S. AURELII AUGUSTINI HIPPONENSIS EPISCOPI IN EPISTOLAM JOANNIS AD PARTHOS TRACTATUS DECEM .
TRACTATUS III. De eo quod sequitur, Pueri, novissima hora est usque ad id, Cap.
TRACTATUS IV. De eo quod sequitur, Et verax est, et non est mendax usque ad id, Cap. et cap.
TRACTATUS V. In id quod sequitur, Omnis qui natus est ex Deo, non facit peccatum usque ad id, Cap.
TRACTATUS VI. In illud, Et in hoc cognoscimus quia ex veritate sumus usque ad id, etc. Cap. et cap.
TRACTATUS VII. Ab eo quod sequitur, Jam vos ex Deo estis filioli usque ad id, Cap.
TRACTATUS VIII. De eo quod sequitur, Si diligamus invicem, Deus in nobis manebit usque ad id, Cap.
TRACTATUS IX. De eo quod sequitur, In hoc perfecta est dilectio in nobis usque ad id, Cap.
9. “Little children, let no man seduce you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.”244 1 John iii. 7. What, on hearing that we are “righteous as He is righteous,” are we to think ourselves equal with God? Ye must know what means that “as:” thus he said a while ago, “Purifieth himself even as He is pure.” Then is our purity like and equal to the purity of God, and our righteousness to God’s righteousness? Who can say this? But the word “as,” is not always wont to be used in the sense of equality. As, for example, if, having seen this large church, 245 Basilica. a person should wish to build a smaller church, but with the same relative dimensions: as, for example, if this be one measure in width and two measures in length, he too should build his church one measure in width and two measures in length: in that case one sees that he has built it “as” this is built. But this church has, say, a hundred cubits in length, the other thirty: it is at once “as” this, and yet unequal. Ye see that this “as” is not always referred to parity and equality. For example, see what a difference there is between the face of a man and its image from a mirror: there is a face in the image, a face in the body: the image exists in imitation, the body in reality. And what do we say? Why, “as” there are eyes here, so also there; “as” ears here, so ears also there. The thing is different, but the “as” is said of the resemblance. Well then, we also have in us the image of God; but not that which the Son equal with the Father hath: yet except we also, according to our measure, were “as” He, we should in no respect be said to be like Him. “He purifieth us,” then, “even as He is pure:” but He is pure from eternity, we pure by faith. We are “righteous even as He is righteous;” but He is so in His immutable perpetuity, we righteous by believing on One we do not see, that so we may one day see Him. Even when our righteousness shall be perfect, when we shall be equal to the angels, not even then shall it be equalled with Him. How far then is it from Him now, when not even then it shall be equal!
9. Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit justitiam, justus est, sicut et ille justus est. Numquid quando audivimus quia justi sumus, sicut et ille, aequales nos debemus putare Deo? Debetis nosse quid est, sicut: jamdudum enim dixit, Castificat semetipsum, sicut ipse castus est. Jam ergo par et aequalis est castitas nostra castitati Dei, et justitia nostra justitiae Dei? Quis hoc dicat? Sed, sicut, non semper ad aequalitatem dici solet. Quomodo, verbi gratia, visa basilica ista ampla, si velit facere aliquis minorem, sed tamen proportione ad mensuras ejus, ut verbi gratia, si lata est ista simplum, et longa duplum; faciat et ille latam simplum, et longam duplum: videtur sic fecisse sicut est ista. Sed ista habet, verbi gratia, centum cubitos, illa triginta: et sic est, et impar est. Videtis quia non semper, sicut, ad parilitatem et aequalitatem refertur. Verbi gratia, videte quantum sit inter faciem hominis, et imaginem de speculo: facies in imagine, facies in corpore; imago in imitatione, corpus in veritate. Et quid dicimus? Nam sicut hic oculi, ita et ibi: sicut hic aures, ita et ibi aures sunt. Dispar est res; sed, sicut, ad similitudinem dicitur. Habemus ergo et nos imaginem Dei; sed non illam quam habet Filius aequalis Patri; tamen et nos pro modulo nostro si non sicut ille essemus, ex nulla parte similes diceremur. Ergo castificat nos sicut et ipse castus est; sed ille castus aeternitate, nos casti fide: justi sumus sicut et ipse justus est; sed ipse in ipsa incommutabili perpetuitate, nos justi credendo in quem 2011 non videmus, ut aliquando videamus. Et cum perfecta fuerit justitia nostra, cum facti aequales Angelis fuerimus; nec tunc illi aequabitur. Quanto ergo modo ab illo longe est, quando nec tunc par erit?