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

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 motions, whether in the flesh or in the soul, after man, not after God, which as yet exist through the sickness man hath gotten, may be restrained by continence, that so health may be gotten; and man, not living after man, may now be able to say, “But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ.”110    Gal. ii. 20 For where not I, there more happily I: and, when any evil motion after man arises, unto which he, who with the mind serves the Law of God, consents not, let him say that also, “Now it is not I that do this.”111    Rom. vii. 17 To such forsooth are said those words, which we, as partners and sharers with them, ought to listen to.112    Col. iii. 1–4 “If ye have risen together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God: mind113    Sapite the things that are above, not what are upon earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God: when Christ your life shall have appeared, then ye also shall appear with Him in glory.” Let us understand unto whom he is speaking, yea, rather, let us listen with more attention. For what more plain than this? what more clear? He is certainly speaking unto those, who had risen again with Christ, not yet surely in the flesh, but in the mind: whom he calls dead, and on this account the more living: for “your life,” saith he, “is hid with Christ in God.” Of such dead the speech is: “But I live, now not I, but there liveth in me Christ.” They therefore, whose life was hidden in God, are admonished and exhorted to mortify their members, which are upon the earth. For this follows, “Mortify, therefore, your members, which are upon the earth.” And, lest any through excess of dullness should think that such are to mortify the members of the body that are seen, straightway opening what it is he saith, “Fornication,” saith he, “uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”114    Col. iii. 5 But is it so to be believed, that they, who were already dead, and their life hidden with Christ in God, were still committing fornication, were still living in unclean habits and works, were still slaves to passions of evil lust and covetousness? What madman would thus think of such? What, therefore, would he that they mortify, save the motions themselves still living in a certain intrusion115    Interpellatione of their own, without the consent of our mind, without the action of the members of the body? And how are they mortified by the work of continence, save when we consent not to them with the mind, nor are the members of the body yielded to them as weapons; and, what is greater, and to be looked to with yet greater watchfulness of continence, our very thought itself, although in a certain way it be touched by their suggestion, and as it were, whisper, yet turns away from these, that it receive not delight from them, and turns to more delightful thoughts of things above: on this account naming them in discourse, that men abide not in them, but flee from them. And this is brought to pass, if we listen effectually, with His help, Who, through His Apostle gives this command, “Seek things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the Right Hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not what are on earth.”116    Col. iii. 1, 2

29. Spiritus itaque hominis adhaerens Spiritui Dei, concupiscit adversus carnem, id est, adversus se ipsum; sed pro se ipso, ut motus illi sive in carne, sive in anima, secundum hominem, non secundum Deum, qui sunt adhuc per acquisitum languorem, continentia cohibeantur, propter acquirendam salutem: ut homo non secundum hominem vivens, jam possit dicere, Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus (Galat. II, 20). Ubi enim non ego, ibi felicius ego; ut quando secundum hominem reprobus ullus motus exsurgit, cui non consentit qui mente legi Dei servit, dicat etiam illud, Jam non ego operor illud (Rom. VII, 17). Talibus quippe et illa dicuntur, quae sicut eorum socii participesque debemus audire: Si consurrexistis cum Christo, quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite, non quae super terram. Mortui enim estis, et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo: cum Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc et vos apparebitis 0370 cum illo in gloria. Quibus loquatur intelligamus, imo vero attentius audiamus. Nam quid hoc planius? quid apertius? Eis certe loquitur, qui consurrexerant cum Christo, nondum utique carne, sed mente; quos mortuos dicit, et magis hinc vivos: nam vita vestra, inquit, abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Talium mortuorum vox est: Vivo autem jam non ego, vivit vero in me Christus. Quorum ergo vita erat abscondita in Deo, admonentur et exhortantur ut membra sua mortificent quae sunt super terram. Id enim sequitur: Mortificate ergo membra vestra quae sunt super terram. Et ne quisquam nimis tardus membra ista visibilia corporis mortificanda putaret a talibus, continuo quid dicat aperiens: Fornicationem, inquit, immunditiam, perturbationem, concupiscentiam malam, et avaritiam, quae est idolorum servitus. Itane vero credendum est quod isti qui jam mortui erant, eorumque vita abscondita erat cum Christo in Deo, adhuc fornicabantur, adhuc in moribus immundis operibusque vivebant, adhuc perturbationibus concupiscentiae malae atque avaritiae serviebant? Quis demens ista de talibus senserit? Quid ergo vult ut mortificent, opere scilicet continentiae, nisi motus ipsos adhuc in sua quadam interpellatione, sine nostrae mentis consensione, sine membrorum corporalium operatione viventes? Et quomodo isti mortificantur opere continentiae, nisi cum eis mente non consentitur, nec exhibentur eis arma corporis membra; et quod est majus, atque vigilantia continentiae majore curandum, ipsa etiam nostra cogitatio, quamvis eorum quodam modo suggestione et quasi susurratione tangatur, tamen ab eis ne oblectetur avertitur, et ad superna delectabilius cogitanda convertitur; ob hoc ea nominans in sermonibus, ne habitetur in eis, sed fugiatur ab eis? Quod fit, si efficaciter audiamus, ipso adjuvante qui hoc per Apostolum suum praecipit: Quae sursum sunt quaerite, ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens; quae sursum sunt sapite; non quae super terram.