Übersetzung
ausblenden
On the Apparel of Women
Chapter II.--Perfect Modesty Will Abstain from Whatever Tends to Sin, as Well as from Sin Itself. Difference Between Trust and Presumption. If Secure Ourselves, We Must Not Put Temptation in the Way of Others. We Must Love Our Neighbour as Ourself.
You must know that in the eye of perfect, that is, Christian, modesty, (carnal) desire of one's self (on the part of others) is not only not to be desired, but even execrated, by you: first, because the study of making personal grace (which we know to be naturally the inviter of lust) a mean of pleasing does not spring from a sound conscience: why therefore excite toward yourself that evil (passion)? why invite (that) to which you profess yourself a stranger? secondly, because we ought not to open a way to temptations, which, by their instancy, sometimes achieve (a wickedness) which God expels from them who are His; (or,) at all events, put the spirit into a thorough tumult by (presenting) a stumbling-block (to it). We ought indeed to walk so holily, and with so entire substantiality 1 of faith, as to be confident and secure in regard of our own conscience, desiring that that (gift) may abide in us to the end, yet not presuming (that it will). For he who presumes feels less apprehension; he who feels less apprehension takes less precaution; he who takes less precaution runs more risk. Fear 2 is the foundation of salvation; presumption is an impediment to fear. More useful, then, is it to apprehend that we may possibly fail, than to presume that we cannot; for apprehending will lead us to fear, fearing to caution, and caution to salvation. On the other hand, if we presume, there will be neither fear nor caution to save us. He who acts securely, and not at the same time warily, possesses no safe and firm security; whereas he who is wary will be truly able to be secure. For His own servants, may the Lord by His mercy take care that to them it may be lawful even to presume on His goodness! But why are we a (source of) danger to our neighbour? why do we import concupiscence into our neighbour? which concupiscence, if God, in "amplifying the law," 3 do not 4 dissociate in (the way of) penalty from the actual commission of fornication, 5 I know not whether He allows impunity to him who 6 has been the cause of perdition to some other. For that other, as soon as he has felt concupiscence after your beauty, and has mentally already committed (the deed) which his concupiscence pointed to, 7 perishes; and you have been made 8 the sword which destroys him: so that, albeit you be free from the (actual) crime, you are not free from the odium (attaching to it); as, when a robbery has been committed on some man's estate, the (actual) crime indeed will not be laid to the owner's charge, while yet the domain is branded with ignominy, (and) the owner himself aspersed with the infamy. Are we to paint ourselves out that our neighbours may perish? Where, then, is (the command), "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself?" 9 "Care not merely about your own (things), but (about your) neighbour's?" 10 No enunciation of the Holy Spirit ought to be (confined) to the subject immediately in hand merely, and not applied and carried out with a view to every occasion to which its application is useful. 11 Since, therefore, both our own interest and that of others is implicated in the studious pursuit of most perilous (outward) comeliness, it is time for you to know 12 that not merely must the pageantry of fictitious and elaborate beauty be rejected by you; but that of even natural grace must be obliterated by concealment and negligence, as equally dangerous to the glances of (the beholder's) eyes. For, albeit comeliness is not to be censured, 13 as being a bodily happiness, as being an additional outlay of the divine plastic art, as being a kind of goodly garment 14 of the soul; yet it is to be feared, just on account of the injuriousness and violence of suitors: 15 which (injuriousness and violence) even the father of the faith, 16 Abraham, 17 greatly feared in regard of his own wife's grace; and Isaac, 18 by falsely representing Rebecca as his sister, purchased safety by insult! 19
-
Substantia. Comp. Heb. xi. 1, esti de pistis elpizomenon hupostasis . ↩
-
Timor. ↩
-
Matt. v. 17. Comp. de Or., c. xxii. mid.; de Pa., c. vi. mid.; de Paen., c. iii. sub fin. ↩
-
The second "non," or else the first, must apparently be omitted. ↩
-
Matt. v. 28. See de Idol., c. ii.; de Pa., c. vi.; de Paen., c. iii. ↩
-
"Qui," Oehler; "quae," Rig. ↩
-
Comp. de Paen. c. iii. (latter half). ↩
-
Tu facta es. ↩
-
Lev. xix. 18; Matt. xix. 19; xxii. 39; Mark xii. 31; Luke x. 27; Rom. xiii. 9; Gal. v. 14; Jas. ii. 8. ↩
-
Comp. 1 Cor. x. 24; xiii. 5; Phil. ii. 4. ↩
-
Comp. 2 Pet. i. 20. ↩
-
Jam...sciatis. ↩
-
Accusandus. ↩
-
Comp. Gen. xxvii. 15. ↩
-
Sectatorum. ↩
-
Comp. Rom. iv. 11, 16. ↩
-
Gen. xii. 10-20, and xx. ↩
-
Gen. xxvi. 6-11. ↩
-
"Salutem contumelia redemit;" the "insult" being the denial of her as his wife. ↩
Edition
ausblenden
De Cultu Feminarum
II.
[1] Perfectae autem id est christianae pudicitiae appetitionem sui non tantum non appetendam sed etiam exsecrandam uobis sciatis. Primo quod non de integra conscientia uenit studium placendi per decorem quem naturaliter inuitatorem libidinis scimus. Quid igitur excitas in te malum istud? Quid inuitas cuius te profiteris extraneam? Tum quod temptationibus uiam aperire non debemus, quae nonnumquam quod Deus a suis abigat instando perficiunt, certe uel spiritum scandalo permouent. [2] Debemus quidem ita sancte et tota fidei substantia incedere ut confisae et securae simus de conscientia nostra, optantes perseuerare id in nobis, non tamen praesumentes. Nam qui praesumit minus iam ueretur; qui minus ueretur minus praecauet; qui minus praecauet plus periclitatur. Timor fundamentum salutis est, praesumptio impedimentum timoris. [3] Vtilius ergo si speremus nos posse delinquere quam si praesumamus non posse. Sperando enim timebimus, timendo cauebimus, cauendo salui erimus. Contra si praesumamus neque timendo neque cauendo difficile salui erimus. Qui securus agit, non, et sollicitus, non possidet tutam et firmam securitatem. At qui sollicitus est, is uere poterit esse securus.
Et de suis quidem seruis Deus pro misericordia sua curet et iam praesumere illis de bono suo feliciter liceat. [4] Quid autem alteri periculo sumus? Quid alteri concupiscentiam importamus? Quam si dominus ampliando legem a facto stupri non discernit in poena, nescio an impune habeat qui alicui fuerit causa perditionis. Perit enim ille simul ut tuam formam concupierit et admisit iam in animo quod concupiit, et facta es tu gladius illi ut etsi a culpa uaces ab inuidia non liberaberis. Vt, cum in alicuius agro latrocinium gestum est, crimen quidem dominum non constringit; dum rus tamen eius ignominia notatur, ipse quoque infamia aspergitur.
[5] Expingamus nos ut alteri pereant! Vbi est ergo: «Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum»? «Nolite uestra curare sed alterius»? Nulla enuntiatio Spiritus Sancti ad praesentem tantum materiam et non ad omnem utilitatis occasionem dirigi et suscipi potest. Cum igitur et nostra et aliorum causa uersetur in studio periculosissimi decoris, iam non tantum confictae et elaboratae pulchritudinis suggestum recusandum a uobis sciatis, sed etiam naturalis speciositatis oblitterandum dissimulatione et incuria ut proinde oculorum incursibus molestum.
[6] Nam etsi accusandus decor non est ut felicitas corporis, ut diuinae plasticae aecessio, ut animae aliqua uestis bona, timendus est tamen uel propter iniuriam et uiolentiam sectatorum: quam etiam pater fidei Abraham in uxoris suae specie pertimuit et sororem mentitus Saram salutem contumelia redemit.