St. Anselm
St. Anselm
Sidney Norton Deane, B. A.
1873 Press
First Published 1903
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ISBN 0-594-04103-1
Contents
Introduction
Proslogium
Preface
I. Exhortation of the mind to the contemplation of God
II. Truly there is a God, although the fool hath said in his heart, etc
III. God cannot be conceived not to exist
IV. How the fool has said in his heart what cannot be conceived
V. God is whatever it is better to be than not to be; and he, as the only self-existent being, creates all things from nothing
VI. How God is sensible (sensibilis) although he is not a body
VII. How he is omnipotent, although there are many things of which he is not capable
VIII. How he is compassionate and passionless
IX. How God is supremely just
X. How he justly punishes and justly spares the wicked.
XI. How all the ways of God are compassion and truth; and yet God is just in all his ways
XII. God is the very life whereby he lives
XIII. How he alone is uncircumscribed and eternal
XIV. How and why God is seen and yet not seen by those who seek him
XV. He is greater than can be conceived
XVI. This is the unapproachable light wherein he dwells
XVII. In God is harmony, etc
XVIII. God is life, wisdom, eternity, and every true good
XIX. He does not exist in place or time, but all things exist in him
XX. He exists before all things and transcends all things, even the eternal things
XXI. Is this the age of the age, or ages of ages
XXII. He alone is what he is and who he is
XXIII. This good is equally Father, and Son and Holy Spirit
XXIV. Conjecture as to the character and the magnitude of this good
XXV. What goods, and how great, belong to those who enjoy this good
XXVI. Is this joy which the Lord promises made full
Monologium
Preface
I. There is a being which is best, and greatest, and highest of all existing beings
II. The same subject continued
III. There is a certain Nature through which whatever is exists, etc.
IV. The same subject continued
V. Just as this Nature exists through itself, and other beings through it, so it derives existence from itself, and other beings from it
VI. This Nature was not brought into existence with the help of any external cause, yet it does not exist through nothing, or derive existence from nothing.
VII. In what way all other beings exist through this Nature and derive existence from it
VIII. How it is to be understood that this Nature created all things from nothing
IX. Those things which were created from nothing had an existence before their creation in the thought of the Creator
X. This thought is a kind of expression of the thoughts created (locutio rerum), like the expression which an artisan forms in his mind for what he intends to make
XI. The analogy, however, between the expression of the Creator and the expression of the artisan is very complete
XII. This expression of the supreme Being is the supreme Being
XIII. As all things were created through the supreme Being, so all live through it
XIV. This Being is in all things, and throughout all
XV. What can or cannot be stated concerning the substance of this Being
XVI. For this Being it is the same to be just that it is to be justice
XVII. It is simple in such a way that all things that can be said of its essence are one and the same in it
XVIII. It is without beginning and without end
XIX. In what sense nothing existed before or will exist after this Being
XX. It exists in every place and at every time
XXI. It exists in no place or time
XXII. How it exists in every place and time, and in none
XXIII. How it is better conceived to exist everywhere than in every place
XXIV. How it is better understood to exist always than at every time
XXV. It cannot suffer change by any accidents
XXVI. How this Being is said to be substance
XXVII. It is not included among substances as commonly treated, yet it is a substance and an indivisible spirit
XXVIII. This Spirit exists simply, and created beings are not comparable with him
XXIX. His expression is identical with himself, and consubstantial with him
XXX. This expression does not consist of more words than one, but is one Word
XXXI. This Word itself is not the likeness of created beings, but the reality of their being
XXXII. The supreme Spirit expresses himself by a coeternal Word
XXXIII. He utters himself and what he creates by a single consubstantial Word
XXXIV. How he can express the created world by his Word
XXXV. Whatever has been created is in his Word and knowledge, life and truth
XXXVI. In how incomprehensible a way he expresses or knows the objects created by him
XXXVII. Whatever his relations to his creatures, this relation his Word also sustains
XXXVIII. It cannot be explained why they are two, although they must be so
XXXIX. This Word derives existence from the supreme Spirit by birth
XL. He is most truly a parent, and that Word his offspring
XLI. He most truly begets, and it is most truly begotten
XLII. It is the property of the one to be most truly progenitor and Father, and of the other to be begotten and Son
XLIII. Consideration of the common attributes of both and the individual properties of each
XLIV. How one is the essence of the other
XLV. The Son may more appropriately be called the essence of the Father, than the Father the essence of the son
XLVI. How some of these truths which are thus expounded may also be conceived of in another way
XLVII. The Son is the intelligence of intelligence and the truth of truth
XLVIII. How the Son is the intelligence or wisdom of memory or the memory of the Father and of memory
XLIX. The supreme Spirit loves himself
L. The same love proceeds equally from Father and Son
LI. Each loves himself and the other with equal love.
LII. This love is as great as the supreme Spirit himself
LIII. This Love is identical with the supreme Spirit, and yet it is itself with the Father and the Son one spirit
LIV. It proceeds as a whole from the Father, and as a whole from the Son, and yet does not exist except as one love
LV. This love is not their Son
LVI. Only the Father begets and is unbegotten; only the Son is begotten; only love neither begotten nor unbegotten
LVII. This love is uncreated and creator, as are Father and Son; it may be called the Spirit of Father and Son
LVIII. As the Son is the essence or wisdom of the Father in the sense that he has the same essence or wisdom that the Father has; so likewise the Spirit is the essence and wisdom etc. of Father and Son
LIX. The Father and the Son and their Spirit exist equally the one in the other
LX. To none of th
ese is another necessary that he may remember, conceive, or love
LXI. Yet there are not three, but one Father and one Son and one Spirit
LXII. How it seems that of these three more sons than one are born
LXIII. How among them there is only one Son of one Father, that is, one Word, and that from the Father alone
LXIV. Though this truth is inexplicable, it demands belief
LXV. How real truth may be reached in the discussion of an ineffable subject
LXVI. Through the rational mind is the nearest approach to the supreme Being
LXVII. The mind itself is the mirror and image of that Being
LXVIII. The rational creature was created in order that it might love this Being
LXIX. The soul that ever loves this Essence lives at some time in true blessedness
LXX. This Being gives itself in return to the creature that loves it, that that creature may be eternally blessed
LXXI. The soul that despises this being will be eternally miserable
LXXII. Every human soul is immortal. And it is either forever miserable, or at some time truly blessed.
LXXIII. No soul is unjustly deprived of the supreme good, and every effort must be directed toward that good
LXXIV. The supreme Being is to be hoped for
LXXV. We must believe in this Being, that is, by believing we must reach for it
LXXVI. We should believe in Father and Son and in their Spirit equally, and in each separately, and in the three at once
LXXVII. What is living and what dead faith
LXXVIII. The supreme Being may in some sort be called Three
LXXIX. The Essence itself is God, who alone is lord and ruler of all
Appendix
In Behalf of the Fool
An answer to the argument of Anselm in the Proslogium. By Gaunilon
Anselm's Apologetic
I. A general refutation of Gaunilon's argument. It is shown that a being than which a greater cannot be conceived exists in reality
II. The argument is continued. It is shown that a being than which a greater is inconceivable can be conceived, and also in so far, exists
III. A criticism of Gaunilon's example, in which he tries to show that in this way the real existence of a lost island might be inferred from the fact of its being conceived
IV. The difference between the possibility of conceiving of non-existence, and understanding non-existence
V. A particular discussion of certain statements of Gaunilon's
VI. A discussion of Gaunilon's argument, that any unreal beings can be understood in the same way, and would, to that extent, exist
VII. In answer to another objection; that the supremely great being may be conceived not to exist, just as by the fool God is conceived not to exist
VIII. The example of the picture, treated in Gaunilon's third chapter, is examined.—From what source a notion may be formed of the supremely great being of which Gaunilon inquired in his fourth chapter
IX. The possibility of understanding and conceiving of the supremely great being. The argument advanced against the fool is confirmed
X. The certainty of the foregoing argument.—The conclusion of the book
Cur Deus Homo
Book First
Preface
I.The question on which the whole work rests
II. How those things which are to be said should be received
III. Objections of infidels and replies of believers
IV. How these things appear not decisive to infidels, and merely like so many pictures
V. How the redemption of man could not be effected by any other being but God
VI. How infidels find fault with us for saying that God has redeemed us by his death, etc
VII. How the devil had no justice on his side against man
VIII. How, although the acts of Christ's condescension which we speak of do not belong to his divinity, it yet seems improper to infidels that these things should be said of him even as a man, etc
IX. How it was of his own accord that he died
X. On the same topics
XI. What it is to sin, and to make satisfaction for sin
XII. Whether it were proper for God to put away sins by compassion alone, without any payment of debt
XIII. How nothing less was to be endured, in the order of things, than that the creature should take away the honor due the Creator, etc
XIV. How the honor of God exists in the punishment of the wicked
XV. Whether God suffers his honor to be violated even in the least degree
XVI. The reason why the number of angels who fell must be made up from men
XVII. How other angels cannot take the place of those who fell
XVIII. Whether there will be more holy men than evil angels
XIX. How man cannot be saved without satisfaction for sin
XX. That satisfaction ought to be proportionate to guilt
XXI. How great a burden sin is
XXII. What contempt man brought upon God when he allowed himself to be conquered by the devil
XXIII. What man took from God by his sin
XXIV. How, as long as man does not restore what he owes God, he cannot be happy
XXV. How man's salvation by Christ is necessarily possible
Book Second
I. How man was made holy by God, so as to be happy in the enjoyment of God
II. How man would never have died, unless he had sinned
III. How man will rise with the same body which he has in this world
IV. How God will complete, in respect to human nature, what he has begun
V. How, although the thing may be necessary, God may no do it by a compulsory necessity
VI. How no being, except the God-man, can make the atonement by which man is saved
VII. How necessary it is for the same being to be perfect God and perfect man
VIII. How it behooved God to take a man of the race of Adam, and born of a woman
XIX. How of necessity the Word only can unite in one person with man
X. How this man dies not of debt; and in what sense he can or cannot sin
XI. How Christ dies of his own power
XII. How, though he share in our weakness, he is not therefore miserable
XIII. How, along with our other weaknesses, he does not partake of our ignorance
XIV. How his death outweighs the number and greatness of our sins
XV. How his death removes even the sins of his murderers
XVI. How God took that man from a sinful substance, and yet without sin; and of the salvation of Adam and Eve
XVII. How he did not die of necessity though he could not be born, except as destined to suffer death
XVIIIa. How with God there is neither necessity nor impossibility
XVIIIb. How Christ's life is paid to God for the sins of men
XIX. How human salvation follows upon his death
XX. How great and how just is God's compassion
XXI. How it is impossible for the devil to be reconciled
XXII. How the truth of the Old and New Testament is shown in the things which have been said
Introduction
THE present volume of St. Anselm's most important philosophical and theological writings contains: (1) The Proslogium (2) the Monologium, (3) the Cur Deus Homo, and (4) by way of historical complement, an Appendix to the Monologium entitled In Behalf of the Fool by Gaunilon, a monk of Marmoutiers. The Proslogium (which, though subsequent in point of time to the Monologium, is here placed first, as containing the famous ontological argument), the Monologium and the Appendix thereto were translated by Mr. Sidney Norton Deane, of New Haven, Conn.; the Cur Deus Homo was rendered by James Gardiner Vose, formerly of Milton, Conn., and later of Providence, R. I., and published in 1854 and 1855 in the Bibliotheca Sacra, then issued at Andover, Mass., by Warren F. Draper. The thanks of the reading public are due to all these gentlemen for their gratuitous labors in
behalf of philosophy.
Welch's recent book Anselm and His Work, by its accessibility, renders any extended biographical notice of Anselm unneccessary. We append, therefore, merely a few brief paragraphs from Weber's admirable History of Philosophy on Anselm's position in the world of thought, and we afterwards add (this, at the suggestion of Prof. George M. Duncan, of Yale University) a series of quotations regarding Anselm's most characteristic contribution to philosophy—the ontological argument—from Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibnitz, Kant, Hegel, Dorner, Lotze, and Professor Flint. A bibliography also has been compiled. Thus the work will give full material and indications for the original study of one of the greatest exponents of Christian doctrine.
Anselm's Philosophy
(After Weber1)
"The first really speculative thinker after Scotus is St. Anselmus, the disciple of Lanfranc. He was born at Aosta (1033), entered the monastery of Bec in Normandy (1060), succeeded Lanfranc as Abbot (1078), and as Archbishop of Canterbury (1093). He died in 1109. He left a great number of writings, the most important of which are: the Dialogus de grammatico, the Monologium de divinitatis essential sive Exemplum de ratione fidei, the Proslogium sive Fides quœrens intellectum, the De veritate, the De fide trinitatis, and the Cur Deus Homo?
"The second Augustine, as St. Anselmus had been called, starts out from the same principle as the first; he holds that faith precedes all reflection and all discussion concerning religious things. The unbelievers, he says, strive to understand because they do not believe; we, on the contrary, strive to understand because we believe. They and we have the same object in view; but inasmuch as they do not believe, they cannot arrive at their goal, which is to understand the dogma. The unbeliever will never understand. In religion faith plays the part played by experience in the understanding of the things of this world. The blind man cannot see the light, and therefore does not understand it; the deaf-mute, who has never perceived sound, cannot have a clear idea of sound. Similarly, not to believe means not to perceive, and not to perceive means not to understand. Hence, we do not reflect in order that we may believe; on the contrary, we believe in order that we may arrive at knowledge. A Christian ought never to doubt the beliefs and teachings of the Holy Catholic Church. All he can do is to strive, as humbly as possible, to understand her teachings by believing them, to love them, and resolutely to observe them in his daily life. Should he succeed in understanding the Christian doctrine, let him render thanks to God, the source of all intelligence! In case he fails, that is no reason why he should obstinately attack the dogma, but a reason why he should bow his head in worship. Faith ought not merely to be the starting-point,—the Christian's aim is not to depart from faith but to remain in it,—but also the fixed rule and goal of thought, the beginning, the middle, and the end of all philosophy.
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