The Confessions of St. Augustin (part 7 of 7)

Notes

1. 1380

   Ps. xlix. 20.

2. 1381

   Eph. ii. 10.

3. 1382

   Gen. i. 27.

4. 1383

   Gal. iii. 28.

5. 1384

   In his De Civ. Dei, xi. 3, he defines very distinctly (as he does in other of his writings) the knowledge received "by sight"—that is, by experience, as distinguished from that which is received "by faith"—that is, by revelation (2 Cor. v. 7). He, in common with all the Fathers who had knowledge of the Pagan philosophy, would feel how utterly that philosophy had failed to "find out" (Job xi. 7) with certitude anything as to God and His character,—the Creation of the world,—the Atonement wrought by Christ,—the doctrine of the Resurrection, as distinguished from the Immortality of the Soul,—our Immortal Destiny after death, or "the Restitution of all things." As to the knowledge of God, see Justin Martyr's experience in the schools of philosophy, Dialogue with Trypho, ch. ii.; and on the doctrine of Creation, see p. 165, note 4. On the "Restitution of all things," etc., reference may be made to Mansel's Gnostics, who points out (Introd. p. 3) that "in the Greek philosophical systems the idea of evil holds a very subordinate and insignificant place, and that the idea of redemption seems not to be recognised at all." He shows further (ibid. p. 4), that "there is no idea of the delivery of the creature from the bondage of corruption. The great year of the Stoics, the commencement of the new cycle which takes its place after the destruction of the old world, is but a repetition of the old evil." See also p. 164, note 2, above.

6. 1385

   Jas. iv. 11.

7. 1386

   Matt. viii. 20.

8. 1387

   1 Cor. v. 12.

9. 1388

   See sec. 29, note.

10. 1389

    Gen. i. 28.

11. 1390

    See p. 92, note 1, above.

12. 1391

    See p. 189, note 2, above.

13. 1392

    See p. 199, note 3, above.

14. 1393

    See sec. 21, and note, above.