St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

•…•…ther we draw nearer to the image of the holy trinity, in louing of that loue by which we loue to be, and to know our being. CHAP. 28.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 wee haue spoken as much as needeth here, of the essence and knowledge, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 much we ought to respect them in our selues, and in other creatures vn∣•…•… •…•…ough we finde a different similitude in them. But whether the loue that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…e them in, be loued, that is to declare. It is loued: wee prooue it, because it i•…•… •…•…d in all things that are iustly loued. For hee is not worthily called a good 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 knowes good, but hee that loues it. Why then may wee not loue that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 selues, whereby wee loue that which is to bee loued. They may both 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…e man: and it is good for a man that his goodnesse increasing, his •…•…d decrease, euen to the perfection of his cure, and full change into 〈◊〉〈◊〉: for if wee were beasts, wee should loue a carnall sensitiue life: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 good would suffice our nature (b) without any further trouble; if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ees, wee should not indeede loue any thing by motion of sence:

yet should we seeme to affect fruitfulnesse and growth, if wee were stones, water, winde, fire, or so, we should want sence, and life, yet should we haue a naturall ap∣peti•…•…e vnto our due (c) places, for the (d) motions of weights are like the bodies loues: go they vpward or downwards; for weight is to the body, as loue is to the •…•…ule. But because we are men, made after our creators image, whose eternity is true, truth eternall: charity, true and eternall; neither confounded nor seuered, we runne through all things vnder vs, (which could not be created, formed, not ordered without the hand of the most essentiall, wise, and good God) & so through all the workes of the creation: gathering from this (e) more playne, and from that lesse apparant markes of his essence: and beholding his image in our selues (f) like the prodigall childe, wee recall our thoughts home, and returne to him from whom we fell. There our being shall haue no end, our knowledge no error, our loue no offence. But as now, though wee see these three sure, trusting not to others, but obseruing it our selues, with our certaine interior sight, yet because of our selues we cannot know how long they shall last, when they shall end, whi∣ther they shall goe, doing well or euill, therefore here we take other witnesses, of the infallibity of whose credit wee will not dispute here, but hereafter. In this booke of the Citty of God, that was neuer pilgrim, but alwayes immortall in hea∣uen, being compounded of the Angels eternally coherent with God, and neuer ceasing this coherence: betweene whom and their darknesse, namely those that forsooke him, a seperation was made as we said at first by God, now will wee (by his grace) proceede in our discourse already begun.

L. VIVES.

FOr that (a) is loue] There is a will in vs arising from the corruption of the body, which reason ruleth, not as it doth the better will, but it haleth it and traileth it to good: it flyes all good properly, and seeketh euills, bodily delights and pleasures: These two Paul calleth the law of the flesh, the law of the spirit, some-times flesh and spirit. The first, brutish, foule, hated of good men, who when they can cannot expell it, they compell and force it vnto Gods obe∣dience: otherwise it produceth a loue of things vnmeete. (b) Without] Either in this life, or vnto our bodies. (c) Places] Or orders, and formes of one nature: the preseruation of which each thing desires for it selfe, helping it selfe against externall violence, if it bee not hindered. (d) 〈◊〉〈◊〉] of this before: the Latine word is, momenta. (e) More plaine] Our reason pl•…•…∣ceth an Image rather then a marke of God in vs. Man hath the sight of heauen and the know∣ledge of God bestowed vpon him, whereas all other creatures are chained to the earth Wher∣fore the spirit ouer-looking the creation, left his image in our erected nature, in the rest, whome hee did as it were put vnder foote, hee left onely his markes. Take this now as a figu∣ratiue speech. (f) Pr•…•…digall] Luc. 15.