Edition Masquer
De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput VI: De languoribus, quos ex poena peccati etiam ciues ciuitatis dei in huius uitae peregrinatione patiuntur et a quibus deo medente sanantur.

Languor est quippe iste, id est illa inoboedientia, de qua in libro quarto decimo disseruimus, primae inoboedientiae supplicium, et ideo non natura, sed uitium; propter quod dicitur proficientibus bonis et ex fide in hac peregrinatione uiuentibus: inuicem onera uestra portate, et sic adinplebitis legem Christi; item alibi dicitur: corripite inquietos, consolamini pusillanimes, suscipite infirmos, patientes estote ad omnes; uidete ne quis malum pro malo alicui reddat; item alio loco: si praeoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto, uos, qui spiritales estis, instruite huiusmodi in spiritu mansuetudinis, intendens te ipsum, ne et tu tenteris; et alibi: sol non occidat super iracundiam uestram; et in euangelio: si peccauerit in te frater tuus, corripe eum inter te et ipsum; item de peccatis, in quibus multorum cauetur offensio, apostolus dicit: peccantes coram omnibus argue, ut ceteri timorem habeant. propter hoc et de uenia inuicem danda multa praecipiuntur et magna cura propter tenendam pacem, sine qua nemo poterit uidere deum; ubi ille terror, quando iubetur seruus decem milium talentorum reddere debita, quae illi fuerant relaxata, quoniam debitum denariorum centum conseruo suo non relaxauit; qua similitudine proposita dominus Iesus adiecit atque ait: sic et uobis faciet pater uester caelestis, si non dimiseritis unusquisque fratri suo de cordibus uestris. hoc modo curantur ciues ciuitatis dei in hac terra peregrinantes et paci supernae patriae suspirantes. spiritus autem sanctus operatur intrinsecus, ut ualeat aliquid medicina, quae adhibetur extrinsecus. alioquin etiamsi deus ipse utens creatura sibi subdita in aliqua specie humana sensus adloquatur humanos, siue istos corporis siue illos, quos istis simillimos habemus in somnis, nec interiore gratia mentem regat atque agat, nihil prodest homini omnis praedicatio ueritatis. facit autem hoc deus a uasis misericordiae irae uasa discernens, dispensatione qua ipse nouit multum occulta, sed tamen iusta. ipso quippe adiuuante mirabilibus et latentibus modis, cum peccatum quod habitat in membris nostris, quae potius iam poena peccati est, sicut apostolus praecipit, non regnat in nostro mortali corpore ad oboediendum desideriis eius nec ei membra nostra uelut iniquitatis arma exhibemus, conuertitur ad mentem non sibi ad mala, deo regente, consentientem et eam regentem tranquillius nunc habebit, postea sanitate perfecta atque inmortalitate percepta homo sine ullo peccato in aeterna pace regnabit.

Traduction Masquer
The City of God

Chapter 6.--Of the Weaknesses Which Even the Citizens of the City of God Suffer During This Earthly Pilgrimage in Punishment of Sin, and of Which They are Healed by God's Care.

This sickliness--that is to say, that disobedience of which we spoke in the fourteenth book--is the punishment of the first disobedience. It is therefore not nature, but vice; and therefore it is said to the good who are growing in grace, and living in this pilgrimage by faith, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." ¹ ^ In like manner it is said elsewhere, "Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man." ² And in another place, "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." ³ And elsewhere, "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." ⁴ And in the Gospel, "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone." ⁵ So too of sins which may create scandal the apostle says, "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." ⁶ For this purpose, and that we may keep that peace without which no man can see the Lord, ⁷ many precepts are given which carefully inculcate mutual forgiveness; among which we may number that terrible word in which the servant is ordered to pay his formerly remitted debt of ten thousand talents, because he did not remit to his fellow-servant his debt of two hundred pence. To which parable the Lord Jesus added the words, "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother." ⁸ It is thus the citizens of the city of God are healed while still they sojourn in this earth and sigh for the peace of their heavenly country. The Holy Spirit, too, works within, that the medicine externally applied may have some good result. Otherwise, even though God Himself make use of the creatures that are subject to Him, and in some human form address our human senses, whether we receive those impressions in sleep or in some external appearance, still, if He does not by His own inward grace sway and act upon the mind, no preaching of the truth is of any avail. But this God does, distinguishing between the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy, by His own very secret but very just providence. When He Himself aids the soul in His own hidden and wonderful ways, and the sin which dwells in our members, and is, as the apostle teaches, rather the punishment of sin, does not reign in our mortal body to obey the lusts of it, and when we no longer yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness, ⁹ then the soul is converted from its own evil and selfish desires, and, God possessing it, it possesses itself in peace even in this life, and afterwards, with perfected health and endowed with im mortality, will reign without sin in peace everlasting.