The Confessions of St. Augustine
Bishop of Hippo
Book 12. The Meaning of 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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