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Book III
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BOOK THREE Preface ET THOSE, WHO WILL, BELIEVE ME: I would rather apply myself to reading than to dictating what others are to read. But let those, who will not believe but are able and willing to make the trial, at least grant me whatever answers I have gathered by reading, either to my own inquiries or to the questions of others. For, I must submit to such questions because of the character which I bear in the service of Christ, and the zeal with which I am inflamed, that our faith may be defended against carnal and sensual men; and then let them see how readily I would refrain from this task, and how joyfully I would also give my pen a holiday. Let them also bear in mind, that the writings which we have read on these subjects have not been sufficiently explained in the Latin tongue, or they are not available, or at least it was difficult for us to find them; nor are we so familiar with Greek, as to be in any way capable of reading and understanding such books on these subjects in that language, although from the few excerpts that have been translated for us, I have no doubt that they contain everything that we can profitably seek. But yet I am unable to resist my brethren, when they require me, according to the law of charity by which I have become their servant, to serve them, especially in their praiseworthy studies in Christ, by my word and pen, which are yoked together in me and driven by charity. And I myself confess that I have learned many things by writing that 95 96 SAINT AUGUSTINE I did not know; and, therefore, this labor of mine ought not to be regarded as superfluous by any idle or very learned reader, since it is necessary in no small part for many who are diligent, and many who are unlearned, and to these last I also belong. With the aid and support of the books by others that I have read-it is a very great debt indeed-I have, therefore, undertaken an inquiry into whatever can be reverently inĀ· vestigated and discussed about the Trinity, that supreme and supremely good God. I also rely upon His inspiration in my search and upon His help in my explanation, so that if there are no other books of this kind for those to read, who are willing and capable, then mine will be ready at hand, but if such books do exist, then it will be so much the easier to find some of them, the more such books there are which can be found. (2) If for all my writings I desire not only a devout reader, but also an open-minded critic, especially do I desire them for the present work, since the question under discussion is so important, that I would that there could be as many inquiring about it as there are objecting to it. But just as I do not want my reader to be bound to me, so I do not want my critic to be bound to himself. Let not the former love me more than the Catholic faith, nor the latter love himself more than the Catholic truth. To the former I say: Do not be bound to my writings as though they were the canonical Scriptures, but if you should find anything in the latter which you did not believe, then believe without hesitation; but if you find anything in mine which does not appear to be certain, then do not hold fast to it unless your mind has grasped it as certain . So to the latter I say, Do not correct my writings according to the standard of your own opinion or argument, but according to that of the divine Scriptures or irrefutable reason. But if you find anything in them that is true, this is not mine by the mere fact that it is there, and by understanding and loving it, it wiII become yours as well as mine; but if you find [44.201.131.213] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 19:02 GMT) BOOK THREE 97 anything false, then the error was mine, but if we avoid it, it will be neither yours nor mine. (3) Let this third book, therefore, begin at the point which we have reached in the second book. For we had come as far as this: Since we...