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TRACTATE 45 OnJohn IO.I-IO HE LORD'S discourse to the Jews began from the enlightenment of that man who was born blind. You ought, therefore, to know and be reminded, my beloved people, that today's reading is closely connected with that one. For when the Lord had said, "I came into the world for judgment that they who do not see may see, and they who see may become blind,"-and we explained this at that time when it was read, insofar as we could-some of the Pharisees said, "Are we also blind?" And he answered them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, 'We see,' and your sin remains."! To these words he added those which we heard today when they were read out. 2. "Amen, amen, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in some other way is a thiefand a robber." For they said that they were not blind; but then they would be able to see if they were Christ's sheep. How did they who were raging against the day appropriate the light to themselves?2 Because of their vain, proud and incurable arrogance, the LordJesus conjoined these words, in which he, looking after our well-being, if we should pay heed to them, advised us. (2) For there are many who, according to a certain common usage of this life, are called good persons, good men, good women, innocent and, as it were, keeping those precepts which were given in the Law, bearing honor to their parents, 1. In 9·39-41. 2 . There is a subtle word play in this sentence: The thief (jur) and his fellows who rage (jurebant) against the day (i.e., Christ) appropriate (usurpabant ), i.e., take possession of by illegal means, the light (lumen). 187 188 ST. AUGUSTINE not engaging in adultery, not committing murder, not stealing , not bearing false witness against anyone, and, in effect, keeping the other things which have been e~oined by the Law, and they are not Christians. Often, like these men, they brag about themselves, "Are we also blind?" Now, because they do all these things which they do in vain and they do not know to what end they pertain, the Lord, concerning his own flock and the gate by which it enters the sheepfold, presented an analogy in today's reading. Let the pagans say, We live well. If they do not enter through the gate, what profit is there to them from the things of which they boast? For to live well ought to profit each one for this purpose: that it be given him to live always. For to him to whom it is not given to live always, what profit is there in living well? For those who either by their blindness do not know the purpose of living well or who by their haughtiness despise it must not even be said to live well. But no one has the true and certain hope of living always unless he should acknowledge the Life, that is to say, Christ, and enter the sheepfold through the gate. 3. Often, therefore, such men seek also to persuade men to live well and yet not to be Christians. They wish to climb over through another part, to seize and to kill, not, like the shepherd , to defend and save. Thus, there have been certain philosophers , discussing many fine points about virtues and vices, making distinctions, defining, deducing very sharply-pointed inferences, filling books, airing their wisdom from their loudly prattling mouths. And they would even dare to say to me, "Follow us, hold to our sect if you wish to live happily." But they had not entered through the gate; they wanted to destroy, to slaughter and kilP 3. The sentiment expressed here so strongly is somewhat surprising. given Augustine's earlier devotion to philosophical pursuits, from the inspiration of Cicero's Hortensius to his thorough grounding in Neoplatonism. But this is more an attack on philosophers. not on philosophy, not on the use of reason to gain understanding and truth. The relationship between faith and reason is a constant and frequent theme in his writings; Is 7.9 (LXX) is a favorite quotation. Augustine sees two sources for religious knowledge, faith (which he equates with authority) and reason; both have as their goal understanding and both interact. Reason establishes the necessity...

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