Yet I would wish to know: if these men have no wives, and before they are joined in marriage they neither fear nor blush to commit adulteries — would they wish their own betrothed brides, before they come to marriage, to be violated by some adulterers? For since there is no one who would receive this patiently, why does each man not keep faith to his own betrothed, which he desires to be kept to him by her? Why does he wish to take a virgin as wife, when he himself is corrupted? Why does he desire to be joined to a living wife, when through adultery he is himself already dead in his soul; according to that which is written: 'The soul that sins, the same shall die' (Ezek. 18:20)? and that which the Apostle terribly cries out: 'Fornicators God will judge' (Heb. 13:4);
and that other word, 'Neither shall adulterers possess the kingdom of God' (1 Cor. 6:9); and again, 'They are all adulterers; their body is as an oven' (Hos. 7:4)? 3. Fornication is thought to be permitted to men, not to women. Both sexes are held by the same laws. But perhaps some suppose that it is not permitted for women to fornicate before marriage, but that it is permitted for men. These deeds, which must be punished and are exceedingly grave evils, are — what is worse — for this reason committed by many men without any fear of the Lord; because they have so passed into custom among the majority, and are held so cheap or slight, that they are not even reckoned among grave crimes. For in the catholic faith, whatever is not permitted to women is by no means permitted to men either.
For by one price, that is, by the precious blood of Christ, both men and women alike are redeemed: they are called into one faith, and we are gathered together into one body of the Church; alike they receive the sacraments of Baptism, alike they approach the altar to receive the body and blood of Christ, alike to both sexes the precepts are given. Since these things are so, with what face or with what conscience do men alone believe that they can commit with impunity what is not permitted to men and women alike to do? But even those who presume to do this, let them know for certain that if they do not quickly amend themselves, and a fruitful repentance does not come to their aid, and they are thus suddenly snatched from this light; the eternal flame will torment them without any remedy. 4. Concubinage.
It was never permitted. It is more wicked than adultery. And what sort of thing is this, that many of the men do not blush to take concubines to themselves before marriage, whom they dismiss after some years, and thus afterward take lawful wives? For they scheme within themselves, first to seek out from many false accusations and robberies both unjust riches and iniquitous gains; and afterward, against all reason, to take wives more noble than they themselves are, or richer. Behold to how many evils they bind themselves, who wretchedly desire to be slaves not only to lust but also to avarice and covetousness. Wherefore before God and the angels I testify, and I proclaim, that these evils He has always forbidden, and that they were never pleasing to Him:
because especially in Christian times it has never been permitted, and never will be permitted, to have concubines. But, what is worse, many men do this by the law of the forum, not by the law of heaven; not with justice commanding, but with lust ruling. For since the Apostle says to those who have marriages, 'The time is short, and it remaineth that they also who have wives be as though they had none' (1 Cor. 7:29); and that other saying, 'Abstain for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer' (ibid. 7:5): how does he who has commanded chastity to be kept even by those set in marriages permit men to have adulterous concubines? Wherefore again and again with free voice I cry out, that whoever presumes to take a concubine to himself before lawful marriage commits a worse sin than he who commits adultery:
because he who commits adultery still wishes to do so grave an evil secretly, but in public either fears or blushes to commit it; whereas he who has wished to keep a concubine publicly, with most shameless brow, thinks that he may licentiously allow himself an execrable deed while the whole people looks on. 5. It is admitted by many. And therefore it is not punished by excommunication. He who is not a virgin does not merit the nuptial blessing. But perhaps those who are not defiled with this sin say: 'Why are those who do this not suspended from communion?' For so great a crime is by no means avenged by the priests only for this reason — because it is admitted by many. For if one or two or four or five presumed to do these evils;
they both could and ought not only to be suspended from communion, but even to be separated from the converse and banquet of the Christian people, according to that saying of the Apostle, 'With such a one not so much as to take food' (1 Cor. 5:11): yet the multitude of sinners, as has already been said, forbids the priests of the Lord to make distinction among them. Nevertheless good priests do what they can, and with perfect charity they strive to pray and to sigh continually, and pour forth groanings and roarings; that in those among whom, on account of the infinite multitude, they cannot exercise ecclesiastical severity or discipline, they may by admonishing or praying for them be able at some time to rouse them to repentance.
Wherefore again and again I ask and likewise testify, that whoever desires to take a wife, just as he desires to find her a virgin, so let him himself be a virgin until marriage: because if he shall not have been, he will not merit to receive the blessing with his bride; and there is fulfilled in him what is written, 'He would not the blessing, and it shall be put far from him' (Ps. 108:18). Now consider, if the remedy of repentance does not come to his aid, what will become of him, or by what sentence it will be necessary for him to lie subject in the future judgment — he who already in this world was not worthy to receive the blessing with his bride. 6. Adulterers lack faith.
And attend to this also, brethren: if those who have no wives, and either take concubines to themselves or commit adulteries, are in so grave a peril — what do those unhappy men think of themselves who, perhaps having marriages, commit adultery, and with insane fury neither dread the torments of hell nor desire the eternal rewards? For if they had faith, they would surely believe God, and would fear the coming judgment with trembling. For it is proven that they believe men and do not believe God; since publicly, where men see, they fear adulteries; but secretly, where God sees, they fear not at all. If they had any spark of faith whatever, just as they do not permit their servants to sin in their presence;
so neither would they presume to commit adultery in the sight of their Lord. But concerning such men the Holy Spirit cries out through the prophet, 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God' (Ps. 13:1). For it is certain that he does not believe God to exist, who in darkness and in secret does, with God present, those things which he greatly dreads to do publicly with men present: the unhappy man does not know that 'the countenance of the Lord is upon them that do evil, to destroy the remembrance of them from the earth' (Ps. 33:17). 7. Those excuse themselves whom business long separates from their wives. Thereby they condemn themselves. But perhaps someone says: 'Behold, separated from my wife for so many months by compelling business or by the king's command, how can I keep chastity?'
To whom it can most justly be answered, that he should return to his own wife. But when I say this to a merchant, he may say to me that if he abandons his business, he will have nothing to live on. The soldier says, 'If I abandon the army, I incur the king's wrath.' To such men it can truly be said: he fears the king, and therefore does not return to his own wife; he ought to fear God, so as not to touch another's wife. For just as the king can put to death him who returns to his own wife without being ordered, so also God can condemn to perpetual punishment him who, being set far away, commits adultery. I ask you, dearest brethren, if for the necessity of business and the king's command each man is separated from his wife sometimes even for a long time;
why, for the sake of God and one's own soul, is chastity not kept for so long a span of time? Does business then merit, does the king's command merit, that for so many days the man's own wife is not known: and does the love and command of God not merit that another's wife not be touched? But those who keep this for the sake of the gain of trading and the king's command, and disregard keeping it for the sake of God — let those who do such things know that if repentance does not come to their aid, when they begin to stand before the tribunal of Christ, they will not be able to be freed from the evil hearing: but it will be said to them, 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire' (Matt. 25:41). 8. The wantonness of soldiers is restrained.
And what sort of thing is this, that sometimes a most valiant man, advancing to battle, kills perhaps no fewer than ten enemies, and, from that very victory taking some girl from the spoil, while he is joined with her through adultery, his own soul is slain by the sword of sin? And see how great an evil it is, that a man should prove more cruel against himself, killing his own soul through lust, than by carnal victory slaughtering the bodies of his adversaries. Truly it is to be lamented and grieved, that he who, as I have already said, conquered ten adversaries, is overcome by one woman; and he who killed so many enemies in the body, is cut down by one girl in the heart. Truly it is an exceedingly grave evil, that a brave man who is not conquered by the sword should be overcome by lust;
and that soft or flattering things overthrow him whom hard things do not overcome; and that he who disdains to be a captive or slave to men deserves to be a slave to sin; since it is more unworthy to serve in mind than in body, according to that which is written: 'For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also the slave' (2 Pet. 2:19). 9. Conclusion. These things therefore, dearest brethren, if I do not tell you, I shall have to render account for your souls in the day of judgment. But whoever shall wish rather to be angry with me than to amend himself, has no means whereby through ignorance he might excuse himself before the tribunal of the eternal Judge;
so as to say that he was not admonished, nor forbidden from evils, nor roused by most frequent chastisement and admonition to those things which are pleasing to God. But we trust concerning the mercy of the Lord, that He will deign so to inspire any negligent persons whatsoever, that they may be angry rather with themselves or with their own sins than with the priestly remedies: and just as the sick seek health of body from bodily physicians, so may they desire remedies of their souls from spiritual physicians. But we are confident that the divine mercy will grant this, that they will strive so to make us joy over their amendment, that they may deserve happily to attain to the eternal reward with the Lord: our Lord granting it, etc. SERMON 290. On Continence. 1.
The precepts and necessity of continence. The divine law admonishes and exhorts us, dearest brethren, that, shunning the concupiscence of this world, we give heed to wholesome continence; lest the enticement of pleasures lead us through various desires, and, ensnaring us in the noose of death, deliver us into the precipice and the abyss of hell. Wisdom speaks to man, and says: 'Go not after thy lusts, but turn away from thy own will: if thou give to thy soul its desire, it will make thee a joy to thy enemies' (Sir. 18:30-31). For the love of this world begets enmity with God: whence it is written, 'Whosoever will be a friend of this world, is constituted an enemy of God' (James 4:4).
For John, knowing this as an apostle, persuades us and says: 'Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world: if any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of spirit' (1 John 2:15,16). This too his fellow-apostle Paul again admonishes, and says: 'They that buy, let them be as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as if they used it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away' (1 Cor. 7:30,31). Whence the Saviour Himself also shows in His parable, that the riches and pleasures of the age choke the word, so that it bears no fruit (Matt. 13:22):
and elsewhere He commands, saying, 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me' (Matt. 16:24); and again, 'He that doth not renounce,' He says, 'all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple' (Luke 14:33). Considering these things, dearest brethren, weigh how necessary continence is for you, through which, being worthy of the discipleship of Christ, you may be able to come with Him to the everlasting kingdom. 2. In what it consists. But continence and sobriety do not consist in the integrity of the flesh alone; but also in dress and adornment, in life likewise and in morals. For each one ought to be continent from all things unlawful:
but those things which are lawful he ought to use with modesty and sobriety. For it does not befit a Christian, to whom the heavenly kingdom is promised, to gape after the gains of the age; but through continence to live worthily for his own Lord, that he may be able to rejoice with Him forever. He ought to love chastity, and to flee fornication; not to be zealous for avarice, but to be content with food and clothing; not to be proud, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but to think humbly, and to despise the pomp of the world. He ought not to be a boaster and arrogant, not a liar nor injurious, nor double-tongued, not a whisperer nor a detractor:
but he ought to bring forth truth from mouth and heart, to temper his tongue from much speaking, because it is written, 'In much speaking thou shalt not escape sin' (Prov. 10:19); to close his eyes against vanity, to turn his hearing away from buffoonery and falsehood, indeed from all evil speech; not to love loud and boisterous laughter; not gladly to yield his gullet and nostrils to the enticement of sweet foods and pleasant odours, but rather diligently to guard every good and every member of the body, lest they become weapons of iniquity for sin, but rather weapons of power for God to destroy the spiritual enemy (Rom. 6:13). 3. Its chief part, the guarding of the heart. The soldier of Christ ought also, before all things, to preserve his heart with careful guard;
lest perchance boasting exalt it, anger inflame it, envy pierce it, avarice infest it, lust burn it, sadness weigh it down, sloth and idleness burden it: and lest — what is graver than all — heresy rend it through the presumptions of novelties. For he who strives inwardly to keep the hidden things of the heart quiet through continence, assuredly also more easily guards the members of the body outwardly against depraved deeds: for it is written, 'With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because from it life proceeds' (Prov. 4:23); likewise elsewhere, 'Death is set at the entrance of delight'; and the Saviour in the Gospel, 'A good man,' He says, 'out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil' (Matt. 12:35);
and again He says, 'Out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications' (Matt. 15:19). Since therefore, brethren, from the root of the heart come forth fruits whether good or evil; it is necessary that first we cleanse the heart, then that we chastise our flesh through fastings and vigils unto useful labour, lest the lust of the flesh stain the mind. For it is difficult that those living in delights should have a clean heart. Whence the Apostle said, 'I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection; lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway' (1 Cor. 9:27): and again, 'They that are Christ's,' he says, 'have crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences' (Gal. 5:24).
Let us therefore live soberly and piously in this world, awaiting the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and might cleanse to Himself an acceptable people, a follower of good works (Tit. 2:12); that when He shall come, in His majesty with thousands of holy angels, He may render to us, for good labours and holy conversation, the rewards of eternal life, rather than repay everlasting torment for the sloth and pleasure of the present life: because it is truly written of Him, that He shall render to each according to their works (Matt.
16:27) — namely Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns as God, through all the ages of ages. Amen. SERMON 291. On Chastity and Cleanness. 1. The praise of chastity. The uncleanness that is the dwelling-place of the devil — with what regard it is to be curbed. Chastity and cleanness hold a glorious and distinguished place among the other virtues, dearest brethren, because it alone is that which grants clean minds of men to see God. Whence the Truth itself says, 'Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God' (Matt. 5:8): as if on the contrary He should say, 'But those are wretched whose hearts are polluted with carnal concupiscence; for they are plunged into eternal pains.' For chastity is the angelic life.
Chastity with humility will merit the dwelling of the Holy Spirit, which the uncleanness of lusts drives out, as the Scripture says, 'The Holy Spirit will flee from the body that is subject to sins' (Wis. 1:4). Our members ought to be dedicated to God, not to fornication. Let a man set against the desire of his flesh the flames of eternal torments. Let the young man accustom himself to chastity, that he may be worthy of the wisdom of God. Where there is uncleanness of the body, there is the dwelling of the diabolical spirit, which rejoices most greatly in the defilement of our flesh. All uncleannesses displease God, and most of all those which are not natural. 2. What is to be guarded against by turning aside. And so the holy Scripture admonishes us, saying: 'Go not after thy lusts, but turn away from thy own will:
if thou give to thy soul its desires, it will make thee come to be a joy to thy enemies' (Sir. 18:30-31). Of this kind also the most wise Solomon uttered sentences concerning the avoiding of uncleanness, saying: 'The lips of a harlot are a dripping honeycomb, and her throat is smoother than oil; but her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down into death, and her steps penetrate even to hell; they walk not by the path of life, her steps are wandering and untraceable. Now therefore, my son, hear me, and depart not from the words of my mouth: remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the doors of her house' (Prov. 5:3-8).
For he said this not only concerning the uncleanness of harlots, but also concerning every lust of the flesh, which urges the soul to consent to its own desires. But the reason of the mind ought to restrain the assaults of the flesh and to curb its wicked pleasures. Likewise he who above forbids dwelling together with women says to the young: 'Can a man hide fire in his bosom, so that his garments do not burn; or walk upon coals, and his soles not be scorched? So he who goes in to the wife of his neighbour shall not be clean when he has touched her' (Proverbs VI, 27-29). In like manner the blessed Apostle also admonishes us, saying, 'It is good not to touch a woman' (I Corinthians VII, 1):
as though the very touch already held danger. 3. Return is made to the praise of chastity. It exceeds no one's powers. It is most necessary for the ministers of Christ. For the chaste purity of the young is beautiful, and lovely to God, and useful for every good work. Let him who has children, whether spiritual or carnal, nourish them in chastity for God, not in fornication for the devil. What does it profit a man to have a son, to rear him, to love him, if he rears him for eternal torments? Those who live in chastity have upon earth an angelic manner of life. Chastity joins man to heaven, makes him a fellow-citizen of the angels. Let him who has a lawful wife use her lawfully at fitting times, so that, according to the Apostle, he may be free for prayer (I Corinthians
VII, 5), and may deserve to receive from God the blessing of children. Let no one say that he cannot keep himself from fornication. 'For God is faithful,' says the Apostle, 'who will not permit us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear; but will make with the temptation also a way of escape' (I Corinthians X, 13). Such a temptation is given to each man, whether in the desire of the flesh, or in worldly ambition, or in any kind of trial's trouble, as he will be able either to conquer with praise or to succumb with reproach. For chastity is most necessary for all, but especially for the ministers of Christ's altar, whose life ought to be the instruction of others and the constant preaching of salvation.
For it is fitting that the Lord have such ministers, who are corrupted by no defilement of the flesh, but rather shine with the continence of chastity, and are resplendent among the people by examples of all uprightness: to whom the Lord speaks through the Lawgiver, 'Be holy, for I also am holy, the Lord your God' (Leviticus XI, 44). For God is light, and in him there are no darknesses at all: nor can any foulness be joined to him. And therefore, dearest brethren, whether men or women, whether clergy or laity, let us, according to the Apostle's admonition, 'cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God' (II Corinthians VII, 1).
Let us strive that with him who [called us] we may happily reign for ever with him, our Lord Jesus Christ granting it, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, etc. SERMON CCXCII. On Chastity within Marriage. 1. True peace and justice. For which the martyrs intercede. Virginity before marriage. You give me great joy, dearest brethren, when in the solemn feasts of the martyrs you gather to the church with such devotion of faith. But if you wish, with God's help, spiritually to fulfil both your protection and our joy, so preserve among yourselves both peace and charity, by the Lord's inspiration, that you hold in your heart no hatred against any man. Pray for the good, that they may always advance toward better things;
for the wicked pray without ceasing, that they may quickly correct themselves: and according to the Lord's precept, 'Whatsoever you wish [that men should do to you, do you also to them]' (Matthew VII, 12). For then in truth are peace and justice and mercy kept, when we not only do evil to no men, but also, wherever we can, strive to help them. If therefore we faithfully do these things with Christ's help, imitating the blessed martyrs in those excellent and illustrious works which we have spoken of above, we shall be able to have a part with them in eternal blessedness. And then without any doubt the holy martyrs intercede for us, when they recognize in us something of their own virtues.
Above all things, with God's help keep chastity, on account of that which is written, 'Neither shall adulterers possess the kingdom of God' (I Corinthians VI, 9): and that, 'Fornicators and adulterers God will judge' (Hebrews XIII, 4). Let boys and girls who are to be joined in wedlock keep their virginity until marriage. For if before their lawful union they are corrupted by adultery, they come to the wedding indeed alive in body, but are proved dead in soul: because it is written, 'The soul that sins, the same shall die' (Ezekiel XVIII, 20). 2. Let no woman take anything for abortion. How guilty is she who does something whereby she cannot conceive. Let no woman take potions for abortion, nor kill her children whether conceived or already born;
because whatever woman does this, let her know that there before the tribunal of Christ she will have to plead the cause of those whom she has slain. Nor ought women to take other diabolical potions for this. Moreover, whatever woman does that whereby she can no longer conceive, she is guilty of as many homicides as the number she could have borne. The free woman who takes deadly potions so as not to conceive—I should like to know whether she would wish her maidservants or her tenant-women to do this. And therefore, just as each one wishes servants to be born to her who may serve her, so let her, however many she conceives, either herself nourish them, or hand them over to others to be nourished: lest perchance she either be unwilling to conceive them, or—what is graver—wish to kill those who might have become good Christians.
And with what conscience does she wish servants to be born to her from her maidservants, when she herself is unwilling to bring forth those who might become Christians? 3. The marriage tablets. As often as you come to church on any solemn feast, and wish to receive the Sacraments of Christ, keep chastity for several days before; that with a secure conscience you may be able to approach the altar of God. This same thing keep faithfully throughout the whole of Lent, and up to the close of Easter; that the Paschal solemnity may find you chaste and pure. For he who is a good Christian not only keeps chastity for several days before he communicates, but also does not know his wife except for the desire of children:
because a wife is taken not for the sake of lust, but for the procreation of children. Indeed the very marriage tablets contain this: 'For the sake,' it says, 'of begetting children.' See that it did not say, 'For the sake of lust'; but, 'Of begetting children.' Yet I should like to know, dearest brethren: he who uses his wife without restraint—if as often as he knows her, overcome by lechery, he were to plough or sow his field in a single year, what sort of harvest could he gather? Those therefore who are unwilling to restrain themselves, if they were to plough and sow again as often a certain plot of theirs which they had already sown, let us see how they will rejoice over its fruit;