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Contra Vigilantium liber unus

9.

Vigiliae et pernoctationes in basilicis. Paucorum culpa non praejudicat religioni. Quod semel fecisse bonum est, non potest esse malum si frequenter fiat.—De vigiliis et pernoctationibus in basilicis martyrum saepe celebrandis, in altera Epistola, quam ante hoc ferme biennium sancto Ripario presbytero scripseram, respondi breviter. Quod si ideo eas aestimas respuendas, ne saepe videamur Pascha celebrare, et non solemnes post annum exercere vigilias: ergo et die dominico non sunt Christo offerenda sacrificia, ne resurrectionis Domini crebro Pascha celebremus: et incipiamus non unum Pascha habere, sed plurima. Error autem et culpa juvenum vilissimarumque mulierum, qui per noctem saepe deprehenditur, non est religiosis hominibus imputandus: quia et in vigiliis Paschae tale quid fieri plerumque convincitur, et tamen paucorum culpa non praejudicat religioni; qui et absque vigiliis possunt errare vel in suis, vel in alienis domibus. Apostolorum fidem Judae proditio non destruxit. Et nostras ergo vigilias malae aliorum vigiliae non destruent: quin potius pudicitiae vigilare cogantur, qui libidini dormiunt. Quod enim semel fecisse bonum est, non potest malum esse, si frequentius fiat: aut si aliqua culpa vitanda est, non ex eo quod saepe, sed ex eo quod fit aliquando culpabile est. Non vigilemus itaque diebus Paschae, ne exspectata diu adulterorum desideria compleantur; ne occasionem peccandi uxor inveniat, ne maritali non possit recludi clave. Ardentius appetitur quidquid est rarius.

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Against Vigilantius

9.

Respecting vigils and the frequent keeping of night-watches in the basilicas of the martyrs, I have given a brief reply in another letter ¹ which, about two years ago, I wrote to the reverend presbyter Riparius. You argue that they ought to be abjured, lest we seem to be often keeping Easter, and appear not to observe the customary yearly vigils. If so, then sacrifices should not be offered to Christ on the Lord’s day lest we frequently keep the Easter of our Lord’s Resurrection, and introduce the custom of having many Easters instead of one. We must not, however, impute to pious men the faults and errors of youths and worthless women such as are often detected at night. It is true that, even at the Easter vigils, something of the kind usually comes to light; but the faults of a few form no argument against religion in general, and such persons, without keeping vigil, can go wrong either in their own houses or in those of other people. The treachery of Judas did not annul the loyalty of the Apostles. And if others keep vigil badly, our vigils are not thereby to be stopped; nay, rather let those who sleep to gratify their lust be compelled to watch that they may preserve their chastity. For if a thing once done be good, it cannot be bad if often done; and if there is some fault to be avoided, the blame lies not in its being done often, but in its being done at all. And so we should not watch at Easter-tide for fear that adulterers may satisfy their long pent-up desires, or that the wife may find an opportunity for sinning without having the key turned against her by her husband. The occasions which seldom recur are those which are most eagerly longed for.