S. AURELII AUGUSTINI HIPPONENSIS EPISCOPI DE CONTINENTIA LIBER UNUS .

 CAPUT PRIMUM.

 2. Et ne in sola inferiorum partium carnis libidine continentia necessaria videretur a Domino speranda, etiam in Psalmo canitur, Pone, Domine, custodi

 CAPUT II.

 4. Propter quod etiam ipse ore proprio Dominus ait: Mundate quae intus sunt, et quae foris sunt munda erunt (Matth. XXIII, 26). Itemque alio loco cum

 5. Ac per hoc illa quae genitalibus membris pudicitia refrenatis, solet maxime ac proprie continentia nominari, nulla transgressione violatur, si supe

 CAPUT III.

 7. Hanc pugnam non experiuntur in semetipsis nisi bellatores virtutum debellatoresque vitiorum: nec expugnat concupiscentiae malum, nisi continentiae

 8. Tales milites apostolica tuba isto sonitu accendit in praelium: Non ergo regnet, inquit, peccatum in vestro mortali corpore ad obediendum desiderii

 9. Itemque cum hortatur ut non secundum carnem vivamus, ne moriamur, sed spiritu facta carnis mortificemus, ut vivamus tuba utique quae canit, bellum

 CAPUT IV.

 11. Sed quispiam dicturus est mihi aliud esse secundum hominem, aliud secundum carnem vivere: quia homo videlicet rationalis creatura est, et in eo ra

 CAPUT V.

 13. In hoc tam magno praelio, in quo vivit homo sub gratia, et cum bene pugnat adjutus, exsultat in Domino cum tremore, non desunt tamen etiam strenui

 14. Et alii quidem qui sua consueverunt excusare peccata, fato se ad peccandum queruntur impelli, tanquam hoc decreverint sidera, et coelum prius tali

 CAPUT VI.

 16. Non autem potestas Deo defuit, talem facere hominem qui peccare non posset: sed maluit eum talem facere, cui adjaceret peccare, si vellet non pec

 CAPUT VII.

 18. Omnes ergo qui credimus in Deum vivum et verum, cujus summe bona immutabilisque natura nec mali aliquid facit, nec mali aliquid patitur, a quo est

 CAPUT VIII.

 20. Sunt ergo in nobis desideria mala, quibus non consentiendo non vivimus male: sunt in nobis concupiscentiae peccatorum, quibus non obediendo non pe

 21. Quod ergo caro concupiscit adversus spiritum, quod non habitat in carne nostra bonum, quod lex in membris nostris repugnat legi mentis, non est du

 CAPUT IX.

 23. Tres quasdam copulas nobis insinuavit Apostolus, Christum et Ecclesiam, virum et uxorem, spiritum et carnem. Horum priora posterioribus consulunt,

 CAPUT X.

 CAPUT XI.

 CAPUT XII.

 27. Sunt etiam qui aperte malignis serviendo daemonibus, a corporis voluptatibus continent, ut per eos expleant nefarias voluptates, quarum impetum ar

 CAPUT XIII.

 29. Spiritus itaque hominis adhaerens Spiritui Dei, concupiscit adversus carnem, id est, adversus se ipsum sed pro se ipso, ut motus illi sive in car

 CAPUT XIV.

 31. Nunc autem deponite, inquit, et vos universa Deponite vos universa et vos? Deponite, 0372 Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit

 32. Sive autem ne vincamur acriter confligentes, sive aliquoties vel etiam insperata vel inopinata facilitate vincentes, ei qui nobis dat continentiam

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 creature, and there is in him a rational soul, whereby he differs from the beast: but the flesh is the lowest and earthly part of man, and thus to live after it is faulty: and for this reason, he who lives after man, assuredly lives not after the flesh, but rather after that part of man, whereby he is man, that is, after the spirit of the mind whereby he excels the beasts. But this discussion is perhaps of some force in the schools of philosophers: but we, in order to understand the Apostle of Christ, ought to observe in what manner the Christian books are used to speak; at any rate it is the belief of all of us, to whom to live is Christ, that Man was taken unto Himself by the Word of God, not surely without a rational soul, as certain heretics will have it; and yet we read, “The Word was made flesh.”33    John i. 14 What is to be here understood by “flesh,” but Man? “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”34    Luke iii. 6 What can be understood, but all men? “Unto Thee shall all flesh come.”35    Ps. lxv. 2 What is it, but all men? “Thou hast given unto Him power over all flesh.”36    John xvii. 2 What is it, but all men? “Of the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”37    Rom. iii. 20 What is it, but no man shall be justified? And this the same Apostle in another place confessing more plainly saith, “Man shall not be justified of the works of the Law.”38    Gal. ii. 16 The Corinthians also he rebukes, saying, “Are ye not carnal, and walk after man?”39    1 Cor. iii. 3 After he had called them carnal, he saith not, ye walk after the flesh, but after man, forasmuch as by this also what would he have understood, but after the flesh? For surely if to walk, that is, to live, after the flesh deserved blame, but after man deserved praise, he would not say by way of rebuke, “ye walk after man.” Let man recognize the reproach; let him change his purpose, let him shun destruction. Hear thou man: walk not thou after man, but after Him Who made man. Fall not thou away from Him Who made thee, even unto thyself. For a man said, who yet lived not after man, “Not that we are sufficient to think any thing from ourselves, as though of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God.”40    1 Cor. iii. 5 Consider if he lived after man, who spake these things with truth. Therefore the Apostle, admonishing man not to live after man, restores man to God. But whoso liveth not after man, but after God, assuredly liveth not even after himself, because himself also is a man. But he is therefore said also to live after the flesh, when he so lives; because also when the flesh alone hath been named, man is understood, as we have already shown: just as when the soul alone hath been named, man is understood: whence it is said, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,”41    Rom. xiii. 1 that is, every man; and, “Seventy-five souls went down into Egypt with Jacob,”42    Gen. xlvi. 27 that is, seventy-five men. Therefore live thou not after thyself, O man: thou hadst thence perished, but thou wast sought. Live not then, I say, after thyself, O man; thou hadst thence perished, but thou wast found. Accuse not thou the nature of the flesh, when you hear it said, “If ye shall live after the flesh, ye shall die.”43    Rom. viii. 13 For thus could it be said, and most truly could it, If ye shall live after yourselves ye shall die. For the devil hath not flesh, and yet, because he would live after himself, “he abode not in the truth.”44    John viii. 44 What wonder therefore, if, living after himself, “when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own,” which the Truth spake truly of him.

11. Sed quispiam dicturus est mihi aliud esse secundum hominem, aliud secundum carnem vivere: quia homo videlicet rationalis creatura est, et in eo rationalis est animus, quo distat a pecore; caro autem est infima et terrena pars hominis, et ideo secundum eam vivere vitiosum est: propter quod ille qui secundum hominem vivit, non utique secundum carnem, sed potius secundum eam partem hominis vivit qua homo est, hoc est, secundum spiritum mentis, quo pecoribus praeeminet. Verum haec disputatio valet fortassis aliquid in scholis philosophorum: nos autem ut intelligamus Apostolum Christi, libri christiani quemadmodum loqui soleant, debemus advertere. Fides certe omnium nostrum est, quibus Christus vivere est , hominem a Verbo Dei assumptum, 0356 non utique sine anima rationali, sicut quidam haeretici volunt; et tamen legimus, Verbum caro factum est (Joan. I, 14). Quid hic caro intelligenda est, nisi homo? Et videbit omnis caro salutare Dei (Luc. III, 6); quid potest intelligi, nisi, omnis homo? Ad te omnis caro veniet (Psal. LXIV, 3); quid est, nisi, omnis homo? Dedisti ei potestatem omnis carnis (Joan. XVII, 2); quid est, nisi, omnis hominis? Ex operibus legis non justificabitur omnis caro (Rom. III, 20); quid est, nisi, nullus justificabitur homo? Quod idem apostolus alibi exprimens manifestius, Non, inquit, justificabitur homo ex operibus legis (Galat. II, 16). Corinthios quoque increpat dicens: Nonne carnales estis, et secundum hominem ambulatis (I Cor. III, 3)? Cum carnales eos dixisset, non ait, secundum carnem ambulatis; sed, secundum hominem: quia et hoc quid voluit intelligi, nisi, secundum carnem? Nam utique si culpabiliter quidem secundum carnem, laudabiliter autem secundum hominem ambularetur, id est, viveretur, non exprobrans diceret, secundum hominem ambulatis. Agnoscat homo opprobrium , mutet propositum, vitet interitum. Audi, homo; noli ambulare secundum hominem, sed secundum eum qui fecit hominem: ab eo qui fecit te, noli deficere nec ad te. Homo enim dicebat, qui tamen non secundum hominem vivebat: Non quia idonei sumus cogitare aliquid a nobis quasi ex nobismetipsis; sed sufficientia nostra ex Deo est (II Cor. III, 5). Vide si secundum hominem vivebat, qui veraciter ista dicebat. Admonens ergo Apostolus hominem, ne vivat secundum hominem, hominem Deo reddit. Qui autem non vivit secundum hominem, sed secundum Deum, profecto non vivit etiam secundum seipsum; quia homo est et ipse. Sed ideo dicitur etiam secundum carnem vivere, cum ita vivit; quia et carne sola nominata intelligitur homo, quod jam ostendimus: sicut sola anima nominata intelligitur homo; unde dictum est, Omnis anima sublimioribus potestatibus subdita sit (Rom. XIII, 1), id est, omnis homo; et, Septuaginta quinque animae descenderunt in Aegyptum cum Jacob (Gen. XLVI, 27), id est, septuaginta quinque homines. Noli ergo vivere secundum te ipsum, o homo: inde perieras, sed quaesitus es. Noli, inquam, vivere secundum te ipsum: inde perieras, et inventus es . Noli carnis accusare naturam, quando audis, Si secundum carnem vixeritis, moriemini. Sic enim dici potuit, et verissime potuit, Si secundum vos vixeritis, moriemini. Nam diabolus non habet carnem, et tamen quia secundum se ipsum vivere voluit, in veritate non stetit. Quid ergo mirum si secundum se ipsum vivens, cum loquitur mendacium, de suo loquitur (Joan. VIII, 44)? quod verum de illo Veritas dixit.