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The City of God

Chapter 7.--Of the Cause of Cain's Crime and His Obstinacy, Which Not Even the Word of God Could Subdue.

But though God made use of this very mode of address which we have been endeavoring to explain, and spoke to Cain in that form by which He was wont to accommodate Himself to our first parents and converse with them as a companion, what good influence had it on Cain? Did he not fulfill his wicked intention of killing his brother even after he was warned by God's voice? For when God had made a distinction between their sacrifices, neglecting Cain's, regarding Abel's, which was doubtless intimated by some visible sign to that effect; and when God had done so because the works of the one were evil but those of his brother good, Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. For thus it is written: "And the Lord said unto Cain, Why are thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou offerest rightly, but dost not rightly distinguish, hast thou not sinned? Fret not thyself, for unto thee shall be his turning, and thou shalt rule over him." ¹ In this admonition administered by God to Cain, that clause indeed, "If thou offerest rightly, but dost not rightly distinguish, hast thou not sinned?" is obscure, inasmuch as it is not apparent for what reason or purpose it was spoken, and many meanings have been put upon it, as each one who discusses it attempts to interpret it according to the rule of faith. The truth is, that a sacrifice is "rightly offered" when it is offered to the true God, to whom alone we must sacrifice. And it is "not rightly distinguished" when we do not rightly distinguish the places or seasons or materials of the offering, or the person offering, or the person to whom it is presented, or those to whom it is distributed for food after the oblation. Distinguishing ² is here used for discriminating,--whether when an offering is made in a place where it ought not or of a material which ought to be offered not there but elsewhere; or when an offering is made at a wrong time, or of a material suitable not then but at some other time; or when that is offered which in no place nor any time ought to be offered; or when a man keeps to himself choicer specimens of the same kind than he offers to God; or when he or any other who may not lawfully partake profanely eats of the oblation. In which of these particulars Cain displeased God, it is difficult to determine. But the Apostle John, speaking of these brothers, says, "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." ³ He thus gives us to understand that God did not respect his offering because it was not rightly "distinguished" in this, that he gave to God something of his own but kept himself to himself. For this all do who follow not God's will but their own, who live not with an upright but a crooked heart, and yet offer to God such gifts as they suppose will procure from Him that He aid them not by healing but by gratifying their evil passions. And this is the characteristic of the earthly city, that it worships God or gods who may aid it in reigning victoriously and peacefully on earth not through love of doing good, but through lust of rule. The good use the world that they may enjoy God: the wicked, on the contrary, that they may enjoy the world would fain use God,--those of them, at least, who have attained to the belief that He is and takes an interest in human affairs. For they who have not yet attained even to this belief are still at a much lower level. Cain, then, when he saw that God had respect to his brother's sacrifice, but not to his own, should have humbly chosen his good brother as his example, and not proudly counted him his rival. But he was wroth, and his countenance fell. This angry regret for another person's goodness, even his brother's, was charged upon him by God as a great sin. And He accused him of it in the interrogation, "Why are thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen?" For God saw that he envied his brother, and of this He accused him. For to men, from whom the heart of their fellow is hid, it might be doubtful and quite uncertain whether that sadness bewailed his own wickedness by which, as he had learned, he had displeased God, or his brother's goodness, which had pleased God, and won His favorable regard to his sacrifice. But God, in giving the reason why He refused to accept Cain's offering and why Cain should rather have been displeased at himself than at his brother, shows him that though he was unjust in "not rightly distinguishing," that is, not rightly living and being unworthy to have his offering received, he was more unjust by far in hating his just brother without a cause.

Yet He does not dismiss him without counsel, holy, just, and good. "Fret not thyself," He says, "for unto thee shall be his turning, and thou shall rule over him." Over his brother, does He mean? Most certainly not. Over what, then, but sin? For He had said, "Thou hast sinned," and then He added, "Fret not thyself, for to thee shall be its turning, and thou shall rule over it." ⁴ And the "turning" of sin to the man can be understood of his conviction that the guilt of sin can be laid at no other man's door but his own. For this is the health-giving medicine of penitence, and the fit plea for pardon; so that, when it is said, "To thee its turning," we must not supply "shall be," but we must read, "To thee let its turning be," understanding it as a command, not as a prediction. For then shall a man rule over his sin when he does not prefer it to himself and defend it, but subjects it by repentance; otherwise he that becomes protector of it shall surely become its prisoner. But if we understand this sin to be that carnal concupiscence of which the apostle says, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit," ⁵ among the fruits of which lust he names envy, by which assuredly Cain was stung and excited to destroy his brother, then we may properly supply the words "shall be," and read, "To thee shall be its turning, and thou shalt rule over it." For when the carnal part which the apostle calls sin, in that place where he says, "It is not I who do it, but sin that dwelleth in me," ⁶ that part which the philosophers also call vicious, and which ought not to lead the mind, but which the mind ought to rule and restrain by reason from illicit motions,--when, then, this part has been moved to perpetrate any wickedness, if it be curbed and if it obey the word of the apostle, "Yield not your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin," ⁷ it is turned towards the mind and subdued and conquered by it, so that reason rules over it as a subject. It was this which God enjoined on him who was kindled with the fire of envy against his brother, so that he sought to put out of the way him whom he should have set as an example. "Fret not thyself," or compose thyself, He says: withhold thy hand from crime; let not sin reign in your mortal body to fulfill it in the lusts thereof, nor yield your members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. "For to thee shall be its turning," so long as you do not encourage it by giving it the rein, but bridle it by quenching its fire. "And thou shalt rule over it;" for when it is not allowed any external actings, it yields itself to the rule of the governing mind and righteous will, and ceases from even internal motions. There is something similar said in the same divine book of the woman, when God questioned and judged them after their sin, and pronounced sentence on them all,--the devil in the form of the serpent, the woman and her husband in their own persons. For when He had said to her, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow shall thou bring forth children," then He added, "and thy turning shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." ⁸ What is said to Cain about his sin, or about the vicious concupiscence of his flesh, is here said of the woman who had sinned; and we are to understand that the husband is to rule his wife as the soul rules the flesh. And therefore, says the apostle, "He that loveth his wife, loveth himself; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh." ⁹ This flesh, then, is to be healed, because it belongs to ourselves: is not to be abandoned to destruction as if it were alien to our nature. But Cain received that counsel of God in the spirit of one who did not wish to amend. In fact, the vice of envy grew stronger in him; and, having entrapped his brother, he slew him. Such was the founder of the earthly city. He was also a figure of the Jews who slew Christ the Shepherd of the flock of men, prefigured by Abel the shepherd of sheep: but as this is an allegorical and prophetical matter, I forbear to explain it now; besides, I remember that I have made some remarks upon it in writing against Faustus the Manichaean. ¹⁰

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput VII: De causa et pertinacia sceleris Cain, quem a facinore concepto nec dei sermo reuocauit.

Sed hoc ipsum, quod sicut potuimus exposuimus, cum deus locutus esset ad Cain eo more, quo cum primis hominibus per creaturam subiectam uelut eorum socius forma congrua loquebatur, quid ei profuit? nonne conceptum scelus in necando fratre etiam post uerbum diuinae admonitionis inpleuit? nam cum sacrificia discreuisset amborum, in illius respiciens, huius despiciens, quod non dubitandum est potuisse cognosci signo aliquo adtestante uisibili, et hoc ideo fecisset deus, quia mala erant opera huius, fratris uero eius bona: contristatus est Cain ualde et concidit facies eius. sic enim scriptum est: et dixit dominus ad Cain: quare tristis factus es et quare concidit facies tua? nonne si recte offeras, recte autem non diuidas, peccasti? quiesce; ad te enim conuersio eius, et tu dominaberis illius. in hac admonitione uel monitu, quem deus protulit ad Cain, illud quidem quod dictum est: nonne si recte offeras, recte autem non diuidas, peccasti? quia non elucet cur uel unde sit dictum, multos sensus peperit eius obscuritas, cum diuinarum scripturarum quisque tractator secundum fidei regulam id conatur exponere. recte quippe offertur sacrificium, cum offertur deo uero, cui uni tantummodo sacrificandum est. non autem recte diuiditur, dum non discernuntur recte uel loca uel tempora uel res ipsae quae offeruntur uel qui offert et cui offertur uel hi quibus ad uescendum distribuitur quod oblatum est, ut diuisionem hic discretionem intellegamus; siue cum offertur ubi non oportet, aut quod non ibi sed alibi oportet, siue cum offertur quando non oportet, aut quod non tunc sed alias oportet, siue cum id offertur, quod nusquam et numquam penitus debuit, siue cum electiora sibi eiusdem generis rerum tenet homo, quam sunt ea, quae offert deo, siue eius rei, quae oblata est, fit particeps profanus aut quilibet quem fas non est fieri. in quo autem horum deo displicuerit Cain, facile non potest inueniri. sed quoniam Iohannes apostolus, cum de his fratribus loqueretur: non sicut Cain, inquit, ex maligno erat et occidit fratrem suum; et cuius rei gratia occidit? quia opera illius maligna fuerunt, fratris autem eius iusta, datur intellegi propterea deum non respexisse in munus eius, quia hoc ipso male diuidebat, dans deo aliquid suum, sibi autem se ipsum. quod omnes faciunt, qui non dei, sed suam sectantes uoluntatem, id est non recto, sed peruerso corde uiuentes, offerunt tamen deo munus, quo putant eum redimi, ut eorum non opituletur sanandis prauis cupiditatibus, sed explendis. et hoc est terrenae proprium ciuitatis, deum uel deos colere, quibus adiuuantibus regnet in uictoriis et pace terrena, non caritate consulendi, sed dominandi cupiditate. boni quippe ad hoc utuntur mundo, ut fruantur deo; mali autem contra, ut fruantur mundo, uti uolunt deo; qui tamen eum uel esse uel res humanas curare iam credunt. sunt enim multo deteriores, qui ne hoc quidem credunt. cognito itaque Cain quod super eius germani sacrificium, nec super suum respexerat deus, utique fratrem bonum mutatus imitari, non elatus debuit aemulari. sed contristatus est et concidit facies eius. hoc peccatum maxime arguit deus, tristitiam de alterius bonitate, et hoc fratris. hoc quippe arguendo interrogauit dicens: quare contristatus es, et quare concidit facies tua? quia enim fratri inuidebat, deus uidebat et hoc arguebat. nam hominibus, quibus absconditum est cor alterius, esse posset ambiguum et prorsus incertum, utrum illa tristitia malignitatem suam, in qua se deo displicuisse didicerat, an fratris doluerit bonitatem, quae deo placuit, cum in sacrificium eius adspexit. sed rationem reddens deus, cur eius oblationem accipere noluerit, ut sibi ipse potius merito quam ei frater inmerito displiceret, cum esset iniustus non recte diuidendo, hoc est non recte uiuendo, et indignus cuius adprobaretur oblatio, quam esset iniustior, quod fratrem iustum gratis odisset, ostendit. non tamen eum dimittens sine mandato sancto, iusto et bono: quiesce, inquit; ad te enim conuersio eius, et tu dominaberis illius. numquid fratris? absit. cuius igitur, nisi peccati? dixerat enim: peccasti, tum deinde addidit: quiesce; ad te enim conuersio eius, et tu dominaberis illius. potest quidem ita intellegi ad ipsum hominem conuersionem esse debere peccati, ut nulli alii quam sibi sciat tribuere debere quod peccat. haec est enim salubris paenitentiae medicina et ueniae petitio non incongrua, ut, ubi ait: ad te enim conuersio eius, non subaudiatur erit, sed sit; praecipientis uidelicet, non praedicentis modo. tunc enim dominabitur quisque peccato, si id sibi non defendendo praeposuerit, sed paenitendo subiecerit; alioquin et illi seruiet dominanti, si patrocinium adhibuerit accidenti. sed ut peccatum intellegatur concupiscentia ipsa carnalis, de qua dicit apostolus: caro concupiscit aduersus spiritum, in cuius carnis fructibus et inuidiam commemorat, qua utique Cain stimulabatur et accendebatur in fratris exitium, bene subauditur erit, id est: ad te enim conuersio eius erit, et tu dominaberis illius. cum enim commota fuerit pars ipsa carnalis, quam peccatum appellat apostolus, ubi dicit: non ego operor illud, sed quod habitat in me peccatum - quam partem animi etiam philosophi dicunt esse uitiosam, non quae mentem debeat trahere, sed cui mens debeat imperare eamque ab inlicitis operibus ratione cohibere - cum ergo commota fuerit ad aliquid perperam committendum, si quiescatur et obtemperetur dicenti apostolo: nec exhibueritis membra uestra arma iniquitatis peccato, ad mentem domita et uicta conuertitur, ut subditae ratio dominetur. hoc praecepit deus huic, qui facibus inuidiae inflammabatur in fratrem et, quem debuerat imitari, cupiebat auferri. quiesce, inquit; manus ab scelere contine, non regnet peccatum in tuo mortali corpore ad oboediendum desideriis eius, nec exhibeas membra tua iniquitatis arma peccato. ad te enim conuersio eius, dum non adiuuatur relaxando, sed quiescendo frenatur; et tu dominaberis illius, ut, cum forinsecus non permittitur operari, sub potestate mentis regentis et beneuolentis adsuescat etiam intrinsecus non moueri. dictum est tale aliquid in eodem diuino libro et de muliere, quando post peccatum deo interrogante atque iudicante damnationis sententias acceperunt, in serpente diabolus et in se ipsis illa et maritus. cum enim dixisset ei: multiplicans multiplicabo tristitias tuas et gemitum tuum, et in tristitiis paries filios, deinde addidit: et ad uirum tuum conuersio tua, et ipse tui dominabitur. quod dictum est ad Cain de peccato uel de uitiosa carnis concupiscentia, hoc isto loco de peccatrice femina; ubi intellegendum est uirum ad regendam uxorem animo carnem regenti similem esse oportere. propter quod dicit apostolus: qui diligit uxorem suam, se ipsum diligit; nemo enim umquam carnem suam odio habuit. sananda sunt enim haec sicut nostra, non sicut aliena damnanda. sed illud dei praeceptum Cain sicut praeuaricator accepit. inualescente quippe inuidentiae uitio fratrem insidiatus occidit. talis erat terrenae conditor ciuitatis. quomodo autem significauerit etiam Iudaeos, a quibus Christus occisus est pastor ouium hominum, quem pastor ouium pecorum praefigurabat Abel, quia in allegoria prophetica res est, parco nunc dicere, et quaedam hinc aduersus Faustum Manichaeum dixisse me recolo.