On Continence.

 1. It is difficult to treat of the virtue of the soul, which is called Continence, in a manner fully suitable and worthy but He, whose great gift thi

 2. And lest it should seem that necessary Continence was to be hoped for from the Lord only in respect of the lust of the lower parts of the flesh, it

 3. Lastly, to show more plainly the inner mouth, which by these words he meant, after having said, “Set a watch, O Lord, to my mouth, and a door of Co

 4. For which cause our Lord Himself also with His own mouth saith, “Cleanse what are within, and what are without will be clean.” And, also, in anothe

 5. And on this account that, which, the parts that beget being bridled by modesty, is most chiefly and properly to be called Continence, is violated b

 6. But it is one thing to fight well, which now is, when the strife of death is resisted another thing not to have an adversary, which will then be,

 7. This conflict none experience in themselves, save such as war on the side of the virtues, and war down the vices: nor doth any thing storm the evil

 8. Such soldiers the Apostolic trumpet enkindles for battle with that sound, “Therefore let not,” saith he, “sin reign in your mortal body to obey its

 9. And also, when he exhorts us, that we live not after the flesh, lest we die, but that by the Spirit we mortify the deeds of the flesh, that we may

 10. But in order that we fall not away from Continence, we ought to watch specially against those snares of the suggestions of the devil, that we pres

 11. But some one will say to me that it is one thing to live after man, another thing to live after the flesh because man forsooth is a rational crea

 12. When, therefore, you hear it said, “Sin shall not reign over you ” have not thou confidence of thyself, that sin reign not over thee, but of Him,

 13. In this so great conflict, wherein man under Grace lives, and when, being aided, he fights well, rejoices in the Lord with trembling, there yet ar

 14. And some indeed, who are used to excuse their own sins, complain that they are driven to sin by fate, as though the stars had decreed this, and he

 15. And there are also they who in excuse of their sins so accuse God, as to say that sins are pleasing to Him. For, if they were displeasing, say the

 16. But God wanted not power to make man such as that he should not be able to sin: but He chose rather to make him such, as that it should lie in his

 17. Now therefore let us return to that, wherefore we have said what we have. We have need of Continence, and we know it to be a divine gift, that our

 18. All we therefore, who believe in the Living and True God, Whose Nature, being in the highest sense good and incapable of change, neither doth any

 19. For the flesh lusts after nothing save through the soul, but the flesh is said to lust against the spirit, when the soul with fleshly lust wrestle

 20. There are therefore in us evil desires, by consenting not unto which we live not ill: there are in us lusts of sins, by obeying not which we perfe

 21. That, therefore, the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, that there dwelleth not in our flesh good, that the law in our members is opposed to the la

 22. I say not, therefore, with what error, but with what utter madness, do the Manichees attribute our flesh to some, I know not what, fabled “race of

 23. The Apostle has made known to us certain three unions, Christ and the Church, husband and wife, spirit and flesh. Of these the former consult for

 24. If what we have made mention of out of the Apostolic Epistles seem to you to fall short of an answer, hear yet others, if ye have ears. What saith

 25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostl

 26. Thus much will suffice to have treated on behalf of true Continence against the Manichees deceitfully continent, lest the fruitful and glorious la

 27. There are also they who, in doing open service to evil demons, contain from pleasures of the body, that, through their means, they may satisfy unl

 28. Far be it therefore that we say of continence, of which Scripture saith. “And this very thing was wisdom, to know whose gift it was,” that even th

 29. Thus the spirit of man, cleaving unto the Spirit of God, lusts against the flesh, that is, against itself: but for itself, in order that those mot

 30. But, after that he had made mention of these evils, he added and said, “On account of which cometh the wrath of God on the sons of unbelief.” Sure

 31. “But now do ye also,” saith he, “put down all ” and he makes mention of several more evils of that sort. But what is it, that it is not enough for

 32. But whether keenly contending, that we be not overcome, or overcoming divers times, or even with unhoped and unlooked for ease, let us give the gl

25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostle said, “The Church is subject unto Christ.”92    Eph. v. 24 Clearly the Church is subject unto Christ; because the spirit therefore lusteth against the flesh, that on every side the Church may be made subject to Christ; but the flesh lusteth against the spirit, because not as yet hath the Church received that peace which was promised perfect. And for this reason the Church is made subject unto Christ for the pledge of salvation, and the flesh lusteth against the spirit from the weakness of sickness. For neither were those other than members of the Church, unto whom he thus spake, “Walk in the spirit, and fulfill not the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed the one to the other; that ye do not what we would.”93    Gal. v. 16, 17 These things were assuredly spoken unto the Church, which if it were not made subject unto Christ, the spirit would not in it lust against the flesh through continence. By reason of which they were indeed able not to perfect the lusts of the flesh, but through the flesh lusting against the Spirit they were not able to do the things which they would, that is, not even to have the very lusts of the flesh. Lastly, why should we not confess that in spiritual men the Church is subject unto Christ, but in carnal men yet lusteth against Christ? Did not they lust against Christ unto whom it was said, “Is Christ divided?”94    1 Cor. i. 13 and, “I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. I have given unto you milk to drink as unto babes in Christ, not meat, for ye were not as yet able; but not even now are ye able: for ye are still carnal. For whereas there is among you emulation, and strife, are ye not carnal?”95    1 Cor. iii. 1, 2, 3 Against whom doth emulation and strife lust, but against Christ? For these lusts of the flesh Christ healeth in His own, but loveth in none. Whence the holy Church, so long as it hath such members, is not yet without spot or wrinkle. To these are added those other sins also, for which the daily cry of the whole Church is, “Forgive us our debts:”96    Matt. vi. 12 and, that we should not think spiritual persons exempt from these, not any one soever of carnal persons, nor any one soever of spiritual persons themselves, but he, who lay on the breast of the Lord,97    John xiii. 23 and whom He loved before others, saith, “If we shall say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”98    1 John i. 8 But in every sin, more in what is greater, less in what is less, there is an act of lust against righteousness. And of Christ it is written: “Who was made unto us by God, Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption.”99    1 Cor. i. 30 In every sin therefore without doubt there is an act of lust against Christ. But when He, Who “healeth all our sicknesses,”100    Ps. ciii. 3 shall have led His Church unto the promised healing of sickness, then in none of its members shall there be any, even the very least spot or wrinkle. Then in no way shall the flesh lust against the spirit, and therefore there shall be no cause why the spirit also lust against the flesh. Then all this conflict shall come to an end, then there shall be the highest concord of both substances; then to such a degree shall no one there be carnal, that even the flesh itself shall be spiritual. What therefore each one living after Christ doth with his flesh, whereas he both lusts against its evil lust, which he restrains, hereafter to be healed, which he holds, not yet healed; and yet nourisheth and cherisheth its good nature, since “no one ever hated his own flesh,”101    Eph. v. 29 this also Christ doth with the Church, so far as it is lawful to compare lesser with greater matters. For He both represses it with rebukes, that it burst not being puffed up with impunity; and raises it up with consolations, that it sink not being weighed down with infirmity. Hence is that of the Apostle, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged; but when we are judged, we are rebuked of the Lord, that we be not condemned with this world.”102    1 Cor. xi. 31, 32 And that in the Psalm, “After the multitude of my griefs in my heart, Thy consolations have gladdened my soul.”103    Ps. xciv. 19 We are therefore then to hope for perfect soundness of our flesh without any opposition, when there shall be sure security of the Church of Christ without any fear.

CAPUT XI.

25. Carnis et Ecclesiae comparatio in quibus consistat. Sed, inquiunt, quomodo caro per quamdam similitudinem comparatur Ecclesiae? Numquid Ecclesia concupiscit adversus Christum; cum idem apostolus dixerit, Ecclesia subdita est Christo (Ephes. V, 24)? Plane Ecclesia subdita est Christo: quia ideo spiritus concupiscit adversus carnem, ut omni ex parte Christo subdatur Ecclesia; caro autem concupiscit adversus spiritum, quia nondum pacem, quae perfecta promissa est, accepit Ecclesia. Ac per hoc Ecclesia subdita est Christo ex pignore salutis, et caro concupiscit adversus spiritum ex infirmitate languoris. Neque enim non Ecclesiae membra erant iidem, quibus ista dicebat: Spiritu ambulate, et concupiscentias carnis ne perfeceritis. Caro enim concupiscit adversus spiritum, et spiritus adversus carnem: haec enim sibi invicem adversantur; ut non ea quae vultis, faciatis (Galat. V, 16 et 17). Haec utique Ecclesiae dicebantur, quae si Christo subdita non esset, non in ea spiritus adversus carnem per continentiam concupisceret. Propter quod poterant quidem concupiscentias carnis non perficere, sed carne concupiscente adversus spiritum non poterant ea facere quae volebant, id est, etiam ipsas carnis concupiscentias non habere. Deinde, cur non confiteamur in hominibus spiritualibus Ecclesiam subditam Christo, in carnalibus autem adhuc concupiscere adversus Christum? An adversus Christum non concupiscebant, quibus dicebatur, Divisus est Christus (I Cor. I, 13)? et, Non potui loqui vobis quasi spiritualibus, sed quasi carnalibus. Tanquam parvulis in Christo lac vobis potum dedi, non escam; nondum enim poteratis: sed ne nunc quidem potestis; adhuc enim estis carnales. Cum enim sint in vobis aemulatio et contentio, nonne carnales estis (Id. III, 1-3)? Adversus quem concupiscit aemulatio et contentio, nisi adversus Christum? Has enim carnis concupiscentias Christus in suis sanat, sed in nullis amat. Unde sancta Ecclesia quamdiu habet etiam membra talia, nondum est sine macula et ruga. Huc accedunt et illa peccata, pro quibus quotidiana vox totius Ecclesiae est, Dimitte nobis debita nostra (Matth. VI, 12): a quibus ne spirituales putaremus alienos, non quicumque carnalium, nec ipsorum quicumque spiritualium, sed qui super pectus Domini discumbebat, et quem prae caeteris diligebat (Joan. XIII, 23), 0367Si dixerimus, inquit, quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos decipimus, et veritas in nobis non est (I Joan. I, 8). In omni autem peccato, plus in majore, minus in minore, tamen contra justitiam concupiscitur. Et de Christo scriptum est: Qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo, et justitia, et sanctificatio, et redemptio (I Cor. I, 30). In omni igitur peccato contra Christum sine dubio concupiscitur: sed qui sanat omnes languores nostros (Psal. CII, 3), cum perduxerit Ecclesiam ad promissam languoris sanitatem, tunc in nullo membrorum ejus quamlibet minima erit ulla macula aut ruga. Tunc nullo modo caro adversus spiritum concupiscet; et ideo nulla erit causa cur adversus carnem etiam spiritus concupiscat. Tunc finem accipiet omnis haec pugna, tunc ambarum substantiarum erit summa concordia: tunc usque adeo ibi nullus erit carnalis, ut etiam caro ipsa sit spiritualis. Quod ergo nunc agit cum carne sua quisque secundum Christum vivens, cum et concupiscit adversus ejus malam concupiscentiam, quam sanandam continet, quam nondum sanatam tenet; et tamen ejus bonam nutrit naturam fovetque, quoniam nemo unquam carnem suam odio habuit (Ephes. V, 29): hoc etiam agit cum Ecclesia Christus, quantum fas est comparare minora majoribus. Nam et correptionibus eam reprimit, ne impunitate inflata dissiliat ; et consolationibus erigit, ne gravata infirmitate succumbat. Hinc est illud Apostoli: Si enim nos ipsos dijudicaremus, non judicaremur: cum judicamur autem, a Domino corripimur, ne cum hoc mundo damnemur (I Cor. XI, 31 et 32). Et illud in Psalmo: Secundum multitudinem dolorum meorum in corde meo, consolationes tuae jucundaverunt animam meam (Psal. XCIII, 19). Tunc ergo speranda est carnis nostrae sine ulla repugnatione perfecta sanitas, quando erit Ecclesiae Christi sine ullo timore certa securitas.