The Enchiridion 64

sant'Agostino d'Ippona (354–430 d.C.) · De fide spe et charitate · PL 40, 230–290

64 Pardon of Sin Extends Over the Whole Mortal Life of the Saints, Which, Though Free from Crime, is Not Free from Sin PL 40, 262

But the angels even now are at peace with us when our sins are pardoned. Hence, in the order of the Creed, after the mention of the Holy Church is placed the remission of sins. For it is by this that the Church on earth stands: it is through this that what had been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. For, setting aside the grace of baptism, which is given as an antidote to original sin, so that what our birth imposes upon us, our new birth relieves us from (this grace, however, takes away all the actual sins also that have been committed in thought, word, and deed): setting aside, then, this great act of favor, whence commences man’s restoration, and in which all our guilt, both original and actual, is washed away, the rest of our life from the time that we have the use of reason provides constant occasion for the remission of sins, however great may be our advance in righteousness. For the sons of God, as long as they live in this body of death, are in conflict with death. And although it is truly said of them, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God,” yet they are led by the Spirit of God, and as the sons of God advance towards God under this drawback, that they are led also by their own spirit, weighted as it is by the corruptible body; and that, as the sons of men, under the influence of human affections, they fall back to their old level, and so sin. There is a difference, however. For although every crime is a sin, every sin is not a crime. And so we say that the life of holy men, as long as they remain in this mortal body, may be found without crime; but, as the Apostle John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Remissio peccatorum expressa in Symbolo. Sanctorum vita sine crimine, non sine peccato. Concordant autem nobiscum Angeli etiam nunc, cum remittuntur nostra peccata. Ideo post commemorationem sanctae Ecclesiae in ordine Confessionis ponitur remissio peccatorum. Per hanc enim stat Ecclesia quae in terris est: per hanc non perit quod perierat et inventum est . Excepto quippe Baptismatis munere, quod contra originale peccatum donatum est, ut quod generatione attractum est, regeneratione detrahatur; et tamen activa quoque peccata, quaecumque corde, ore, opere commissa invenerit, tollit: hac ergo excepta magna indulgentia, unde incipit hominis renovatio, in qua solvitur omnis reatus et ingeneratus et additus; ipsa etiam vita caetera jam ratione utentis aetatis, quantalibet praepolleat fecunditate justitiae, sine peccatorum remissione non agitur. Quoniam filii Dei quamdiu mortaliter vivunt, cum morte confligunt. Et quamvis de illis sit veraciter dictum, Quotquot Spiritu Dei aguntur, hi filii sunt Dei ; sic tamen Spiritu Dei excitantur, et tanquam filii Dei proficiunt ad Deum, ut etiam spiritu suo, maxime aggravante corruptibili corpore , tanquam filii hominum quibusdam humanis motibus deficiant ad se ipsos, et ideo peccent. Interest quidem quantum: neque enim quia peccatum est omne crimen, ideo crimen est etiam omne peccatum. Itaque sanctorum hominum vitam quamdiu in hac mortali vivitur, inveniri posse dicimus sine crimine: Peccatum autem si dixerimus quia non habemus, ut ait tantus apostolus, nosmetipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est .

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).

Salva per dopo

Inserisci la tua email: ti invieremo un link per accedere. Nessuna password. Ciò che salvi (voci, versetti, capitoli, documenti) ti segue su ogni dispositivo.