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

31. “But now do ye also,” saith he, “put down all;”121    Col. iii. 8 and he makes mention of several more evils of that sort. But what is it, that it is not enough for him to say, “Do ye put down all,” but that he added the conjunction and said, “ye also?” save that lest they should not think that they did those evils and lived in them with impunity on this account, because their faith set them free from wrath, which cometh upon the sons of unbelief, doing these things, and living in them without faith. Do ye also, saith he, put down those evils, on account of which cometh the wrath of God on the children of unbelief; nor promise yourselves impunity of them on account of merit of faith. But he would not say, “put ye down,” unto those who had already laid down so far as that they consented not to such faults, nor were yielding their members to them as weapons of sin, save that the life of Saints stands in this past deed, and is still engaged in this work, so long as we are mortal. For, so long as the Spirit lusteth against the flesh, this business proceeds with great earnestness, resistance is offered unto evil delights, unclean lusts, carnal and shameful motions, by the sweetness of holiness, by the love of chastity, by spiritual vigor, and by the beauty of continence; thus they are laid down by them who are dead to them, and who live not in them by consenting. Thus, I say, they are put down, whilst they are weighed down by continued continence, that they rise not again. Whosoever, as though secure, shall cease from this laying aside of them, straightway they will assault the Citadel of the mind, and will themselves put it down thence, and will reduce it into slavery to them, captive after a base and unseemly fashion. Then sin will reign in the mortal body of man to obey its desires; then will it yield its members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin:122    Rom. vi. 12, 13 and the last state of that man shall be worse than the former.123    Matt. xii. 45 For it is much more tolerable not to have begun a contest of this kind, than after one hath begun to have left the conflict, and to have become in place of a good warrior, or even in place of a conqueror, a captive. Whence the Lord saith not, whoso shall begin, but “Whoso shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.”124    Matt. x. 22

31. Nunc autem deponite, inquit, et vos universa (Coloss. III, 1-8); et commemorat plura ejusmodi mala. Sed quid est, quod ei non sufficit dicere, Deponite vos universa; sed addita conjunctione dixit, et vos? Nisi ne propterea se putarent haec mala facere, atque impune in eis vivere, quia fides eorum liberaret eos ab ira, quae venit in filios infidelitatis ista facientes, et in his sine fide viventes. Deponite, inquit, et vos illa mala propter quae venit ira Dei in filios infidelitatis; nec vobis eorum impunitatem propter fidei meritum promittatis. Non autem diceret, Deponite, eis qui jam deposuerant ex ea parte qua talibus vitiis non consentiebant, nec sua membra eis arma peccati dabant, nisi quia in hoc facto est, et in hac adhuc operatione versatur, quamdiu mortales sumus, vita sanctorum. Dum enim spiritus concupiscit adversus carnem, haec magna intentione res agitur , delectationibus pravis, libidinibus immundis, motibus carnalibus atque turpibus, suavitate sanctitatis, amore castitatis, spirituali vigore, et continentiae decore resistitur: sic deponuntur ab eis qui mortui sunt eis, nec consentiendo vivunt in eis. Sic, inquam, deponuntur, dum continuata continentia, ne resurgant, premuntur. Quisquis quasi securus ab hac eorum depositione cessaverit, illico in arcem mentis prosilient, 0372 eamque inde ipsa deponent , atque in suam redigent servitutem, turpiter deformiterque captivam. Tunc regnabit peccatum in hominis mortali corpore ad obediendum desideriis ejus; tunc sua membra exhibebit arma iniquitatis peccato (Rom. VI, 12), et erunt novissima illius pejora prioribus (Matth. XII, 45). Multo est enim tolerabilius certamen hujusmodi non coepisse, quam coeptum reliquisse conflictum, et factum ex bono praeliatore vel etiam ex victore captivum. Unde Dominus non ait, Qui coeperit; sed, Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit (Id. X, 22).