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 Continence around my lips," he added straightway, "Cause not my heart to fall aside into evil words."1 The falling aside of the heart, what is it but the consent? For he hath not yet spoken, who- soever in his heart hath with no falling aside of the heart consented unto suggestions that meet him of each several thing that is seen. But, if he hath consented, he hath already spoken in his heart, although he hath not uttered sound by the mouth; although he hath not done with hand or any part whatever of the body, yet hath he done what in his thought he hath already determined that he is to do: guilty by the divine laws, although hidden to human senses; the word having been spoken in the heart, no deed having been committed through the body. But in no case would he have moved the limb with- out, in a deed, the beginning of which deed had not gone before within in word. For it is no lie that is written, that "the beginning of every work is a word." 2 Forsooth men do many things with mouth closed, tongue quiet, voice bridled; but yet they do nothing by work of the body, which they have not before spoken in the heart. And through this since there are many sins in inward say- ings which are not in outward deeds, whereas there are none in outward deeds, which do not go before in inward sayings, there will be purity of innocence from both, if the door of Continence be set around the inward lips.
4. For which cause our Lord Himself also with His own mouth saith, "Cleanse what are within, and what are without will be clean. "3 And, also, in another place, when He was refuting the foolish speeches of the Jews, in that they spake evil against His dis- ciples, eating with unwashen hands; " Not what entereth into the mouth/' said He, " de- fileth the man: but what cometh forth out of the mouth, that defileth the man."4 Which sentence, if the whole of it be taken of the mouth of the body, is absurd. For neither doth vomit defile him, whom food defileth not. Forsooth food entereth into the mouth, vomit proceedeth forth out of the mouth. But wituout doubt the former words relate to the mouth of the flesh, where He says, " Not what entereth into the mouth defileth the man,'' but the latter words to the mouth of the heart, where He saith, "But what pro- ceedeth forth out of the mouth, this defileth the man."5 Lastly, when the Apostle Peter sought of Him an explanation of this as of a parable, He answered, "Are ye also yet with- out understanding? understand ye not, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? " Here surely we perceive the mouth of the flesh, into which the food en- ters. But in what He next adds, in order that we might recognize the mouth of the heart, the slowness of our heart would not follow, did not the Truth deign to walk even with the slow. For He saith, "But what things go forth from the mouth, go out of the heart;" as though He should say, When you hear it said " from the mouth,'* under- stand " from the heart.'* I say both, but I set forth one by the other. The inner man hath an inner mouth, and this the inner ear dis- cerns: what things go forth from this mouth, go out of the heart, and they defile the man. Then having left the term mouth, which may be understood also of the body, He shows more openly what He is saying. "For from the heart go out," saith He, " evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; these are what defile the man.'* There is surely no one of those evils, which can be committed also by the members of the body, but that the evil thoughts go before and defile the man, al- though something hinder the sinful and wicked deeds of the body from following. For if, because power is not given, the hand is free from the murder of a man, is the heart of the murderer forsooth therefore clean from sin? Or if she be chaste, whom one unchaste wishes to commit adultery with, hath he on that account failed to commit adultery with her in his heart? Or if the harlot be not found in the brothel, doth he, who seeks her, on that account fail to commit fornication in his heart? Or if time and place be wanting to one who wishes to hurt his neighbor by a lie, hath he on that account failed already to speak false witness with his inner mouth? Or if any one fearing men, dare not utter aloud blasphemy with tongue of flesh, is he on this account guiltless of this crime, who saith in his heart, " There is no God."6 Thus all the other evil deeds of IPs. cxli. 4. [See R.V.] 3 Matt, xxiii. 26.
- Ecclus. xxxvii. 16. LXX.
4 Matt. xv. 11.
5 Matt. xv. 17-20.
6 Ps. xiv. 1.
ON CONTINENCE.
38l men, which no motion of the body performs, of which no sense of the body is conscious, have their own secret criminals, who are also polluted by consent alone in thought, that is, by evil words of the inner mouth. Into which he (the Psalmist) fearing lest his heart should fall aside, asks of the Lord that the door of Continence be set around the lips of this mouth, to contain the heart, that it fall not aside into evil words: but contain it, by not suffering thought to proceed to consent: for thus, according to the precept of the Apostle, sin reigneth not in our mortal body, nor do we yield our members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin.1 From fulfilling which precept they are surely far removed, who on this account turn not their members to sin, because no power is allowed them; and if this be present, straightway by the motions of their members, as of weapons, they show, who reigneth in them within. Wherefore, so far as is in themselves, they yield their members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin; because this is what they wish, which for this reason they yield not, because they are not able.
5. And on this account that, which, the parts that beget being bridled by modesty, is most chiefly and properly to be called Con- tinence, is violated by no transgression, if the higher Continence, concerning which we have been some time speaking, be preserved in the heart. For this reason the Lord, after He had said, " For from the heart go forth evil thoughts," then went on to add what it is that belongs to evil thoughts, " murders, adulteries," and the rest. He spake not of all; but, having named certain by way of in- stance, He taught that we are to understand others also. Of which there is no one that can take place, unless an evil thought have gone before, whereby that is prepared within, which is done without, and going forth out of the mouth of the heart already defiles the man, although, through no power being granted, it be not done without by means of the members of the body. When therefore a door of Continence hath been set in the mouth of the heart, whence go out all that defile the man, if nothing such be permitted to go out thence, there followeth a purity, wherein now the conscience may rejoice; al- though there be not as yet that perfection, wherein Continence shall not strive with vice. But now, so long as " the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh,"2 it is enough for us not to consent unto the evils which we feel in us. But, when 1 Rom. vi. 12, 13.
Gal. v. 17.
that consent fakes place, then there goeth out of the mouth of the heart what defileth the man. But when through Continence consent is withheld, the evil of the lust of the flesh, against which the lust of the spirit fights, is not suffered to harm.
6. But it is one thing to fight well, which now is, when the strife3 of death is resisted; another thing not to have an adversary, which will then be, when death, "the last enemy," + shall be destroyed. For Continence also itself, when it curbs and restrains lusts, at once both seeks the good unto the immortality of which we aim, and rejects the evil with which in this mortality we contend. Of the one it is forsooth the lover and beholder, but of the other both the enemy and witness: both seeking what becomes, and fleeing what mis- becomes. Assuredly Continence would not labor in curbing lusts, if we had no wishes contrary to what is becoming, if there were no opposition on the part of evil lust unto our good will. The Apostle cries aloud, "I know," saith he, "that there dwelleth not in me, that is in my flesh, good.
For to will lieth near to me, but to accomplish good I find not."5 For now good can be done, so far as that- there be no assent given unto evil lust: but good will be accomplished, when the evil lust itself shall come to an end. And also the same teacher of the Gentiles cries aloud, " I take pleasure together with the law of God after the inner man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.''6 7. This conflict none experience in them- selves, save such as war on the side of the virtues, and war down the vices: nor doth any thing storm the evil of lust, save the good of Continence. But there are, who, being ut- terly ignorant of the law of God, account not evil lusts among their enemies, and through wretched blindness being slaves to them, over and above think themselves also blessed, by satisfying them rather than taming them. But whoso through the Law have come to know them, ("For through the Law is the knowledge of sin,"7 and, " Lust," saith he, "I knew not, unless the Law should say, Thou shalt not lust after," 8) and yet are overcome by their assault, because they live under the Law, whereby what is good is commanded, but not also given: they live not under Grace, which gives through the Holy Spirit what is commanded through the Law: unto these the Law therefore entered, that in them the of- fense might abound. The prohibition in- 8 Rom. vii. 7. [see R.V.]
5 Rom. vii. iS.
?82 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
creased the lust, and made it unconquered:1 that there might be transgression also, which without the Law was not, although there was sin, ' ' For where there is not Law, neither is there transgression."2 Thus the Law, Grace not helping, forbidding sin, became over. and above the strength of sin; whence the Apostle saith, "The Law is the strength of sin." 3 Nor is it to be wondered at, that man's weakness even from the good Law added strength to evil, whilst it trusts to ful- fill the Law itself of its own strength. For- sooth being ignorant of the righteousness of God,4 which He gives unto the weak, and wishing to establish his own, of which the weak is void, he was not made subject to the righteousness of God, reprobate and proud. But if the Law, as a schoolmaster, lead unto Grace one made an offender, as though for this purpose more grievously wounded, that he may desire a Physician; against the bane- ful sweetness, whereby lust prevailed, the Lord gives a sweetness that worketh good, that by it Continence may the more delight, and " our land giveth her fruit,"5 whereby the soldier is fed, who by the help of the Lord wars down sin.
8. Such soldiers the Apostolic tfumpet en- kindles for battle with that sound, "There- fore let not," saith he, " sin reign in your mor- tal body to obey its lusts; nor yield your members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as living in place of dead, and your members weapons of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not rule over you. For ye are not under the law, but under Grace."6 And in another place, "Therefore," saith he, "brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye shall live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if by the Spirit ye shall mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.'' 7 This therefore is the business in hand, so long as this our mortal life under Grace lasts, that sin, that is the lust of sin, (for this he in this place calls by the name of sin,) reign not in this our mortal body. But it is then shown to reign, if obedience be yielded to its desires. There is therefore in us lust of sin, which must not be suffered to reign: there are its desires, which we must not obey, lest obeying it reign over us. Wherefore let not lust usurp our members, but let Continence claim them for herself; that they be weapons of righteous- ness unto God, that they be not weapons of 3 1 Cor. xv. 56.
unrighteousness unto sin; for thus sin shall not rule over us. For we are not under the Law, which indeed commandeth what is good yet giveth it not: but we are under Grace, which, making us to love that which the Law commands, is able to rule over the free.
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 live; surely the trumpet which sounds, shows the war in which we are engaged, and enkindles us to contend keenly, and to do our enemies to death,8 that we be not done to death by them. But who those enemies are, it hath set forth plainly enough. For those are they, whom it willed should be done to death by us, that is to say, the works of the flesh. For so it saith, " But if by the Spirit ye shall mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live." And in order that we may know what these are, let us hear the same in like manner writing unto the Galatians, and saying, " But the works of the flesh are mani- fest, which are, fornications, uncleannesses, luxuries, idolatry, witchcrafts, hatreds, con- tentions, emulations, wraths, strifes, heresies, envyings, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like; of which I foretell to you, as I have foretold, that they who do such things shall not possess the kingdom of God." 9 For the very war there also was he showing, that he should speak of these, and unto the death- doing of these enemies was he calling up the soldiers of Christ by the same heavenly and spiritual trumpet. For he had said above, "But I say, walk in the Spirit, and perform ye not the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are opposed one to the other, that ye do not what ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. "I0 Therefore being set under Grace, he would have them have that conflict against the works of the flesh. And in order to point out these works of the flesh, he added what I have mentioned above. ' ' But the works of the flesh are manifest, which are, fornications/' and the rest, whether what he mentioned, or whether what he admonished were to be understood, chiefly as he added, "and such like." Lastly, in this battle, against what is in a manner the carnal army leading forth as it were another spiritual line, "But the fruit of the Spirit is," saith he, "charity, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, continence; against such there is no law." " He saith not "against ON CONTINENCE.
38 these," lest they should be thought to be alone: although even were he to say this, we ought to understand all, whatever goods of the same kind we could think of: but he saith, "against such,'' that is to say, both these and whatsoever are such like. However, in that among the goods of which he made men- tion, he set Continence in the last1 place, (concerning which we have now undertaken to treat, and on account of which we have already said much,) he willed that it should in an especial manner cleave to our minds. Forsooth this same is of great avail in this case, wherein th*e Spirit lusteth against the flesh; forasmuch as in a certain way it cru- cifies the lusts of the flesh. Whence, after the Apostle had thus spoken, he added straightway, "But they who are Jesus Christ's have crucified their own flesh, with the passions and lusts." 2 This is the acting of Continence: thus the works of the flesh are done to death. But they do to death those, whom falling away from Continence lust draweth into consent to do such works.
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 presume not of our own strength. For, "Cursed is every one that setteth his hope in man."3 And who is he, but man? We cannot therefore truly say that he setteth not his hope in man, who set- teth it in himself. For this also, to "live after man," what is it but to " live after the flesh?" Whoso therefore is tempted by such a suggestion, let him hear, and, if he have any Christian feeling, let him tremble. Let him hear, I say, "If ye shall live after the flesh, ye shall die."
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 creature, and there is in him a ra- tional soul, whereby he differs from the beast: but the flesh is the lowest and earthly part of man, and thus to live after it is faulty: and for this reason, he who lives after man, as- suredly lives not after the flesh, but rather after that part of man, whereby he is man, that is, after the spirit of the mind whereby he excels the beasts. But this discussion is perhaps of some force in the schools of phil- osophers: but we, in order to understand the Apostle of Christ, ought to observe in what manner the Christian books are used to speak; at any rate it is the belief of all of us, to whom to live is Christ, that Man was taken 1 Vulg. adds, " patientia, modest '/a, castMas." - Gal. v. 24. 3 Jer. xvii. 5.
unto Himself by the Word of God, not surely without a rational soul, as certain heretics will have it; and yet we read, "The Word was made flesh." 4 What is to be here understood by " flesh," but Man? " And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."5 What can be understood, but all men? " Unto Thee shall all flesh come."6 What is it, but all men? "Thou hast given unto Him power over all flesh." * What is it, but all men? " Of the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified." 8 What is it, but no man shall be justified? And this the same Apostle in another place confessing more plainly saith, " Man shall not be justified of the works of the Law."9 The Corinthians also he rebukes, saying, " Are ye not carnal, and walk after man? " IO After he had called them carnal, he saith not, ye walk after the flesh, but after man, forasmuch as by this also what would he have understood, but after the flesh? For surely if to walk, that is, to live, after the flesh de- served blame, but after man deserved praise, he would not say by way of rebuke, "ye walk after man." Let man recognize the reproach; let him change his purpose, let him shun de- struction. Hear thou man: walk not thou after man, but after Him Who made man.
Fall not thou away from Him Who made thee, even unto thyself. For a man said, who yet lived not after man, " Not that we are suffi- cient to think any thing from ourselves, as though of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God." " Consider if he lived after man, who spake these things with truth. Therefore the Apostle, admonishing man not to live after man, restores man to God. But whoso liveth not after man, but after God, assuredly liveth not even after himself, because himself also is a man. But he is therefore said also to live after the flesh, when he so lives; be- cause also when the flesh alone hath been named, man is understood, as we have al- ready shown: just as when the soul alone hath been named, man is understood: whence it is said, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,"12 that is, every man; and, ' Seventy-five souls went down into Egypt with Jacob,"13 that is, seventy-five men. Therefore live thou not after thyself, O man: thou hadst thence perished, but thou wast sought. Live not then, I say, after thyself, O man; thou hadst thence perished, but thou wast found. Accuse not thou the nature of the flesh, when you hear it said, " If ye shall live after the flesh, ye shall die." I4 For thus 4 John i. 14.
5 Luke iii. 6. 8 Kom. iii. 20. 11 Cor. iii. 5. J4 Rom. viii. 13.
6 Ps. Ixv. 2. 9 Gal. ii. 16. 12 Rom. xiii. 1.
3§4 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
could it be said, and most truly could it, If ye shall live after yourselves ye shall die. For the devil hath not flesh, and yet, because he would live after himself, "he abode not in the truth."1 What wonder therefore, if, liv- ing after himself, "when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own," which the Truth spake truly of him.
12. When, therefore, you hear it said, "Sin shall not reign over you;"2 have not thou confidence of thyself, that sin reign not over thee, but of Him, unto Whom a certain Saint saith in prayer, " Direct my paths after Thy Word, and let no iniquity have domin- ion over me." 3 For lest haply, after that we had heard, "sin shall not reign over you," we should lift up ourselves, and lay this to our own strength, straightway the Apostle saw this, and added, " For ye are not under the Taw, but under Grace." Therefore, Grace causeth that sin reign not over you. Do not thou, therefore, have confidence of thyself, lest it thence reign much more over thee. And, when we hear it said," If by the Spirit ye shall mortify the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live," * let us not lay this so great good unto our own spirit, as though of itself it can do this. For, in order that we should not entertain that carnal sense, the spirit being dead rather than that which putteth others to death, straightway he added, " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."5 Therefore that by our spirit we may mortify the works of the flesh, we are led by the Spirit of God, Who gives Continence, whereby to curb, tame, overcome lust.
13. In this so great conflict, wherein man under Grace lives, and when, being aided, he fights well, rejoices in the Lord with trem- bling, there yet are not wanting even to valiant warriors, and mortifiers however unconquered of the works of the flesh, some wounds of sins, for the healing of which they may say daily, " Forgive us our debts: "6 against the same vices, and against the devil the prince and king of vices, striving with much greater watchfulness and keenness by the very prayer, that his deadly suggestions avail not aught, whereby he further urges the sinner to excuse rather than accuse his own sins; and thus those wounds not only be not healed, but also, although they were not deadly, yet may be pressed home to grievous and fatal harm. And here therefore there is need of a more 4 cautious Continence, whereby to restrain the proud appetite of man; whereby he is self- 1 John viii. 44. 3 Ps. cxix. 133. 5 Rom. viii. 14.
2 Rom. vi. 14. 4 Rom. viii. 13. 6 Matt. vi. 12.
pleased, and unwilling to be found worthy of blame, and disdains, when he sins, to be con- victed that he himself has sinned; not with healthful humility taking upon him to accuse himself, but rather with fatal arrogance seek- ing to find an excuse. In order to restrain this pride, he, whose words I have already set down above, and, as I could, commended, sought Continence from the Lord. For, after that he had said, " Set, O Lord, a watch to my mouth, and a door of Continence around my lips. Make not my heart to fall aside unto evil words;"7 explaining more clearly whereof he spake this, he saith, " to make excuses in sins." For what more evil than these words, whereby the evil man denies that he is evil, although convicted of an evil work, which he cannot deny. And since he cannot hide the deed, or say that it is well done, and still sees that it is clear that it was done by him, he seeks to refer to another what he hath done, as though he could remove thence what he hath deserved. Being unwilling that him- self be guilty, he rather adds to his guilt, and by excusing, not accusing, his own sins, he knows not that he is putting from him, not punishment, but pardon. For before human judges, forasmuch as they may be deceived, it seems to profit somewhat for the time, to cleanse as it were what hath been done amiss by any deceit whatever; but before God, Who cannot be deceived, we are to use, not a deceitful defense, but a true confession of sins.
14. And some indeed, who are used to ex- cuse their own sins, complain that they are driven to sin by fate, as though the stars had decreed this, and heaven had first sinned by decreeing such, in order that man should after sin by committing such, and thus had rather impute their sin to fortune: who think that all things are driven to and fro by chance accidents, and yet contend that this their wis- dom and assertion is not of chance rashness, but of ascertained reason. What madness then is it, to lay to reason their discussions, and to make their actions subject to acci- dents! Others refer to the devil the whole of what they do ill: and will not have even a share with him, whereas they may suspect whether he by hidden suggestions hath per- suaded them to evil, and on the other hand cannot doubt that they have consented to those suggestions, from whatever source they have come. There are also they who extend their defense of self unto an accusation of God, wretched by the divine judgment, but blasphemers by their own madness. For 7 Ps. cxli. 3, 4.
ON CONTINENCE.
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