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

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,26    Mortificare 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 manifest, which are, fornications, uncleannesses, luxuries, idolatry, witchcrafts, hatreds, contentions, 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.”27    Gal. v. 19–21 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.”28    Gal. v. 16-18. [See R.V.] 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.”29    Gal. v. 22, 23 He saith not “against 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 mention, he set Continence in the last30    Vulg. adds, “patientia, modestia, castitas.” 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 the Spirit lusteth against the flesh; forasmuch as in a certain way it crucifies 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.”31    Gal. v. 24 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.

9. Itemque cum hortatur ut non secundum carnem vivamus, ne moriamur, sed spiritu facta carnis mortificemus, ut vivamus; tuba utique quae canit, bellum in quo versamur ostendit, et ut acriter dimicemus et hostes nostros mortificemus, ne ab eis mortificemur, accendit. Qui sint vero isti hostes, satis evidenter expressit. Quos enim a nobis voluit mortificari, ipsi sunt, scilicet opera carnis. Sic enim ait: Si autem spiritu facta carnis mortificaveritis, vivetis. Et ista quae sint ut sciamus, eumdem itidem audiamus ad Galatas scribentem et dicentem: Manifesta sunt autem opera carnis, quae sunt fornicationes, immunditiae, luxuriae, idolorum servitus, veneficia, inimicitiae, contentiones, aemulationes, animositates, dissensiones, haereses, invidiae, ebrietates, comessationes, et his similia; quae praedico vobis, sicut praedixi, quoniam qui talia agunt, regnum Dei non possidebunt. Ipsum enim etiam ibi bellum, ut haec diceret ostendebat, et ad hos hostes mortificandos eadem coelesti et spirituali tuba Christi milites excitabat. Supra enim dixerat: Dico autem, spiritu ambulate, et desideria carnis ne perfeceritis. Caro enim concupiscit adversus spiritum, spiritus autem adversus carnem. Haec enim invicem adversantur, ut non ea quae vultis faciatis. Quod si spiritu ducimini, non estis sub lege. Ergo sub gratia constitutos vult istum adversus opera carnis habere conflictum. Et haec opera carnis ut demonstraret, adjunxit quae supra 0355 commemoravi: Manifesta autem sunt opera carnis, quae sunt fornicationes, et caetera, sive quae commemoravit, sive quae intelligenda commonuit, maxime adjiciens, et his similia. Denique in hoc praelio adversus carnalem quodam modo exercitum velut aliam producens aciem spiritualem: Fructus autem spiritus est, inquit, charitas, gaudium, pax, longanimitas, benignitas, bonitas, fides, mansuetudo, continentia: adversus hujusmodi non est lex. Non ait, adversus haec; ne sola esse putarentur: quamvis et si hoc diceret, omnia deberemus intelligere, quae ejusdem generis bona cogitare possemus: sed ait, adversus hujusmodi; et haec scilicet et quaecumque similia. Verumtamen quod in eis bonis quae commemoravit, ultimo loco posuit continentiam, de qua nunc disputare suscepimus, et propter quam multa jam diximus, praecipue voluit eam nostris mentibus inhaerere. Ipsa quippe in hoc bello valet plurimum, in quo adversus carnem spiritus concupiscit; quoniam ipsas carnis concupiscentias quodam modo crucifigit. Unde cum haec dixisset Apostolus, continuo subjecit, Qui autem Jesu Christi sunt, carnem suam crucifixerunt cum passionibus et concupiscentiis (Galat. V, 16-24). Haec est actio continentiae: sic opera carnis mortificantur. Mortificant vero eos, quos deficientes a continentia ad consensionem perpetrandorum talium operum trahit concupiscentia.