but with what utter madness, do the Mani- command and pattern how they ought to be
388 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it may be holy and unspotted. So,'' saith he, there will remain for ever punishment for their crime: for the free there will no more remain for ever either crime or punishment: but the good substances, spirit and flesh, will continue for ever, which God, Who is good, and incapable of change, created good although capable of change. But they will continue having been changed for the better, never from this time to be changed for the worse: all evil being utterly destroyed, both what man hath unjustly done, and what he hath justly suffered. And, these two kinds of evil perishing utterly, whereof the one is of iniquity going before, the other of unhappiness following after, the will of man will be upright without any depravity. There it will be clear and plain to all, what now many of the faithful believe, few understand, that evil is not a substance: but that, as a wound in a body, so in a substance, which hath made itself faulty, it hath begun to exist, when the disease hath commenced, and ceaseth to exist in it, when the healing hath been perfected. Therefore, all evil having arisen from us, and having been destroyed in us, our good also having been increased and perfected unto the height of most happy incorruption and immortality, of what kind shall either of our substances be? forasmuch as now, in this corruption and mortality, when as yet "'the corruptible body weigheth down the soul;"'? and, what the Apostle saith, 'the body is dead by reason of sin;''? yet the same himself beareth such witness unto our flesh, that is, to our lowest and earthly part, as to say, what I made mention of a little above, ''No one ever hated his own flesh."'3 And to add straightway, '' but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ the Church.''
husbands also ought to love their own wives, as their own bodies. Whoso loveth his own wife, loveth himself.''> Then he added, what we have already made mention of, *' For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it; as also Christ the Church." ® What saith the madness of most impure impiety in answer to these things? What say ye in answer to these things, ye Manichees; ye who wish to bring in upon us, as if out of the Epistles of the Apostles, two natures without beginning, one of good, the other of evil: and will not listen to the Epistles of the Apostles, that they may correct you from that sacrilegious perverseness? As ye read, '' The flesh lusteth against the spirit,'7 and, '' There dwelleth not in my flesh any good;''® so read ye, *' No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ the Church.' As ye read, *'I see another law in my members, opposed to the law of my mind;"' * so read ye,
As Christ loved the Church, so also ought men to love their own wives, as their own bodies.'' Be not ye crafty in the former witnesses of Holy Scripture, and deaf in this latter, and ye shall be correct in both. For, if ye receive the latter as right is, ye will endeavor to understand the former also as truth is.
23. The Apostle has made known to us certain three unions, Christ and the Church, husband and wife, spirit and flesh. Of these the former consult for the good of the latter, the latter wait upon the former. All the things are good, when, in them, certain set over by way of pre-eminence, certain made subject in a becoming manner, observe the beauty of order. Husband and wife receive command and pattern how they ought to be one with another. The command is, '' Let wives be subject unto their own husbands, as unto the Lord; because the husband is the © head of the wife;"*™ and, '*' Husbands, love ~ your wives." But there is given a pattern, © unto wives from the Church, unto husbands. from .Christ: <° As :thea,Church:?/4saith wher 'is subject unto Christ, so also wives unto their own husbands in all things.'' In like manner also, having given command to husbands to love their own wives, he added a pattern, ''As Christ loved the Church.'? But husbands he exhorted to it from a lower matter also, that is, from their own body: not — only from a higher, that is, from their Lord. —
22. I say not, therefore, with what error, but with what utter madness, do the Manichees attribute our flesh to some, I know not what, fabled '' race of darkness," + which they will have hath had its own nature without any beginning ever evil: whereas the true teacher exhorts men to love their own wives by the pattern of their own flesh, and exhorts them unto this very thing by the pattern also of Christ and the Church. Lastly, we must call to mind the whole place itself of the Epistle of the Apostle, relating greatly unto the matter in hand. '' Husbands,'' saith he, '" love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself up for it, that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of the water in the word: that He might set forth unto Himself a glorious Church, not having
6 Eph v. 29. 9 Eph. v. 29.
7 Gal. v. 17. 5 Eph. v. 25-28. 10 Rom. Vil. 23. 8 Rom. vii. 18. 1x Eph. v. 22-28.
1 Wisd. ix. 15. 2 Rom. viii, ro. 3 Eph, v. 29. 4 See De Ag. Christ. 8 4.