the soul, which is called Continence, in a manner." 3
ON CONTINENCE.
[DE CONTINENTIA.]
ST. AUGUSTIN speaks of his work Ox Continence in Ep. 231, Ad Darium Comitem. [See vol. I. of this edition, p. 584.—P.5S.] Possidius, /zd. c. 10, mentions it, and it is cited in the Collectanea of Bede or Florus, and by Eugypius. Erasmus is therefore wrong in ascribing it to Hugo on the ground of the style, which is not unlike that of the earlier discourses.
It-is evidently a discourse, and probably for that reason unnoticed in the Retractations. The Manichzan heresy is impugned after the manner of his early works.—(Abridged from Benedictine ed. vol. Vi.)
God; one in this manner, another in that manner." 3
1. Ir is difficult to treat of the virtue of the soul, which is called Continence, in a manner fully suitable and worthy; but He, whose great gift this virtue is, will help our littleness under the burden of so great a weight. For He, who bestows it upon His faithful ones when they are continent, Himself gives discourse of it to His ministers when they speak. Lastly, of so great a matter purposing to speak what Himself shall grant, in the first place we say and prove that Continence is the gift of God.t We have it written in the Book of Wisdom, that no one can be continent, unless God grant it. But the Lord, concerning that greater and more glorious Continence itself, whereby there is continence from the marriage bond, says,
2. And lest it should seem that necessary Continence was to be hoped for from the Lord only in respect of the lust of the lower parts of the flesh, it is also sung in the Psalm;
Set, O Lord, a watch to my mouth, and a door of Continence around my lips."*4 But in this witness of the divine speech, if we understand '' mouth "' as we ought to understand it, we perceive how great a gift of God Continence there set is. Forsooth it is little to contain the mouth of the body, lest any thing burst forth thence, which is not for the better, through the sound of the voice. For there is, within, the mouth of the heart, where he, who spake these words, and wrote them for us to speak, desired of the Lord that the watch and door of Continence should be set for him. For many things we say not with the mouth of the body, and cry aloud with the heart: but there goes forth from the. mouth of the body no word of any thing, whereof there is silence in the heart. Therefore what flows not forth thence, sounds not abroad: but what flows forth thence, if it be
Not all can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given." ? And since marriage chastity also itself cannot be guarded, unless there be Continence from unlawful intercourse, the Apostle declared both to be the gift of God, when He spake of both lives, that is, both that of marriage and that without marriage, saying, ''I would that all men were so as myself; but each. hath his own gift from
3 x Cor. vii. 7. 4 Ps. cxli. 3.
I Wis. viii. 21. 2 Matt. xix. 11.