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

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 darkness,”76    See De Ag. Christ. § 4. which they will have hath had its own nature without any beginning ever evil: whereas the true teacher exhorts men to love their own wives by the pattern of their own flesh, and exhorts them unto this very thing by the pattern also of Christ and the Church. Lastly, we must call to mind the whole place itself of the Epistle of the Apostle, relating greatly unto the matter in hand. “Husbands,” saith he, “love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of the water in the word: that He might set forth unto Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be holy and unspotted. So,” saith he, “husbands also ought to love their own wives, as their own bodies. Whoso loveth his own wife, loveth himself.”77    Eph. v. 25–28 Then he added, what we have already made mention of, “For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it; as also Christ the Church.”78    Eph. v. 29 What saith the madness of most impure impiety in answer to these things? What say ye in answer to these things, ye Manichees; ye who wish to bring in upon us, as if out of the Epistles of the Apostles, two natures without beginning, one of good, the other of evil: and will not listen to the Epistles of the Apostles, that they may correct you from that sacrilegious perverseness? As ye read, “The flesh lusteth against the spirit,”79    Gal. v. 17 and, “There dwelleth not in my flesh any good;”80    Rom. vii. 18 so read ye, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ the Church.”81    Eph. v. 29 As ye read, “I see another law in my members, opposed to the law of my mind;”82    Rom. vii. 23 so read ye, “As Christ loved the Church, so also ought men to love their own wives, as their own bodies.” Be not ye crafty in the former witnesses of Holy Scripture, and deaf in this latter, and ye shall be correct in both. For, if ye receive the latter as right is, ye will endeavor to understand the former also as truth is.

CAPUT IX.

22. Carnem natura non esse malam, cum ejus exemplo diligendas uxores hortetur Apostolus. Tres copulae insinuatae ab Apostolo, omnes bonae, quarum tertia est carnis et spiritus. Mulieri subjectionis exemplum a carne cur non datum. Quo igitur, non dico, errore, sed prorsus furore, Manichaei carnem nostram nescio cui fabulosae genti tribuunt tenebrarum, quam volunt suam sine ullo initio malam semper habuisse naturam: cum verax doctor viros diligere uxores suas exemplo suae carnis hortetur, quos ad hoc ipsum Christi quoque et Ecclesiae hortatur exemplo? Totus denique ipse apostolicae Epistolae locus, valde ad rem pertinens, recordandus est: Viri, inquit, diligite uxores vestras, sicut et Christus dilexit Ecclesiam, et se ipsum tradidit pro ea, ut eam sanctificaret, mundans lavacro aquae in verbo; ut exhiberet sibi ipse gloriosam Ecclesiam, non habentem maculam, aut rugam, aut aliquid hujusmodi; sed ut 0364sit sancta et immaculata. Ita, inquit, et viri debent diligere uxores suas, sicut corpora sua. Qui diligit uxorem suam, se ipsum diligit (Ephes. V, 25-29). Deinde subjunxit, quod jam commemoravimus: Nemo enim unquam carnem suam odio habuit, sed nutrit et fovet eam, sicut et Christus Ecclesiam. Quid ad haec dicit immundissimae impietatis insania? Quid ad haec dicitis, Manichaei? qui nobis velut ex apostolicis Litteris duas sine initio naturas, unam boni, alteram mali, conamini inducere; et apostolicas Litteras, quae vos ab ista sacrilega perversitate corrigant, non vultis audire. Sicut legitis, Caro concupiscit adversus spiritum (Galat. V, 17); et, Non habitat in carne mea bonum: ita legite, Nemo unquam carnem suam odio habuit, sed nutrit et fovet eam, sicut et Christus Ecclesiam. Sicut legitis, Video aliam legem in membris meis repugnantem legi mentis meae (Rom. VII, 18, 23): ita legite, Sicut Christus dilexit Ecclesiam, ita et viri debent diligere uxores suas, sicut sua corpora. Nolite in illis sanctae Scripturae testimoniis esse insidiosi, in his surdi; et eritis in utrisque correcti. Haec enim si accipiatis ut dignum est, conabimini et illa intelligere ut verum est.