{"id":"01KJR8Q6CN4C6ZDMEWHKG6KWW7","cid":"bafkreidopc6gr7qwysttrzjut73x23hjj4nfgxyqx3t7dkiaorahdkru5e","type":"text_chunk","properties":{"char_end":242405,"char_start":234901,"chunk_index":33,"chunk_total":89,"estimated_tokens":1876,"source_file_key":"confessions","text":"professing that they were wise, they became fools.\r\n\r\nAnd therefore did I read there also, that they had changed the glory of\r\nThy incorruptible nature into idols and divers shapes, into the likeness\r\nof the image of corruptible man, and birds, and beasts, and creeping\r\nthings; namely, into that Egyptian food for which Esau lost his\r\nbirthright, for that Thy first-born people worshipped the head of a\r\nfour-footed beast instead of Thee; turning in heart back towards Egypt;\r\nand bowing Thy image, their own soul, before the image of a calf that\r\neateth hay. These things found I here, but I fed not on them. For it\r\npleased Thee, O Lord, to take away the reproach of diminution from\r\nJacob, that the elder should serve the younger: and Thou calledst the\r\nGentiles into Thine inheritance. And I had come to Thee from among the\r\nGentiles; and I set my mind upon the gold which Thou willedst Thy people\r\nto take from Egypt, seeing Thine it was, wheresoever it were. And to the\r\nAthenians Thou saidst by Thy Apostle, that in Thee we live, move, and\r\nhave our being, as one of their own poets had said. And verily these\r\nbooks came from thence. But I set not my mind on the idols of Egypt,\r\nwhom they served with Thy gold, who changed the truth of God into a lie,\r\nand worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.\r\n\r\nAnd being thence admonished to return to myself, I entered even into my\r\ninward self, Thou being my Guide: and able I was, for Thou wert become\r\nmy Helper. And I entered and beheld with the eye of my soul (such as\r\nit was), above the same eye of my soul, above my mind, the Light\r\nUnchangeable. Not this ordinary light, which all flesh may look upon,\r\nnor as it were a greater of the same kind, as though the brightness of\r\nthis should be manifold brighter, and with its greatness take up all\r\nspace. Not such was this light, but other, yea, far other from these.\r\nNor was it above my soul, as oil is above water, nor yet as heaven above\r\nearth: but above to my soul, because It made me; and I below It, because\r\nI was made by It. He that knows the Truth, knows what that Light is;\r\nand he that knows It, knows eternity. Love knoweth it. O Truth Who art\r\nEternity! and Love Who art Truth! and Eternity Who art Love! Thou art\r\nmy God, to Thee do I sigh night and day. Thee when I first knew, Thou\r\nliftedst me up, that I might see there was what I might see, and that I\r\nwas not yet such as to see. And Thou didst beat back the weakness of my\r\nsight, streaming forth Thy beams of light upon me most strongly, and I\r\ntrembled with love and awe: and I perceived myself to be far off from\r\nThee, in the region of unlikeness, as if I heard this Thy voice from on\r\nhigh: \"I am the food of grown men, grow, and thou shalt feed upon Me;\r\nnor shalt thou convert Me, like the food of thy flesh into thee, but\r\nthou shalt be converted into Me.\" And I learned, that Thou for iniquity\r\nchastenest man, and Thou madest my soul to consume away like a spider.\r\nAnd I said, \"Is Truth therefore nothing because it is not diffused\r\nthrough space finite or infinite?\" And Thou criedst to me from afar:\r\n\"Yet verily, I AM that I AM.\" And I heard, as the heart heareth, nor had\r\nI room to doubt, and I should sooner doubt that I live than that Truth\r\nis not, which is clearly seen, being understood by those things which\r\nare made.\r\n\r\nAnd I beheld the other things below Thee, and I perceived that they\r\nneither altogether are, nor altogether are not, for they are, since\r\nthey are from Thee, but are not, because they are not what Thou art.\r\nFor that truly is which remains unchangeably. It is good then for me to\r\nhold fast unto God; for if I remain not in Him, I cannot in myself; but\r\nHe remaining in Himself, reneweth all things. And Thou art the Lord my\r\nGod, since Thou standest not in need of my goodness.\r\n\r\nAnd it was manifested unto me, that those things be good which yet are\r\ncorrupted; which neither were they sovereignly good, nor unless they\r\nwere good could be corrupted: for if sovereignly good, they were\r\nincorruptible, if not good at all, there were nothing in them to be\r\ncorrupted. For corruption injures, but unless it diminished goodness, it\r\ncould not injure. Either then corruption injures not, which cannot be;\r\nor which is most certain, all which is corrupted is deprived of good.\r\nBut if they be deprived of all good, they shall cease to be. For if they\r\nshall be, and can now no longer be corrupted, they shall be better than\r\nbefore, because they shall abide incorruptibly. And what more monstrous\r\nthan to affirm things to become better by losing all their good?\r\nTherefore, if they shall be deprived of all good, they shall no longer\r\nbe. So long therefore as they are, they are good: therefore whatsoever\r\nis, is good. That evil then which I sought, whence it is, is not any\r\nsubstance: for were it a substance, it should be good. For either\r\nit should be an incorruptible substance, and so a chief good: or\r\na corruptible substance; which unless it were good, could not be\r\ncorrupted. I perceived therefore, and it was manifested to me that Thou\r\nmadest all things good, nor is there any substance at all, which Thou\r\nmadest not; and for that Thou madest not all things equal, therefore are\r\nall things; because each is good, and altogether very good, because our\r\nGod made all things very good.\r\n\r\nAnd to Thee is nothing whatsoever evil: yea, not only to Thee, but also\r\nto Thy creation as a whole, because there is nothing without, which may\r\nbreak in, and corrupt that order which Thou hast appointed it. But in\r\nthe parts thereof some things, because unharmonising with other some,\r\nare accounted evil: whereas those very things harmonise with others,\r\nand are good; and in themselves are good. And all these things which\r\nharmonise not together, do yet with the inferior part, which we call\r\nEarth, having its own cloudy and windy sky harmonising with it. Far be\r\nit then that I should say, \"These things should not be\": for should I\r\nsee nought but these, I should indeed long for the better; but still\r\nmust even for these alone praise Thee; for that Thou art to be praised,\r\ndo show from the earth, dragons, and all deeps, fire, hail, snow,\r\nice, and stormy wind, which fulfil Thy word; mountains, and all hills,\r\nfruitful trees, and all cedars; beasts, and all cattle, creeping things,\r\nand flying fowls; kings of the earth, and all people, princes, and all\r\njudges of the earth; young men and maidens, old men and young, praise\r\nThy Name. But when, from heaven, these praise Thee, praise Thee, our\r\nGod, in the heights all Thy angels, all Thy hosts, sun and moon, all the\r\nstars and light, the Heaven of heavens, and the waters that be above the\r\nheavens, praise Thy Name; I did not now long for things better, because\r\nI conceived of all: and with a sounder judgment I apprehended that the\r\nthings above were better than these below, but altogether better than\r\nthose above by themselves.\r\n\r\nThere is no soundness in them, whom aught of Thy creation displeaseth:\r\nas neither in me, when much which Thou hast made, displeased me. And\r\nbecause my soul durst not be displeased at my God, it would fain not\r\naccount that Thine, which displeased it. Hence it had gone into the\r\nopinion of two substances, and had no rest, but talked idly. And\r\nreturning thence, it had made to itself a God, through infinite measures\r\nof all space; and thought it to be Thee, and placed it in its heart;\r\nand had again become the temple of its own idol, to Thee abominable."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KJR8NK5DAD726FMQ6JCHGZ5R","peer_label":"confessions","peer_type":"text","predicate":"derived_from"},{"peer":"01KJR8M0JHPZXCPKJ34HTYXSWW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KJR8R5M8VXDW8Z6YHQTCPK14","peer_label":"god","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"divine_being","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RD2NFT9YY9Y8DW1AWFFS","peer_label":"narrator","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RPF8AHJGEGEW07KK5G40","peer_label":"substance","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RX294X4DXQZNW011WHRV","peer_label":"eternity","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RWY8ED5SR2CHN632648V","peer_label":"first-born people","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group_of_people","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RWKCVD1E3YS2VWX20E3M","peer_label":"egypt","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"place","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RX93WCBCRTYZX7SCWFCT","peer_label":"truth","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RXBBVRT95181WHR2MAW8","peer_label":"light unchangeable","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RWQFZZ4CJSQXNKT11Y58","peer_label":"gentiles","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group_of_people","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RXCJ0YMTQ7B2G61F183J","peer_label":"gods apostle","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"person","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RY1K1EDJEAPZP8XTDBA9","peer_label":"creation","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RXRND781CC7JBZC6ZWTX","peer_label":"love","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RY3AJ4PHSHGXSXVJ12XY","peer_label":"evil","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RYANRMM953YANDDVRCC6","peer_label":"athenians","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"group_of_people","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RY3CPEPJ623BZ4KSG2BB","peer_label":"corruption","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"theological_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RYCW0R3S3SW3SBSZBHXJ","peer_label":"idols","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"religious_concept","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RYTK7KP5SHNWXRPZSWHB","peer_label":"region of unlikeness","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZ0FHN3SWPX2HFQ23TG3","peer_label":"unharmonising parts","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RYKGHGJY3THPRRVSH77Q","peer_label":"two substances","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"philosophical_doctrine","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZ6KKY2KV9YABP6EV0WH","peer_label":"inward self","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZ8ACREC8830FYT96GZB","peer_label":"goodness","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8RZ4E671SV1FKGPJ5RJ2F","peer_label":"temple of its own idol","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}},{"peer":"01KJR8S08P4H2Z2V3T03BD3AC0","peer_label":"abominable to god","predicate":"extracted_entity","properties":{"entity_type":"entity","extracted_at":"2026-03-02T21:55:27.309Z"}}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-03-02T21:54:24.789Z","ts":"2026-03-02T21:55:28.580Z","edited_by":{"method":"system","user_id":"01KJ60XQBHJ0GBGTP9X8HXAPPM"}}