DE MONA 1 pesti lentiæ 11. 514 Foolish presumption of disowning manhood. way of sinners hath not stood, and in the chair of noisome OPERE wickedness' hath not sat. For if he would meditate in God's CHо- law day and night, there he should find the Apostle Paul RUM. himself, who assuredly professing highest chastity saith, I would that all men were even as I: and yet shews himself ✓ a man, not only in so being, but also in so speaking. For he 1 Cor.13, saith, When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. But why should I mention the Apostle, when concerning our Lord and Saviour Himself they know not what they think who say these things. For of Eph. 4, Whom but Him is it said, Until we come all to unity of faith and to knowledge of the Son of God, to the Perfect Man, to the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ; that we be no longer babes, tossed and carried about with every wind of doctrine, in sleight of men, in cunning craftiness for machi✓ nation of error. With which sleight these persons deceive ignorant people, with which cunning craftiness and machinations of the enemy both they themselves are whirled round, and in their whirling essay to make the minds of the weak which cohere unto them so (in a manner) to spin round with them, that they also may not know where they are. For they Gal. 3, have heard or read that which is written, Whosoever of you 13. 14. 27.28. 16. have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ: where is no Jew nor Greek; no bond nor free; no male nor female. And they do not understand that it is in reference to concu2 Cor. 4, piscence of carnal sex that this is said, because in the inner man, wherein we are renewed in newness of our mind, no sex of this kind exists. Then let them not deny themselves to be men, just because in respect of their masculine sex they work not. For wedded Christians also who do this work, are of course not Christians on the score of that which they have in common with the rest who are not Christians and with the very cattle. For that is one thing that is either to infirmity conceded or to mortal propagation paid as a debt, but another that which for the laying hold of incorrupt and eternal life is by faithful profession signified. That then which concerning not veiling of the head is enjoined to men, in the body indeed it is set forth in a figure, but that it is enacted in the mind, wherein is the image and glory of God, the words themselves The Image of God is in the renewed Mind. 515 OPERE RUM. do indicate: A man indeed, it saith, ought not to veil his DE head, forsomuch as he is the image and glory of God. For MONAwhere this image is, he doth himself declare, where he saith, CHOLie not one to another; but stripping off the old man with Col. 3, his deeds, put ye on the new, which is renewed to the acknow- 9. 10. ledging of God, according to the image of Him who created him. Who can doubt that this renewing takes place in the ✓ mind? But and if any doubt, let him hear a more open sentence. For, giving the same admonition, he thus saith in another place: As is the truth in Jesus, that ye put off con- Eph. 4, cerning the former conversation the old man, him which is 21-24 corrupt according to the lust of deception; but be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, him which after God is created. What then? Have women not this renewal of mind in which is the image of God? Who would say this? But in the sex of their body they do not signify this; therefore they are bidden to be veiled. The · part, namely, which they signify in the very fact of their being women, is that which may be called the concupiscential part, over which the mind' bears rule, itself also subjected to' mens its God, when life is most rightly and orderly conducted. What, therefore, in a single individual human being is the mind and the concupiscence, (that ruling, this ruled; that lord, this subject,) the same in two human beings, man and woman, is in regard of the sex of the body exhibited in a figure. Of which sacred import the Apostle speaks when he2 sacrasays, that the man ought not to be veiled, the woman ought. For the mind doth the more gloriously advance to higher things, the more diligently the concupiscence is curbed from , lower things; until the whole man together with even this now mortal and frail body in the last resurrection be clothed with incorruption and immortality, and death be swallowed 1Cor 15, up in victory. mentum 54. 41. Wherefore, they which will not do right things, let xxxiii. them give over at least to teach wrong things. Howbeit they be others whom in this speech we reprove: but as for those who by this one fault, of letting their hair contrary to apostolic precept grow long, offend and trouble the Church, because when some being unwilling to think of them any thing amiss are forced to twist the manifest words of the OPERE 516 Earnest entreaty to the well-disposed Monks. DB Apostle into a wrong meaning, others choose to defend the MONA- Sound understanding of the Scriptures rather than fawn upon сно- any men, there arise between the weaker and the stronger RUM. brethren most bitter and perilous contentions: which things perchance if they knew, these would correct without hesitation this also, in whom we admire and love all else. Those then we not reprove, but ask and solemnly beseech by the Godhead and the Manhood of Christ and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that they no more put this stumbling-block before the weak for whom Christ died, and aggravate the grief and torment of our heart when we bethink us how much more readily evil men can imitate this evil thing for deceiving of mankind, when they see this in them whom on the score of other so great good we with deserved offices of Christian love do honour. If however, after this admonition, or rather this solemn entreaty of ours, they shall think fit to persevere in the same, we shall do nothing else but only grieve and mourn. This let them know; it is enough. If they be servants of God, they have pity. If they have not pity, I will not say any thing worse. All these things, therefore, in the which peradventure I have been more loquacious than the occupations both of thee and of me could wish, if thou approve the same, make thou to be known to our brethren and sons, on whose behalf thou hast deigned to put this burden upon me: but if ought seem to thee meet to be withdrawn or amended, by reply of your Blessedness I shall know the same. S. AUGUSTINE ON CARE TO BE HAD FOR THE DEAD. From the Retractations, Book ii. Chap. 64. The book, On care to be had for the dead, I wrote, having being asked by letter whether it profits any person after death that his body shall be buried at the memorial of any Saint. The book begins thus: Long time unto your Holiness, my venerable fellow-bishop Paulinus. DE CURA PRO TUIS. i. 1. LONG time, my venerable fellow-bishop Paulinus, have I been thy Holiness's debtor for an answer; ever since thou wrotest to me by them of the household' of our most reli- MORgious daughter Flora, asking of me whether it profit any man after death that his body is buried at the memorial of 1 homisome Saint. This, namely, had the said widow begged of nes. thee for her son deceased in those parts, and thou hadst written her an answer, consoling her, and announcing to her concerning the body of the faithful young man Cynegius, that the thing which she with motherly and pious affection desired was done, to wit, by placing it in the basilica of most blessed Felix the Confessor. Upon which occasion it came to pass, that by the same bearers of thy letter thou didst write also to me, raising the like question, and craving a The date may be conjectured from the order of the Retractations, where this book is mentioned next after the Enchiridion ad Laurentium, which was not finished earlier than A. D. 421. The first two paragraphs of this treatise will be found quoted by Augustine in his Book On Eight Questions Ben. of Dulcitius, Quæst. ii. 2, 3. are extant. CURA PRO TUIS. 518 Prayer may aid the dead, yet each receive after his deeds. DE that I would answer what I thought of this matter, at the same time not forbearing to say what are thine own sentiMOR- ments. For thou sayest that to thy thinking these be no empty motions of religious and faithful minds, which take this care for their deceased friends. Thou addest, moreover, vacare that it cannot be void of effect' that the whole Church is wont to supplicate for the departed: so that hence it may be further conjectured that it doth profit a person after death, if by the faith of his friends for the interment of his body such a spot be provided wherein may be apparent the aid, likewise in this way sought, of the Saints. 10. per corpus 2. But this being the case, how to this opinion that 2 Cor. 5, should not be contrary which the Apostle says, For we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, that each may receive according to the things he hath done by the body, whether good or bad; this, thou signifiest, thou dost not well see. For this apostolic sentence doth before death admonish to be done, that which may profit after death; not then, first, when there is to be now a receiving of that which a person shall have done before death. True, but this question is thus solved, namely, that there is a certain kind of life by which is acquired, while one lives in this body, that it should be possible for these things to be of some help to the departed; and, consequently, it is according to the things done by the body, that they are aided by the things which shall, after they have left the body, be religiously done on their behalf. For there are whom these things aid nothing at all, namely, when they are done either for persons whose merits are so evil, that neither by such things are they worthy to be aided; or for persons whose merits are so good, that of such things they have no need as aids. Of the kind of life, therefore, which each hath led by the body, doth it come, that these things profit or profit not, whatever are piously done on his behalf when he has left the body. For touching merit whereby these things profit, if none have been gotten in this life, it is in vain sought after this life. So it comes to pass as well that not 2 inani- unmeaningly doth the Church, or care of friends, bestow upon the departed whatever of religion it shall be able; as also that, nevertheless, each receiveth according to the things which he hath done by the body, whether it be ter |