The Confessions of St. Augustine
Bishop of Hippo

Book 12. The Meaning of Holy Scripture

HE CONTINUES HIS EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS ACCORDING TO THE SEPTUAGINT, AND BY ITS ASSISTANCE HE ARGUES, ESPECIALLY, CONCERNING THE DOUBLE HEAVEN, AND THE FORMLESS MATTER OUT OF WHICH THE WHOLE WORLD MAY HAVE BEEN CREATED; AFTERWARDS OF THE INTERPRETATIONS OF OTHERS NOT DISALLOWED, AND SETS FORTH AT GREAT LENGTH THE SENSE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.

Chapter 1. THE DISCOVERY OF TRUTH IS DIFFICULT, BUT GOD HAS PROMISED THAT HE WHO SEEKS SHALL FIND.

Chapter 2. OF THE DOUBLE HEAVEN, — THE VISIBLE, AND THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS.

Chapter 3. OF THE DARKNESS UPON THE DEEP, AND OF THE INVISIBLE AND FORMLESS EARTH.

Chapter 4. FROM THE FORMLESSNESS OF MATTER, THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD HAS ARISEN.

Chapter 5. WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE FORM OF MATTER.

Chapter 6. HE CONFESSES THAT AT ONE TIME HE HIMSELF THOUGHT ERRONEOUSLY OF MATTER.

Chapter 7. OUT OF NOTHING GOD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH.

Chapter 8. HEAVEN AND EARTH WERE MADE "IN THE BEGINNING;" AFTERWARDS THE WORLD, DURING SIX DAYS, FROM SHAPELESS MATTER.

Chapter 9. THAT THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS WAS AN INTELLECTUAL CREATURE, BUT THAT THE EARTH WAS INVISIBLE AND FORMLESS BEFORE THE DAYS THAT IT WAS MADE.

Chapter 10. HE BEGS OF GOD THAT HE MAY LIVE IN THE TRUE LIGHT, AND MAY BE INSTRUCTED AS TO THE MYSTERIES OF THE SACRED BOOKS.

Chapter 11. WHAT MAY BE DISCOVERED TO HIM BY GOD.

Chapter 12. FROM THE FORMLESS EARTH GOD CREATED ANOTHER HEAVEN AND A VISIBLE AND FORMED EARTH.

Chapter 13. OF THE INTELLECTUAL HEAVEN AND FORMLESS EARTH, OUT OF WHICH, ON ANOTHER DAY, THE FIRMAMENT WAS FORMED.

Chapter 14. OF THE DEPTH OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURE, AND ITS ENEMIES.

Chapter 15. HE ARGUES AGAINST ADVERSARIES CONCERNING THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS.

Chapter 16. HE WISHES TO HAVE NO INTERCOURSE WITH THOSE WHO DENY DIVINE TRUTH.

Chapter 17. HE MENTIONS FIVE EXPLANATIONS OF THE WORDS OF GENESIS i. I.

Chapter 18. WHAT ERROR IS HARMLESS IN SACRED SCRIPTURE.

Chapter 19. HE ENUMERATES THE THINGS CONCERNING WHICH ALL AGREE.

Chapter 20. OF THE WORDS, "IN THE BEGINNING," VARIOUSLY UNDERSTOOD.

Chapter 21. OF THE EXPLANATION OF THE WORDS, "THE EARTH WAS INVISIBLE."

Chapter 22. HE DISCUSSES WHETHER MATTER WAS FROM ETERNITY, OR WAS MADE BY GOD.1

Chapter 23. TWO KINDS OF DISAGREEMENTS IN THE BOOKS TO BE EXPLAINED.

Chapter 24. OUT OF THE MANY TRUE THINGS, IT IS NOT ASSERTED CONFIDENTLY THAT MOSES UNDERSTOOD THIS OR THAT.

Chapter 25. IT BEHOVES INTERPRETERS, WHEN DISAGREEING CONCERNING OBSCURE PLACES, TO REGARD GOD THE AUTHOR OF TRUTH, AND THE RULE OF CHARITY.

Chapter 26. WHAT HE MIGHT HAVE ASKED OF GOD HAD HE BEEN ENJOINED TO WRITE THE BOOK OF GENESIS.

Chapter 27. THE STYLE OF SPEAKING IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS IS SIMPLE AND CLEAR.

Chapter 28. THE WORDS, "IN THE BEGINNING," AND, "THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH," ARE DIFFERENTLY UNDERSTOOD.

Chapter 29. CONCERNING THE OPINION OF THOSE WHO EXPLAIN IT "AT FIRST HE MADE."

Chapter 30. IN THE GREAT DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS, IT BECOMES ALL TO UNITE CHARITY AND DIVINE TRUTH.

Chapter 31. MOSES IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE PERCEIVED WHATEVER OF TRUTH CAN BE DISCOVERED IN HIS WORDS.

Chapter 32. FIRST, THE SENSE OF THE WRITER IS TO BE DISCOVERED, THEN THAT IS TO BE BROUGHT OUT WHICH DIVINE TRUTH INTENDED.

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