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24. Since, then, we were not fit to take hold of things eternal,
and since the foulness of sins weighed us down, which we had contracted
by the love of temporal things, and which were implanted in us as it
were naturally, from the root of mortality, it was needful that we
should be cleansed. But cleansed we could not be, so as to be
tempered together with things eternal, except it were through things
temporal, wherewith we were already tempered together and held fast.
For health is at the opposite extreme from disease; but the
intermediate process of healing does not lead us to perfect health,
unless it has some congruity with the disease. Things temporal that
are useless merely deceive the sick; things temporal that are useful
take up those that need healing, and pass them on healed, to things
eternal. And the rational mind, as when cleansed it owes
contemplation to things eternal; so, when needing cleansing, owes
faith to things temporal. One even of those who were formerly esteemed
wise men among the Greeks has said, The truth stands to faith in the
same relation in which eternity stands to that which has a beginning.
And he is no doubt right in saying so. For what we call temporal, he
describes as having had a beginning. And we also ourselves come under
this kind, not only in respect to the body, but also in respect to the
changeableness of the soul. For that is not properly called eternal
which undergoes any degree of change. Therefore, in so far as we are
changeable, in so far we stand apart from eternity. But life eternal
is promised to us through the truth, from the clear knowledge of
which, again, our faith stands as far apart as mortality does from
eternity. We then now put faith in things done in time on our
account, and by that faith itself we are cleansed; in order that when
we have come to sight, as truth follows faith, so eternity may follow
upon mortality. And therefore, since our faith will become truth,
when we have attained to that which is promised to us who believe: and
that which is promised us is eternal life; and the Truth (not that
which shall come to be according as our faith shall be, but that truth
which is always, because in it is eternity, the Truth then) has
said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent:" when our faith
by seeing shall come to be truth, then eternity shall possess our now
changed mortality. And until this shall take place, and in order that
it may take place, because we adapt the faith of belief to things which
have a beginning, as in things eternal we hope for the truth of
contemplation, lest the faith of mortal life should be at discord with
the truth of eternal life, the Truth itself, co-eternal with the
Father, took a beginning from earth, when the Son of God so came as
to become the Son of man, and to take to Himself our faith, that He
might thereby lead us on to His own truth, who so undertook our
mortality, as not to lose His own eternity. For truth stands to
faith in the relation in which eternity stands to that which has a
beginning. Therefore, we must needs so be cleansed, that we may come
to have such a beginning as remains eternal, that we may not have one.
beginning in faith, and another in truth. Neither could we pass to
things eternal from the condition of having a beginning, unless we were
transferred, by union of the eternal to ourselves through our own
beginning, to His own eternity. Therefore our faith has, in some
measure, now followed thither, whither He in whom we have believed
has ascended; born, dead, risen again, taken up. Of these four
things, we knew the first two in ourselves. For we know that men both
have a beginning and die. But the remaining two, that is, to be
raised, and to be taken up, we rightly hope will be in us, because we
have believed them done in Him. Since, therefore, in Him that,
too, which had a beginning has passed over to eternity, in ourselves
also it will so pass over, when faith shall have arrived at truth.
For to those who thus believe, in order that they might remain in the
word of faith, and being thence led on to the truth, and through that
to eternity, might be freed from death, He speaks thus: "If ye
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." And as though
they would ask, With what fruit? He proceeds to say, "And ye
shall know the truth." And again, as though they would say, Of
what good is truth to mortal men? "And the truth," He says,
"shall make you free." From what, except from death, from
corruptions from changeableness? Since truth remains immortal,
incorrupt, unchangeable. But true immortality, true
incorruptibility, true unchangeableness, is eternity itself.
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