"That said nation of darkness, which the Manichees are wont to set as an opposing mass over against Thee, what could it have done unto Thee, hadst Thou refused to fight with it? For, if they answered, 'it would have done Thee some hurt,' then shouldest Thou be subject to injury and corruption: but if 'it could do Thee no hurt,' then was no reason brought for Thy fighting with it;"This is an interesting point in looking at the dichotomy of good and evil. It strikes on some assumptions of God, two primarily: God is all powerful and God fights against evil. This is a reminder to me that we attach a lot of assumptions about the nature of God and the spiritual realm. Some of this is just dogmatic, and some isn't... but without analyzing every tenant of faith how can we know?
The next quotation caught my attention. He begins to get into an understanding of Substance, I suppose. What is it that composes creation? Both that which exists and that which doesn't. He seems to be saying that (unchangeable) existence is good (Godly). So creation contains this, but also what is "not what Thou art."
"And I beheld the other things below Thee, and I perceived that they neither altogether are, nor altogether are not, for they are, since they are from Thee, but are not, because they are not what Thou art. For that truly is which remains unchangeably. It is good then for me to hold fast unto God; for if I remain not in Him, I cannot in myself; but He remaining in himself, reneweth all things. And Thou art the Lord my God, since Thou standest not in need of my goodness."It makes me think about have composition of the world in two parts. My example will be a box, a sponge and a cube. All there are the same size on the outside. However they are different, not because of what they are made out of (they can all be made of the same material), but what space is not filled or occupied.
Stretching that further we end up looking at the world in binary either there or not; either Godly or non-existent. But we need to remember that there is a sponge that contains a different formation of existence and non-existence. Could it be that we are the sponges?
"That evil then, which I sought whence it is, is not any substance: for were it a substance, it should be good. For either it should be an incorruptible substance, and so a chief good; or a corruptible substance, which, unless it were good, could not be corrupted.So I'm not sure how to keep going with the sponge analogy. How do you corrupt a sponge? Perhaps the size would be part of that. That a corrupted sponge is mooshed. Ideally the structure of the sponge is as large as possible?
The spiritual extrapolation of this could be that there is only so much existence, and the goal is to make it as large as possible. This requires planning and engineering; Building a structure that can support a lot without being made of a lot. In a sense it is a lot of nothing, but at the same time it is really well utilized resources. I'm thinking about a bridge. You want to make it sturdy and sound, but at the same time utilizing the resources available.
I like the next quote.
"Then I sought a way of obtaining strength, sufficient to enjoy Thee; and found it not until I embraced that, Mediator betwixt God and men, the man Christ Jesus,'..."
Then at the end of the first half of the Confessions Augustine converts. These are a few passages that I found meaningful.
"'Be it done now, be it done now.' And as I spake, I all but enacted it. I all but did it, and did it not: yet sunk not back to my former state, but kept my stand hard by, and took breath."
"Continence herself in all, not barren, but a fruitful mother of children of joys, by Thee her Husband, O Lord. And she smiled on me with a persuasive mockery, as would she say, 'Canst not thou what these youths, what these maidens can? or can they either in themselves, and not rather in the Lord their God? The Lord their God gave me unto them. Why standest thou in thyself, and so standest not? Cast thyself upon Him, fear not He will not withdraw Himself that thou shouldest fall; cast thyself fearlessly upon Him, He will receive, and will heal thee.'"
"I cast myself down I know not how, under a certain fig-tree, giving full vent to my tears; and the floods of mine eyes gushed out an acceptable sacrifice to Thee."
"I seized, opened and in silence read that section, on which my eyes first fell: 'Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh,' in concupiscence. No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away."
