory by recollection subsequently to the knowing of itself, as though it was not there before it knew itself; whereas, doubtless, from the time when it began to be, it has never ceased to remember, to under- stand, and to love itself, as we have already shown. And hence, when it is turned to itself by thought, there arises a trinity, in which now at length we can discern also a word; since it is formed from thought itself, will uniting both. Here, then, we may recognise, more than we have hitherto done, the image of which we are in search.
Chap. xi. — Whether memory is also of things present.
14. But some one will say. That is not memory by which the mind, which is ever present to itself, is affirmed to remem- ber itself; for memory is of things past, not of things present. For there are some, and among them Cicero, who, in treating of the virtues, have divided prudence into these three — memory, understanding, forethought: to wit, assigning memory to things past, understanding to things present, forethought to things future; which last is certain only in the case of those who are prescient of the future; and this is no gift of men, unless it be granted from above, as to the prophets. And hence the book of Wisdom, speaking of men, " The thoughts of mortals," it says, "are fearful, and our forethought uncertain."-^ But memory of things past, and understanding of things present, are 362 ON THE TRINITY. [BOOK XIV.
certain: certain, I mean, respecting things incorporeal, which are present; for things corporeal are present to the sight of the corporeal eye. But let any one who denies that there is any memory of things present, attend to the language used even in profane literature, where exactness of words was more looked for than truth of things. " ISTor did Ulysses suffer such things, nor did the Ithacan forget himself in so great a peril." ^ For when Virgil said that Ulysses did not forget himself, what else did he mean, except that he remembered himself? And since he was present to himself, he could not possibly remember himself, unless memory pertained to things present. And, therefore, as that is called memory in things past which makes it possible to recall and remember them; so in a thing present, as the mind is to itself, that is not unreasonably to be called memory, which makes the mind at hand to itself, so that it can be understood by its own thought, and then both be joined together by love of itself.
Chap. xii. — The trinity in the mind is the image of God, in that it rememherSy understands, and loves God, which to do is wisdom.
15. This trinity, then, of the mind is not therefore the image of God, because the mind remembers itself, and understands and loves itself; but because it can also remember, understand, and love Him by whom it was made. And in so doing it is made wise itself. But if it does not do so, even when it remembers, understands, and loves itself, then it is foolish. Let it then remember its God, after whose image it is made, and let it under- stand and love Him. Or to say the same thing more briefly, let it worship God, who is not made, by whom because itself was made, it is capable and can be partaker of Him; where- fore it is written, " Behold, the worship of God, that is wisdom."^ And then it will be wise, not by its own light, but by parti- cipation of that supreme Light; and wherein it is eternal, therein shall reign in blessedness. For this wisdom of man is so called, in that it is also of God. For then it is true wisdom; for if it is human, it is vain. Yet not so of God, as is that wherewith God is wise. For He is not wise by partaking of Himself, as the mind is by partaking of God. But as we call it the righteousness of God, not only when we speak of CHAP. XIII.] ALL NATURES HAVE THEIR BEING IN GOD. 363 that by which He Himself is righteous, but also of that which He gives to man when He justifies the ungodly, which latter righteousness the apostle commending, says of some, that " not knowing the righteousness of God, and going about to establish their own righteousness, they are not subject to the righteous- ness of God;"^ so also it may be said of some, that not knowing the wisdom of God, and going about to establish their own wisdom, they are not subject to the wisdom of God.
16. There is, then, a nature not made, which made all other natures, great and small, and is without doubt more excellent than those which it has made, and therefore also than that of which we are speaking; viz. than the rational and intellectual nature, which is the mind of man, made after the image of Him who made it. And that nature, more excellent than the rest, is God. And indeed " He is not far from every one of us," as the apostle says, who adds, "For in Him we live, and are moved, and have our being." ^ And if this were said in respect to the body, it might be understood even of this cor- poreal world; for in it too, in respect to the body, we live, and are moved, and have our being. And therefore it ought to be taken in a more excellent way, and one that is intelligible, not visible, in respect to the mind, which is made after His image. For what is there that is not in Him, of whom it is divinely written, " For of Him, and through Him, and in Him, are all things "?^ If, then, all things are in Him, in whom can any possibly live that do live, or be moved that are moved, except in Him in whom they are? Yet all are not with Him in that way in which it is said to Him, " I am continually with Thee." * Nor is He with all in that way in which we say. The Lord be with you. And so it is the especial wretch- edness of man not to be with Him, without whom he cannot be. For, beyond a doubt, he is not without Him in whom he is; and yet if he does not remember, and understand, and love Him, he is not with Him. And when any one absolutely forgets a thing, certainly it is impossible even to remind him of it.
Chap. xiii. — Hoio any one can forget and remember God.
17. Let US take an instance for the purpose from visible A 64 ON THE TRINITY. [BOOK XIV.
things. Somebody whom you do not recognise says to you. You know me; and in order to remind you, tells you where, when, and how he became known to you; and if, after the mention of every sign by which you might be recalled to remembrance, you still do not recognise him, then you have so come to forget, as that the whole of that knowledge is alto- gether blotted out of your mind; and nothing else remains, but that you take his word for it who tells you that you once knew him; or do not even do that, if you do not think the person who speaks to you to be worthy of credit. But if you do remember him, then no doubt you return to your own memory, and find in it that which had not been altogether blotted out by forgetfulness. Let us return to that which led us to adduce this instance from the intercourse of men. Among other things, the 9 th Psalm says, " The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;" ^ and again the 2 2d Psalm, "All the ends of the world shall be reminded, and turned unto the Lord." ^ These nations, then, will not so have forgotten God as to be unable to remember Him when reminded of Him; yet, by forgetting God, as though forgetting their own life, they had been turned into death, i.e. into hell. But when reminded they are turned to the Lord, as though coming to life again by remembering their proper life which they had forgotten. It is read also in the 94th Psalm, "Perceive now, ye who are unwise among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? " etc. ^ For this is spoken to those, who said vain things concerning God through not under- standing Him.
Chap. xiv. — The mind loves God in rightly loving itself; and if it love not Godj it must be said to hate itself. Even a weak and erring mind is always strong in remembering, understanding, and loving itself. Let it be turned to Gody that it may be blessed by remembering, understanding, and loving Him.
18. But -there are yet more testimonies in the divine Scrip- tures concerning the love of God. For in it those other two are understood by consequence, inasmuch as no one loves that which he does not remember, or of which he is wholly igno- rant. And hence is that well-known and primary command- » Ps. ix. 17. * Ps. xxii. 27. ' Ps. xciv. 8, 9.
CHAP. XIV.] MAN LOVES GOD IN RIGHTLY LOVING HIMSELF. 365 ment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God."^ The human mind, then, is so constituted, that at no time does it not remember, and understand, and love itself. But since he who hates any one is anxious to injure him, not undeservedly is the mind of man also said to hate itself when it injures it- self. For it wills ill to itself through ignorance, in that it does not think that what it wills is prejudicial to it; but it none the less does will ill to itself, when it wills what would be prejudicial to it. And hence it is written, " He that loveth iniquity, hateth his own soul." ^ He, therefore, who knows how to love himself, loves God; but he who does not love God, even if he does love himself, — a thing implanted in him by nature, — jet is not unsuitably said to hate himself, inasmuch as he does that which is adverse to himself, and assails him- self as though he were his own enemy. And this is no doubt a terrible delusion, that whereas all will to profit themselves, many do nothing but that which is most pernicious to them- selves. When the poet was describing a like disease of dumb animals, " May the gods," says he, '' grant better things to the pious, and assign that delusion to enemies. They were rending with bare teeth their own torn limbs." ^ Since it was a disease of the body he was speaking of, why has he called it a delusion, unless because, while nature inclines every animal to take all the care it can of itself, that disease was such that those animals rent those very limbs of theirs, which they de- sired should be safe and sound? But when the mind loves God, and by consequence, as has been said, remembers and under- stands Him, then it is rightly enjoined also to love its neigh- bour as itself; for it has now come to love itself rightly and not perversely when it loves God, by partaking of whom that image not only exists, but is also renewed so as to be no longer old, and restored so as to be no longer defaced, and beatified so as to be no longer unhappy. For although it so love itself, that, supposing the alternative to be proposed to it, it would lose all things which it loves less than itself rather than perish; still, by abandoning Him who is above it, in dependence upon whom alone it could guard its own strength, and enjoy Him as its light, to whom it is sung in the Psalm, * Deut vi. 5. ' Ps. xi. 5. » Virg. Georg. iii. 513, 514.
366 ON THE TRINITY. [BOOK XIV.
"I will guard my strength in dependence upon Thee,"^ and again, " Draw near to Him, and be enlightened,"^ — it has been made so weak and so dark, that it has fallen away unhappily from itself too, to those things that are not what itself is, and which are beneath itseK, by affections that it cannot conquer, and delusions from which it sees no way to return. And hence, when by God's mercy now penitent, it cries out in the Psalms, " My strength faileth me; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me." ^ 19. Yet, in the midst of these evils of weakness and delu- sion, great as they are, it could not lose its natural memory, understanding, and love of itself. And therefore what I quoted above* can be rightly said, "Although man walketh in an image, surely he is disquieted in vain: he heapeth up treasures, and knoweth not who shall gather them." ^ For why does he heap up treasures, unless because his strength has deserted him, through which he would have God, and so lack nothing? And why cannot he tell for whom he shall gather them, unless because the light of his eyes is taken from him? And so he does not see what the Truth saith, " Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? " ^ Yet because even such a man walketh in an image, and the man's mind has re- membrance, understanding, and love of itself; if it were made plain to it that it could not have both, while it was permitted to choose one and lose the other, viz. either the treasures it has heaped up, or the mind; who is so utterly without mind, as to prefer to have the treasures rather than the mind? For treasures commonly are able to subvert the mind, but the mind that is not subverted by treasures can live more easily and unencumberedly without any treasures. But who will be able to possess treasures unless it be by means of the mind? For if an infant, born as rich as you please, although lord of every- thing that is rightfully his, yet possesses nothing if his mind be unconscious, how can any one possibly possess anything whose mind is wholly lost? But why say of treasures, that anybody, if the choice be given him, prefers going ^ Ps. lix. 9. ^ Ps. xxxiv. 5. ^ Ps. xxxviii. 10.
CHAP. XIV.] BLESSEDNESS OF CLEAVING TO GOD. 367 without them to going without a mind; when there is no one that prefers, nay, no one that compares them, to those lights of the body, by which not one man only here and there, as in the case of gold, but every man, possesses the very heaven? For every one possesses by the eyes of the body whatever he gladly sees. Who then is there, who, if he could not keep both, but must lose one, would not rather lose his treasures than his eyes? And yet if it were put to him on the same condition, whether he would rather lose eyes than mind, who is there with a mind that does not see that he would rather lose the former than the latter? For a mind without the eyes of the flesh is still human, but the eyes of the flesh without a mind are bestial. And who would not rather be a man, even though blind in fleshly sight, than a beast that can see?.
20. I have said thus much, that even those who are slower of understanding, to whose eyes or ears this book may come, might be admonished, however briefly, how greatly even a weak and erring mind loves itself, in wrongly loving and pur- suing things beneath itself. "Now it could not love itself if it were altogether ignorant of itself, i.e. if it did not remember itself, nor understand itself; by which image of God within itself it has such power as to be able to cleave to Him whose image it is. For it is so reckoned in the order, not of place, but of natures, as that there is none above it save Him. When, finally, it shall altogether cleave to Him, then it will be one spirit, as the apostle testifies, saying, "But he who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit." ^ And this by its drawing near to partake of His nature, truth, and blessedness, yet not by His increasing in His own nature, truth and blessedness. In that nature, then, when it happily has cleaved to it, it will live unchangeably, and will see as unchangeable all that it does see. Then, as divine Scripture promises, "His desire will be satisfied with good things,"^ good things unchangeable, — the very Trinity itself, its own God, whose image it is. And that it may not ever thenceforward suffer wrong, it will be in the hidden place of His presence,^ filled with so great fulness of Him, that sin thenceforth will never delight it. 1 1 Cor. vi. 17. 2 Ps. ciii. 5. » pg, ^xxi. 20.
368 ON THE TRINITY. [BOOK XIV.
But now, when it sees itself, it sees something not unchange- able.
Chap. xv. — Although the soul hopes for blessedness, yet it does not remember lost blessedness, but remembers God and the rules of righteousness. The unchangeable rules of light living are known even to the ungodly.
21. And of this certainly it feels no doubt, that it is wretched, and longs to be blessed; nor can it hope for the possibility of this on any other ground than its own change- ableness; for if it were not changeable, then, as it could not become wretched after being blessed, so neither could it be- come blessed after being wretched. And what could have made it wretched under an omnipotent and good God, except its own sin and. the righteousness of its Lord? And what will make it blessed, unless its own merit and its Lord's reward? But its merit, too, is His grace, whose reward will be its blessedness; for it cannot give itself the righteousness it has lost, and so has not. For this it received when man was created, and assuredly lost it by sinning. Therefore it receives righteousness, that on account of this it may deserve to receive blessedness; and hence the apostle truly says to it, when beginning to be proud as it were of its own good, " For what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it? " ^ But when it rightly remembers its own Lord, having received His Spirit, then, because it is so taught by an inward teaching, it feels wholly that it cannot rise save by His affec- tion freely given, nor has been able to fall save by its own defec- tion freely chosen. Certainly it does not remember its own blessedness; since that has been, but is not, and it has utterly forgotten it, and therefore cannot even be reminded of it. But it believes what the trustworthy Scriptures of its God tell of that blessedness, which were written by His prophet, and tell of the blessedness of Paradise, and hand down to us historical information of that first both good and ill of man. And it remembers the Lord its God; for He always is, nor has been and is not, nor is but has not been; but as He never will not be, so He never was not. And He is whole everywhere. And hence it both lives, and is moved, and is in Him; ^ and so CHAP. XVI.] THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNRIGHTEOUS. 369 it can remember Him. Not because it recollects the having known Him in Adam, or anywhere else before the life of this present body, or when it was first made in order to be im- planted in this body; for it remembers nothing at all of all this. Whatever there is of this, it has been blotted out by forget- fulness. But it is reminded that it be turned to God, as though to that light by which it was in some way touched, even when turned away from Him. For hence it is that even the ungodly think of eternity, and rightly blame and rightly praise many things in the morals of men. And by what rules do they thus judge, except by those wherein they see how men ought to live, even though they themselves do not so live? And where do they see these rules? For they do not see them in their own nature, since no doubt these things are to be seen by the mind, and their minds are confessedly changeable, but these rules are seen as unchangeable by him who can see this too in them; nor yet in the character of their own mind, since these rules are rules of righteousness, and their minds are confessedly unrighteous. Where indeed are these rules written, wherein even the unrighteous recognises what is righteous, wherein he discerns that he ought to have what he himself has not? Where, then, are they written, unless in the book of that light which is called Truth? whence every righteous law is copied and transferred, not by migrating thither, but by being as it were impressed upon it, to" the heart of the man that worketh righteousness; as the impression from a ring passes into the wax, yet does not leave the ring. But he who worketh not, and yet sees how he ought to work, he is the man that is turned away from that light, which yet touches him. But he who does not even see how he ouoht o to live, sins indeed with more excuse, because he is not a transgressor of a law that he knows; but even he too is just touched sometimes by the splendour of the everywhere present truth, when upon admonition he confesses.
Chap. xvr. — How the image of God is formed anew In man.
22. But those who, by being reminded, are turned to the Lord from that deformedness whereby they were through worldly lusts conformed to this world, are formed anew from DE TRIN. 2 A 370 ON THE TRINITY. [BOOK XIV.