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

26. Thus much will suffice to have treated on behalf of true Continence against the Manichees deceitfully continent, lest the fruitful and glorious labor of Continence, when it restrains and curbs the lowest part of us, that is, the body, from immoderate and unlawful pleasures, be believed not healthfully to chasten, but hostilely to persecute. Forsooth the body is indeed different from the nature of the soul, yet is it not alien from the nature of man: for the soul is not made up of body, but yet man is made up of soul and body: and assuredly, whom God frees, He frees the whole man. Whence our Saviour Himself also took upon Him the whole man, having deigned to free in us all that He made. They who hold contrary to this truth, what doth it profit them to restrain lusts? if, that is, they restrain any. What in them can be made clean through Continence, whose such Continence is unclean? and which ought not to be called Continence. Forsooth to hold what they hold is the poison of the devil; but Continence is the gift of God. But as not every one who suffers any thing, or with the greatest endurance suffers any pain whatever, possesses that virtue, which in like manner is the gift of God, and is called Patience; for many endure many torments, in order not to betray either such as are wickedly privy with them in their crimes, or themselves; many in order to satiate glowing lusts, and to obtain, or not to abandon those things, whereunto they are bound by chain of evil love; many on behalf of different and destructive errors, whereby they are strongly held: of all of whom far be it from us to say that they have true patience: thus not every one, who contains in any thing, or who marvellously retrains even the very lusts of the flesh, or mind, is to be said to possess that continence, of the profit and beauty of which we are treating. For certain, what may seem marvellous to say, through incontinence contain themselves: as if a woman were to contain herself from her husband, because she hath sworn this to an adulterer. Certain through injustice, as if spouse yield not to spouse the due of sexual intercourse, because he or she is already able to overcome such appetite of the body. Also certain contain deceived by false faith, and hoping what is vain, and following after what is vain: among whom are all heretics, and whosoever under the name of religion are deceived by any error: whose continence would be true, if their faith also were true: but, whereas that is not to be called faith, on this account, because it is false; without doubt that also is unworthy the name of continence. For what? are we prepared to call continence, which we must truly say is the gift of God, sin? Far be from our hearts so hateful madness. But the blessed Apostle saith “Every thing that is not of faith is sin.”104    Rom. xiv. 23 What therefore hath not faith, is not to be called continence.

CAPUT XII.

26. Continentia Manichaeorum et aliorum quorumdam, praesertim haereticorum, falsa. Continentia item quorumdam immunda, ut per magicas artes perveniant ad uxores alienas. Haec adversus Manichaeos fallaciter continentes, pro veraci continentia disputasse suffecerit, ne continentiae fructuosus et gloriosus labor, partem infimam nostram, id est, corpus, quando ab immoderatis et illicitis voluptatibus cohibet et refrenat, non salubriter castigare, sed insectari credatur hostiliter. Corpus quippe ab animi est quidem natura diversum, sed non est a natura hominis alienum. Non enim animus constat ex corpore; sed tamen homo ex animo constat et corpore: et utique Deus quem liberat, totum hominem liberat. Unde totum hominem etiam Salvator ipse suscepit, dignatus in nobis totum liberare quod fecit. Qui contra istam sentiunt veritatem, quid eis prodest libidines continere? si tamen aliquas continent. Quid in eis per continentiam potest fieri mundum, quorum continentia talis immunda est? quae nec continentia nominanda est. Sentire quippe quod sentiunt, virus est diaboli; continentia vero munus est Dei. Sicut autem 0368 non omnis qui aliquid patitur, aut quoslibet dolores tolerantissime patitur, habet eam virtutem, quae similiter Dei munus est, et patientia nuncupatur: multi enim tolerant multa tormenta, ne in suis criminibus prodant aut male sibi conscios, aut se ipsos; multi pro explendis ardentissimis libidinibus, et obtinendis, vel non relinquendis eis rebus quibus vinculo pravi amoris obstricti sunt; multi pro diversis et perniciosis, quibus vehementer tenentur, erroribus; quos omnes absit ut veram dicamus habere patientiam: ita non omnis qui aliquid continet, vel ipsas etiam carnis aut animi libidines mirabiliter continet, istam continentiam, de cujus utilitate et decore disserimus, habere dicendus est. Quidam enim, quod mirum dictu videri potest, per incontinentiam se continent; velut si se mulier contineat a marito, quia hoc juravit adultero. Quidam per injustitiam, velut si miscendi sexus non reddat conjux conjugi debitum, quia ipse vel ipsa jam potest vincere talem corporis appetitum. Item quidam continent decepti fide falsa, et vana sperantes, et vana sectantes: in quibus sunt omnes haeretici, et quicumque sub nomine religionis aliquo errore falluntur; quorum continentia vera esset, si esset et fides vera: cum vero illa propterea nec fides sit appellanda, quia falsa est, sine dubio et ista continentiae nomine indigna est. Numquid enim continentiam , quam munus Dei verissime dicimus, dicturi sumus esse peccatum? Absit a nostris cordibus tam detestanda dementia. Beatus autem Apostolus ait, Omne quod non est ex fide, peccatum est (Rom. XIV, 23). Quae igitur non habet fidem, nec continentia nominanda est.