Chapter 13.—How Any One Can Forget and Remember God.

17. Let us take an instance for the purpose from visible things. Somebody whom you do not recognize, says to you, You know me; and in order to remind you, tells you where, when, and how he became known to you; and if, after the mention of every sign by which you might be recalled to remembrance, you still do not recognize him, then you have so come to forget, as that the whole of that knowledge is altogether blotted out of your mind; and nothing else remains, but that you take his word for it who tells you that you once knew him; or do not even do that, if you do not think the person who speaks to you to be worthy of credit. But if you do remember him, then no doubt you return to your own memory, and find in it that which had not been altogether blotted out by forgetfulness. Let us return to that which led us to adduce this instance from the intercourse of men. Among other things, the 9th Psalm says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;”879    Ps. ix. 17 and again the 22d Psalm, “All the ends of the world shall be reminded, and turned unto the Lord.”880    Ps. xxii. 27 These nations, then, will not so have forgotten God as to be unable to remember Him when reminded of Him; yet, by forgetting God, as though forgetting their own life, they had been turned into death, i.e. into hell.881    [Augustin here understands “Sheol,” to denote the place of retribution for the wicked.—W.G.T.S.] But when reminded they are turned to the Lord, as though coming to life again by remembering their proper life which they had forgotten. It is read also in the 94th Psalm, “Perceive now, ye who are unwise among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear?” etc.882    Ps. xciv. 8, 9 For this is spoken to those, who said vain things concerning God through not understanding Him.

CAPUT XIII.

17. Quomodo Dei oblivisci et meminisse quis possit. De visibilibus rebus ad hanc rem sumamus exemplum. Dicit tibi quispiam quem non recognoscis, Nosti me: et ut commoneat, dicit ubi, quando, quomodo tibi innotuerit: omnibusque adhibitis signis quibus in memoriam revoceris, si non recognoscis, ita jam oblitus es, ut omnis illa notitia penitus deleta sit animo; nihilque aliud restat, nisi ut credas ei qui tibi hoc dicit, quod aliquando eum noveras; aut ne hoc quidem, si fide dignus tibi esse qui loquitur non videtur. Si autem reminisceris, profecto redis in memoriam tuam, et in ea invenis quod non fuerat penitus oblivione deletum. Redeamus ad illud propter quod adhibuimus humanae conversationis exemplum. Inter caetera psalmus nonus: Convertantur, inquit, peccatores in infernum, omnes gentes quae obliviscuntur Deum (Psal. IX, 18). Porro autem vigesimus primus: Commemorabuntur, inquit, et convertentur ad Dominum universi fines terrae (Psal. XXI, 28). Non igitur sic erant oblitae istae gentes Deum, ut ejus nec commemoratae recordarentur. Obliviscendo autem Deum, tanquam obliviscendo vitam suam, conversae fuerant in mortem, hoc est, in infernum. Commemoratae vero convertuntur ad Dominum, tanquam reviviscentes reminiscendo vitam suam, cujus eas habebat oblivio . Item legitur in nonagesimo tertio: Intelligite nunc, qui insipientes estis in populo; et stulti, aliquando sapite. Qui plantavit aurem non audiet (Psal. XCIII, 8, 9)? et caetera. Eis enim dictum est, qui Deum non intelligendo, de illo vana dixerunt.