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,”106    Wisd. viii. 21 that even they possess it, who, by containing, either serve errors, or overcome any lesser desires for this purpose, that they may fulfill others, by the greatness of which they are overcome. But that continence which is true, coming from above, wills not to repress some evils by other evils, but to heal all evils by goods. And, briefly to comprehend its mode of action, it is the place of continence to keep watch to restrain and heal all delights whatsoever of lust, which are opposed to the delight of wisdom. Whence without doubt they set it within too narrow bounds, who limit it to restraining the lusts of the body alone: certainly they speak better, who say that it pertains to Continence to rule in general lust or desire. Which desire is set down as a fault, nor is it only of the body, but also of the soul. For, if the desire of the body be in fornications and drunkennesses; hard enmities, strifes, emulations, lastly, hatreds, their exercise in the pleasure of the body, and not rather in the motion and troubled states of the soul? Yet the Apostle called all these “works of the flesh,” whether what pertained to the soul, or what pertained properly to the flesh, calling forsooth the man himself by the name of the flesh.107    Gal. v. 19, 20, 21 Forsooth they are the works of man, whatsoever are not called works of God; forasmuch as man, who does these, lives after himself, not after God, so far as he does these. But there are other works of man, which are rather to be called works of God. “For it is God,”108    Phil. ii. 13 saith the Apostle, “Who worketh in you both to will and to do, according to His good pleasure.” Whence also is that, “For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God.”109    Rom. viii. 14

CAPUT XIII.

28. Continentia non tantum libidines corporis, sed et animi cupiditates coercet et regit. Motus animae pravi continentia cohibendi, negato consensu et rejecta vel cogitationis delectatione. Absit ergo ut continentiam, de qua Scriptura dicit, Et hoc ipsum erat sapientiae, scire cujus esset hoc donum (Sap. VIII, 21), etiam eos habere dicamus, qui continendo, vel erroribus serviunt, vel aliquas minores cupiditates ideo vincunt, ut alias expleant, quarum granditate vincuntur. Ea vero quae vera est desuper veniens continentia, non aliis malis mala premere alia, sed bonis mala sanare vult omnia. Cujus ut breviter complectar actionem; omnibus prorsus delectationibus concupiscentiae, quae adversantur delectationi sapientiae, coercendis atque sanandis invigilat officium continentiae. Unde angustius eam sine dubitatione metiuntur, qui solas libidines corporis cohibere definiunt: melius profecto illi, qui non addunt corporis, sed generaliter libidinem sive cupiditatem regendam dicunt ad continentiam pertinere. Quae cupiditas in vitio ponitur, nec tantum est corporis, verum et animi. Etenim si cupiditas corporis est in fornicationibus et ebrietatibus, numquid inimicitiae, contentiones, aemulationes, postremo animositates, in corporis voluptatibus, ac non potius in animi motibus et perturbationibus exercentur? Carnis tamen opera haec omnia nuncupavit Apostolus, sive quae ad animum, sive quae ad carnem proprie pertinerent, ipsum scilicet hominem nomine carnis appellans (Galat. V, 19-21). Opera quippe hominis sunt quae non dicuntur Dei; quoniam homo qui haec agit, secundum se ipsum vivit, non secundum Deum, in quantum haec agit. Sunt autem alia opera hominis, quae magis dicenda sunt opera Dei. Deus est enim, inquit Apostolus, qui operatur in vobis et velle et operari, pro bona voluntate (Philipp. II, 13). Inde est et illud: Quotquot enim Spiritu Dei aguntur, hi filii sunt Dei (Rom. VIII, 14).