Wednesday, May 26, 2021

"The good use the world that they may enjoy God; the wicked . . . that they may enjoy the world would fain use God"

"The good use the world that they may enjoy God:  the wicked, on the contrary, that they may enjoy the world would fain use God [(boni quippe ad hoc utuntur mundo, ut fruantur deo; mali autem contra, ut fruantur mundo, uti uolunt deo)]—those of them, at least, who have attained to the belief that He is and takes an interest in human affairs.  For they who have not yet attained even to this belief are still at a much lower level."

     St. Augustine, City of God xv.7, trans. Dods.  Latin from CAG as reproduced in Past Masters.

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