Chapter IV.—Of the Infirmity of the Flesh, and Similar Pleas.

But we read “that the flesh is weak;”33    Matt. xxvi. 41.    Comp. Matt. vi. 1–4. and hence we soothe34    Adulamur:  “we fawn upon,” or “caress,” or “flatter.”  Comp. de Pæn., c. vi. sub init.:  “flatter their own sweetness.”    Matt. vii. 6. ourselves in some cases.  Yet we read, too, that “the spirit is strong;”35    “Firmum,” opp. to “infirmam” above.  In the passage there referred to (Matt. xxvi. 41) the word is πρόθυμον.    Insignia. for each clause occurs in one and the same sentence.  Flesh is an earthly, spirit a heavenly, material.  Why, then, do we, too prone to self-excuse, put forward (in our defence) the weak part of us, but not look at36    Tuemur.  Mr. Dodgson renders, “guard not.”    Comp. de Idol., c. xi. sub fin. the strong?  Why should not the earthly yield to the heavenly?  If the spirit is stronger than the flesh, because it is withal of nobler origin, it is our own fault if we follow the weaker.  Now there are two phases37    Species.    “Speculatorem;” also = "an" executioner.  Comp. Mark vi. 27. of human weakness which make marriages38    i.e., apparently second marriages:  “disjunctis a matrimonio” can scarcely include such as were never “juncti;” and comp. the “præmissis maritis” below. necessary to such as are disjoined from matrimony.  The first and most powerful is that which arises from fleshly concupiscence; the second, from worldly concupiscence.  But by us, who are servants of God, who renounce both voluptuousness and ambition, each is to be repudiated.  Fleshly concupiscence claims the functions of adult age, craves after beauty’s harvest, rejoices in its own shame, pleads the necessity of a husband to the female sex, as a source of authority and of comfort, or to render it safe from evil rumours.  To meet these its counsels, do you apply the examples of sisters of ours whose names are with the Lord,39    Comp. Phil. iv. 3; 2 Tim. ii. 19; Mal. iii. 16; and similar passages.—who, when their husbands have preceded them (to glory), give to no opportunity of beauty or of age the precedence over holiness.  They prefer to be wedded to God.  To God their beauty, to God their youth (is dedicated).  With Him they live; with Him they converse; Him they “handle”40    1 John i. 1; Luke xxiv. 39; John xx. 17. by day and by night; to the Lord they assign their prayers as dowries; from Him, as oft as they desire it, they receive His approbation41    Dignationem. as dotal gifts.  Thus they have laid hold for themselves of an eternal gift of the Lord; and while on earth, by abstaining from marriage, are already counted as belonging to the angelic family.  Training yourself to an emulation of (their) constancy by the examples of such women, you will by spiritual affection bury that fleshly concupiscence, in abolishing the temporal42    Or, “temporary.” and fleeting desires of beauty and youth by the compensating gain of immortal blessings.

On the other hand, this worldly concupiscence (to which I referred) has, as its causes, glory, cupidity, ambition, want of sufficiency; through which causes it trumps up the “necessity” for marrying,—promising itself, forsooth, heavenly things in return—to lord it, (namely,) in another’s family; to roost43    Incubare. on another’s wealth; to extort splendour from another’s store to lavish expenditure44    Cædere sumptum. which you do not feel!  Far be all this from believers, who have no care about maintenance, unless it be that we distrust the promises of God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field;45    Matt. vi. 28–30. who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven;46    Matt. vi. 26. who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow’s food and clothing,47    Matt. vi. 31, 34. promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants—not indeed ponderous necklaces, not burdensome garments, not Gallic mules nor German bearers, which all add lustre to the glory of nuptials; but “sufficiency,”48    Comp. Phil. iv. 19; 1 Tim. vi. 8. which is suitable to moderation and modesty.  Presume, I pray you, that you have need of nothing if you “attend upon the Lord;”49    Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 35, esp. in Eng. ver. nay, that you have all things, if you have the Lord, whose are all things.  Think often50    Recogita. on things heavenly, and you will despise things earthly.  To widowhood signed and sealed before the Lord nought is necessary but perseverance.

CAPUT IV.

1280A

Sed carnem legimus infirmam, et hinc nobis adulamur impensius: legimus tamen et spiritum firmum. Nam in uno sensu utrumque positum est. Caro, terrena materia est, spiritus vero coelestis. Cur ergo ad excusationem proniores, quae in nobis infirma sunt, opponimus: quae vero fortiora , non tuemur? Cur coelestibus terrena non cedant? si spiritus carne fortior, quia et generosior, nostra culpa infirmiorem sectamur. Nam disjunctis matrimonio duae species humanae imbecillitatis necessarias nuptias faciunt. Prima quidem potentissima, quae venit de concupiscentia carnis: sequens de concupiscentia saeculi. Sed utraque repudianda est a servis Dei, qui et luxuriae et ambitioni renuntiamus. Carnis concupiscentia aetatis 1280B officia defendit, decoris messem requirit, gaudet de contumelia sua: dicit virum necessarium sexui, ut auctoritatis et solatii causa, vel ut a malis rumoribus tuta sit. Et tu adversus consilia haec ejus, adhibe sororum nostrarum exempla, quarum nomina penes Dominum , quae nullam formae vel aetatis occasionem praemissis maritis sanctitati anteponunt: malunt enim Deo nubere, Deo speciosae, Deo sunt puellae: cum illo vivunt, cum illo sermocinantur: illum diebus et noctibus tractant: orationes 1281A suas velut dotes Domino assignant: ab eodem dignationem velut munera maritalia , quotiescumque desiderant, consequuntur. Sic aeternum sibi bonum Domini occupaverunt, ac jam in terris non nubendo, de familia angelica deputantur . Talium exemplis foeminarum ad aemulationem te continentiae exercens, spiritali affectione carnalem illam concupiscentiam humabis; temporalia et volatica desideria formae vel aetatis inimicantium bonorum compensatione delendo . Caeterum haec saecularis concupiscentia caussas habet gloriam, cupiditatem, ambitionem, insufficientiam, per quas necessitatem nubendi subornat, videlicet coelestia repromittens, dominari in aliena familia, in alienis opibus incumbere , cultum de alieno extorquere sumptu, quem non sentias cedere in 1281B te . Haec procul a fidelibus, quibus nulla cura tolerandae vitae, nisi si diffidimus de promissis Dei, et cura et providentia : qui lilia agrestia vestit, qui volatilia coeli nullo ipsorum labore pascit, qui prohibet de crastino victuque vestituque curari; spondens, scire se, quid cuique servorum suorum opus sit: non quidem monilium pondera, non vestium taedia, non gallicos multos , nec germanicos bajulos, quae nuptiarum gloriam accendunt; sed sufficientiam, quae modestiae et pudicitiae apta est. Praesume, oro te, nihil tibi opus est, si Domino appareas; imo omnia habere, si habeas Dominum: cujus omnia coelestia 1282A recogita, et terrena despicies. Nihil viduitati apud Deum subsignatae necessarium est, quam perseverare.