Edition Hide
De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXXII: Quod sacramentum redemptionis Christi nullis retro temporibus defuerit semperque sit diuersis significationibus praedicatum.

Hoc mysterium uitae aeternae iam inde ab exordio generis humani per quaedam signa et sacramenta temporibus congrua, quibus oportuit, per angelos praedicatum est. deinde populus Hebraeus in unam quandam rempublicam, quae hoc sacramentum ageret, congregatus est, ubi per quosdam scientes, per quosdam nescientes id, quod ex aduentu Christi usque nunc et deinceps agitur, praenuntiaretur esse uenturum; sparsa etiam postea eadem gente per gentes propter testimonium scripturarum, quibus aeterna salus in Christo futura praedicta est. omnes enim non solum prophetiae, quae in uerbis sunt, nec tantum praecepta uitae, quae mores pietatemque conformant atque illis litteris continentur, uerum etiam sacra, sacerdotia, tabernaculum siue templum, altaria, sacrificia, ceremoniae, dies festi et quidquid aliud ad eam seruitutem pertinet, quae deo debetur et Graece proprie λατρεία dicitur, ea significata et praenuntiata sunt, quae propter aeternam uitam fidelium in Christo et inpleta credimus et inpleri cernimus et inplenda confidimus.

Translation Hide
The City of God

Chapter 32.--That at No Time in the Past Was the Mystery of Christ's Redemption Awanting, But Was at All Times Declared, Though in Various Forms.

This mystery of eternal life, even from the beginning of the human race, was, by certain signs and sacraments suitable to the times, announced through angels to those to whom it was meet. Then the Hebrew people was congregated into one republic, as it were, to perform this mystery; and in that republic was foretold, sometimes through men who understood what they spake, and sometimes through men who understood not, all that had transpired since the advent of Christ until now, and all that will transpire. This same nation, too, was afterwards dispersed through the nations, in order to testify to the scriptures in which eternal salvation in Christ had been declared. For not only the prophecies which are contained in words, nor only the precepts for the right conduct of life, which teach morals and piety, and are contained in the sacred writings,--not only these, but also the rites, priesthood, tabernacle or temple, altars, sacrifices, ceremonies, and whatever else belongs to that service which is due to God, and which in Greek is properly called latreia,--all these signified and fore-announced those things which we who believe in Jesus Christ unto eternal life believe to have been fulfilled, or behold in process of fulfillment, or confidently believe shall yet be fulfilled.