MAR 16 The Lesson is taken from the Book against Lying by St. Augustine the Bishop What Jacob did on the advice of his mother, whereby he díssembled with his father, will be seen to be, if we consider it faithfully and diligently, not so much the presentation to us of a lie as of an allegory. For if we denounce this allegory as a lie, then must we also give the lie to all parables and types, which God forbid. For parables and types are not to be taken in their literal sense, but are symbols whereby one thing is to be understood under the figure of another. Whoso doth account such things as lies must bring the charge of falsehood against very many figures of speech. On such reasoning even the figure of speech known as a metaphor, (whereby a word is transferred from its proper meaning to some other meaning which belongeth not literally to it,) must be denounced as a lie On the contrary, in such a case the things which be signified, not the mere words used in expressing this signification, are the things spoken. Nonetheless, such folk do reckon the same as lies, because they understand not that the things which be signified, even though they be unnamed, are the things which are really said. Rather, such folk do believe that false things are not only said but intended. To make this plainer by means of example, consider with me this thing which Jacob did. For certain, he did conceal himself in the skins of goats. If we consider his object in point of fact, we must consider him a liar. For he did this that might be taken for a man that he was not. But if this deed of his be interpreted according to a signification which it hath come to bear, as a type, we find in the goatskins a symbol of sin, and in him who covered himself therewith, we see him who bare not his own sins, but the sins of others. Therefore it is not possible to brand this perfectly true signification as false. Inasmuch as this signification was truth in symbolic action, it also was truth in so far as the same was put into words. Isaac asked Jacob: Who art thou, my son? Jacob answered: I am Esau, thy first-born. Now if we interpret these words only of these twins, Jacob and Esau, it will be evident that it was a lie. But if it be interpreted of that for which these actions and words were written to shadow forth, we see that Christ is here signified in his mystical body the Church. Concerning the Church of the New Testament Christ himself spake to them of the Old Testament, saying: Ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And again: They shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God: and, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. Thus did the younger, to wit, the Church of the New Testament, take away the title and inheritance from the elder, to wit, the Church of the Old Testament, and succeed as the heir thereof.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 12:27:29 +0000
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