On Faith and the Creed · §7 · Augustine of Hippo

Nothing is contrary to God, who alone truly is

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

Augustine has just cited God's self-revelation to Moses as 'I am who I am' and now draws the conclusion that no nature can be contrary to God.

From this point I am confident it is now evident to spiritual souls that no nature can be contrary to God. For if he is—and this word can properly be said of God alone, since what truly is remains unchangeably, because what is changed was something that no longer is, and will be something that is not yet—then God has nothing contrary to him. If someone asked us what is contrary to white, we would answer: black. If someone asked what is contrary to hot, we would answer: cold. If someone asked what is contrary to fast, we would answer: slow, and so on with similar cases. But when the question is what is contrary to that which is, the right answer is: that which is not.

Latin

Ex quo iam spiritalibus animis patere confido nullam naturam deo esse posse contrariam. si enim ille est et de solo deo proprie dici potest hoc uerbum — quod enim uere est, incommutabiliter manet, quoniam quod mutatur, fuit aliquid, quod iam non est, et erit, quod nondum est — nihil habet deus contrarium. si enim quaereretur a nobis, quid sit albo contrarium, responderemus nigrum; si quaereretur, quid sit calido contrarium, responderemus frigidum; si quaereretur, quid sit ueloci contrarium, responderemus tardum, et quaecumque similia. cum autem quaeritur, quid sit contrarium ei quod est, recte respondetur: quod non est.

About this text

The text does not explicitly state the occasion.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) delivered this treatise as a presbyter, at the request of the bishops assembled for a council of the whole North African episcopate at Hippo-Regius. He later issued it as a book at the desire of friends. The work offers a fuller treatment of the brief creed memorized by new Christians, to protect it against heretics.

Augustine explains the articles of the creed in order, beginning with God the Father almighty as creator of all things from nothing. He then treats the eternal generation of the Son, the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and future judgment. He defends the full divinity and co-equality of the Holy Spirit within the one divine substance, and finally expounds the church, forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection of the body, urging that faith must be held before it can be understood.

Augustine quotes Scripture throughout and reports the claims of heretics, Gentiles, and philosophers. Augustine uses Old Latin versions of the Bible, with Psalms numbered according to the Septuagint.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 41 (1900) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.