On the Good of Widowhood.

 Augustin the Bishop, servant of Christ, and of the servants of Christ, unto the religious handmaiden of God, Juliana, in the Lord of lords health.

 2. Whereas, therefore, in every question, which relates to life and conduct, not only teaching, but exhortation also is necessary in order that by te

 3. Therefore (thus) saith the Apostle, the teacher of the Gentiles, the vessel of election, “But I say unto the unmarried and the widows, that it is g

 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 present. Short is

 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 th

 6. Wherefore this in the first place you ought to know, that by the good, which you have chosen, second marriages are not condemned, but are set in lo

 7. But whereas the Apostle, when commending the fruit of unmarried men and women, in that they have thought of the things of the Lord, how to please G

 8. Whence, also, what the Apostle Paul said of the unmarried woman, “that she may be holy both in body and spirit ” we are not so to understand, as th

 9. Learn, therefore, that thy good, yea, rather, remember what thou hast learned, that thy good is more praised, because there is another good than wh

 10. Nor, because I called Ruth blessed, Anna more blessed, in that the former married twice, the latter, being soon widowed of her one husband, so liv

 11. But thou who both hast sons, and livest in that end of the world, wherein now is the time not of casting stones, but of gathering not of embracin

 12. But since, as the Lord saith, “Not all receive this word ” therefore let her who can receive it, receive it and let her, who containeth not, marr

 13. Wherefore they who say that the marriages of such are not marriages, but rather adulteries, seem not to me to consider with sufficient acuteness a

 14. Wherefore I cannot indeed say, of females who have fallen away from a better purpose, in case they shall have married, that they are adulteries, n

 15. Men are wont to move a question concerning a third or fourth marriage, and even more numerous marriages than this. On which to make answer strictl

 16. For that also is no foolish question which is wont to be proposed, that whoso can may say, which widow is to be preferred in desert whether one w

 17. Let us therefore set before our eyes three widows, each having one of the things, the whole of which were in her: let us suppose one who had had o

 18. No one indeed of these six widows could come up to your standard. For you, in case that you shall have maintained this vow even unto old age, maye

 19. These discussions, therefore, concerning the different deserts of married women, and of different widows, I would not in this work enter upon, if,

 20. Wherefore, forasmuch as in the beginning of this little work I had proposed certain two necessary matters, and had undertaken to follow them out

 21. These things I am compelled to admonish by reason of certain little discourses of some men, that are to be shunned and avoided, which have begun t

 22. Now it has been my wish on this account to say something on this subject, by reason of certain of our brethren most friendly and dear to us, and w

 23. If, therefore, you had not as yet vowed unto God widowed continence, we would assuredly exhort you to vow it but, in that you have already vowed

 24. Let the inner ear of the virgin also, thy holy child, hear these things. I shall see how far she goes before you in the Kingdom of That King: it i

 25. The past day returns not hereafter, and after yesterday proceeds to-day, and after to-day will proceed to-morrow and, lo, all times and the thing

 26. Therefore let spiritual delights succeed to the place of carnal delights in holy chastity reading, prayer, psalm, good thought, frequency in good

 27. Indeed in all spiritual delights, which unmarried women enjoy, their holy conversation ought also to be with caution lest haply, though their lif

 28. Go on therefore in your course, and run with perseverance, in order that ye may obtain and by pattern of life, and discourse of exhortation, carr

 29. Next I entreat you, by Him, from Whom ye have both received this gift, and hope for the rewards of this gift, that ye be mindful to set me also in

20. Wherefore, forasmuch as in the beginning of this little work I had proposed certain two necessary matters, and had undertaken to follow them out; one which related to doctrine, the other to exhortation; and I have not failed in the former part, to the best of my power, according to the business which I had undertaken; let us come to exhortation, in order that the good which is known wisely, may be pursued ardently. And in this matter I give you this advice first, that, how great soever love of pious continence you feel to be in you, you ascribe it to the favor of God, and give Him thanks, Who of His Holy Spirit hath freely given unto you so much, as that, His love being shed abroad in your heart, the love of a better good should take away from you the permission of a lawful matter. For it was His gift to you that you should not wish to marry, when it was lawful, in order that now it should not be lawful, even if you wished; and that by this means the wish not to do it might be the more settled, lest what were now unlawful be done, which was not done even when lawful; and that, a widow of Christ, you should so far attain as to see your daughter also a virgin of Christ; for whilst you are praying as Anna, she hath become what Mary was. These by how much the more you know them to be gifts of God, by so much the more are you by the same gifts blessed; yea, rather, you are not so otherwise than as you know from Whom you have what you have. For listen to what the Apostle said on this matter, “But we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit Which is of God, that we may know what things have been given to us by God.”46    1 Cor. ii. 12 Forsooth many have many gifts of God, and by not knowing from Whom they have them, come to boast themselves with impious vanity. But there is no one blessed with the gifts of God, who is ungrateful to the Giver. Forasmuch as, also, whereas in the course of the sacred Mysteries we are bidden to “lift up our hearts,” it is by His help that we are able, by Whose bidding we are admonished; and therefore it follows, that, of this so great good of the heart lifted up, we give not the glory to ourselves as of our own strength, but render thanks unto our Lord God. For of this we are straightway admonished, that “this is meet,” “this is right.” You remember whence these words are taken, you recognize by what sanction47    “Intus qua sanctione,” al. “inter quas actiones,” “amongst what actions;” there are other various readings besides., and by how great holiness they are commended within. Therefore hold and have what you have received, and return thanks to the Giver. For, although it be yours to receive and have, yet you have that, which you have received; forasmuch as to one waxing proud, and impiously glorying of that which he had, as though he had it of himself, the Truth saith by the Apostle, “But what hast thou, which thou hast not received? But, if thou hast received, why boastest thou, as if thou hadst not received?”48    1 Cor. iv. 7

CAPUT XVI.

20. Pars opusculi secunda pertinens ad exhortationem. Continentiam esse donum Dei. Proinde quoniam in exordio hujus opusculi duo quaedam necessaria proposueram, et exsequenda pollicitus eram; unum quod ad doctrinam, alterum quod ad exhortationem pertinet; et priori parti, ut potui, pro suscepto negotio non defui: ad exhortationem veniamus, ut quod bonum prudenter scitur, etiam diligatur ardenter. Qua in re prius illud moneo, ut quantamcumque tibi inesse sentis piae continentiae dilectionem, beneficio Dei tribuas, eique gratias agas, qui de Spiritu suo tibi tantum largitus est, ut ejus in corde tuo charitate diffusa, licitae rei licentiam tibi amor melioris boni auferret. Donavit enim ne liberet nubere cum liceret, ut jam non liceret etiamsi liberet; et ex hoc firmius non liberet, ne fieret quod non liceret, quod factum non est etiam cum liceret: tantumque merereris vidua Christi, ut filiam quoque videres virginem Christi: dum enim tu oras sicut Anna, facta est illa quod Maria. Haec dona Dei esse quanto magis nosti, tanto magis es eisdem donis beata: imo aliter non es, nisi quod habes noris a quo habeas. Attende enim quid de hac re Apostolus dixit: Nos autem non spiritum hujus mundi accepimus, sed Spiritum qui ex Deo est; ut sciamus quae a Deo donata sunt 0443nobis (I Cor. II, 12). Multi quippe habent multa Dei dona, et nesciendo a quo habent, impia vanitate jactantur. Nemo est autem donis Dei beatus, qui donanti existit ingratus. Quia et illud quod inter sacra mysteria cor habere sursum jubemur, ipso adjuvante id valemus, quo jubente admonemur: et ideo sequitur, ut de hoc tanto bono sursum levati cordis, non nobis gloriam quasi nostrarum virium tribuamus, sed Domino Deo nostro gratias agamus. Hoc enim continuo commonemur, quia hoc dignum est, hoc justum est. Recordaris haec verba unde sint, intus qua sanctione et quanta sanctitate commendentur agnoscis. Tene igitur et habe quod accepisti, et datori gratias age. Quamvis enim accipere et habere tuum sit, id tamen habes, quod accepisti: quoniam superbienti, et ex eo quod habebat, quasi a se ipso haberet, impie glorianti Veritas per Apostolum dicit, Quid enim habes quod non accepisti? Si autem accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis (I Cor. IV, 7)?