On Continence

Contents

Reading pages: 1–16 · 17–28 · 29–32

1. 1Augustine begins by showing from Scripture that continence, whether in celibacy or in marriage, is a gift of God.
2. 2The 'door of continence' of Psalm 141:3 guards the mouth of the heart, not only the bodily mouth.
3. 3Consent in the heart is already an inner 'word', which precedes every outward sin, so continence must guard the heart's lips.
4. 4Christ's sayings on inner cleanness show that sins are committed in the heart by consent, even when the body is prevented from acting.
5. 5Bodily chastity is kept safe when continence guards the heart against consent, though in this life the struggle between flesh and spirit continues.
6. 6Continence fights evil desire now; the good will be perfected only when concupiscence itself ends, as Paul's words in Romans 7 show.
7. 7The law alone reveals and even strengthens concupiscence; grace gives the delight by which continence overcomes it.
8. 8Paul's call not to let sin reign means refusing to obey concupiscence, which continence does under grace.
9. 9The works of the flesh in Galatians 5 are the enemies to be put to death, and continence, the last fruit of the Spirit, is the chief weapon.
10. 10To keep continence one must not trust one's own strength, for to hope in oneself is to hope in man and to live according to the flesh.
11. 11In Scripture 'flesh' often means the whole man, so living 'according to the flesh' means living according to oneself rather than according to God.
12. 12Victory over sin comes not from our own strength but from grace and the Spirit of God, who gives continence.
13. 13Continence is also needed against the pride that excuses one's sins instead of confessing them to God.
14. 14Augustine surveys excuses for sin (fate, fortune, the devil) and rejects the Manichaean excuse that blames a defiled divine nature.
15. 15God does not take pleasure in sins, though he permits them; his almighty goodness brings good out of evil by pardon, healing, martyrdom and just punishment.
16. 16God made man able not to sin, so that not sinning would be merit and being unable to sin its reward, as the saints will be at the end.
17. 17Continence turns us from evil and righteousness does good, both aiming at the perfect peace of Christ's return.
18. 18Against the Manichaeans, spirit and flesh are both good; their conflict is a sickness caused by sin, forgiven in baptism and healed by continence.
19. 19The flesh is part of ourselves, not an enemy; only its fault is to be resisted, and at the resurrection it will become spiritual and wholly subject to the spirit.
20. 20In this life we avoid accomplishing evil by refusing consent, but good is fully accomplished only in eternal life, when continence will no longer need to struggle.
21. 21The conflict of flesh and spirit is a division of one nature caused by sin, not a mixture of two natures; evil is not a substance and will be wholly removed.
22. 22Paul's command that husbands love their wives as their own flesh refutes the Manichaean claim that the flesh comes from an evil race of darkness.
23. 23The three ordered pairs of Christ and church, husband and wife, spirit and flesh are all good, against the Manichaean teachings on Christ's flesh, the body and the sexes.
24. 24Augustine answers Manichaean teachings on Christ's flesh, the church, the sexes and the body with Paul's own words.
25. 25The comparison of flesh and church holds: the church is subject to Christ yet, in its carnal members and daily sins, not yet without spot, until final healing.
26. 26Continence that springs from a false faith, from sin, or from injustice (such as refusing the marriage debt) is not the true continence that God gives.
27. 27Abstaining from one's wife in order to pursue adultery by magic is wickedness, not continence; true married continence moderates desire within marriage.
28. 28True continence, a gift from above, governs all desires opposed to wisdom, those of the mind as well as those of the body.
29. 29Paul's command to 'put to death your members on earth' means that continence must put to death the lingering movements of desire by refusing consent and turning thought to things above.
30. 30Paul's warning of God's wrath shows that faith without works does not save; the 'members' to be put to death are the vices dwelling in the members.
31. 31Even the faithful must keep 'putting away' vices by continual continence, for whoever ceases is taken captive again; salvation belongs to those who persevere.
32. 32Every victory of continence is God's gift, so glory belongs to him, as the psalmist learned when he trusted in his own strength.