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De Trinitate

XIII.

[XIII 17] De visibilibus rebus ad hanc rem sumamus exemplum. Dicit tibi quispiam quem non recognoscis: ‚Nosti me,‘ et ut commoneat dicit ubi, quando, quomodo tibi innotuerit. Omnibusque adhibitis signis quibus in memoriam revoceris si non recognoscis, ita iam oblitus es ut omnis illa notitia penitus deleta sit animo, nihilque aliud restet nisi aut credas ei qui tibi hoc dicit quod aliquando eum noveras, aut ne hoc quidem si fide dignus tibi esse qui loquitur non videtur. Si autem reminisceris, profecto redis in memoriam tuam et in ea invenis quod non fuerat penitus oblivione deletum.

Redeamus ad illud propter quod adhibuimus humanae conversationis exemplum. Inter cetera psalmus nonus: Convertantur, inquit, peccatores in infernum, omnes gentes quae obliviscuntur deum. Porro autem vicesimus primus: Commemorabuntur, inquit, et convertentur ad dominum universi fines terrae. Non igitur sic erant oblitae istae gentes deum ut eius nec commemoratae recordarentur. Obliviscendo autem deum tamquam obliviscendo vitam suam conversae fuerant in mortem, hoc est in infernum. Commemoratae vero convertuntur ad dominum tamquam reviviscentes reminiscendo vitam cuius eas habebat oblivio. Item legitur in nonagesimo tertio: Intellegite nunc qui insipientes estis in populo, et stulti aliquando sapite. Qui plantavit aurem non audiet?, et cetera. Eis enim dictum est qui deum non intellegendo de illo vana dixerunt.

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The Fifteen Books of Aurelius Augustinus, Bishop of Hippo, on the Trinity

Chapter 13.--How Any One Can Forget and Remember God.

17. Let us take an instance for the purpose from visible things. Somebody whom you do not recognize, 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 recognize him, then you have so come to forget, as that the whole of that knowledge is altogether 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 9th Psalm says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;" ¹ and again the 22d Psalm, "All the ends of the world shall be reminded, and turned unto the Lord." ² 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. ³ 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. ⁴ For this is spoken to those, who said vain things concerning God through not understanding Him.