The Enchiridion 5

St Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430) · De fide spe et charitate · PL 40, 230–290

5 Brief Answers to These Questions PL 40, 233

Moreover, when the mind has been imbued with the first elements of that faith which worketh by love, it endeavors by purity of life to attain unto sight, where the pure and perfect in heart know that unspeakable beauty, the full vision of which is supreme happiness. Here surely is an answer to your question as to what is the starting-point, and what the goal: we begin in faith, and are made perfect by sight. This also is the sum of the whole body of doctrine. But the sure and proper foundation of the catholic faith is Christ. “For other foundation,” says the apostle, “can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Nor are we to deny that this is the proper foundation of the catholic faith, because it may be supposed that some heretics hold this in common with us. For if we carefully consider the things that pertain to Christ, we shall find that, among those heretics who call themselves Christians, Christ is present in name only: in deed and in truth He is not among them. But to show this would occupy us too long, for we should require to go over all the heresies which have existed, which do exist, or which could exist, under the Christian name, and to show that this is true in the case of each,—a discussion which would occupy so many volumes as to be all but interminable.

Responsio ad q. 3 et ad q. 4. Cum autem initio fidei quae per dilectionem operatur, imbuta mens fuerit, tendit bene vivendo etiam ad speciem pervenire, ubi est sanctis et perfectis cordibus nota ineffabilis pulchritudo, cujus plena visio est summa felicitas. Hoc est nimirum quod requiris, quid primum, quid ultimum teneatur: inchoari fide, perfici specie. Haec etiam totius definitionis est summa. Certum vero propriumque fidei catholicae fundamentum Christus est: Fundamentum enim aliud, ait Apostolus, nemo potest ponere, praeter id quod positum est, quod est Christus Jesus . Neque hoc ideo negandum est proprium fundamentum esse fidei catholicae, quia putari potest aliquibus haereticis hoc nobiscum esse commune. Si enim diligenter quae ad Christum pertinent cogitentur, nomine tenus invenitur Christus apud quoslibet haereticos, qui se christianos vocari volunt; re ipsa vero non est apud eos. Quod ostendere nimis longum est; quoniam commemorandae sunt omnes haereses, sive quae fuerunt, sive quae sunt, sive quae potuerunt esse sub vocabulo christiano, et quam sit hoc verum per singulas quasque monstrandum. Quae disputatio tam multorum est voluminum, ut etiam infinita videatur.

Philip Schaff (ed.), Buffalo/New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886-1889. Public domain: English translation first published 1885-1900 (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series). Latin: Migne, Patrologia Latina (1844-1855), public domain; transcription from Corpus Corporum (University of Zurich).

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