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."9 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 5 1 Cor. xii.
25, 26.
39° THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
to Christ; but the flesh lusteth against the spirit, because not as yet hath the Church received that peace which was promised per- fect. And for this reason the Church is made subject unto Christ for the pledge of salva- tion, 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."1 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?" 2 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 em- ulation, and strife, are ye not carnal?"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:"4 and, that we should not think spiritual persons ex- empt from these, not any one soever of car- nal persons, nor any one soever of spiritual persons themselves, but he, who lay on the breast of the Lord,5 and whom He loved be- fore others, saith, "If we shall say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."6 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."7 In every sin therefore without doubt there is an act of lust against Christ. But when He, Who " healeth all our sicknesses,''8 shall have led His Church unto the promised healing of sick- ness, 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 nour- lsheth and cherisheth its good nature, since " no one ever hated his own flesh," 9 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."10 And that in the Psalm, " After the multitude of my griefs in my heart, Thy consolations have gladdened my soul."11 We are there- fore 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.
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. For- sooth 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 8 Ps. ciii. 3.
10 1 Cor. xi. 31, 3 ON CONTINENCE.
391 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 con- tains in any thing, or who marvellously re- trains 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 de- ceived 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 mad- ness. But the blessed Apostle saith " Every thing that is not of faith is sin." * What therefore hath not faith, is not to be called continence.
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 unlawful pleasures, the violence and glow whereof they contain not. Whence also, (to name one case, and pass over the rest in silence by reason of the length of the dis- course,) certain come not near even unto % their own wives, whilst, as though clean, they essay through magic arts to gain access unto the wives of others. O marvellous conti- nence, nay rather, singular wickedness and uncleanness! For, if it were true continence, the lust of the flesh ought rather to contain 1 Rom. xiv. 23.
1 Rom. xiv. 23.
from adultery, than, in order to commit adul- tery, from marriage. Forsooth marriage conti- nence is wont to ease this lust of the flesh, and to check its curb but thus far, that neither in mar- riage itself it run riot by immoderate license, but that a measure be observed, either such as is due to the weakness of the spouse, unto whom the Apostle enjoins not this, as of com- mand, but yields it as of permission;2 or such as is suited for the begetting of sons, which was formerly the one alone occasion of sexual intercourse to both holy fathers and mothers. But continence doing this, that is, moderating, and in a certain way limiting in married per- sons the lust of the flesh, and ordering in a certain way within fixed limits its unquiet and inordinate motion, uses well the evil of man, whom it makes and wills to make perfect good: as God uses even evil men, for their sake whom He perfects in goodness.
28. Far be it therefore that we say of con- tinence, of which Scripture saith. "And this very thing was wisdom, to know whose gift it was,"3 that even they possess it, who, by con- taining, either serve errors, or overcome any lesser desires for this purpose, that they may fulfill others, by the greatness of which they are overcome. But that continence which is true, coming from above, wills not to repress some evils by other evils, but to heal all evils by goods. And, briefly to comprehend its mode of action, it is the place of continence to keep watch to restrain and heal all delights whatsoever of lust, which are opposed to the delight of wisdom. Whence without doubt they set it within too narrow bounds, who limit it to restraining the lusts of the body alone: certainly they speak better, who say that it pertains to Continence to rule in gen- eral lust or desire. Which desire is set down as a fault, nor is it only of the body, but also of the soul. For, if the desire of the body be in fornications and drunkennesses; have enmities, strifes, emulations, lastly, hatreds, their exercise in the pleasure of the body, and not rather in the motion and troubled states of the soul? Yet the Apostle called all these " works of the flesh," whether what pertained to the soul, or what pertained properly to the flesh, calling forsooth the man himself by the nameof the flesh.4 Forsooth they are the works of man, whatsoever are not called works of God; forasmuch as man, who does these, lives after himself, not after God, so far as he does these. But there are other works of man, which are rather to be called works of God. "For it is God,"5 saith '.he Apostle, "Who 2 1 Cor. vii. 6.
392 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
worketh in you both to will and to do, ac- cording to His good pleasure." Whence also is that, " For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God." ' 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 motions, whether in the flesh or in the soul, after man, not after God, which as yet exist through the sickness man hath gotten, may be restrained by continence, that so health may be gotten; and man, not living after man, may now be able to say, " But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ." - For where not I, there more hap- pily I: and, when any evil motion after man arises, unto which he, who with the mind serves the Law of God, consents not, let him say that also, " Now it is not I that do this." 3 To such forsooth are said those words, which we, as partners and sharers with them, ought to listen to.4 "If ye have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God: mind5 the things that are above, not what are upon earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God: when Christ your life shall have appeared, then ye also shall appear with Him in glory." Let us under- stand unto whom he is speaking, yea, rather, let us listen with more attention. For what more plain than this? what more clear? He is certainly speaking unto those, who had risen again with Christ, not yet surely in the flesh, but in the mind: whom he calls dead, and on this account the more living: for " your life," saith he, "is hid with Christ in God." Of such dead the speech is: " But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ." They there- fore, whose life was hidden in God, are ad- monished and exhorted to mortify their mem- bers, which are upon the earth. For this follows, " Mortify, therefore, your members, which are upon the earth.'' And, lest any through excess of dullness should think that such are to mortify the members of the body that are seen, straightway opening what it is he saith, "Fornication," saith he, "unclean- ness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry.''6 But is it so to be be- lieved, that they, who were already dead, and their life hidden with Christ in God, were still committing fornication, were still living in unclean habits and works, were still slaves to passions of evil lust and covetousness? What madman would thus think of such? What, therefore, would he that they mortify, save the motions themselves still living in a certain 1 Rom. viii. 14. 4 Col. iii. 1-4.
" Gal. ii. 20. 5 Sapite.
3 Rom. vii. 17. 6 Col. iii. 5.
intrusion7 of their own, without the consent of our mind, without the action of the mem- bers of the body? And how are they mor- tified by the work of continence, save when we consent not to them with the mind, nor are the members of the body yielded to them as weapons; and, what is greater, and to be looked to with yet greater watchfulness of continence, our very thought itself, although in a certain way it be touched by their sug- gestion, and as it were, whisper, yet turns away from these, that it receive not delight from them, and turns to more delightful thoughts of things above: on this account naming them in discourse, that men abide not in them, but flee from them. And this is brought to pass, if we listen effectually, with His help, Who, through His Apostle gives this command, "Seek things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not what are on earth." 8 30. But, after that he had made mention of these evils, he added and said, "On ac- count of which cometh the wrath of God on the sons of unbelief."9 Surely it was a whole- some alarm that believers might not think that they could be saved on account of their faith alone, even although they should live in these evils: the Apostle James with most clear speech crying out against that notion, and saying, " If any say that he have faith, and have not works, shall his faith be able to save him? " I0 Whence also here the Teacher of the Gentiles said, that on account of these evils the wrath of God cometh on the sons of unbelief. But when he saith, "Wherein ye also walked sometime, when ye were living therein; Ml1 he shows sufficiently that now they were not living therein. Forsooth unto these they had died, that their life might be hidden in God with Christ. When then they were now not living in them, they were now bid- den to mortify such. Forsooth, themselves not living in the same, the things were living, as I have already shown a little above, and were called their members, that is to say, those faults which dwelt in their members; by a way of speech, that which is contained through that which contains; as it is said, The whole Forum talks of it, when men talk who are in the Forum. In this very way of speech it is sung in the Psalm, " Let all the earth worship Thee:"12 that is, all men who are in the earth.
31. " But now do ye also," saith he, " put down all;" 13 and he makes mention of several 7 Interpellatione. 10 James ii. 14. 12 Ps. lxvi. 4' 9 Col. iii. 6.
ON CONTINENCE.
393 more evils of that sort. But what is it, that it is not enough for him to say, " Do ye put down all," but that he added the conjunction and said, "ye also?" save that lest they should not think that they did those evils and lived in them with impunity on this account, because their faith set them free from wrath, which cometh upon the sons of unbelief, do- ing these things, and living in them without faith. Do ye also, saith he, put down those evils, on account of which cometh the wrath of God on the children of unbelief; nor prom- ise yourselves impunity of them on account of merit of faith. But he would not say, " put ye down," unto those who had already laid down so far as that they consented not to such faults, nor were yielding their members to them as weapons of sin, save that the life of Saints stands in this past deed, and is still engaged in this work, so long as we are mor- tal. For, so long as the Spirit lusteth against the flesh, this business proceeds with great earnestness, resistance is offered unto evil de- lights, unclean lusts, carnal and shameful motions, by the sweetness of holiness, by the love of chastity, by spiritual vigor, and by the beauty of continence; thus they are laid down by them who are dead to them, and who live not in them by consenting. Thus, I say, they are put down, whilst they are weighed down by continued continence, that they rise not again. Whosoever, as though secure, shall cease from this laying aside of them, straight- way they will assault the Citadel of the mind, and will themselves put it down thence, and will reduce it into slavery to them, captive after a base and unseemly fashion. Then sin will reign in the mortal body of man to obey its desires; then will it yield its members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin:1 and the last state of that man shall be worse than the former. 2 For it is much more tolerable not to have begun a contest of this kind, than after one hath begun to have left the conflict, and to have become in place of a good war- rior, or even in place of a conqueror, a cap- tive. Whence the Lord saith not, whoso shall begin, but " Whoso shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved."3 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 glory unto Him Who giveth continence unto us. Let us remember that a certain just man said, " I shall never be moved:" and that it was showed him how rashly he had said this, attributing as though to his own strength, what was given to him from above. But this we have learnt from his own confession: for soon after he added, " Lord, in Thy will Thou hast given strength to my beauty; but Thou hast turned away Thy Face, and I was troubled."4 Through a remedial Providence he was for a short time deserted by his Ruler, in order that he might not himself through deadly pride desert his Ruler. Therefore, whether here, where we engage with our faults in order to subdue and make them less, or there, as it shall be in the end, where we shall be void of every enemy, because of all infection,5 it is for our health that we are thus dealt with, in order that, " whoso glorieth. he may glory in the Lord.'*6 ST. AUGUSTIN: ON THE GOOD OF MARRIAGE.
[DE BONO CONJUGALI.]
TRANSLATED BY OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD.
ON THE GOOD OF MARRIAGE.
[DE BONO CONJUGAL!.]
This treatise, and the following, were written against somewhat that still remained oi the heresy of Jovinian. S. Aug. mentions this error in b. ii. c. 23, de Nuptiis et Cone. " Jovinianus," he says, " who a few years since tried to found a new heresy, said that the Catholics favored the Manichaeans, because in opposition to him they preferred holy Vir- ginity to Marriage. And in his book on Heresies, c. 82. " That heresy took its rise from one Jovinianus, a Monk, in our own time, when we were yet young." And he adds that it was soon overborne and extinguished, say about A.D. 390, having been condemned first at Rome, then at Milan. There are letters of Pope Siricius on the subject to the Church of Milan, and the answer sent him by the Synod of Milan, at which St. Ambrose presided. Jerome had re- futed Jovinian, but was said to have attempted the defense of the excellency of the virgin state, at the expense of condemning marriage. That Augustin might not be subject to any such complaint or calumny, before speaking of the superiority of Virginity, he thought it well to write on the Good of Marriage.
This work we learn to have been finished about the year 401, not only from the order of his Retractations, but also from his books on Genesis after the Letter, begun about that year. For in b. ix. on Genesis, c. 7, where he commends the Good of Marriage, he says: " Now this is threefold, faithfulness, offspring, and the Sacrament. For faithfulness, it is observed, that there be no lying with other man or woman, out of the bond of wedlock: for the offspring, that it be lovingly welcomed, kindly nourished, religiously brought up: for the Sacrament, that marriage be not severed, and that man or woman divorced be not joined to another even for the sake of offspring. This is as it were the rule of Marriage, by which rule either fruitfulness is made seemly, or the perverseness of incontinence is brought to order. Upon which since we have sufficiently discoursed in that book, which we lately published, on the Good of Marriage, where we have also distinguished the Widow's con- tinence and the Virgin's excellency, according to the worthiness of their degrees, our pen is not to be now longer occupied." This very work is referred to in Book I. on the Deserts and Remission 0/ Sins, c. 29. — Bcned. Ed.
NOTICE.
NOTICE.
The Editors are, of course, aware of the danger there is in reading a treatise like the following in a spirit of idle curiosity, and they beg any reader who has not well assured 398 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
himself that his aim is right and holy to abstain from perusing it. At the same time it must not be forgotten, that something far other than a mere shrinking from subjects offen- sive to modern delicacy is needed, in order to purify the thoughts with respect to the holy estate of Matrimony. The mind that will but seriously attend to it in that light, will cer- tainly be strengthened against evil suggestions by seeing in the whole subject a field of Christian duty.
It seemed further requisite to bring forward a work calculated to remove the imputation so falsely cast on the holy Fathers, that they regarded Matrimony as unholy, and almost agreed with the Manichean view of it, as a defilement and degradation to the Christian. They did, it is true, prefer Virginity to Marriage, but, as St. Augustin expressly states, as the " better of two good things," not as though one were good, and the other evil.