On the Contemplative Life 53

Latin original · 10 verses · some words can be tapped for a gloss

53:1

1. a Quæsistis quantum a veris virtutibus virtutum similitudines distent. Non dico quantum a medicamento venenum: quia medicamentum ita corpus aliquoties sanat, ut id defendere a mortis necessilate non valeat, et venenum non auferri facit vitam corpori, quasi auferenda non esset, nisi fuisset acceptum, sed accelerat corporis mortem, quod erat aliquanto diutius forte victurum. Sed plane dico a veris virtutibus tantum similitudines distare virtutum, quantum distat a veritate mendacium: quia et similitudo virtutis, quae videtur virtus esse, b cum virtus non sit, nihil est c aliud quam mendacium; et ideo non est virtus dicenda, sed vitium.

1. You have asked how greatly the likenesses of virtues differ from true virtues. I do not say how greatly poison differs from medicine: because medicine sometimes so heals the body that it cannot defend it from the necessity of death, and poison does not cause life to be taken from the body as though it were not to be taken away had it not been received, but hastens the body's death, which would perhaps have lived somewhat longer. But plainly I say that the likenesses of virtues differ as much from true virtues as a lie differs from truth: because the likeness of a virtue, which seems to be a virtue, since it is not a virtue, is nothing other than a lie; and therefore it is not to be called a virtue, but a vice.

一、你們曾問美德的虛像與真美德相差多少。我不說毒藥與藥物相差多少：因為藥物有時雖醫好身體，卻不能保它脫離必死的命運，而毒藥並非使生命從身體被奪去、彷彿生命本不該被奪去（若未服下毒藥的話），乃是加速身體的死亡，那身體本或可再多活些時候。但我明明地說，美德的虛像與真美德相差，正如謊言與真理相差那麼遠：因為美德的虛像，看似美德，既然並非美德，便無非是謊言；因此不當稱為美德，乃當稱為惡習。

53:2

Et vera virtus est veritas, cui qui amanter adhaeserit, a peccati morte resuscitatus, mori ultra non poterit; nisi cum ab ea depravata voluntate recesserit. Sicut econtrario virtutis simulatio, quae est, ut dixi, mendacium veritati contrarium, animam separat a Deo vita sua, non interituram, sed d in supplicio, quæ est illius mors, pœnaliter sine fine victuram: Scriptura dicente: Os quod mentitur occidit animam (Sap. I, 11 ). Ac per hoc sicut virtus animam e sibi veraciter inhaerentem, si fuerit vera, justificat; ita simulata condemnat. Et quid f justificatio animæ, nisi ejus est vita perpetue beata ac beate perpetua ? Sicut con-.

And true virtue is truth, and whoever cleaves to it with love, once raised again from the death of sin, will be able to die no more, unless he should withdraw from it through a corrupted will. So, on the contrary, the counterfeit of virtue, which is, as I have said, a lie opposed to truth, separates the soul from God, who is its life; and that soul, not destined to perish but to live on penally without end in punishment, which is its death, is what Scripture means when it says: 'The mouth that lies slays the soul' (Wisdom 1:11). And therefore, just as virtue, if it be true, justifies the soul that truly clings to it, so the counterfeit condemns it. And what is the justification of the soul but its perpetually blessed and blessedly perpetual life? Just as, on the contrary —

真實的德行就是真理；凡以愛心緊緊依附真理的人，一旦從罪的死亡中復活，便不能再死，除非他憑著敗壞的意志離棄了真理。反之，德行的假象，正如我所說，乃是與真理相反的謊言，它使靈魂與作為其生命的神分離；這靈魂並非要歸於消滅，而是要在刑罰中懲罰性地永無止境地存活——這刑罰就是它的死亡，正如經上所說：「說謊的口殺害靈魂」（智慧書一11）。因此，正如德行若是真實，就稱那真實依附它的靈魂為義，照樣，假冒的德行就定它的罪。靈魂的稱義不就是它那永遠蒙福、又蒙福永存的生命嗎？正如反之——

53:3

demnatio animæ poena ejus est sentienda, quae mors probatur, et ipsa perpetua. 2. Itaque dupliciter rea est anima, si et bonum non faciat unde spiritualiter vivat, et appetat similitudinem boni, sub qua male vivat et lateat. Su. perbus vult- g se credi constantem, prodigus liberalem h, avarus diligentem, temerarius fortem, inhumanus parcum, gulosus humanum, ignavus quietum, timidus cautum. i Impudentia fiduciæ sibi nomen ascribit, procacitas appellationem libertatis i obtendit, eloquentiam fingit verbositas, et curiositatis malum sub studii spiritualis colore delitescit.

— the condemnation of the soul is its punishment, which must be felt, which is proved to be death, and that too perpetual. 2. Thus the soul is doubly guilty if it both fails to do the good by which it might live spiritually, and craves a semblance of the good under which it may live wickedly and lie hidden. The proud man wishes to be believed steadfast, the prodigal generous, the greedy diligent, the rash brave, the inhuman thrifty, the glutton sociable, the lazy peaceable, the fearful cautious. Shamelessness ascribes to itself the name of confidence, impudence puts forward the title of liberty, mere wordiness feigns eloquence, and the evil of curiosity lurks under the color of spiritual zeal.

——靈魂的定罪就是它必須感受的刑罰，這刑罰被證實為死亡，且是永遠的。二、所以靈魂有雙重的罪：若它既不行那能使它在靈裡存活的善，又貪戀善的假象，藏身其下而過邪惡的生活。驕傲的人願人信他堅定，揮霍的人願人信他慷慨，貪婪的人願人信他勤勉，魯莽的人願人信他勇敢，無情的人願人信他節儉，貪食的人願人信他好客，怠惰的人願人信他安靜，膽怯的人願人信他謹慎。無恥把自信之名歸於自己，放肆假借自由之稱，空洞的多言偽裝為口才，好奇之惡則藏身於屬靈熱心的色彩之下。

53:4

Hæc etsi possunt ingenio humano discerni, tamen sine dono Dei, quantum mihi videtur, nec virtutes possunt appeti k vel haberi; nec earum similitudines, quae sunt vitia virtutes imitantia, declinari: in tantum, ut infidelibus nihil profuisse credamus, etiamsi sunt aliquas per corpus operati virtutes, quod 1 eas nec a Deo suo se accepisse crediderunt, nec ad eum qui est finis bonorum omnium referre voluerunt. Et quid dico, nihil eis profuerunt? imo etiam nocuerant, dicente m Apostolo: Omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est (Rom XIV, 22). Non dixit, Omne quod non est ex fide, nihil est;

Although these things can be discerned by human ingenuity, yet without the gift of God, as it seems to me, neither can virtues be desired or possessed, nor can their semblances — which are vices imitating virtues — be avoided; so much so that we believe nothing has profited unbelievers, even if they have worked certain virtues through the body, because they neither believed that they had received them from their God, nor were willing to refer them to him who is the end of all good things. And why do I say these things profited them nothing? Nay, they have even harmed them, since the Apostle says: 'Everything that is not of faith is sin' (Romans 14:23). He did not say, 'Everything that is not of faith is nothing';

這些事雖然能憑人的才智加以辨別，然而依我看來，若沒有神的恩賜，人既不能渴慕或擁有德行，也不能避開德行的假象——就是那些模仿德行的惡習；以致我們相信，這些對不信的人毫無益處，縱然他們藉著身體行出了某些德行，因為他們既不相信這些是從他們的神領受的，也不肯將之歸給那作為一切美善終極的神。我為何說這些對他們毫無益處呢？不，反倒有害，正如使徒所說：「凡不出於信心的都是罪」（羅馬書十四23）。他並沒有說：「凡不出於信心的都是虛無」；

53:5

sed dicendo, Omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est, declaravit quod omnia bona aut ex fide gesta virtutes sunt, quae profecto justificant; aut si fuerint sine fide, non sunt aliqua bona credenda, sed vitia; quæ non juvant suos operarios, sed condemnant, inflatosque præcipitant, atque a finibus aeternae salutis eliminant. 3. Sed quid ego u haec de infidelibus, unde nullus ambigere videtur, exaggero? cum sanctus Apostolus ctiam lideles quosdam qui, credentes in Deum, non secundum Deum, sed secundum hominem vivunt, carnales nominet, dicens: Et ego, fratres, cum venissem ad vos, non vobis potui loqui quasi spiritualibus, sed quasi carnalibus: nondum enim poteratis;

but by saying, 'Everything that is not of faith is sin,' he declared that all good deeds done out of faith are virtues, which indeed justify; whereas if they be without faith, they are not to be believed any good at all, but vices, which do not help those who do them, but condemn them, and casting them down puffed up, drive them out from the bounds of eternal salvation. 3. But why do I labor this point about unbelievers, about which no one seems to doubt? when the holy Apostle calls even certain faithful — who, though believing in God, live not according to God but according to man — carnal, saying: 'And I, brethren, when I came to you, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal: for you were not yet able;'

乃是藉著說「凡不出於信心的都是罪」，宣告凡出於信心所行的善事都是德行，這德行確實使人稱義；但若沒有信心，這些就不可信為任何美善，乃是惡習，它們對行它們的人毫無助益，反倒定他們的罪，使他們在自高中跌倒，並將他們從永遠救恩的境界中驅逐出去。三、但我為何在這人人似乎都不懷疑的不信者之事上多費唇舌呢？因為聖使徒甚至稱某些信徒——他們雖信神，卻不照著神，乃照著人而活——為屬肉體的，說：「弟兄們，我從前到你們那裡去的時候，不能把你們當作屬靈的人，只得把你們當作屬肉體的人，因為你們還不能領受；」

53:6

sed nec adhuc quidem potestis, adhuc enim estis carnales (/ Cur. III, i, 2), Et tanquam quaereremus quid carnales velit intelligi, secutus adjunxit: Cum enim sit inter vos zelus et contentio, nonne carnales estis, et secundum hominem ambulatis (Ibid., 5) ? Quid potest his duabus animi pestibus inveniri deterius, zelo et contentione, quibus carnales, qui secundum hominem vivunt, eliam in hac vita torquentur: cum et contentio hæreticos reddat, et zelus imitatores diaboli, paradisum primis hominibus invidentis efficiat? Ac sic, quando fideles justilia, pietate, misericordia, mansuetudine, humilitate, innocentia caeterisque virtutibus gaudent;

'but neither are you yet able, for you are still carnal' (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). And as though we were asking what he means by 'carnal,' he went on to add: 'For whereas there is among you envying and contention, are you not carnal, and walk according to man?' (Ibid. 3). What worse can be found than these two plagues of the soul, envy and contention, by which the carnal, who live according to man, are tormented even in this life? — since contention makes men heretics, and envy makes them imitators of the devil, who grudged paradise to the first human beings. And thus, when the faithful rejoice in justice, piety, mercy, gentleness, humility, innocence, and the other virtues;

「就是現在還是不能，因為你們仍是屬肉體的」（哥林多前書三1-2）。彷彿我們在問「屬肉體的」是何意，他接著補充說：「你們中間既有嫉妒、紛爭，這豈不是屬肉體、照著人的樣子行嗎？」（同上3）。靈魂這兩樣瘟疫——嫉妒與紛爭——還有什麼比它們更壞的呢？照著人而活的屬肉體之人，甚至在今生就因它們受折磨；因為紛爭使人成為異端，嫉妒使人成為魔鬼的效法者，那魔鬼曾嫉妒始祖得享樂園。如此，當信徒以公義、虔誠、憐憫、溫柔、謙卑、無辜並其餘的德行為樂時；

53:7

aut secundum Deum vivunt, II et virtutes veras habere credendi sunt, quae spiritualiter viventes adeptae sanctificanl, et Deo commendant; aut secundum hominem vivunt, et non sunt verae virtutes, sed virtutum similitudines, quae nihil carnaliter viventibus prosunt. 4. Quapropter qui religiose, qui continenter, qui sobrie, qui misericorditer vivit, si Deo, cujus munere ut bene vivat adjuvatur, ascribit, secundum Deum spiritualiter vivit; si vero omnia quae bene facit viribus suis ascribat, quasi etiam sine adjutorio Dei ad bene agendum sibi sufficiat, secundum hominem carnaliter vivit: et ideo aut bene non vivit, aut nihil ei proderit quidquid boni propter homines facit:

they are either to be believed to live according to God and to have true virtues, which, when attained by those living spiritually, sanctify them and commend them to God; or they live according to man, and these are not true virtues but semblances of virtues, which profit nothing to those living carnally. 4. Wherefore he who lives religiously, who lives continently, soberly, mercifully, if he ascribes it to God, by whose gift he is helped to live well, lives spiritually according to God; but if he ascribes all that he does well to his own powers, as though he were sufficient for himself to act well even without God's help, he lives carnally according to man: and therefore either he does not live well, or whatever good he does for the sake of men will profit him nothing.

那麼，他們或是當被信為照著神而活、擁有真實的德行——這德行被屬靈生活的人所獲得，便使他們成聖，並把他們薦於神；或是他們照著人而活，那些就不是真實的德行，乃是德行的假象，對屬肉體生活的人毫無益處。四、所以，凡虔誠地、節制地、清醒地、憐憫地生活的人，若把這歸給神——他能行善乃是蒙神的恩賜得幫助——他就是照著神在靈裡而活；但他若把自己一切的善行都歸給自己的力量，彷彿即使沒有神的幫助，他自己也足以行善，他就是照著人在肉體裡而活：因此他或是活得不好，或是他為人所行的一切善事對他毫無益處：

53:8

quia humanis laudibus delectatus, hic jam temporalem mercedem recipit suorum operum, quæ temporaliter ferit. Igitur ille secundum hominem vivit, a qui secundum seipsum vivit, quia et ipse homo est, et secundum seipsum vivit; qui si potuerit esse cum quibus vult, pergit quo vult, dormit quando et quandiu vult, loquitur quæ vult et ubi vult, manducat et bibit quando, et quod vult, et quantum vult; ridet b ac jocatur inter quos vult: postremo quidquid naribus suave est, quidquid tactui blandum, quidquid oculis delectabile, quidquid cæteris sensibus carnis suæ jucundum, exercet ac sequitur qualiter vult, qui omnia licita vel a illicita carnaliter vult.

because, delighting in human praises, he here already receives the temporal reward of his works, which he performs for a time. Therefore he lives according to man who lives according to himself; for he too is a man, and lives according to himself: who, if he can be with whom he wishes, goes where he wishes, sleeps when and as long as he wishes, says what he wishes and where he wishes, eats and drinks when, and what he wishes, and as much as he wishes; laughs and jests among whom he wishes; in short, whatever is pleasant to the nostrils, whatever soothing to the touch, whatever delightful to the eyes, whatever agreeable to the other senses of his flesh, he pursues and follows however he wishes — he who wills all things, lawful or unlawful, carnally.

因為他喜愛人的稱讚，就已在此地領受了他工作的暫時賞賜，這工作他只暫時做著。所以，凡照著自己而活的人，就是照著人而活；因為他也是人，且照著自己而活：他若能與所願的人在一起，就往所願之處去，按自己所願的時候、所願的長久而睡，說自己所願的、在所願之處說，按自己所願的時候、所願之物、所願之量而吃喝；在所願之人中間嬉笑戲謔；總之，凡使鼻孔愉悅的、觸覺舒適的、眼目悅人的、其餘肉體感官覺得快意的，他都隨己意去追逐跟從——他乃是按肉體貪戀一切，無論合法或不合法。

53:9

Qui autem secundum Deum vivit, non quod eum carnaliter delectat, sed quod spirilualiter ædificat facit, et omnia desideria carnis spiritualis desiderii delectatione compescit, futura præsentibus anteponit, carnem spiritui subdit, et quidquid cupit aut agit, non vult ex sua, sed d ex Dei sui voluntate procedcre, cui pia.. cere totis viribus concupiscit. 5. Itaque, si utcunque jam claruit, quod virtutes veras non videantur habere qui simulant;

But he who lives according to God does not do what delights him carnally, but what builds him up spiritually, and restrains all the desires of the flesh by the delight of spiritual desire; he sets future things before present, subjects the flesh to the spirit, and whatever he longs for or does, he wishes it to proceed not from his own will, but from the will of his God, whom he longs to please with all his strength. 5. So then, if it has now somehow become clear that those who feign do not seem to have true virtues;

但凡照著神而活的人，所行的不是肉體所喜悅的，乃是在靈裡造就人的；他以屬靈渴慕的喜樂約束肉體一切的私慾，將未來置於現今之上，使肉體服從心靈，並且凡他所渴望或所行的，他都願其不出於自己的意志，乃出於他神的旨意，他竭盡全力渴望討神的喜悅。五、所以，倘若現在已大致顯明，那些假冒的人似乎並不擁有真實的德行；

53:10

et illi simulantqui non ex fide, aut non propter Deum, sed propter homines tantum boni aliquid operantur, eleemosynis ac jejuniis, vel abstinentiæ cæterisque bonis operibus serviendo, non ut boni fiant, sed ut se bonos hominibus fingant, nec ad recipiendam sempiternam mercedem, sed ad comparandam gloriam e poputarem: videamus nunc quibus præcedentibus causis et subsequentibus incrementis nasci soleant vitia, vel augeri; et quibus, adjuvante f Deo, I remediis possint velut quibusdam medicamentis imminui vcl sanari.

and they feign who do some good not out of faith, or not for God's sake but only for men's sake, by giving alms and fasting, or by practicing abstinence and the other good works, not that they may become good, but that they may pretend to men to be good, and not to receive the everlasting reward but to win popular glory: let us now see by what preceding causes and following increases vices are wont to be born or increased; and by what remedies, with God's help, they can, as by certain medicines, be diminished or healed.

而那些假冒之人，乃是不出於信心，或不為神的緣故，乃單為人的緣故行某些善事，他們藉著施捨、禁食，或操練節制並其餘的善行，不是為要成為良善，乃是為要在人前裝作良善，不是為要領受永遠的賞賜，乃是為要博取眾人的榮耀：如今讓我們來看，惡習通常因哪些在先的原因和隨後的增長而生發或加增；又靠神的幫助，藉哪些補救，如同某些藥物一般，可使惡習減退或得醫治。

← ch. 52ch. 54 →

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