mouth, which by these words he meant, after parable, He answered, ''Are ye also yet with-
ST.vAVUGUS EEN;
280 THE WORKS OF vomit proceedeth forth out of the mouth, But witnout doubt the former words relate to 'the mouth of the flesh, where He says, ** Not evil, although it move not the tongue, defiles the soul. 'Therefore Continence must be set there, where the conscience even of them who are silent speaks. For it is brought to pass by means of the door of Continence, that there go not forth thence that, which, even when the lips of the flesh are closed, pollutes the life of him that hath the thought.
what entereth into the mouth defileth the man,'' but the latter words to the mouth of the heart, where He saith, '' But what proceedeth forth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.''5 Lastly, when the Apostle Peter sought of Him an explanation of this as of a parable, He answered, ''Are ye also yet without understanding? understand ye not, that whatsoever entereth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?'? Here surely we perceive the mouth of the flesh, into which the food enters. But in what He next adds, in order that we might recognize the mouth of the heart, the slowness of our heart would not
3. Lastly, to show more plainly the inner mouth, which by these words he meant, after having said, °*Set a watch, O Lord, to my mouth, and a door of Continence around my lips," he added straightway, '' Cause not my heart to fall aside into evil words.''* The falling aside of the heart, what is it but the consent? For he hath not yet spoken, whosoever in his heart hath with no falling aside of the heart consented unto suggestions that meet him of each several thing that is seen. But, if he hath consented, he hath already spoken in his heart, although he hath not uttered sound by the mouth; although he hath not done with hand or any part whatever of the body, yet hath he done what in his thought he hath already determined that he is to do: guilty by the divine laws, although hidden to human senses; the word having been spoken in the heart, no deed having been committed through the body. But in no case would he have moved the limb without, in a deed, the beginning of which deed had not gone before within in word. For it is no lie that is written, that "the beginning of every work is a word."2 Forsooth men do many things with mouth closed, tongue quiet, voice bridled; but yet they do nothing by work of the body, which they have not before spoken in the heart. And through this since there are many sins in inward sayings which are not in outward deeds, whereas there are none in outward deeds, which do not go before in inward sayings, there will be purity of innocence from both, if the door of Continence be set around the inward lips.
follow, did not the Truth deign to walk even with the slow. For He saith, '' But what things go forth from the mouth, go out of the heart;''? as though He should say, When you hear it said **from the mouth,' understand *' from the heart.'? I say both, but I set forth one by the other, The inner man hath an inner mouth, and this the inner ear discerns: what things go forth from this mouth, go out of the heart, and they defile the man. Then having left the term mouth, which may be understood also of the body, He shows more openly what He is saying. ''For from the heart go out,'' saith He, °* evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; these are what defile he man." There is surely no one of those evils, which can be committed also by the members of the body, but that the evil thoughts go before and defile the man, although something hinder the sinful and wicked deeds of the body from following. For if, because power is not given, the hand is free from the murder of a man, is the heart of the murderer forsooth therefore clean from sin? Or if she be chaste, whom one unchaste wishes to commit adultery with, hath he on that account failed to commit adultery with her in his heart? Or if the harlot be not found in the brothel, doth he, who seeks her, on that account fail to commit fornication in his heart? Orif time and place be wanting to one who wishes to hurt his neighbor by a lie, hath he on that account failed already to speak false witness with his inner mouth? Or if any one fearing men, dare not utter aloud blasphemy with tongue of flesh, is he on this account guiltless of this crime, who saith in his heart, '' There is no God.''® Thus all the other evil deeds of
4. For which cause our Lord Himself also with His own mouth saith, '* Cleanse what are within, and what are without will be clean.'?3 And, also, in another place, when He was refuting the foolish speeches of the Jews, in that they spake evil against His disciples, eating with unwashen hands; '' Not what entereth into the mouth," said He, '' defileth the man: but what cometh forth out of the mouth, that defileth the man."4 Which sentence, if the whole of it be taken of the mouth of the body, is absurd. For neither doth vomit defile him, whom food defileth not. Forsooth food entereth into the mouth,
1 Psvexlin4. see Ravi 3 Matt. xxili. 26. 2 Ecclus. xxxvii. 16. LXX. 4 Matt. xv. 11.
5 Matt. xv. 17-20. 6 Ps, xiv. 1.