Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world. 1. The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, wh…

2. For look not to this only, that He cast him out of paradise, but mark also the gain that arose from thence. For after having cast him out of paradise, and having wrought those countless good works, and having accomplished His various dispensations, He sent even His own Son for the sake of them that had been benefited by Him and were hating Him, and opened Heaven to us, and u…

1. Great mysteries are they, of which the Only-begotten Son of God has counted us worthy; great, and such as we were not worthy of, but such as it was meet for Him to give. For if one reckon our desert, we were not only unworthy of the gift, but also liable to punishment and vengeance; but He, because He looked not to this, not only delivered us from punishment, but freely gave…

Source. Translated by J. Walker, J. Sheppard and H. Browne, and revised by George B. Stevens. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 11. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210219.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Adven…

Chapter 28.—By What Judgment of God the Enemy Was Permitted to Indulge His Lust on the Bodies of Continent Christians. Let not your life, then, be a burden to you, ye faithful servants of Christ, though your chastity was made the sport of your enemies. You have a grand and true consolation, if you maintain a good conscience, and know that you did not consent to the sins of thos…

Chapter 1.—That Although God is Always Judging, It is Nevertheless Reasonable to Confine Our Attention in This Book to His Last Judgment. Intending to speak, in dependence on God’s grace, of the day of His final judgment, and to affirm it against the ungodly and incredulous, we must first of all lay, as it were, in the foundation of the edifice the divine declarations. Those pe…

Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. Calvin shows that God's rejection of Israel is neither total nor final. A remnant according to the election of grace has been preserved. The Gentiles, like wild olive branches, have been grafted in — but they must not boast against the natural branches. If God spared not the natural branches, he may not spare the grafted ones either. T…

1 And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the preceding section, my revered brother Ambrosius, brother formed according to the Gospel, we have discussed, as far as is at present in our power, what the Gospel is, and what is the beginning in which the Word was, and what the Word is which was in the beginning. We now come to consider the next point in the work before …

Is there knowledge in God? Does God understand Himself? Does He comprehend Himself? Is His understanding His substance? Does He understand other things besides Himself? Does He have a proper knowledge of them? Is the knowledge of God discursive? Is the knowledge of God the cause of things? Does God have knowledge of non-existing things? Does He have knowledge of evil? Does He h…

The perpetual agreement of the Catholic Church has maintained and maintains this too: that there is a twofold order of knowledge, distinct not only as regards its source, but also as regards its object. With regard to the source: we know in one by natural reason, in the other by divine faith. With regard to the object: because besides those things to which natural reason can at…

When the same Abba Antony thought about the depth of the judgments of God, he asked, "Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in need?" He heard a voice answering him, "Antony, keep your attention on yourself; these things a…

Q. What does the first request mean? A. Hallowed be your name means: Help us to really know you, to bless, worship, and praise you for all your works and for all that shines forth from them: your almighty power, wisdom, kindness, justice, mercy, and truth. And it means, Help us to direct all our living — what we think, say, and do — so that your name will never be blasphemed be…

The sense and assurance of this election afford to the children of God additional matter for daily humiliation before God, for adoring the depth of his mercies, for cleansing themselves, and for making grateful return of ardent love to him who first manifested so great a love toward them. The consideration of this doctrine of election is so far from encouraging remissness in th…

To those who complain about this grace of an undeserved election and about the severity of a just reprobation, we reply with the words of the apostle: "Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?" (Rom. 9:20), and with the words of our Savior: "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own?" (Matt. 20:15). We, however, with reverent adoration of these mysteries, cr…

In the Old Testament, God revealed this secret of his will to a small number; in the New Testament (now that the distinction between peoples has been removed) he discloses it to a large number. The reason for this difference must not be ascribed to the greater worth of one nation over another, or to a better use of the light of nature, but to the free good pleasure and undeserv…

Paul writes that the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. No creature can fathom the infinite depths of the divine nature — only one who is divine can know God fully. The Spirit's ability to search and reveal the deepest things of God proves that He shares in the divine essence. He is not an external observer of God but an intimate participant in the divine life.