of fruitfuiness, the rest He left to such as un- derstand.1 For also another Evangelist hath made mention only of the hundred-fold:2 we are not, therefore, are we, to think that he either rejected, or knew not of, the other two, but rather that he left them to be understood? 47. But, as I had begun to say, whether the fruit an hundred-fold be virginity dedi- cated to God, or whether we are to under- stand that interval of fruitfuiness in some other way, either such as we have made men- tion of, or such as we have not made mention of; yet no one, as I suppose, will have dared to prefer virginity to martyrdom, and no one will have doubted that this latter gift is hid- den, if trial to test it be wanting. A virgin, therefore, hath a subject for thought, such as may be of profit to her for the keeping of humility, that she violate not that charity, which is above all gifts, without which as- suredly whatever other gifts she shall have had, whether few or many, whether great or small, she is nothing. She hath, I say, a subject for thought, that she be not puffed up, that she rival not; forsooth that she so make profession that the virginal good is much greater and better than the married good, as that yet she know not whether this or that married woman be not already able to suffer for Christ, but herself as yet unable, and she herein spared, that her weakness is not put to the question by trial. " For God," saith the Apostle, " is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tried above what ye are able; but will make with the trial a way out, that ye may be able to bear it."3 Perhaps, there- fore, those men or women keeping a way of married life praiseworthy in its kind, are al- ready able, against an enemy forcing to un- righteousness, to contend even by tearing in pieces of bowels, and shedding of blood; but these men or women, continent from child- hood, and making themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, still are not as yet able to endure such, either for righteousness, or for chastity itself. For it is one thing, for truth and an holy purpose, not to consent unto one who would persuade and flatter, but another thing not to yield even to one who tortures and strikes. These lie hid in the powers and strength of souls, by trial they are unfolded, by actual essay they come forth. In order, therefore, that each be not puffed up by reason of that, which he sees clearly that he can do, let him humbly con- sider that he knows not that there is per- chance something more excellent which he cannot do, but that some, who neither have 1 Matt. xiii. 8.
1 Luke viii. 8.
3 1 Cor. x. 13.
nor profess that of which he is lawfully self- conscious, are able to do this, which he him- self cannot do. Thus will be kept, not by feigned but by true humility, " In honor pre- venting one another," 4 and, " esteeming each the other higher than himself."5 48. What now shall I say concerning the very carefulness and watchfulness against sin? " Who shall boast that he hath a chaste heart? or who shall boast that he is clean from sin?"6 Holy virginity is indeed in- violate from the mother's womb; but "no one," saith he, " is clean in Thy sight, not even the infant whose life is of one day upon the earth." 7 There is kept also in faith in- violate a certain virginal chastity, whereby the Church is joined as a chaste virgin unto One Husband: but That One Husband hath taught, not only the faithful who are virgin in mind and body, but all Christians alto- gether, from spiritual even unto carnal, from Apostles even unto the last penitents, as though from the height of heaven even unto the bounds of it,s to pray, and in the prayer itself hath admonished them to say, "And forgive us our debts, even as we also forgive our debtors:" 9 where, by this which we seek, He shews what also we should remember that we are. For neither on behalf of those debts, which for our whole past life we trust have been forgiven unto us in Baptism through His peace, hath He charged us to pray, say- ing, "And forgive us our debts, even as we also forgive our debtors: " otherwise this were a prayer which Catechumens rather ought to pray up to the time of Baptism; but whereas it is what baptized persons pray, rulers and people, pastors and flocks; it is sufficiently shown that in this life, the whole of which is a trial, no one ought to boast himself as though free from all sins.10 49. Wherefore also the virgins of God without blame indeed, " follow the Lamb whithersoever He shall have gone," both the cleansing of sins being perfected, and vir- ginity being kept, which, were it lost, could not return: but, because that same Apocalypse itself, wherein such unto one such were re- vealed, in this also praises them, that " in their mouth there was not found a lie: " " let them remember in this also to be true, that they dare not say that they have not sin. Forsooth the same John, who saw that, hath said this, "If we shall have said that we have not sin, we deceive our own selves, and the truth is not in us; but if we shall have confessed our faults, He is faithful and just, 4 Rom. xii. 10. [See R.V.] 5 Phil. ii. 3. 6 Prov. xx. 9.
7 Job xxv. 4. 8 Matt. xxiv. 31. [See R.V.]
9 Matt. vi. 12. JO Job vii. 1. " Rev. xiv. 4, 5.
43^ THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
so as to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But if we shall have said that we have not sinned, we shall make Him a liar, and His word shall not be in us."1 This surely is not said unto these or those, but unto all Christians, wherein virgins also ought to recognize themselves. For thus they shall be without a lie, such as in the Apocalypse they appeared. And by this means so long as there is not as yet per- fection in heavenly height, confession in low- liness maketh them without blame.
50. But, again, lest by occasion of this sentence, any one should sin with deadly se- curity, and should allow himself to be carried away, as though his sins were soon by easy confession to be blotted out, he straightway added, " My little children, these things have I written unto you, that ye sin not; and, if one shall have sinned, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and Himself is a propitiation of our sins/'2 Let no one therefore depart from sin as though about to return to it, nor bind himself as it were by compact of alliance of this kind with unrighteousness, so as to take delight rather to confess it than to shun it. But, forasmuch as even upon such as are busy and on the watch not to sin, there creep by stealth, in a certain way, from human weakness, sins, however small, however few, yet not none; these same themselves become great and grievous, in case pride shall have added to them increase and weight: but by the Priest, Whom we have in the heavens, if by pious humility they be destroyed, they are with all ease cleansed.
51. But I contend not with those, who as- sert that a man can in this life live without any sin: I contend not, I gainsay not. For perhaps we take measure of the great from out our own misery, and, comparing ourselves with ourselves, understand not.3 One thing I know, that those great ones, such as we are not, such as we have not as yet made proof of, by how much they are great, by so much humble themselves in all things, that they may find grace before God. For, let them be how great soever they will, "there is no servant greater than his Lord, nor disciple greater than his master."4 And assuredly He is the Lord, Who saith, "All things have been delivered unto Me of My Father;" 5 and He is the Master, Who saith, " Come unto Me, all ye who labor, and learn of Me; " and yet what learn we? "In that I am meek," saith He, " and lowly of heart."
52. Here some one will say, This is now 3 2 Cor. x. 12.
not to write of virginity, but of humility. As though truly it were any kind of virginity, and not that which is after God, which we had undertaken to set forth. And this good, by how much I see it to be great, by so much I fear for it, lest it be lost, the thief pride. Therefore there is none that guardeth the virginal good, save God Himself Who gave it: and God is Charity.6 The Guardian therefore of virginity is Charity: but the place of this Guardian is humility. There forsooth He dwelleth, Who said, that on the lowly and quiet, and that trembleth at His words, His Spirit resteth.7 What, therefore, have I done foreign from my purpose, if wishing the good, which I have praised, to be more securely guarded, I have taken care also to prepare a place for the Guardian? For I speak with confidence, nor have I any fear lest they be angry with me, whom I admonish with care to fear for themselves together with me. More easily do follow the Lamb, although not whithersoever He shall have gone, yet so far as they shall have had power, married persons who are humble, than virgins who are proud. For how doth one follow Him, unto Whom one wills not to approach? or how doth one approach Him, unto Whom one comes not to learn, " in that I am meek and lowly of heart? " Wherefore those the Lamb leadeth following whitherso- ever He shall have gone, in whom first Him- self shall have found where to lay His Head. For also a certain proud and crafty person had said to Him, " Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou shalt have gone;"8 to whom He made answer, "Foxes have dens, and fowls of heaven nests: but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His Head." By the term of foxes He reproved wily craftiness, and by the name of birds puffed-up arrogance, wherein He found not pious humility to rest in. And by this no where at all did he fol- low the Lord, who had promised that he would follow Him, not unto a certain point of pro- gress, but altogether whithersoever He should have gone.
53. Wherefore this do ye, virgins of God, this do ye: follow ye the Lamb, whithersoever He shall have gone. But first come unto Him, Whom ye are to follow, and learn, in that He is meek and lowly of heart. Come ye in lowly wise unto the Lowly, if ye love: and depart not from Him, lest ye fall. For whoso fears to depart from Him asks and says, Let there not come to me foot of pride."9 Go on in the way of loftiness with the foot of lowliness; Himself lifteth up such 6 1 John iv. 8.
7 Is. lxvi. 2. 9 Ps. xxxvi. 11.
OF HOLY VIRGINITY.
437 as follow in lowly wise, Who thought it not a trouble to come down unto such as lay low. Commit ye His gifts unto Him to keep/'guard ye your strength unto Him." J Whatever of evil through His guardianship ye commit not, account as forgiven unto you by Him: lest, thinking that you have little forgiven unto )'ou, ye love little, and with ruinous boasting despise the publicans beating their breasts. Concerning that strength of yours which hath been tried beware, that ye be not puffed up, because ye have been able to bear something: but concerning that which hath been untried, pray, that ye be not tempted above that ye are able to bear. Think that some are supe- rior to you in secret, than whom ye are open- ly better. When the good things of others, haply unknown to you, are kindly believed by you, your own that are known to^you are not lessened by comparison, but strengthened by love: and what haply as yet are wanting, are by so much the more easily given, by how much they are the more humbly desired. Let such among your number as persevere afford to you an example: but let such as fall increase your fear. Love the one that ye may imitate it; mourn over the other, that ye be not puffed up. Do not ye establish your own righteousness; submit yourselves unto God Who justifies you. Pardon the sins of others, pray for your own: future sins shun by watching, past sins blot out by confessing. 54. Lo, already ye are such, as that in the rest of your conduct also ye correspond with the virginity which ye have professed and kept. Lo, already not only do ye abstain from murders, devilish sacrifices and abominations, thefts, rapines, frauds, perjuries, drunken- nesses, and all luxury and avarice, hatreds, emulations, impieties, cruelties; but even those things, which either are, or are thought, lighter, are not found nor arise among you: not bold face, not wandering eyes, not un- bridled tongue, not petulant laugh, not scur- rilous jest, not unbecoming mien, not swelling or loose gait; already ye render not evil for evil, nor curse for curse;2 already, lastly, ye fulfill that measure of love, that ye lay down your lives for your brethren.3 Lo, already ye are such, because also such ye ought to be.
These, being added to virginity, set forth an angelic life unto men, and the ways of heaven unto the earth. But, by how much ye are great, whosoever of you are so great, "by so much humble yourselves in all things, that ye may find grace before God/' that He resist you not as proud, that He humble you not as lift- ing up yourselves, that He lead you not through straits as being puffed up: although anxiety be unnecessary, that, where Charity glows, humility be not wanting.
55. If, therefore, ye despise marriages of sons of men, from which to beget sons of men, love ye with your whole heart Him, Who is fair of form above the sons of men; ye have leisure; your heart is free from marriage bonds. Gaze on the Beauty of your Lover: think of Him equal to the Father, made sub- ject also to His Mother: ruling even in the heavens, and serving upon the earth: creating all things, created among all things. That very thing, which in Him the proud mock at, gaze on, how fair it is: with inward eyes gaze on the wounds of Him hanging, the scars of Him rising again, the blood of Him dying, the price of him that believes, the gain of Him that redeems. Consider of how great value these are, weigh them in the scales of Charity; and whatever of love ye had to ex- pend upon your marriages, pay back to Him.
56. It is well that He seeks your beauty within, where He hath given unto you power to become daughters of God:4 He seeks not of you a fair flesh, but fair conduct, whereby to bridle also the flesh. He is not one unto Whom any one can lie concerning you, and make him rage through jealousy. See with how great security ye love Him, Whom ye fear not to offend by false suspicions. Husband and wife love each other, in that they see each other: and what they see not, that they fear between themselves: nor have they sure de- light in what is visible, while in what is con- cealed they usually suspect what is not. Ye in Him, Whom ye see not with the eyes, and behold by faith, neither have what is real to blame, nor fear lest haply ye offend Him by what is false. If therefore ye should owe great love to husbands, Him, for Whose sake ye would not have husbands, how greatly ought ye to love? Let Him be fixed in your whole heart, Who for you was fixed on the Cross: let Him possess in your soul all that, whatever it be, that ye would not have occu- pied by marriage. It is not lawful for you to love little Him, for Whose sake ye have not loved even what were lawful. So loving Him Who is meek and lowly of heart, I have no fear for you of pride.
57. Thus, after our small measure, we have spoken enough both of sanctity, where- by ye are properly called " sanctimoniales," and of humility, whereby whatever great name ye bear is kept. But more worthily let those Three Children, unto whom He, Whom they loved with full glow of heart, afforded refresh- 4 John i. 12.
438 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
ing in the fire, admonish you concerning this our little work, much more shortly indeed in number of words, but much more greatly in weight of authority, in the Hymn wherein God is honored by them. For joining humility unto holiness in such as praise God, they have most plainly taught, that each, by how much he make any more holy profession, by so much do beware that he be not deceived by pride.
Wherefore do ye also praise Him, Who grants unto you, that in the midst of the flames of this world, although ye be not joined in mar- riage, yet ye be not burned: and praying also for us, " Bless ye the Lord, ye holy and hum- ble men of heart; utter an hymn, and exalt Him above all forever." * I x Song of Three Children 65.
ST. AUGUSTIN: ON THE GOOD OF WIDOWHOOD.
[DE BONO VIDUITATIS.]
TRANSLATED BY OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD, ON THE GOOD OF WIDOWHOOD.
[DE BONO VIDUITATIS.]
This work is not mentioned in the Retractations, probably because it is a letter, and as such it is reckoned by Possidius, cap. 7. It is also marked as St. Augustin's by its references to his other works, De Bono Conjugali, etc. cap. 15. Ep. to Proba, cap. 23. The date is marked by the recent consecration of Demetrias, which was in 413. The admonition for which he is thanked by Juliana, Ep. 188, may be that against Pelagianism.
An objection has been raised from its disagreement with the fourth Council of Carthage, an. 398. can. 104, which excommunicates widows who marry again after consecration, and pronounces them guilty of adultery, whereas in cap. 10 and 11, the opinion that such mar- riages are no marriages, and that they ought to return to continence, is refuted. The two, however, are not wholly irreconcileable, as there may be a guilt similar to that of adultery incurred, and it may be visited with a censure in the form of excommunication, and yet the marriage may remain valid. The 16th Canon of Chalcedon imposes such a penalty, with power to the Bishop to relax it. — Abridged from the Benedictine Edition.
Augustin the Bishop, servant of Christ, and of the servants of Christ, unto the re- ligious handmaiden of God, Juliana, in the Lord of lords health.
Not any longer to be in debt of my promise to your request and love in Christ, I have seized the occasion as I could, amid other my very pressing engagements, to write to you somewhat concerning the profession of holy widowhood, forasmuch as, when I was present, you laded me with entreaty, and, when I had not been able to deny you this, you often by letters demanded my promise. And in this work of ours, when you shall find in reading that some things pertain not at all unto your own person, or unto the person of you, who are living together in Christ, nor are strictly necessary to give counsel unto your life, it will be your duty not on this ac- count to judge them superfluous. Forsooth this letter, although it be addressed to you, was not to be written for you alone; but cer- tainly it was a matter for us not to neglect, that it should profit others also through your means. Whatsoever, therefore, you shall find here, such as either hath been at no time necessary for you, or is not so now, and which yet you shall perceive to be necessary for others, grieve not either to possess or to lend to read; that your charity also may be the profit of others.
2. Whereas, therefore, in every question, which relates to life and conduct, not only teaching, but exhortation also is necessary; 442 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. YYYY in order that by teaching we may know what is to be done, and by exhortation may be in- cited not to think it irksome to do what we already know is to be done; what more can I teach you, than what we read in the Apos- tle? For holy Scripture setteth a rule to our teaching, that we dare not "be wise more than it behoveth to be wise; *** but be wise, as himself saith, " unto soberness, according as unto each God hath allotted the measure of faith."2 Be it not therefore for me to teach you any other thing, save to expound to you the words of the Teacher, and to treat of them as the Lord shall have given to me.
3. Therefore (thus) saith the Apostle, the teacher of the Gentiles, the vessel of elec- tion, " But I say unto the unmarried and the widows, that it is good for them, if they shall have so continued, even as I also."3 These words are to be so understood, as that we think not that widows ought not to be called unmarried, in that they seem to have made trial of marriage: for by the name of unmar- ried women he means those, who are not now bound by marriage, whether they have been, or whether they have not been so. And this in another place he opens, where he says, " Divided is a woman unmarried and a vir- gin." 4 Assuredly when he adds a virgin also, what would he have understood by an unmar- ried woman, but a widow? Whence also, in what follows, under the one term " unmar- ried " he embraces both professions, saying, " She who is unmarried is careful of the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord: but she who is married is careful of the things of the world, how to please her husband." 5 Certainly by the unmarried he would have understood, not only her who hath never married, but her also, who, being by widow- hood set free from the bond of marriage, hath ceased to be married; for on this account also he calleth not married, save her, who hath an husband; not her also, who hath had, and hath not. Wherefore every widow is un- married; but, because not every unmarried woman is a widow, for there are virgins also; therefore he hath here set both, where he says, " But I say unto the unmarried and the widows;" as if he should say, What I say unto the unmarried, I say not unto them alone, who are virgins, but unto them also who are widows; " that it is good for them, if they shall have so continued, even as also I."6 4. Lo, there is your good compared to that good, which the Apostle calls his own, if faith be present: yea, rather, because faith is 1 So V. 2 Rom. xii. 3. 3 toi?, tcus: i Cor. vii. 8.
present. Short is this teaching, yet not on this account to be despised, because it is short; but on this account to be retained the more easily and the more dearly, in that in shortness it is not cheap. For it is not every kind of good soever, which the Apostle would here set forth, which he hath unambiguously placed above the faith of married women. But how great good the faith of married women, that is, of Christian and religious women joined in marriage, hath, may be un- derstood from this, that, when he was giving charge for the avoiding of fornication, wherein assuredly he was addressing married persons also, he saith, " Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ?"7 So great then is the good of faithful marriage, that even the very members are (members) of Christ. But, forasmuch as the good of widowed continence is better than this good, the purpose of this profession is, not that a catholic widow be any thing more than a member of Christ, but that she have a better place, than a married woman, among the members of Christ. For- sooth the same Apostle says, " For, as in one body we have many members, but all mem- bers have not the same course of action; so being many we are one body in Christ, and each members one of another: having gifts diverse according unto the grace, which hath been given unto us." 8 5. Wherefore also when he was advising married persons not to defraud one another of the due of carnal intercourse; lest, by this means, the one of them, (the due of marriage being denied to him,) being through his own incontinence tempted of Satan, should fall away into fornication, he saith, " But this I say of leave, not of command; but I would that all men were as I myself; but each one hath his own proper gift from God; but one in this way, and another in that."9 You see that wedded chastity also, and the marriage faith of the Christian bed, is a "gift," and this of God; so that, when as carnal lust exceeds somewhat the measure of sensual intercourse, beyond what is necessary for the begetting of children, this evil is not of marriage, but venial by reason of the good of marriage. For not concerning marriage, which is con- tracted for the begetting of children, and the faith of wedded chastity, and the sacrament (indissoluble, so long as both live) of matri- mony, all which are good; but concerning that immoderate use of the flesh, which is recognized in the weakness of married per- sons, and is pardoned by the intervention of the good of marriage, the Apostle saith, "I 7 1 Cor.
vi. 15.
8 Rom. xii. 4-6.
9 1 Cor. vii. 6, 7.