Chapter 28.—A Natural Figure of Speech Must Not Be Literally Pressed.

He goes on to remark: “But the apostle, by saying, ‘And He Himself giveth life and spirit to all,’ and then by adding the words, ‘And hath made the whole race of men of one blood,’40    Acts xvii. 25. has referred this soul and spirit to the Creator in respect of their origin, and the body to propagation.” Now, certainly any one who does not wish to deny at random the propagation of souls, before ascertaining clearly whether the opinion is correct or not, has ground for understanding, from the apostle’s words, that he meant the expression, of one blood, to be equivalent to of one man, by the figure of speech which understands the whole from its part. Well, then, if it be allowable for this man to take the whole from a part in the passage, “And man became a living soul,”41    Gen. ii. 7. as if the spirit also was understood to be implied, about which the Scripture there said nothing, why is it not allowable to others to attribute an equally comprehensive sense to the expression, of one blood, so that the soul and spirit may be considered as included in it, on the ground that the human being who is signified by the term “blood” consists not of body alone, but also of soul and spirit? For just as the controversialist who maintains the propagation of souls, ought not, on the one hand, to press this man too hard, because the Scripture says concerning the first man, “In whom all have sinned”42    Rom. v. 12. (for the expression is not, In whom the flesh of all has sinned, but “all,” that is, “all men,” seeing that man is not flesh only);—as, I repeat, he ought not to be too hard pressed himself, because it happens to be written “all men,” in such a way that they might be understood simply in respect of the flesh; so, on the other hand, he ought not to bear too hard on those who hold the propagation of souls, on the ground of the phrase, “The whole race of men of one blood,” as if this passage proved that flesh alone was transmitted by propagation. For if it is true, as they43    Another reading has “he asserts,” i.e. Augustin’s opponent, Victor. assert, that soul does not descend from soul, but flesh only from flesh, then the expression, “of one blood,” does not signify the entire human being, on the principle of a part for the whole, but merely the flesh of one person alone; while that other expression, “In whom all have sinned,” must be so understood as to indicate merely the flesh of all men, which has been handed on from the first man, the Scripture signifying a part by the whole. If, on the other hand, it is true that the entire human being is propagated of each man, himself also entire, consisting of body, soul, and spirit, then the passage, “In whom all have sinned,” must be taken in its proper literal sense; and the other phrase, “of one blood,” is used metaphorically, the whole being signified by a part, that is to say, the whole man who consists of soul and flesh; or rather (as this person is fond of putting it) of soul, and spirit, and flesh. For both modes of expression the Holy Scriptures are in the habit of employing, putting both a part for the whole and the whole for a part. A part, for instance, implies the whole, in the place where it is said, “Unto Thee shall all flesh come;”44    Ps. lxv. 2. the whole man being understood by the term flesh. And the whole sometimes implies a part, as when it is said that Christ was buried, whereas it was only His flesh that was buried. Now as regards the statement which is made in the apostle’s testimony, to the effect that “He giveth life and spirit to all,” I suppose that nobody, after the foregoing discussion, will be moved by it. No doubt “He giveth;” the fact is not in dispute; our question is, How does He give it? By fresh inbreathing in every instance, or by propagation? For with perfect propriety is He said to give the substance of the flesh to the human being, though at the same time it is not denied that He gives it by means of propagation.

28. «Sed dicendo,» inquit, «Apostolus, Et ipse det omnibus vitam et spiritum; deinde addendo, Fecitque ex uno sanguine omne genus hominum (Act. XVII, 25, 26): animam et spiritum originaliter retulit ad auctorem, corpus ad traducem.» Imo vero qui non vult temere animarum negare propaginem, antequam liquido clareat utrum ita, an non ita sit, habet quod in istis verbis Apostoli intelligat, ex uno cum sanguine dixisse, ex uno homine, a parte totum significante locutionis modo. Si enim ipsi licet intelligere a parte totum quod scriptum est, Et factus est homo in animam vivam (Gen. II, 7); ut illic intelligatur et spiritus, de quo Scriptura ibi tacuit: cur aliis non liceat sic accipere quod dictum est, ex uno sanguine; ut illic et anima et spiritus possit intelligi, quoniam homo significatus nomine sanguinis, non solum constat ex corpore, verum etiam ex anima et spiritu? Sicut enim qui propaginem defendit animarum, non hinc 0491 istum debet opprimere, quia de primo homine scriptum est, In quo omnes peccaverunt (Rom. V, 12): non enim dictum est, In quo omnium caro peccavit; sed, omnes dictum est, id est, omnes homines; cum homo non sola sit caro: sicut ergo hinc iste non debet opprimi, quia forte ita dictum est, Omnes homines, ut secundum solam carnem intelligerentur; sic iste non hinc debet premere defensores propaginis animarum, quia dictum est, omne genus hominum ex uno sanguine, tanquam propterea sola caro pertineat ad propaginem. Si enim hoc est verum, quod isti asserunt , ut non sit anima ex anima, sed caro ex carne sit tantum; ita dictum est, ex uno sanguine, ut non totus homo significaretur a parte, sed tantum unius hominis caro: illud vero quod dictum est, In quo omnes peccaverunt, sola omnium hominum caro intelligenda est, quae inde transfusa est, a toto partem significante Scriptura. Si autem illud est verum, quod totus homo ex toto homine propagatur, id est, corpus, anima et spiritus: ibi proprie dictum est, In quo omnes homines peccaverunt; hic autem tropice, ex uno sanguine, totum significatur a parte, id est, totus homo, qui ex anima constat et carne, vel potius, ut iste amat loqui, ex anima et spiritu et carne. Nam et ex parte totum, et ex toto partem divina eloquia significare consueverunt. Ex parte enim totum significatum est, ubi legitur, Ad te omnis caro veniet (Psal. LXIV, 3): quia ex carne intelligitur totus homo. Ex toto autem pars, cum dicitur Christus sepultus, cum sola ejus caro sepulta sit. Jam illud quod in hoc Apostoli testimonio positum est, quia ipse dat omnibus vitam et spiritum, secundum superiorem disputationem puto quod neminem moveat. Ipse enim dat: sed adhuc quaerimus unde det, utrum ex nova insufflatione, an ex propagine. Ipse quippe dare etiam carnis substantiam rectissime dicitur, quam tamen dare ex propagine non negatur.