48. What now shall I say concerning the very carefulness and watchfulness against sin? “Who shall boast that he hath a chaste heart? or who shall boast that he is clean from sin?”176    Prov. xx. 9 Holy virginity is indeed inviolate from the mother’s womb; but “no one,” saith he, “is clean in Thy sight, not even the infant whose life is of one day upon the earth.”177    Job xxv. 4 There is kept also in faith inviolate a certain virginal chastity, whereby the Church is joined as a chaste virgin unto One Husband: but That One Husband hath taught, not only the faithful who are virgin in mind and body, but all Christians altogether, from spiritual even unto carnal, from Apostles even unto the last penitents, as though from the height of heaven even unto the bounds of it,178    Matt. xxiv. 31. [See R.V.] to pray, and in the prayer itself hath admonished them to say, “And forgive us our debts, even as we also forgive our debtors:”179    Matt. vi. 12 where, by this which we seek, He shews what also we should remember that we are. For neither on behalf of those debts, which for our whole past life we trust have been forgiven unto us in Baptism through His peace, hath He charged us to pray, saying, “And forgive us our debts, even as we also forgive our debtors:” otherwise this were a prayer which Catechumens rather ought to pray up to the time of Baptism; but whereas it is what baptized persons pray, rulers and people, pastors and flocks; it is sufficiently shown that in this life, the whole of which is a trial, no one ought to boast himself as though free from all sins.180    Job vii. 1

CAPUT XLVIII.

48. Alia humilitatis occasio, quod nullus hic sit sine peccato. Quid jam dicam de ipsa cautela et vigilantia non peccandi? Quis gloriabitur castum se habere cor? aut quis gloriabitur mundum se esse a peccato (Prov. XX, 9)? Integra est quidem ab utero matris sancta virginitas: sed nemo, inquit, mundus in conspectu tuo, nec infans cujus est unius 0425 diei vita super terram (Job. XXV, 4). Servatur et in fide inviolata quaedam castitas virginalis, qua Ecclesia uni viro virgo casta coaptatur: sed ille unus vir, non tantum fideles mente et corpore virgines, sed omnes omnino Christianos ab spiritualibus usque ad carnales, ab Apostolis usque ad ultimos poenitentes, tanquam a summis coelorum usque ad terminos eorum (Matth. XXIV, 31), docuit orare, et in ipsa oratione dicere admonuit, Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris (Id. VI, 12): ubi per hoc quod petimus, quid etiam nos esse meminerimus ostendit. Neque enim pro eis debitis, quae totius praeteritae vitae in Baptismo per ejus pacem nobis dimissa esse confidimus, nos praecepit orare, dicentes, Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: alioquin hanc orationem catechumeni potius usque ad Baptismum orare deberent. Cum vero eam baptizati orant , praepositi et plebes, pastores et greges; satis ostenditur in hac vita, quae tota tentatio est (Job. VII, 1), neminem se tanquam ab omnibus peccatis immunem debere gloriari.