Patristic Quote of the Day

For his [the serpent’s] punishment is that he had in his power those who despise the commandment of God. The words by which sentence is pronounced against him make this clear. The punishment is the greater because he rejoices over this unhappy power, whereas before the fall he was accustomed to rejoice in the sublime truth, in which he did not remain.—St. Augustine, Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichaeans.