21. If then to sin, that others may not commit a worse sin, either against us or against any, without doubt we ought not; it is to be considered in that which Lot did, whether it be an example which we ought to imitate, or rather one which we ought to avoid. For it seems meet to be more looked into and noted, that, when so horrible an evil from the most flagitious impiety of the Sodomites was impending over his guests, which he wished to ward off and was not able, to such a degree may even that just man’s mind have been disturbed, that he was willing to do that which, not man’s fear with its misty temper, but God’s Law in its tranquil serenity, if it be consulted by us, will cry aloud, must not be done, and will command rather that we be so cautious not to sin ourselves, that we sin not through fear of any sins whatever of other men. For that just man, by fearing other men’s sins, which cannot defile except such as consent thereto, was so perturbed that he did not attend to his own sin, in that he was willing to subject his daughters to the lusts of impious men. These things, when we read in holy Scriptures, we must not, for that we believe them done, therefore believe them meet to be done; lest we violate precepts while we indiscriminately follow precedents. Or, truly, because David swore to put Nabal to death, and, upon more considerate clemency, did it not,27    1 Sam. xxv. 22–35 shall we therefore say that he is to be imitated, so that we may swear to do a thing which afterwards we may see to be not meet to be done? But as fear perturbed the one, so that he was willing to prostitute his daughters, so did anger the other, that he swore rashly. In short, if it were allowed us to inquire of them both, by asking them to tell us why they did these things, the one might answer, “Fearfulness and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me;”28    Ps. lv. 5 the other too might say, “Mine eye was troubled through wrath:”29    Ps. vi. 7, turbatus est prœ ira, as in LXX. “Mine eye is consumed because of grief.” E.V. so that we should not marvel either that the one in the darkness of fear, or the other with troubled eye, saw not what was meet to have been seen, that they might not do what was not meet to have been done.

21. Si ergo peccare, ne gravius vel in nos vel in quoslibet alii peccent, procul dubio non debemus; considerandum est in eo quod fecit Loth, utrum exemplum sit quod imitari, an potius quod vitare debeamus. Magis enim videtur intuendum et notandum, cum tam horrendum malum ex impietate flagitiosissima Sodomitarum suis impenderet hospitibus, quod cuperet depellere, nec valeret, sic etiam justi animum potuisse turbari, ut vellet facere quod non humani timoris nebulosa tempestas, sed divini juris tranquilla serenitas, si consulatur a nobis, faciendum non esse clamabit; et jubebit potius ut sic nostra peccata caveamus, ne ullorum prorsus alienorum peccatorum timore peccemus. Aliena quippe ille vir justus timendo peccata, quae nisi consentientes inquinare non possunt, perturbatus non attendit suum, quo voluit subdere filias libidinibus impiorum. Haec quando in Scripturis sanctis legimus, non ideo quia facta credimus etiam facienda credamus; ne violemus praecepta, dum passim sectamur exempla. An vero quia juravit David se occisurum esse Nabal, et clementia consideratiore non fecit (I Reg. XXV, 22 35), propterea illum imitandum esse dicemus, ut temere juremus nos esse facturos, quod non esse faciendum postea videamus? Sed sicut illum timor, ut prostituere filias vellet; sic istum, ut temere juraret, ira turbavit. Denique si de ambobus interrogando ut dicerent cur haec fecerint, fas nobis esset inquirere, posset ille respondere, Timor et tremor venerunt super me, et contexerunt me tenebrae (Psal. LIV, 6); posset etiam dicere iste, Turbatus est prae ira oculus meus (Psal. VI, 8): ut non miraremur vel illum in timoris tenebris, vel istum oculo turbato non vidisse quod videndum fuit, ne facerent quod faciendum non fuit.