On the Morals of the Catholic Church.

 St. AUGUSTIN:

 

 Chapter 1.—How the Pretensions of the Manichæans are to Be Refuted. Two Manichæan Falsehoods.

 Chapter 2.—He Begins with Arguments, in Compliance with the Mistaken Method of the Manichæans.

 Chapter 3.—Happiness is in the Enjoyment of Man’s Chief Good. Two Conditions of the Chief Good: 1st, Nothing is Better Than It 2d, It Cannot Be Lost

 Chapter 4.—Man—What?

 Chapter 5.—Man’s Chief Good is Not the Chief Good of the Body Only, But the Chief Good of the Soul.

 Chapter 6.—Virtue Gives Perfection to the Soul The Soul Obtains Virtue by Following God Following God is the Happy Life.

 Chapter 7.—The Knowledge of God to Be Obtained from the Scripture. The Plan and Principal Mysteries of the Divine Scheme of Redemption.

 Chapter 8.—God is the Chief Good, Whom We are to Seek After with Supreme Affection.

 14. Come now, let us examine, or rather let us take notice,—for it is obvious and can be seen, at once,—whether the authority of the Old Testament too

 Chapter 10.—What the Church Teaches About God. The Two Gods of the Manichæans.

 Chapter 11.—God is the One Object of Love Therefore He is Man’s Chief Good. Nothing is Better Than God. God Cannot Be Lost Against Our Will.

 Chapter 12.—We are United to God by Love, in Subjection to Him.

 Chapter 13.—We are Joined Inseparably to God by Christ and His Spirit.

 Chapter 14.—We Cleave to the Trinity, Our Chief Good, by Love.

 Chapter 15.—The Christian Definition of the Four Virtues.

 Chapter 16.—Harmony of the Old and New Testaments.

 Chapter 17.—Appeal to the Manichæans, Calling on Them to Repent.

 Chapter 18.—Only in the Catholic Church is Perfect Truth Established on the Harmony of Both Testaments.

 Chapter 19.—Description of the Duties of Temperance, According to the Sacred Scriptures.

 Chapter 20.—We are Required to Despise All Sensible Things, and to Love God Alone.

 Chapter 21.—Popular Renown and Inquisitiveness are Condemned in the Sacred Scriptures.

 Chapter 22.—Fortitude Comes from the Love of God.

 Chapter 23.—Scripture Precepts and Examples of Fortitude.

 Chapter 24.—Of Justice and Prudence.

 Chapter 25.—Four Moral Duties Regarding the Love of God, of Which Love the Reward is Eternal Life and the Knowledge of the Truth.

 Chapter 26.—Love of Ourselves and of Our Neighbor.

 Chapter 27.—On Doing Good to the Body of Our Neighbor.

 Chapter 28.—On Doing Good to the Soul of Our Neighbor. Two Parts of Discipline, Restraint and Instruction. Through Good Conduct We Arrive at the Knowl

 Chapter 29.—Of the Authority of the Scriptures.

 Chapter 30.—The Church Apostrophised as Teacher of All Wisdom. Doctrine of the Catholic Church.

 Chapter 31.—The Life of the Anachoretes and Cœnobites Set Against the Continence of the Manichæans.

 Chapter 32.—Praise of the Clergy.

 Chapter 33.—Another Kind of Men Living Together in Cities. Fasts of Three Days.

 Chapter 34.—The Church is Not to Be Blamed for the Conduct of Bad Christians, Worshippers of Tombs and Pictures.

 Chapter 35.—Marriage and Property Allowed to the Baptized by the Apostles.

Chapter 31.—The Life of the Anachoretes and Cœnobites Set Against the Continence of the Manichæans.

65. What must we think is seen by those who can live without seeing their fellow-creatures, though not without loving them? It must be something transcending human things in contemplating which man can live without seeing his fellow-man. Hear now, ye Manichæans, the customs and notable continence of perfect Christians, who have thought it right not only to praise but also to practise the height of chastity, that you may be restrained, if there is any shame in you, from vaunting your abstinence before uninstructed minds as if it were the hardest of all things. I will speak of things of which you are not ignorant, though you hide them from us. For who does not know that there is a daily increasing multitude of Christian men of absolute continence spread all over the world, especially in the East and in Egypt, as you cannot help knowing?

66. I will say nothing of those to whom I just now alluded, who, in complete seclusion from the view of men, inhabit regions utterly barren, content with simple bread, which is brought to them periodically, and with water, enjoying communion with God, to whom in purity of mind they cleave, and most blessed in contemplating His beauty, which can be seen only by the understanding of saints. I will say nothing of them, because some people think them to have abandoned human things more than they ought, not considering how much those may benefit us in their minds by prayer, and in their lives by example, whose bodies we are not permitted to see. But to discuss this point would take long, and would be fruitless; for if a man does not of his own accord regard this high pitch of sanctity as admirable and honorable, how can our speaking lead him to do so? Only the Manichæans, who make a boast of nothing, should be reminded that the abstinence and continence of the great saints of the Catholic Church has gone so far, that some think it should be checked and recalled within the limits of humanity,—so far above men, even in the judgment of those who disapprove, have their minds soared.

67. But if this is beyond our tolerance, who can but admire and commend those who, slighting and discarding the pleasures of this world, living together in a most chaste and holy society, unite in passing their time in prayers, in readings, in discussions, without any swelling of pride, or noise of contention, or sullenness of envy; but quiet, modest, peaceful, their life is one of perfect harmony and devotion to God, an offering most acceptable to Him from whom the power to do those things is obtained? No one possesses anything of his own; no one is a burden to another. They work with their hands in such occupations as may feed their bodies without distracting their minds from God. The product of their toil they give to the decans or tithesmen,—so called from being set over the tithes,—so that no one is occupied with the care of his body, either in food or clothes, or in anything else required for daily use or for the common ailments. These decans, again, arranging everything with great care, and meeting promptly the demands made by that life on account of bodily infirmities, have one called "father," to whom they give in their accounts. These fathers are not only more saintly in their conduct, but also distinguished for divine learning, and of high character in every way; and without pride they superintend those whom they call their children, having themselves great authority in giving orders, and meeting with willing obedience from those under their charge. At the close of the day they assemble from their separate dwellings before their meal to hear their father, assembling to the number of three thousand at least for one father; for one may have even a much larger number than this. They listen with astonishing eagerness in perfect silence, and give expression to the feelings of their minds as moved by the words of the preacher, in groans, or tears, or signs of joy without noise or shouting. Then there is refreshment for the body, as much as health and a sound condition of the body requires, every one checking unlawful appetite, so as not to go to excess even in the poor, inexpensive fare provided. So they not only abstain from flesh and wine, in order to gain the mastery over their passions, but also from those things which are only the more likely to whet the appetite of the palate and of the stomach, from what some call their greater cleanness, which often serves as a ridiculous and disgraceful excuse for an unseemly taste for exquisite viands, as distant from animal food. Whatever they possess in addition to what is required for their support (and much is obtained, owing to their industry and frugality), they distribute to the needy with greater care than they took in procuring it for themselves. For while they make no effort to obtain abundance, they make every effort to prevent their abundance remaining with them,—so much so, that they send shiploads to places inhabited by poor people. I need say no more on a matter known to all.96 [This picture of cœnobitic life, even in its purest form, is doubtless idealized. It is certain that the monasteries very soon became hot-beds of vice, and the refuge of the scum of society.—A.H.N.]

68. Such, too, is the life of the women, who serve God assiduously and chastely, living apart and removed as far as propriety demands from the men, to whom they are united only in pious affection and in imitation of virtue. No young men are allowed access to them, nor even old men, however respectable and approved, except to the porch, in order to furnish necessary supplies. For the women occupy and maintain themselves by working in wool, and hand over the cloth to the brethren, from whom, in return, they get what they need for food. Such customs, such a life, such arrangements, such a system, I could not commend as it deserves, if I wished to commend it; besides, I am afraid that it would seem as if I thought it unlikely to gain acceptance from the mere description of it, if I considered myself obliged to add an ornamental eulogium to the simple narrative. Ye Manichæans, find fault here if you can. Do not bring into prominence our tares before men too blind to discriminate.