thou know they were two, if as the second sounded, thou hadst forgotten the first? But why
do I dwell longer on this? Why am I so urgent? Why do I so press conviction? For thou hast
memory; it is plain. I am searching then for something else. Hast thou understanding? “I
have,” you will say. For hadst thou not memory, thou couldest not retain what I said; and
hadst thou not understanding, thou couldest not comprehend what thou hast retained.
Thou hast then this as well as the other. Thou recallest thine understanding unto that which
thou dost retain within, and so thou seest it, and by seeing art fashioned into that state as
to be said to know. But I am searching for a third thing. Memory thou hast, whereby to retain
what is said; and understanding thou hast, whereby to understand what is retained; but as
touching these two, I ask again of thee, Hast thou not with thy will retained and understood?
Undoubtedly, with my will, you will say. So then thou hast will.
These are the three things which I promised I would bring home to your ears and minds.
These three things are in thee, which thou canst number, but canst not separate. These three
then, memory, understanding, and will—these three, I say, consider how they are separately
exhibited,1876 yet is their operation inseparable.
20. The Lord will be my present help, and I see that He is present to help me; by your
understanding what I say, I see that He is present to help me. For I perceive by these your
voices how that you have understood me, and I surely trust that He will still assist us, that
you may comprehend the whole. I promised to show you three things which are separately
exhibited whose operation is yet inseparable. See then; I did not know what was in thy mind,
and thou showedest me by saying, “Memory.” This word, this sound, this expression came
forth from thy mind to mine ears. For before that, thou hadst the silent idea of this memory,
but thou didst not express it. It was in thee, but it had not yet come to me. But in order that
that which was in thee might be passed on to me, thou didst express the very word, that is,
“Memory.” I heard it, I heard these three syllables in the word, “Memory.” It is a noun, a
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word of three syllables, it sounded, and came to my ear, and impressed1877 a certain idea
on my mind. The sound has passed away, but the word whereby the idea was conveyed, and
the idea itself, remains. But I ask, when thou didst pronounce this word, “Memory,” thou
seest certainly that it has reference to the memory only. For the other two things have their
own proper names. For one is called “the understanding,” and the other, “the will,” not the
“memory,” but that one alone is called “memory.” Nevertheless, whereby didst thou work
in order to express this, in order to produce these three syllables? This word which has ref-
erence to the memory only, both memory was engaged in producing in thee, that thou
mightest retain what thou saidst, and understanding, that thou mightest know what thou
retainedst, and will, that thou mightest give expression to what thou knewest. Thanks be to
1876 Pronuntiari.
1877 Insinuavit.
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Of the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chap. iii. 13, 'Then Jesus cometh…