Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series • VOLUME 6
Augustine — Sermon on the Mount & Gospel Harmony
SECTION 1
A SELECT LIBRARY
Title: NPNF1-06. St. Augustine: Sermon on the Mount; Harmony of the Gospels; Homilies on the Gospels Creator(s): Schaff, Philip (1819-1893) (Editor) Print Basis: New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1886 Rights: Public Domain CCEL Subjects: All; Proofed; Early Church LC Call no: BR60 LC Subjects: Christianity Early C…
2,339 wordsSECTION 2Examples of Augustin's improvement upon the Vulgate are the omission of the clause, "and despitefully use you" (et calumniantibus vos, Matt.
Examples of Augustin's improvement upon the Vulgate are the omission of the clause, "and despitefully use you" (et calumniantibus vos, Matt. v. 44), the use of quotidianum panem ("daily bread") instead of supersubstantialem, and of inferas ("bring") instead of inducas ("lead"), in the fourth and sixth petitions of the Lord's Pra…
2,203 wordsSECTION 3St. AUGUSTIN:
[1] On the principle that Davidica intelligit, qui Davidica patitur; or, as the German couplet runs,-- "Wer den Dichter will verstehen Muss in Dichters Lande gehen." [2] The passage is quoted in full by Trench (p. 64). His work, St. Augustin on the Sermon on the Mount, 4th ed., London, 1881, contains an elaborate introductory e…
2,261 wordsSECTION 4Chapter II.
Chapter II. 4. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall by inheritance possess [17] the earth:" that earth, I suppose, of which it is said in the Psalm, "Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." [18] For it signifies a certain firmness and stability of the perpetual inheritance, where the soul, by means of a good…
1,291 wordsSECTION 5Chapter III.
Chapter III. 10. There are in all, then, these eight sentences. For now in what remains He speaks in the way of direct address to those who were present, saying: "Blessed shall ye be when men shall revile you and persecute you." But the former sentences He addressed in a general way: for He did not say, Blessed are ye poor in s…
757 wordsSECTION 6Chapter IV.
Chapter IV. 11. Hence also the sevenfold operation of the Holy Ghost, of which Isaiah speaks, [32] seems to me to correspond to these stages and sentences. But there is a difference of order: for there the enumeration begins with the more excellent, but here with the inferior. For there it begins with wisdom, and closes with th…
1,034 wordsSECTION 7Chapter V.
Chapter V. 13. "Blessed are ye," says He, "when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great [37] is your reward in heaven." Let any one who is seeking after the delights of this world and the riches of temporal things under t…
972 wordsSECTION 8Chapter VI.
Chapter VI. 16. Hence there follows most justly the statement, "Ye are the salt of the earth;" showing that those parties are to be judged insipid, who, either in the eager pursuit after abundance of earthly blessings, or through the dread of want, lose the eternal things which can neither be given nor taken away by men. "But […
1,288 wordsSECTION 9Chapter VII.
Chapter VII. 18. "Let your light," [67] says He, "so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If He had merely said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works," He would seem to have fixed an end in the praises of men, which hypocrites seek, a…
1,144 wordsSECTION 10Chapter IX.
Chapter IX. 21. "For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven;" [79] i.e., unless ye shall fulfil not only those least precepts of the law which begin the man, but also those which are added by me, who am not …
2,004 wordsSECTION 11Chapter X.
Chapter X. 26. Next there follows here: "Therefore, if thou hast brought [86] thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." From this surely it is clear that what…
980 wordsSECTION 12Chapter XI.
Chapter XI. 29. "Be kindly disposed," [92] says he, "toward thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou ha…
1,988 wordsSECTION 13Chapter XII.
Chapter XII. 33. "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." The lesser righteousness, therefore, is not to commit adultery by carnal connection; but the great…
1,239 wordsSECTION 14Chapter XIII.
Chapter XIII. 37. In the next place, He goes on to say: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should go [121] into hell." Here, certainly, there is need of great courage in order to cut off one's me…
1,352 wordsSECTION 15Chapter XV.
Chapter XV. 40. But it is rather that statement which the Lord Himself makes in another passage which is wont to disturb the minds of the little ones, who nevertheless earnestly desire to live now according to the precepts of Christ: "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethr…
1,144 wordsSECTION 16Chapter XVI.
Chapter XVI. 43. Here there arises a second question, when the Lord allows a wife to be put away for the cause of fornication, in what latitude of meaning fornication is to be understood in this passage,--whether in the sense understood by all, viz. that we are to understand that fornication to be meant which is committed in ac…
2,225 wordsSECTION 1750. And yet some occasions may arise, where a wife also, with the consent of her husband, may seem under obligation to do this for the sake
50. And yet some occasions may arise, where a wife also, with the consent of her husband, may seem under obligation to do this for the sake of that husband himself; as, for instance, is said to have happened at Antioch about fifty years ago, [153] in the times of Constantius. For Acyndinus, at that time prefect and at one time a…
1,550 wordsSECTION 18Chapter XVII.
Chapter XVII. 51. "Again," says He, "ye have heard that it hath been said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oath: [155] But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for i…
1,935 wordsSECTION 19Chapter XVIII.
Chapter XVIII. 54. But now, to conclude by summing up this passage, what can be named or thought of more laborious and toilsome, where the believing soul is straining every nerve of its industry, than the subduing of vicious habit? Let such an one cut off the members which obstruct the kingdom of heaven, and not be overwhelmed …
2,412 wordsSECTION 2059. Hence also what follows, "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak [182] also," is rightl
59. Hence also what follows, "And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak [182] also," is rightly understood as a precept having reference to the preparation of heart, not to a vain show of outward deed. But what is said with respect to the coat and cloak is to be carried out not merel…
1,171 wordsSECTION 21Chapter XX.
Chapter XX. 62. And, indeed, in these three classes of examples, I see that no class of injury is passed over. [186] For all matters in which we suffer any injustice are divided into two classes: of which the one is, where restitution cannot be made; the other, where it can. But in that case where restitution cannot be made, a …
2,256 wordsSECTION 22Chapter XXI.
Chapter XXI. 69. In the next place, He goes on to say, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which persecute you; [201] that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for …
1,376 wordsSECTION 23Chapter XXII.
Chapter XXII. 73. But the question before us is rendered more urgent by what the Apostle John says: "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and the Lord shall give him life for him who sinneth not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." [215] For he ma…
1,865 wordsSECTION 24Chapter XXIII.
Chapter XXIII. 78. Then, as to the statement which follows, "that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven," [231] it is to be understood according to that rule in virtue of which John also says, "He gave them power to become the sons of God." [232] For one is a Son by nature, who knows nothing at all of sin; bu…
1,251 wordsSECTION 25Book II.
Book II. On the latter part of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, contained in the sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew. Chapter I. 1. The subject of mercy, with the treatment of which the first book came to a close, is followed by that of the cleansing of the heart, with which the present one begins. [242] The cleansing of the…
1,331 wordsSECTION 26Chapter II.
Chapter II. 5. "Therefore, when thou doest thine alms," says He, "do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory [251] of men." Do not, says He, desire to become known in the same way as the hypocrites. Now it is manifest that hypocrites have not that in t…
1,924 wordsSECTION 27Chapter III.
Chapter III. 10. "And when ye pray," says He, "ye shall not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing [258] in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." And here also it is not the being seen of men that is wrong, but doing these things for the purpose of being seen of men; …
1,415 wordsSECTION 28Chapter IV.
Chapter IV. 15. But now we have to consider what things we are taught to pray for by Him through whom we both learn what we are to pray for, and obtain what we pray for. "After this manner, therefore, pray ye," [267] says He: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it…
1,465 wordsSECTION 29Chapter V.
Chapter V. 17. Let the new people, therefore, who are called to an eternal inheritance, use the word of the New Testament, and say, "Our Father who art in heaven," [277] i.e. in the holy and the just. For God is not contained in space. For the heavens are indeed the higher material bodies of the world, but yet material, and the…
892 wordsSECTION 30Chapter VI.
Chapter VI. 20. In the next place there follows, "Thy kingdom come." Just as the Lord Himself teaches in the Gospel that the day of judgment will take place at the very time when the gospel shall have been preached among all nations: [282] a thing which belongs to the hallowing of God's name. For here also the expression "Thy k…
1,346 wordsSECTION 31Chapter VII.
Chapter VII. 25. The fourth petition is, "Give us this day our daily bread." Daily bread is put either for all those things which meet the wants of this life, in reference to which He says in His teaching, "Take no thought for the morrow:" so that on this account there is added, "Give us this day:" or, it is put for the sacrame…
1,142 wordsSECTION 32Chapter VIII.
Chapter VIII. 28. The fifth petition follows: "And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive [302] our debtors." It is manifest that by debts are meant sins, either from that statement which the Lord Himself makes, "Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing;" [303] or from the fact that H…
919 wordsSECTION 33Chapter IX.
Chapter IX. 30. The sixth petition is, "And bring [309] us not into temptation." Some manuscripts have the word "lead," [310] which is, I judge, equivalent in meaning: for both translations have arisen from the one Greek word which is used. But many parties in prayer express themselves thus, "Suffer us not to be led into tempta…
2,169 wordsSECTION 34Chapter X.
Chapter X. 36. But the distinction among these seven petitions is to be considered and commended. For inasmuch as our temporal life is being spent now, and that which is eternal hoped for, and inasmuch as eternal things are superior in point of dignity, albeit it is only when we have done with temporal things that we pass to th…
1,398 wordsSECTION 35Chapter XII.
Chapter XII. 40. There follows a precept concerning fasting, having reference to that same purification of heart which is at present under discussion. For in this work also we must be on our guard, lest there should creep in a certain ostentation and hankering after the praise of man, which would make the heart double, and not …
1,297 wordsSECTION 36Chapter XIII.
Chapter XIII. 44. Rightly, therefore, does he who is intent on cleansing our heart follow up [360] what He has said with a precept, where He says: "Lay not up [361] for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust [362] doth corrupt, [363] and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in…
1,242 wordsSECTION 37Chapter XIV.
Chapter XIV. 47. Then, further, the statement which follows, "No man can serve two masters," is to be referred to this very intent, as He goes on to explain, saying: "For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will [374] submit to the one, and despise the other." And these words are to be carefully consider…
1,599 wordsSECTION 38Chapter XVI.
Chapter XVI. 53. "Therefore be not anxious," says He," saying, What shall we eat? [395] or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [396] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness;…
1,476 wordsSECTION 39Chapter XVII.
Chapter XVII. 56. For in the case of those who are seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, i.e. who are preferring this to all other things, so that for its sake they are seeking the other things, there ought not to remain behind the anxiety lest those things should fail which are necessary to this life for the …
2,139 wordsSECTION 40Chapter XVIII.
Chapter XVIII. 59. And inasmuch as when such things are either provided against the time to come, or reserved, if there is no cause wherefore you should expend them, it is uncertain with what intention it is done, since it may be done with a single heart, and also with a double one, He has seasonably added in this passage: "Jud…
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Source & rights
Historical text source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The downloaded text itself records Public Domain.