XVIII.  And let the loins of the unreasoning animals be unbound and loose, for they have not the gift of reason which can overcome pleasure (it is not needful to say that even they know the limit of natural movement).  But let that part of your being which is the seat of passion, and which neighs,37    Jer. v. 8. as Holy Scripture calls it, when sweeping away this shameful passion, be restrained by a girdle of continence, so that you may eat the Passover purely, having mortified your members which are upon the earth,38    Col. iii. 5. and copying the girdle39    Matt. iii. 4. of John, the Hermit and Forerunner and great Herald of the Truth.  Another girdle I know, the soldierly and manly one, I mean, from which the Euzoni of Syria and certain Monozoni40    The expression is often used in the LXX. to represent the word דודג, translated A Band, especially in 2 Kings. take their name.  And it is in respect of this too that God saith in an oracle to Job, “Nay, but gird up thy loins like a man, and give a manly answer.”41    Job xxxviii. 3.  With this also holy David boasts that he is girded with strength from God,42    Ps. xviii. 32. and speaks of God Himself as clothed with strength43    Ib. xciii. 1. and girded about with power—against the ungodly of course—though perhaps some may prefer to see in this a declaration of the abundance of His power, and, as it were, its restraint, just as also He clothes Himself with Light as with a garment.44    Ib. civ. 2.  For who shall endure His unrestrained power and light?  Do I enquire what there is common to the loins and to truth?  What then is the meaning to S. Paul of the expression, “Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth?”45    Eph. v. 14.  Is it perhaps that contemplation is to restrain concupiscence, and not to allow it to be carried in another direction?  For that which is disposed to love in a particular direction will not have the same power towards other pleasures.

ΙΗʹ. Ὀσφὺς δὲ, τοῖς μὲν ἀλόγοις, ἄνετος ἔστω καὶ ἄδετος: οὐδὲ γὰρ λόγον ἔχουσι, τὸν κρατοῦντα τῶν ἡδονῶν: οὔπω λέγω, ὅτι κἀκεῖνα ὅρον οἶδε τῆς φυσικῆς κινήσεως: σοὶ καὶ ἀναστελλέσθω ζώνῃ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν καὶ χρεμετιστικὸν (ὡς ἡ θεία φησὶ Γραφὴ, τὸ τοῦ πάθους αἰσχρὸν διασύρουσα), ἵνα καθαρῶς ἐσθίῃς τὸ Πάσχα, νεκρώσας τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὴν Ἰωάννου ζώνην μιμούμενος, τοῦ ἐρημικοῦ, καὶ προδρόμου, καὶ μεγάλου τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυκος. Οἶδα καὶ ζώνην ἄλλην, τὴν στρατιωτικὴν λέγω καὶ ἀνδρικὴν, καθ' ἣν Εὔζωνοι Συρίας καὶ Μονόζωνοί τινες ὀνομάζονται: καθ' ἣν καὶ τῷ Ἰὼβ χρηματίζων φησὶν ὁ Θεός: Μὴ, ἀλλὰ ζῶσαι ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου, καὶ δὸς ἀπόκρισιν ἀνδρικήν: ἣν καὶ ὁ θεῖος Δαβὶδ περιεζῶσθαι δύναμιν ἐκ Θεοῦ μεγαλαυχεῖ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτὸν εἰσάγει ἐνδεδυμένον δύναμιν καὶ περιεζωσμένον, δηλαδὴ κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν: εἰ μή τῳ φίλον, τὸ περιὸν τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ οἷον ἀνεσταλμένον, οὕτω παραδηλοῦσθαι, καθὸ καὶ φῶς ἀναβάλλεται, ὡς ἱμάτιον. Τὸ γὰρ ἄσχετον αὐτοῦ τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ τοῦ φωτὸς τίς ὑποστήσεται; Ζητῶ, τί κοινὸν ὀσφύϊ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ; τί δαὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Παύλῳ νοεῖται τὸ φάσκειν: Στῆτε οὖν περιεζωσμένοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ; Μήποτε ὡς τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν περισφίγγοντος, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶντος ἀλλαχοῦ φέρεσθαι; Οὐ γὰρ ἐθέλει τὸ περί τι διακείμενον ἐρωτικῶς, πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας ἡδονὰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχειν δύναμιν.