Edition Masquer
De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXIV: De bonis, quibus etiam hanc uitam damnationi obnoxiam creator inpleuit.

Iam nunc considerandum est hanc ipsam miseriam generis humani, in qua laudatur iustitia punientis, qualibus et quam multis inpleuerit bonis eiusdem bonitas cuncta quae creauit administrantis. primum benedictionem illam, quam protulerat ante peccatum dicens: crescite et multiplicamini et inplete terram, nec post peccatum uoluit inhibere mansit que in stirpe damnata donata fecunditas; nec illam uim mirabilem seminum, immo etiam mirabiliorem qua efficiuntur et semina, inditam corporibus humanis et quodammodo intextam peccati uitium potuit auferre, quo nobis inpacta est etiam necessitas mortis; sed utrumque simul currit isto quasi fluuio atque torrente generis humani, malum quod a parente trahitur, et bonum quod a creante tribuitur. in originali malo duo sunt, peccatum atque supplicium; in originali bono alia duo, propagatio et conformatio. sed quantum ad praesentem pertinet intentionem nostram, de malis, quorum unum de nostra uenit audacia, id est peccatum, alterum de iudicio dei, id est supplicium, iam satis diximus. nunc de bonis dei, quae ipsi quoque uitiatae damnataeque naturae contulit siue usque nunc confert, dicere institui. neque enim damnando aut totum abstulit quod dederat - alioquin nec esset omnino - aut eam remouit a sua potestate, etiam cum diabolo poenaliter subdidit, cum nec ipsum diabolum a suo alienarit imperio; quandoquidem, ut ipsius quoque diaboli natura subsistat, ille facit qui summe est et facit esse quidquid aliquo modo est. duorum igitur illorum, quae diximus bona etiam in naturam peccato uitiatam supplicioque damnatam de bonitatis eius quodam ueluti fonte manare, propagationem in primis mundi operibus benedictione largitus est, a quibus operibus die septimo requieuit; conformatio uero in illo eius est opere, quo usque nunc operatur. efficacem quippe potentiam suam si rebus subtrahat, nec progredi poterunt et suis dimensis motibus peragere tempora nec prorsus in eo quod creatae sunt aliquatenus permanebunt. sic ergo creauit hominem deus, ut ei adderet fertilitatem quandam, qua homines alios propagaret, congenerans eis etiam ipsam propagandi possibilitatem, non necessitatem; quibus tamen uoluit hominibus abstulit eam deus, et steriles fuerunt; non tamen generi humano abstulit semel datam primis duobus coniugibus benedictione generali. haec ergo propagatio quamuis peccato ablata non fuerit, non tamen etiam ipsa talis est, qualis fuisset, si nemo peccasset. ex quo enim homo in honore positus, posteaquam deliquit, conparatus est pecoribus, similiter generat; non in eo tamen penitus exstincta est quaedam uelut scintilla rationis, in qua factus est ad imaginem dei. huic autem propagationi si conformatio non adhiberetur, nec ipsa in sui generis formas modosque procederet. si enim non concubuissent homines et nihilominus deus uellet inplere terras hominibus, quomodo creauit unum sine commixtione maris et feminae, sic posset omnes; concumbentes uero nisi illo creante generantes esse non possunt. sicut ergo ait apostolus de institutione spiritali, qua homo ad pietatem iustitiamque formatur: neque qui plantat, est aliquid, neque qui rigat, sed qui incrementum dat deus: ita etiam hic dici potest: nec qui concumbit nec qui seminat, est aliquid, sed qui format deus; nec mater, quae conceptum portat et partum nutrit, est aliquid, sed qui incrementum dat deus. ipsa namque operatione, qua usque nunc operatur, facit ut numeros suos explicent semina et a quibusdam latentibus atque inuisibilibus inuolucris in formas uisibiles huius quod adspicimus decoris euoluant; ipse incorpoream corporeamque naturam, illam praepositam, istam subiectam, miris modis copulans et conectens animantem facit. quod opus eius tam magnum et mirabile est, ut non solum in homine, quod est animal rationale et ex hoc cunctis terrenis animantibus excellentius atque praestantius, sed in qualibet minutissima muscula bene consideranti stuporem mentis ingerat laudemque pariat creatoris. ipse itaque animae humanae mentem dedit, ubi ratio et intellegentia in infante sopita est quodammodo, quasi nulla sit, excitanda scilicet atque exserenda aetatis accessu, qua sit scientiae capax atque doctrinae et habilis perceptioni ueritatis et amoris boni, qua capacitate hauriat sapientiam uirtutibus que sit praedita, quibus prudenter, fortiter, temperanter et iuste aduersus errores et cetera ingenerata uitia dimicet eaque nullius rei desiderio nisi boni illius summi atque inmutabilis uincat. quod etsi non faciat, ipsa talium bonorum capacitas in natura rationali diuinitus instituta quantum sit boni, quam mirabile opus omnipotentis, quis conpetenter effatur aut cogitat? praeter enim artes bene uiuendi et ad inmortalem perueniendi felicitatem, quae uirtutes uocantur et sola dei gratia, quae in Christo est, filiis promissionis regnique donantur, nonne humano ingenio tot tantaeque artes sunt inuentae et exercitae, partim necessariae partim uoluptariae, ut tam excellens uis mentis atque rationis in his etiam rebus, quas superfluas, immo et periculosas perniciosasque adpetit, quantum bonum habeat in natura, unde ista potuit uel inuenire uel discere uel exercere, testetur? uestimentorum et aedificiorum ad opera quam mirabilia, quam stupenda industria humana peruenerit; quo in agricultura, quo in nauigatione profecerit; quae in fabricatione quorumque uasorum uel etiam statuarum et picturarum uarietate excogitauerit et inpleuerit; quae in theatris mirabilia spectantibus, audientibus incredibilia facienda et exhibenda molita sit; in capiendis occidendis domandis inrationalibus animantibus quae et quanta reppererit; aduersus ipsos homines tot genera uenenorum, tot armorum, tot machinamentorum, et pro salute mortali tuenda atque reparanda quot medicamenta atque adiumenta conprehenderit; pro uoluptate faucium quot condimenta et gulae inritamenta reppererit; ad indicandas et suadendas cogitationes quam multitudinem uarietatemque signorum, ubi praecipuum locum uerba et litterae tenent; ad delectandos animos quos elocutionis ornatus, quam diuersorum carminum copiam; ad mulcendas aures quot organa musica, quos cantilenae modos excogitauerit; quantam peritiam dimensionum atque numerorum, meatusque et ordines siderum quanta sagacitate conprehenderit; quam multa rerum mundanarum cognitione se inpleuerit, quis possit eloqui, maxime si uelimus non aceruatim cuncta congerere, sed in singulis inmorari? in ipsis postremo erroribus et falsitatibus defendendis quam magna claruerint ingenia philosophorum atque haereticorum, quis aestimare sufficiat? loquimur enim nunc de natura mentis humanae, qua ista uita mortalis ornatur, non de fide atque itinere ueritatis, qua illa inmortalis adquiritur. huius tantae naturae conditor cum sit utique deus uerus et summus, ipso cuncta quae fecit administrante et summam potestatem summamque habente iustitiam numquam profecto in has miserias decidisset atque ex his praeter eos solos qui liberabuntur in aeternas esset itura, nisi nimis grande peccatum in homine primo, de quo ceteri exorti sunt, praecessisset. iam uero in ipso corpore, quamuis nobis sit cum beluis mortalitate commune multisque earum reperiatur infirmius, quanta dei bonitas, quanta prouidentia tanti creatoris apparet. nonne ita sunt in eo loca sensuum et cetera membra disposita speciesque ipsa ac figura et statura totius corporis ita modificata, ut ad ministerium animae rationalis se indicet factum? non enim ut animalia rationis expertia prona esse uidemus in terram, ita creatus est homo; sed erecta in caelum corporis forma admonet eum quae sursum sunt sapere. porro mira mobilitas, quae linguae ac manibus adtributa est, ad loquendum et scribendum apta atque conueniens et ad opera artium plurimarum officiorumque conplenda, nonne satis ostendit, quali animae ut seruiret tale sit corpus adiunctum? quamquam et detractis necessitatibus operandi ita omnium partium congruentia numerosa sit et pulchra sibi parilitate respondeat, ut nescias utrum in eo condendo maior sit utilitatis habita ratio quam decoris. certe enim nihil creatum uidemus in corpore utilitatis causa, quod non habeat etiam decoris locum. plus autem nobis id appareret, si numeros mensurarum, quibus inter se cuncta conexa sunt et coaptata, nossemus; quos forsitan data opera in his, quae foris eminent, humana posset uestigare sollertia; quae uero tecta sunt atque a nostris remota conspectibus, sicuti est tanta perplexitas uenarum atque neruorum et uiscerum, secreta uitalium, inuenire nullus potest. quia etsi medicorum diligentia nonnulla crudelis, quos anatomicos appellant, laniauit corpora mortuorum siue etiam inter manus secantis perscrutantisque morientium atque in carnibus humanis satis inhumane abdita cuncta rimata est, ut quid et quomodo quibus locis curandum esset addisceret: numeros tamen de quibus loquor, quibus coaptatio, quae ἁρμονία Graece dicitur, tamquam cuiusdam organi, extrinsecus atque intrinsecus totius corporis constat, quid dicam, nemo ualuit inuenire, quos nemo ausus est quaerere? qui si noti esse potuissent, in interioribus quoque uisceribus, quae nullum ostentant decus, ita delectaret pulchritudo rationis, ut omni formae apparenti, quae oculis placet, ipsius mentis, quae oculis utitur, praeferretur arbitrio. sunt uero quaedam ita posita in corpore, ut tantummodo decorem habeant, non et usum; sicut habet pectus uirile mamillas, sicut facies barbam, quam non esse munimento, sed uirili ornamento indicant purae facies feminarum, quas utique infirmiores muniri tutius conueniret. si ergo nullum membrum est, in his quidem conspicuis - unde ambigit nemo - , quod ita sit alicui operi adcommodatum, ut non etiam sit decorum, sunt autem nonnulla, quorum solum decus et nullus est usus, puto facile intellegi in condicione corporis dignitatem necessitati fuisse praelatam. transitura est quippe necessitas tempusque uenturum, quando sola inuicem pulchritudine sine ulla libidine perfruamur: quod maxime ad laudem referendum est conditoris, cui dicitur in psalmo: confessionem et decorem induisti. iam cetera pulchritudo et utilitas creaturae, quae homini, licet in istos labores miseriasque proiecto atque damnato, spectanda atque sumenda diuina largitate concessa est, quo sermone terminari potest? in caeli et terrae et maris multimoda et uaria pulchritudine, in ipsius lucis tanta copia tam que mirabili specie, in sole ac luna et sideribus, in opacitatibus nemorum, in coloribus et odoribus florum, in diuersitate ac multitudine uolucrum garrularum atque pictarum, in multiformi specie tot tantarumque animantium, quarum illae plus habent admirationis, quae molis nimium - plus enim formicularum et apicularum opera stupemus quam inmensa corpora balaenarum - , in ipsius quoque maris tam grandi spectaculo, cum sese diuersis coloribus uelut uestibus induit et aliquando uiride atque hoc multis modis, aliquando purpureum, aliquando caeruleum est. quam porro delectabiliter spectatur etiam quandocumque turbatur, et fit inde maior suauitas, quia sic demulcet intuentem, ut non iactet et quatiat nauigantem. quid ciborum usquequaque copia contra famem? quid saporum diuersitas contra fastidium, naturae diffusa diuitiis, non coquorum arte ac labore quaesita? quid in tam multis rebus tuendae aut recuperandae salutis auxilia. quam grata uicissitudo diei alternantis et noctis. aurarum quam blanda temperies. in fruticibus et pecoribus indumentorum conficiendorum quanta materies. omnia commemorare quis possit? haec autem sola, quae a me uelut in quendam sunt aggerem coartata, si uellem uelut conligata inuolucra soluere atque discutere, quanta mihi mora esset in singulis, quibus plurima continentur. et haec omnia miserorum sunt damnatorumque solacia, non praemia beatorum. quae igitur illa sunt, si tot et talia ac tanta sunt ista? quid dabit eis quos praedestinauit ad uitam, qui haec dedit etiam eis quos praedestinauit ad mortem? quae bona in illa beata uita faciet eos sumere, pro quibus in hac misera unigenitum suum filium uoluit usque ad mortem mala tanta perferre? unde apostolus de ipsis in illud regnum praedestinatis loquens: qui proprio, inquit, filio non pepercit, sed pro nobis omnibus tradidit eum, quomodo non et cum illo omnia nobis donabit? cum haec promissio conplebitur, quid erimus, quales erimus. quae bona in illo regno accepturi sumus, quandoquidem Christo moriente pro nobis tale iam pignus accepimus. qualis erit spiritus hominis nullum omnino habens uitium, nec sub quo iaceat, nec cui cedat, nec contra quod saltem laudabiliter dimicet, pacatissima uirtute perfectus. rerum ibi omnium quanta, quam speciosa, quam certa scientia, sine errore aliquo uel labore, ubi dei sapientia de ipso suo fonte potabitur, cum summa felicitate, sine ulla difficultate. quale erit corpus, quod omni modo spiritui subditum et eo sufficienter uiuificatum nullis alimoniis indigebit. non enim animale, sed spiritale erit, habens quidem carnis, sed sine ulla carnali corruptione substantiam.

Traduction Masquer
The City of God

Chapter 24.--Of the Blessings with Which the Creator Has Filled This Life, Obnoxious Though It Be to the Curse.

But we must now contemplate the rich and countless blessings with which the goodness of God, who cares for all He has created, has filled this very misery of the human race, which reflects His retributive justice. That first blessing which He pronounced before the fall, when He said, "Increase, and multiply, and replenish the earth," ¹ He did not inhibit after man had sinned, but the fecundity originally bestowed remained in the condemned stock; and the vice of sin, which has involved us in the necessity of dying, has yet not deprived us of that wonderful power of seed, or rather of that still more marvellous power by which seed is produced, and which seems to be as it were inwrought and inwoven in the human body. But in this river, as I may call it, or torrent of the human race, both elements are carried along together,--both the evil which is derived from him who begets, and the good which is bestowed by Him who creates us. In the original evil there are two things, sin and punishment; in the original good, there are two other things, propagation and conformation. But of the evils, of which the one, sin, arose from our audacity, and the other, punishment, from God's judgment, we have already said as much as suits our present purpose. I mean now to speak of the blessings which God has conferred or still confers upon our nature, vitiated and condemned as it is. For in condemning it He did not withdraw all that He had given it, else it had been annihilated; neither did He, in penally subjecting it to the devil, remove it beyond His own power; for not even the devil himself is outside of God's government, since the devil's nature subsists only by the supreme Creator who gives being to all that in any form exists.

Of these two blessings, then, which we have said flow from God's goodness, as from a fountain, towards our nature, vitiated by sin and condemned to punishment, the one, propagation, was conferred by God's benediction when He made those first works, from which He rested on the seventh day. But the other, conformation, is conferred in that work of His wherein "He worketh hitherto." ² For were He to withdraw His efficacious power from things, they should neither be able to go on and complete the periods assigned to their measured movements, nor should they even continue in possession of that nature they were created in. God, then, so created man that He gave him what we may call fertility, whereby he might propagate other men, giving them a congenital capacity to propagate their kind, but not imposing on them any necessity to do so. This capacity God withdraws at pleasure from individuals, making them barren; but from the whole race He has not withdrawn the blessing of propagation once conferred. But though not withdrawn on account of sin, this power of propagation is not what it would have been had there been no sin. For since "man placed in honor fell, he has become like the beasts," ³ and generates as they do, though the little spark of reason, which was the image of God in him, has not been quite quenched. But if conformation were not added to propagation, there would be no reproduction of one's kind. For even though there were no such thing as copulation, and God wished to fill the earth with human inhabitants, He might create all these as He created one without the help of human generation. And, indeed, even as it is, those who copulate can generate nothing save by the creative energy of God. As, therefore, in respect of that spiritual growth whereby a man is formed to piety and righteousness, the apostle says, "Neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase," ⁴ so also it must be said that it is not he that generates that is anything, but God that giveth the essential form; that it is not the mother who carries and nurses the fruit of her womb that is anything, but God that giveth the increase. For He alone, by that energy wherewith "He worketh hitherto," causes the seed to develop, and to evolve from certain secret and invisible folds into the visible forms of beauty which we see. He alone, coupling and connecting in some wonderful fashion the spiritual and corporeal natures, the one to command, the other to obey, makes a living being. And this work of His is so great and wonderful, that not only man, who is a rational animal, and consequently more excellent than all other animals of the earth, but even the most diminutive insect, cannot be considered attentively without astonishment and without praising the Creator.

It is He, then, who has given to the human soul a mind, in which reason and understanding lie as it were asleep during infancy, and as if they were not, destined, however, to be awakened and exercised as years increase, so as to become capable of knowledge and of receiving instruction, fit to understand what is true and to love what is good. It is by this capacity the soul drinks in wisdom, and becomes endowed with those virtues by which, in prudence, fortitude, temperance, and righteousness, it makes war upon error and the other inborn vices, and conquers them by fixing its desires upon no other object than the supreme and unchangeable Good. And even though this be not uniformly the result, yet who can competently utter or even conceive the grandeur of this work of the Almighty, and the unspeakable boon He has conferred upon our rational nature, by giving us even the capacity of such attainment? For over and above those arts which are called virtues, and which teach us how we may spend our life well, and attain to endless happiness,--arts which are given to the children of the promise and the kingdom by the sole grace of God which is in Christ,--has not the genius of man invented and applied countless astonishing arts, partly the result of necessity, partly the result of exuberant invention, so that this vigor of mind, which is so active in the discovery not merely of superfluous but even of dangerous and destructive things, betokens an inexhaustible wealth in the nature which can invent, learn, or employ such arts? What wonderful--one might say stupefying--advances has human industry made in the arts of weaving and building, of agriculture and navigation! With what endless variety are designs in pottery, painting, and sculpture produced, and with what skill executed! What wonderful spectacles are exhibited in the theatres, which those who have not seen them cannot credit! How skillful the contrivances for catching, killing, or taming wild beasts! And for the injury of men, also, how many kinds of poisons, weapons, engines of destruction, have been invented, while for the preservation or restoration of health the appliances and remedies are infinite! To provoke appetite and please the palate, what a variety of seasonings have been concocted! To express and gain entrance for thoughts, what a multitude and variety of signs there are, among which speaking and writing hold the first place! what ornaments has eloquence at command to delight the mind! what wealth of song is there to captivate the ear! how many musical instruments and strains of harmony have been devised! What skill has been attained in measures and numbers! with what sagacity have the movements and connections of the stars been discovered! Who could tell the thought that has been spent upon nature, even though, despairing of recounting it in detail, he endeavored only to give a general view of it? In fine, even the defence of errors and misapprehensions, which has illustrated the genius of heretics and philosophers, cannot be sufficiently declared. For at present it is the nature of the human mind which adorns this mortal life which we are extolling, and not the faith and the way of truth which lead to immortality. And since this great nature has certainly been created by the true and supreme God, who administers all things He has made with absolute power and justice, it could never have fallen into these miseries, nor have gone out of them to miseries eternal, --saving only those who are redeemed,--had not an exceeding great sin been found in the first man from whom the rest have sprung.

Moreover, even in the body, though it dies like that of the beasts, and is in many ways weaker than theirs, what goodness of God, what providence of the great Creator, is apparent! The organs of sense and the rest of the members, are not they so placed, the appearance, and form, and stature of the body as a whole, is it not so fashioned, as to indicate that it was made for the service of a reasonable soul? Man has not been created stooping towards the earth, like the irrational animals; but his bodily form, erect and looking heavenwards, admonishes him to mind the things that are above. Then the marvellous nimbleness which has been given to the tongue and the hands, fitting them to speak, and write, and execute so many duties, and practise so many arts, does it not prove the excellence of the soul for which such an assistant was provided? And even apart from its adaptation to the work required of it, there is such a symmetry in its various parts, and so beautiful a proportion maintained, that one is at a loss to decide whether, in creating the body, greater regard was paid to utility or to beauty. Assuredly no part of the body has been created for the sake of utility which does not also contribute something to its beauty. And this would be all the more apparent, if we knew more precisely how all its parts are connected and adapted to one another, and were not limited in our observations to what appears on the surface; for as to what is covered up and hidden from our view, the intricate web of veins and nerves, the vital parts of all that lies under the skin, no one can discover it. For although, with a cruel zeal for science, some medical men, who are called anatomists, have dissected the bodies of the dead, and sometimes even of sick persons who died under their knives, and have inhumanly pried into the secrets of the human body to learn the nature of the disease and its exact seat, and how it might be cured, yet those relations of which I speak, and which form the concord, ⁵ or, as the Greeks call it, "harmony," of the whole body outside and in, as of some instrument, no one has been able to discover, because no one has been audacious enough to seek for them. But if these could be known, then even the inward parts, which seem to have no beauty, would so delight us with their exquisite fitness, as to afford a profounder satisfaction to the mind--and the eyes are but its ministers--than the obvious beauty which gratifies the eye. There are some things, too, which have such a place in the body, that they obviously serve no useful purpose, but are solely for beauty, as e.g. the teats on a man's breast, or the beard on his face; for that this is for ornament, and not for protection, is proved by the bare faces of women, who ought rather, as the weaker sex, to enjoy such a defence. If, therefore, of all those members which are exposed to our view, there is certainly not one in which beauty is sacrificed to utility, while there are some which serve no purpose but only beauty, I think it can readily be concluded that in the creation of the human body comeliness was more regarded than necessity. In truth, necessity is a transitory thing; and the time is coming when we shall enjoy one another's beauty without any lust,--a condition which will specially redound to the praise of the Creator, who, as it is said in the psalm, has "put on praise and comeliness." ⁶

How can I tell of the rest of creation, with all its beauty and utility, which the divine goodness has given to man to please his eye and serve his purposes, condemned though he is, and hurled into these labors and miseries? Shall I speak of the manifold and various loveliness of sky, and earth, and sea; of the plentiful supply and wonderful qualities of the light; of sun, moon, and stars; of the shade of trees; of the colors and perfume of flowers; of the multitude of birds, all differing in plumage and in song; of the variety of animals, of which the smallest in size are often the most wonderful,--the works of ants and bees astonishing us more than the huge bodies of whales? Shall I speak of the sea, which itself is so grand a spectacle, when it arrays itself as it were in vestures of various colors, now running through every shade of green, and again becoming purple or blue? Is it not delightful to look at it in storm, and experience the soothing complacency which it inspires, by suggesting that we ourselves are not tossed and shipwrecked? ⁷ What shall I say of the numberless kinds of food to alleviate hunger, and the variety of seasonings to stimulate appetite which are scattered everywhere by nature, and for which we are not indebted to the art of cookery? How many natural appliances are there for preserving and restoring health! How grateful is the alternation of day and night! how pleasant the breezes that cool the air! how abundant the supply of clothing furnished us by trees and animals! Who can enumerate all the blessings we enjoy? If I were to attempt to detail and unfold only these few which I have indicated in the mass, such an enumeration would fill a volume. And all these are but the solace of the wretched and condemned, not the rewards of the blessed. What then shall these rewards be, if such be the blessings of a condemned state? What will He give to those whom He has predestined to life, who has given such things even to those whom He has predestined to death? What blessings will He in the blessed life shower upon those for whom, even in this state of misery, He has been willing that His only-begotten Son should endure such sufferings even to death? Thus the apostle reasons concerning those who are predestined to that kingdom: "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also give us all things?" ⁸ When this promise is fulfilled, what shall we be? What blessings shall we receive in that kingdom, since already we have received as the pledge of them Christ's dying? In what condition shall the spirit of man be, when it has no longer any vice at all; when it neither yields to any, nor is in bondage to any, nor has to make war against any, but is perfected, and enjoys undisturbed peace with itself? Shall it not then know all things with certainty, and without any labor or error, when unhindered and joyfully it drinks the wisdom of God at the fountain-head? What shall the body be, when it is in every respect subject to the spirit, from which it shall draw a life so sufficient, as to stand in need of no other nutriment? For it shall no longer be animal, but spiritual, having indeed the substance of flesh, but without any fleshly corruption.