parts that beget being bridled by modesty, far as that there be no assent given unto evil
ON CONTINENCE. 381 men, which no motion of the body performs, | that consent takes place, then there goeth out of which no sense of the body is conscious, have their own secret criminals, who are also polluted by consent alone in thought, that is, by evil words of the inner mouth. Into which he (the Psalmist) fearing lest his heart should fall aside, asks of the Lord that the door of Continence be set around the lips of this mouth, to contain the heart, that it fall not aside into evil words: but contain it, by not suffering thought to proceed to consent: for thus, according to the precept of the Apostle, sin reigneth not in our mortal body, nor do we yield our members as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin.' From fulfilling which precept they are surely far removed, who on this account turn not their members to sin, because no power is allowed them; and if this be present, straightway by the motions of their members, as of weapons, they show, who reigneth in them within. Wherefore, so far as is in themselves, they yield their members weapons of unrighteousness unto sin; because this is what they wish, which for this reason they yield not, because they are not able.
of the mouth of the heart what defileth the man. But when through Continence consent is withheld, the evil of the lust of the flesh, against which the lust of the spirit fights, is not suffered to harm.
6. But it is one thing to fight well, which now is, when the strife? of death is resisted; another thing not to have an adversary, which will then be, when death, "'the last enemy,'' 4 shall be destroyed. For Continence also itself, when it curbs and restrains lusts, at once both seeks the good unto the immortality of which we aim, and rejects the evil with which in this mortality we contend. Of the one it is forsooth the lover and beholder, but of the other both the enemy and witness: both seeking what becomes, and fleeing what misbecomes. Assuredly Continence would not labor in curbing lusts, if we had no wishes contrary to what is becoming, if there were no opposition on the part of evil lust unto our good will. The Apostle cries aloud, ''I know,'' saith he, '' that there dwelleth not in meé, thats ins my ilesh; good 2 subor sto will lieth near to me, but to accomplish good I find not.''> For now good can be done, so far as that there be no assent given unto evil lust: but good will be accomplished, when the evil lust itself shall come to an end. And also the same teacher of the Gentiles cries aloud, ''I take pleasure together with the law of God after the inner man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind."®
5. And on this account that, which, the parts that beget being bridled by modesty, is most chiefly and properly to be called Continence, is violated by no transgression, if the higher Continence, concerning which we have been some time speaking, be preserved in the heart. For this reason the Lord, after He had said, '' For from the heart go forth evil thoughts,'' then went on to add what it is that belongs to evil thoughts, *' murders, adulteries," and the rest. He spake not of all; but, having named certain by way of instance, He taught that we are to understand others also, Of which there is no one that can take place, unless an evil thought have gone before, whereby that is prepared within, which is done without, and going forth out of the mouth of the heart already defiles the man, although, through no power being granted, it be not done without by means of the members of the body. When therefore a door of Continence hath been set in the mouth of the heart, whence go out all that defile the man, if nothing such be permitted to go out thence, there followeth a purity, wherein now the conscience may rejoice; although there be not as yet that perfection, wherein Continence shall not strive with vice. But now, so long as ''the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh,''? it is enough for us not to consent unto the evils which we feel inus. But, when
7. This conflict none experience in themselves, save such as war on the side of the virtues, and war down the vices: nor doth any thing storm the evil of lust, save the good of Continence. But there are, who, being utterly ignorant of the law of God, account not evil lusts among their enemies, and through wretched blindness being slaves to them, over and above think themselves also blessed, by satisfying them rather than taming them, But whoso through the Law have come to know them, ('' For through the Law is the knowledge of sin,''" and, '* Lust,"' saith he, '' I knew not, unless the Law should say, Thou shalt not lust after," *) and yet are overcome by their assault, because they live under the Law, whereby what is good is commanded, but not also given: they Jive not under Grace, which gives through the Holy Spirit what is commanded through the Law: unto these the Law therefore entered, that in them the offense might abound. The prohibition in-
3 (Reading vetkos.) 41Cor. xv. 55; ib. 26, 5 Rom. vii. 18. 6 Rom.vii. 22, 23. 7 Rom. iii. 20. 8 Rom. vii. 7, [See R.V.]
t Rom. vi. 12, 13. Gal. v. 17.