lest perchance by detracting, by evil speaking, and by leading dances on the holy feast-days, by uttering lewd and base songs from their tongue — whereby they ought to have praised God — they seem thereby to inflict wounds upon themselves. For those unhappy and wretched men, who neither fear nor blush to perform dancings and leapings before the very basilicas of the saints, even if they come to church as Christians, return from church as pagans; because this custom of dancing has remained from the observance of the pagans. And now see what manner of Christian he is, who comes to church to pray, and, neglecting prayer, does not blush to bring forth from his mouth the sacrilegious words of pagans.
Yet see, most beloved brethren, whether it is right that from the mouth of Christians, into which the Body of Christ enters, a lewd song, as it were the poison of the devil, should be brought forth. Above all, whatever you wish others to do to you, do this to others: what you do not wish others to do to you, do to no other. If you are willing to fulfil this thing, you can free your souls from all sin: for even he who does not know letters, let him hold these two sentences in memory, and, with God's help, both can and ought to fulfil them by works. 5. Remnants of pagan superstitions. Superstition on the fifth weekday.
And although I believe that that unhappy custom, which remained from the profane observance of the pagans, has already, by our chastising and by God's inspiration, been removed from these places; yet if you still recognize any performing that most foul filthiness of the little hind or the little stag, chastise them so very harshly that they may repent of having committed a sacrilegious thing. And if, when the moon is darkened, you still know of some crying out, admonish them also, declaring to them that they commit a grievous sin, when they trust that they can by their outcries defend from harm, with sacrilegious daring, the moon, which by God's command is darkened at certain times.
And if you still see some paying vows at springs or at trees, and, as has already been said, seeking out casters of lots and diviners or enchanters, hanging upon themselves or upon their own diabolical amulets and charms, or herbs, or juices; rebuking their so great sins most harshly, say that whoever does this evil loses the sacrament of Baptism. And because we have heard that the devil so ensnares some men or women that on the fifth weekday neither the men do their work, nor the women their spinning;
In the presence of God and his holy angels we bear witness that whosoever shall choose to observe this practice, unless by long and hard penance they amend so great a sacrilege, there where the devil is destined to burn, there shall they too be condemned. For these unhappy and wretched people, who in honour of Jupiter do no work on the fifth day of the week, do not, I am sure, either blush or fear to do that very work on the Lord's day. Therefore whomsoever you shall recognize to be such, chastise them most severely; and, if they will not amend, permit them to come neither to your converse nor to your table. But if they belong to your household, beat them even with scourges, that at least they may fear the wound of the body, who take no thought for the salvation of their own soul.
For we, most beloved brethren, taking thought for your peril, admonish you with a father's solicitude. If you willingly hear us, you will both give us joy and yourselves happily attain to the kingdom. May he himself deign to grant this, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen. SERMON 266. What good Christians are, and what bad ones are. 1. Why we are Christians. He whose every thought is of this life is like the beasts. We rejoice, most beloved brethren, and give thanks to God, that we have been counted worthy to find you safe according to our desires. And truly, brethren, justly and deservedly does a father rejoice, as often as he finds his sons both sound in body and devout in the fear of God.
And since the divine loving-kindness has now granted us a doubled joy, both concerning your salvation and our own, we ought to suggest to your Charity that which pertains to the profit of your souls. It behoves us, most beloved brethren, with the whole intention of the mind to strive to inquire and to understand why we are Christians, and why we bear the cross of Christ upon our brow. Acknowledge and understand, brethren, that we have not been made Christians for this, that we should be anxious only about this present life, as the Apostle says: For if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable (1 Cor. 15:19). For he who thinks of nothing but this present life alone is like the beasts and the cattle.
For what do the beasts seek but to eat and drink, to indulge in wantonness and to sleep? Such are those who think more of their flesh than of their soul; who love gluttony and luxury more than chastity and justice. You ought to know, most beloved brethren, that we have been made Christians for this: that we should ever think of the world to come and of eternal blessedness, and should labour more for the soul than for the body; because our flesh will be in the world for a few years, but our soul, if we act well, will reign in heaven without end. But if—which God forbid—we practise evil works, and labour more for the luxury of the flesh than for the salvation of the soul;
I fear lest, when good Christians receive eternal life with the angels, we—which God avert—should be cast headlong into hell. 2. Who is truly a Christian. It does not suffice us, brethren, that we have received the Christian name, if we have not done Christian works. For it profits him to be called a Christian who loves chastity, flees drunkenness, detests pride, and spurns envy as the poison of the devil.
He is truly a Christian who does not steal, who does not bear false witness, who neither lies nor perjures himself, who does not commit adultery, who comes more frequently to church, who does not taste of his own fruits unless he first offers something of them to God, who renders each year the tithes to be paid out to the poor, who pays honour to his priests, who loves all men as himself, who holds no man in hatred. But he is not only a Christian; rather Christ himself dwells in him, who dreads deceitful scales and double measures as the sword of the devil.
He is a good Christian who, when he comes to church, both presents the offerings that are placed upon the altar, and, according to the strength he has, hands out to the poor money or a morsel of bread; who receives strangers into his house, who washes the feet of his guests, who not only does not stir up quarrels, but even recalls those at discord to concord; who pays honour and the love of true charity to his elders and parents; who himself lives chastely, and both admonishes his sons and neighbours with words and teaches them by example to live chastely and soberly. He is a good Christian who, as often as the holy solemnities draw near, in order to communicate more securely, keeps chastity with his own wife for several days beforehand;
so that with a sincere and secure conscience he may presume to approach the altar of the Lord with a chaste body and a clean heart; who holds the Creed and the Lord's Prayer by heart, and faithfully teaches his sons and daughters, that they too may hold them. 4. Who is unworthy of the Christian name. Behold, brethren, you have heard what good Christians are. And therefore, as much as we can, let us labour with God's help, that the Christian name be not false in us, nor let the sacraments of Christ suffer injury in us; but let us ever both think Christian works in the heart and fulfil them in deed. For what sort of Christian is he who scarcely ever comes to church:
and when he does come, does not stand to pray for his sins, but either pleads lawsuits, or stirs up quarrels and brawls; and, if he finds an occasion, drinks even to the point of vomiting, and after he has made himself drunk, rises up like a frenzied and mad man to bleat in devilish fashion, to dance, to sing filthy and amorous or wanton songs? Such a man does not hesitate to steal, does not fear to commit adultery, to bear false witness, to curse, to perjure. Whether men or women, those who do such works receive the Christian name and the sacraments of Baptism not unto healing but unto judgement; and unless they do penance, they shall perish for ever.
Behold, brethren, we have shown you what good Christians are, and what bad ones are. And therefore imitate those whom you see to be good; but those whom you know to be bad, chastise ever, rebuke, correct; that from your own progress and from their amendment you may be able to have a double reward. Let those, then, who are good, chaste and sober, humble and kindly, with God's help persevere in good works. But let those who do evil works quickly correct themselves, before their souls depart from this light; for if they die without penance, they come not unto life, but are cast headlong unto death. From which punishment may the merciful Lord deign to deliver us, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, God, unto the ages of ages.
Amen. SERMON 267. An exhortation to the Competentes (candidates for baptism). 1. The Competentes are as it were those who seek together. What they seek. Today, most beloved brethren, our lowly discourse is directed especially to the Competentes. And although our admonition befits all the faithful who have been baptized as well, and each one who bears solicitude for the salvation of his soul, we believe, may find in this humble suggestion of ours whence he may profit; yet in a special way we wish to admonish those who now desire the sacraments of Baptism. First, therefore, let these Competentes acknowledge why they are called by this name. Competentes means those who seek together (simul petentes): just as consedentes is nothing else than those sitting together;
and colloquentes is nothing else than those speaking together; concurrentes without doubt are not understood save as those running together: so also the Competentes can be understood as nothing else than those seeking together. Behold, now they have learned why they bear this name of Competentes: but now those who seek together ought to know what they seek. What, then, do they seek who desire the sacraments of Baptism? What indeed, but that they who were vessels of the devil may be counted worthy to be made vessels of Christ? The whole is fulfilled in us spiritually by the ministries of the angels. 2. Who should prepare themselves to obtain this. Let them lay aside hatred. Let them restore what has been unjustly possessed.
Therefore I beg you and admonish you, all you Competentes, and I both attest and announce, that with God's help in these days until Easter you diligently search your consciences, lest there be even one man against whom you keep hatred in your heart. For if he who is to be baptized keeps wrath or hatred in his heart, I know not whether the divine grace can profit in him. For he is about to say: Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:12). And if this is to be in him which he himself prays, what remains but that in the same manner as he himself has forgiven, so may the divine justice forgive him, according to that which the Lord himself said: Give, and it shall be given unto you; forgive, and you shall be forgiven (Luke
6:37-38): and thus he who has not forgiven, himself shuts against himself the gate of the divine mercy, by saying, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive. First, therefore, let the Competentes especially attend to this, that they hold no man in hatred. Secondly, let them question their consciences, and if to anyone, as it is wont to happen, they have done an injury, let them quickly ask pardon. Thirdly, if either by theft, or by false witness, or by any cunning, or by deceitful scales or double measures they have taken anything away from anyone; if, according to the example of Zacchaeus, they cannot restore it fourfold (Luke 19:8), let them restore it at least single.
For I know not with what face he believes he can receive the grace of the divine mercy, who refuses to restore the goods of others which he has wrongfully taken away. 3. Let them do penance for their sins. But perhaps this too the Competentes ought to observe: that if they recognize that, at the devil's persuasion, they have committed theft, murder, or adultery; or if any woman among the Competentes has at any time taken diabolical potions for the purpose of abortion, and has slain her children while yet placed in the womb, or even after they were born (for it is a grave enough sin); for all these things let them, with groaning and compunction, seek the mercy of God, and come to the sacraments of Baptism cleansed through penance.
And before all things, let whosoever see that they have these faults observe this: that they keep chastity both before Baptism, and after Baptism guard themselves from pleasure for no small time. 4. What they ought to avoid, lest through abortion they be cast out from the Church. Let them flee the poison of envy, lest they seem to be imitators of the devil, of whom it is written: Through the envy of the devil death entered into the world; and they that are of his part imitate him (Wisdom 2:24-25). Let them strive also to avoid pride, through which the devil himself fell: for Christ, whom they desire to follow, was meek and humble of heart; and greatly to be feared is that which is written: God resists the proud, but to the humble he gives grace (James 4:6).
Let them also bring forth no lie out of their mouth, because of that which is written: You will destroy all that speak a lie (Ps. 5:7); and again: The mouth that lies slays the soul (Wisdom 1:11). Let them abstain not only from perjury, but even from swearing at all: for he who said this is not commended: A man that swears much shall be filled with iniquity, and the scourge shall not depart from his house (Sir. 23:12). Let them also take but little wine in these days, and when the days of Easter shall come, let them with great caution guard themselves from surfeiting and drunkenness; lest perchance that which was cleansed and enlightened through the sacrament of Baptism, if surfeit creep in, be darkened through intemperance.
And therefore, even if anyone through hostile friendship should wish to compel them to drink, let them by all means refuse, and never at all yield; but let them take, in food or in drink, what befits and is expedient for Christians. And since the womb of Mother Church, by Christ's inspiration, has conceived all the Competentes, let them practise nothing unjust or dishonourable; lest perchance by doing evil they shake the maternal bowels, and before the lawful birth Holy Mother cast them forth as it were in miscarriage: but rather let all the Competentes be kindly, humble, meek, sober;
so that, coming together in lawful order to the sacrament of saving Baptism, they may be turned from goats into lambs, be transferred from the left to the right, and among those who shall be on the right hand, happily hear that desirable voice: Come, blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34). 5. The duty of the sponsors. Both the sponsors and those received make a covenant with Christ. If, according to its custom, your Charity attend diligently, you can recognize that our admonition, though it was spoken to the Competentes, can nevertheless befit all the baptized faithful.
And therefore let us who long ago were reborn in Christ furnish to those who are to be baptized an example of holy conversation in all things; that if they choose to imitate us, they may not be drawn through the broad and spacious way unto death, but through the narrow and strait way be counted worthy to come unto life. And therefore not only by examples, but also by words, you ought to admonish them unto every good work: but especially those who desire to receive sons or daughters with religious love, let them not cease, both before they are baptized and after they have been baptized, to admonish and teach them concerning chastity, humility, sobriety and peace, and let them acknowledge that they are their sureties.
For on their behalf they answer that they renounce the devil, his pomps and his works. And therefore both those who receive and those who are received—that is, both the fathers and the children—let them strive to keep the covenant which they inscribe with Christ in the sacrament of Baptism: nor let them ever covet anything of the pomps of the devil or the luxurious delights of this world; so that, with God's help, both those who receive sons, if they live chastely and justly, and those who are received, if they choose to imitate them, may, as we believe, alike come to the eternal rewards: through the bounty of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen. SERMON 268. On keeping the commandments of God.
1. In keeping the commandments of God, disciple and teacher should equally consent. He who does not keep them shudders at life. Since it befits us by our office to speak, and befits you by your devotion to hear, what can befall both parties so necessary and so fitting, as that what is religiously spoken and devoutly heard should be held fast by befitting observance? For if not to be silent about religious things is gain, and to be silent is loss; how much more excellent, then, can the gains be that arise, when whatever is both learned and held from the heavenly teachings is shown forth by the effect of the deed? For the same cause binds both the speaker and the hearer, that the progress of each may be sealed by the testimony of deeds.
And although the office of the teacher and of the learner be dissimilar; yet the obedience to the holy laws ought to be equal in both: that they may be joined by deeds who are separated by offices; that they may be coupled by work who are diverse in name; and those whom titles separate from one another, may the observance of the precepts faithfully and devoutly join together. Wherefore it comes to pass that the act of each is diverse, but the necessary effect of observance is equal in both: that in both there may conspire an assent of deeds, in whom the sound is diverse in words. For in the teacher it is a grievous case to speak and not to do, to command and not to observe; but in the learner, to be willing to hear what he is unwilling to fulfil; indeed to lend his ears to hearing, and to turn his will away from the work.
But he who does what he teaches, and who fulfils what he commands, is declared greatest in the heavenly places by the Lord's sentence (Matt. 5:19). Yet he who neglects what he learns, and who despises what he hears, stands guilty of his salvation; because he despised the things to be observed, and did not shun the perils. For he loves death who keeps not the precepts of life; and he shudders at life who, with a despairing mind, frequents the sins owed to death. For as by the observance of the law life is acquired, so by contempt death is found by the obstinate, the Lord saying: If you will enter into life, keep the commandments (Matt. 19:17).
For thus the perfect teacher is free from the learner whom he has taught, so that the disciple who despises will be without excuse, who learned what was to be done, and despised it. For the teacher, on the contrary, is more grievously afflicted, and we are punished by the example of the obedient disciple, who handed on to others things to be done which he himself did not do; so that he could not learn even from the disciples whom he taught; so that from those to whom he had handed on the mastery of doctrine, he might borrow the example of deeds. For perfection does not consist in the knowledge of the laws, since it is written: For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified (Rom. 2:13). For neither, I say, is he religious and holy who knows the law while deeds are lacking;
since it is more expedient to do than to teach and not to do; because it is grievous to teach and not to do. 2. The kindness of God toward man, whom he allures to himself both by threats and by promises, whom he punishes unwillingly. Man merits from that which he wills.—You are my friends, he says, if you do what I command you (John 15:14). O great goodness of God, to whom, since we ought to render obediences on account of our condition—as servants to the Lord, bondmen to God, subjects to the Mighty One, slaves to the Redeemer—yet he promises us the rewards of friendship, that he may extort from us the due obediences of servitude: that those whom he sees unwilling to serve of their own accord, he may be able to invite by the promises of his benefits;
and those whose wills he sees estranged from himself, their minds he may make his own by the largesses of rewards! For why does he frequently either invite by reward, or terrify by punishment, except that by the counsel of his kindness he may take counsel for the man formed by himself, and provide for the man redeemed; that he who is not terrified by punishment may be invited by reward; and he whom fear cannot recall from sin, the kindness of promises may recall? For he desires to succour even the guilty; he longs to have mercy on sinners. If anyone shall have sinned, let him bring forth worthy fruits of penance. For unwillingly does he take vengeance upon the guilty, if they despise the indulgence of the merciful God. For he loves that sinners be corrected, who from the beginning established men unto life, not unto death.
For he himself brings destruction upon himself, who despises the counsel of the healing Lord. Return to me, he says, and I will return to you (Mal. 3:7): and again: I will not the death of him that dies; only let him return and live (Ezek. 18:32). The Lord wills not that death lord it over anyone, wills not that man be led into punishment, whom he established unto life. But man himself makes himself worthy of death, who has not obeyed the law. He hates life who has despised the divine discipline. For when the Lord showed man what he would and what he would not have—things which to the one who observes bring life, to the one who despises bring death. For thus it cannot come to pass that from contempt of life anything should arise, just as from observance death cannot come to be;
so that now man may merit whatever he has willed, and be judged from that which he has merited: and this whole matter rests in the will of man, who has found for himself, from the quality of his life, the merit that he might have. Wherefore, these things being carefully weighed—that is, whence salvation and whence peril arises—let us with diligent observance hold fast the advantages of salvation, and as provident men let us beware the disadvantages of perils from contempt of the law: that while, holding fast to prosperity and repelling adversity, we are found in the sight of the Lord, we may by him, with all the saints, be rewarded unto the eternal ages. Amen. SERMON 269. An exhortation to hold and guard charity.
This admonition also shows that no one will ever be able in truth to excuse himself that he cannot have true charity. We have also believed that some sentences from a homily of holy Augustine, which he wrote concerning charity, should, as has seemed to us opportune, be inserted into this sermon. 1. The possession of charity is sweet and its acquisition easy, which the Holy Spirit pours into the hearts of all Christians. Charity is unable to keep company with cupidity. The sweetness of charity. That we so frequently instil into you the good of true charity, most beloved brethren,
that above all is what makes it, because it is the chief and special commandment of the Lord himself, and there is nothing that can be held more sweetly, and, with God's help, be fulfilled more easily or more happily. For the matter is transacted in our soul; in which if the will admit nothing of evil, iniquity knows not to find a place; and where, if the root of all evils, cupidity, has not been, the root of all goods, charity, cannot be lacking. The first and singular cause of the divine mercy is this, that through the Holy Spirit charity itself is so poured forth into the hearts of all Christians (Rom.
5:5), that, if they will, they may guard it continually, and be satiated unceasingly by its sweetness. And since contraries are wont to be healed by contraries, and nothing is so adverse or contrary to charity, which is the foundation of all goods, as cupidity, which is the root of all evils, and these two can in no wise be together; because indeed sweetness accords not with bitterness, nor light with darkness, nor life with death: whosoever recognizes the root of cupidity ruling within himself, let him implore the help of God, that he may be able to root out this cupidity, and to plant charity. For he who has faithfully done this will fulfil all the precepts of God with joy and exultation;
because as often as any bitterness of the world befalls him, the sweetness of charity will by no means permit it to prevail in him, and thus true charity instils into him the sweetness of all heavenly goods, so that it may make him patiently bear the bitterness of earthly things. The second cause is that so light is the burden of charity, that it is wont not to press down but to lift up. For he who wills to keep it, as he received it from Christ, with his help, will be able to feel no weariness either in running with his feet or in working with his hands, nor to labour by bearing any heavy burdens upon his shoulders: because as long as he exercises himself in any hard works for the love of charity, the sweetness of that love itself does not suffer him to labour;
because whatever is grievous to one not loving, is sweet and light to one loving. 2. The pursuits and works of charity. Let each one, therefore, hold a good will, and love all men as himself; and what he wishes to be done to him by others, this let him wish to be done to others. Let him pray for the good, that they may be guarded by the Lord; for the middling, that they may become better; for the bad, that they may quickly correct themselves: and in all sinners let him hold their vices in hatred rather than the men themselves; and after the manner of good physicians, let him hate the disease, not the sick man. For he who, in sinners or in any of his enemies, hates the men themselves rather than their vices, either desires them to be punished in the present, or to be burned up in the future in eternal fire.