Augustine of Hippo, on 1John 4:18

“Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath pain. And he that feareth, is not perfected in charity.”

“But there is another sentence, which seems contrary to this if it have not one that understands. Namely, it is said in a certain place of the Psalms, "The fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring forever." He shows us an eternal fear, but a chaste. But if he there shows us an eternal fear, does this epistle perchance contradict him, when it saith, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear?" Let us interrogate both utterances of God. One is the Spirit, though the books two, though the mouths two though the tongues two. For this is said by the mouth of John, that by the mouth of David: but think not that the Spirit is more than one. If one breath fills two pipes, cannot one Spirit fill two hearts, move two tongues? But if two pipes filled by one breathing sound in unison, can two tongues filled with the Spirit or Breathing of God make a dissonance? There is then an unison there, there is a harmony, only it requires one that can hear. Behold, this Spirit of God hath breathed into and filled two hearts, hath moved two tongues: and we have heard from the one tongue, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear;" we have heard from the other, "The fear of the Lord is chaste, enduring for ever." How is this? The notes seem to jar. Not so: rouse thine ears: mark the melody.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.