Werke Augustinus von Hippo (354-430) Confessiones

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The Confessions of St. Augustin In Thirteen Books

Chapter V.--That Man Knoweth Not Himself Wholly.

7. For it is Thou, Lord, that judgest me; 1 for although no "man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him," 2 yet is there something of man which "the spirit of man which is in him" itself knoweth not. But Thou, Lord, who hast made him, knowest him wholly. I indeed, though in Thy sight I despise myself, and reckon "myself but dust and ashes," 3 yet know something concerning Thee, which I know not concerning myself. And assuredly "now we see through a glass darkly," not yet "face to face." 4 So long, therefore, as I be "absent" from Thee, I am more "present" with myself than with Thee; 5 and yet know I that Thou canst not suffer violence; 6 but for myself I know not what temptations I am able to resist, and what I am not able. 7 But there is hope, because Thou art faithful, who wilt not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but wilt with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. 8 I would therefore confess what I know concerning myself; I will confess also what I know not concerning myself. And because what I do know of myself, I know by Thee enlightening me; and what I know not of myself, so long I know not until the time when my "darkness be as the noonday" 9 in Thy sight.

  1. 1 Cor. iv. 4. ↩

  2. 1 Cor. ii. 11. ↩

  3. Gen. xviii. 27. ↩

  4. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. ↩

  5. 2 Cor. v. 6. ↩

  6. See Nebridius' argument against the Manichaeans, as to God's not being violable, in vii. sec. 3, above, and the note thereon. ↩

  7. See his Enarr. in Ps. lv. 8 and xciii. 19, where he beautifully describes how the winds and waves of temptation will be stilled if Christ be present in the ship. See also Serm. lxiii.; and Eps. cxxx. 22, and clxxvii. 4. ↩

  8. 1 Cor. x. 13. ↩

  9. Isa. lviii. 10. ↩

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Confessiones

Caput 5

Tu enim, domine, diiudicas me, quia etsi nemo scit hominum, quae sunt hominis, nisi spiritus hominis, qui in ipso est, tamen est aliquid hominis, quod nec ipse scit spiritus hominis, qui in ipso est, tu autem, domine, scis eius omnia, qui fecisti eum. ego vero quamvis prae tuo conspectu me despiciam, et aestimem me terram et cinerem, tamen aliquid de te scio, quod de me nescio. et certe videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate, nondum facie ad faciem; et ideo, quamdiu peregrinor abs te, mihi sum praesentior quam tibi; et tamen te novi nullo modo posse violari; ego vero quibus temptationibus resistere valeam quibusve non valeam, nescio. et spes est, quia fidelis es, qui nos non sinis temptari supra quam possumus ferre, sed facis cum temptatione etiam exitum, ut possimus sustinere. confitear ergo quid de me sciam, confitear et quid de me nesciam, quoniam et quod de me scio, te mihi lucente scio, et quod de me nescio, tamdiu nescio, donec fiant tenebrae meae sicut meridies in vultu tuo.

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