The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
6. _Of the character of the human will which makes the affections
of the soul right or wrong._
But the character of the human will is of moment; because, if it is
wrong, these motions of the soul will be wrong, but if it is right,
they will be not merely blameless, but even praiseworthy. For the
will is in them all; yea, none of them is anything else than will.
For what are desire and joy but a volition of consent to the things
we wish? And what are fear and sadness but a volition of aversion
from the things which we do not wish? But when consent takes the form
of seeking to possess the things we wish, this is called desire; and
when consent takes the form of enjoying the things we wish, this
is called joy. In like manner, when we turn with aversion from that
which we do not wish to happen, this volition is termed fear; and
when we turn away from that which has happened against our will, this
act of will is called sorrow. And generally in respect of all that
we seek or shun, as a man's will is attracted or repelled, so it is
changed and turned into these different affections. Wherefore the
man who lives according to God, and not according to man, ought to
be a lover of good, and therefore a hater of evil. And since no one
is evil by nature, but whoever is evil is evil by vice, he who lives
according to God ought to cherish towards evil men a perfect hatred,
so that he shall neither hate the man because of his vice, nor love
the vice because of the man, but hate the vice and love the man. For
the vice being cursed, all that ought to be loved, and nothing that
ought to be hated, will remain.
7. _That the words love and regard_ (amor _and_ dilectio) _are in
Scripture used indifferently of good and evil affection._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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