S. AUGUSTINE ON. THE CHRISTIAN CONFLICT. This treatise must have been written A. D. 396 or 397, as it occurs in the Retr. ii. §. 3. My book on the Christian conflict was written in a humble style for brethren not learned in the Latin tongue. It contains the Rule of Faith and precepts of life. In which the statement, "Neither c. 32. let us hear those who deny that there will be a resurrection of the body, and allege what the Apostle Paul says, Flesh and blood shall not inherit 160 The Word took Flesh, in It to overcome Satan. the kingdom of God; not understanding what the same Apostle says, This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality; for when this is done, it will be no more flesh and blood, but a celestial body;" is not to be understood as though there should be no substance of flesh; but by the name of flesh and blood the Apostle ́ is to be understood to have meant the very corruption of flesh and blood, which will assuredly be no more in that kingdom where the flesh will be incorruptible. Though it may also be otherwise understood, taking the Apostle to have called the works of flesh and blood, flesh and blood, and meant that those who persevered in loving these should not inherit the kingdom of God. The book begins, “ A crown of victory.” DE AGONE TIANO. 7.8. I have and so Vulg. 1. A CROWN of victory is not promised, save to them who CHRIS- Strive. But in the divine Scriptures we constantly find a crown promised to us, if we shall have overcome. But, not to mention many places, which were tedious; in the Apostle 2Tim.6, Paul we most clearly read, I have accomplished my work1, Gr. and I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; there now E. V. remaineth for me a crown of righteousness. We ought then fought to understand who is that very adversary, whom if we shall the good have overcome, we shall be crowned. For it is he himself fight. whom our Lord hath overcome before us, that we also abiding in Him may overcome. And certainly the Power and Wisdom of God, and the Word by whom all things were made, Who is the Only Son of God, continueth ever unchangeable above every creature. And seeing that beneath Him is even that creature which hath not sinned, how much more beneath Him is every creature that sinneth? Wherefore seeing that beneath Him are all the holy Angels, much more beneath Him are all angels who are transgressors, whereof the devil is chief. But because he had deceived our nature, the Onlybegotten Son of God deigned to take upon Him that our very nature, that of that very nature the devil might be overcome, and that He might make him, whom He Himself hath ever beneath Him, to be beneath us also. He it is whom He John 12, signifieth, when He saith, The prince of this world is cast out. Not that he was cast out beyond the world, as some heretics suppose, but out from the souls of those who adhere to the Word of God, and love not the world whereof he is prince: because he ruleth over them who love temporal goods, which 31. Satan's rule is through lust. He devours sinners. 161 AGONE are contained in this visible world: not because he is himself DE the Lord of this world, but the prince of those lusts whereby CHRISevery thing that passeth away is lusted after; so that they TIANO. are subject to him, who neglect the everlasting God, and love things which change and have no abiding. For the 1 Tim. 6, 10. root of all evils is lust; which certain coveting after, have erred from the faith, and have brought themselves into many sorrows. Through this lust the devil reigns in man, and keeps possession of his heart. Such are all those who love this world. But the devil is cast out, when with the whole heart renunciation is made of this world. For thus renunciation is made of the devil, who is the prince of this world, when renunciation is made of his seductions, his pomps, and his angels. And therefore the Lord Himself, bearing man's nature even now triumphant, says, Know ye, that I have John16, overcome the world. 33. 15. in the 2. But many say, How can we overcome the devil whom ii. we see not? But we have a Master, Who hath deigned to shew us, how invisible enemies may be overcome. For con- Col. 2, cerning Him saith the Apostle; Unclothing Himself of flesh', 1 taking He made a show of principalities and powers, confidently the Gr. triumphing over them in Himself. There therefore are over- reflex. come the invisible powers hostile to us, where are overcome the invisible lusts: and therefore because within ourselves we overcome the lusts of temporal things, of necessity within ourselves also must we overcome him, who through those very lusts reigneth in man. For when it was said to the devil, earth shalt thou feed on; it was said to the sinner, earth art thou, and into earth shalt thou go. Wherefore the Gen. 3, sinner was given as food unto the devil. Let us not be earth, if we would not be fed on by the serpent. For as that which we feed on we turn into our own body, so that the very food according to the body is made that which we ourselves are: thus by evil habits through wickedness, and pride, and impiety, each one is made that which the devil is, that is, like him; and is made subject to him, as our own body is subject unto us. And this is that which is said, ' To be fed on by the serpent.' Whosoever therefore fears that fire 'manduwhich is prepared for the devil and his angels, let him take cari, of. Mark 9, good heed that he triumph over him within himself. For 44. M 14. 19. DE AGONE 162 Kingdom of Darkness not coeternal with God. those who assault us without, we overcome within, by overAnd those coming the lusts whereby they rule over us. TIANO. whom they shall find like unto themselves, they drag with CHRIS 12. 13. 26. Lat. them into punishment. iii. 3. Thus also the Apostle says, that within himself he Eph. 6, warreth against powers without. For he so speaks, We have not to wrestle against flesh and blood, but against princes and powers of this world, the rulers of this darkness, against spiritual things of wickedness in heavenly places. For the name of heaven is given also to this air, wherein winds and clouds and storms and whirlwinds have place; as also Ps. 18, Scripture saith in many places, and the Lord thundered Ps. 8, 8. from heaven; and birds of heaven, and fowls of heaven, Mat. 6, when it is clear that the birds fly in the air. And we also are in the habit of calling this air heaven; for when we inquire whether it be clear or cloudy, we say at times, How is the air? at times, How is the heaven? I have noticed this, that no one may think that the evil demons dwell there 1 al. and where God hath set in their order the sun and moon as' stars. Which evil demons the Apostle therefore calls spiritual, because in the divine Scriptures even evil angels are called spirits. But therefore doth he call them the rulers of this darkness, because he calls sinful men darkness, over whom Eph. 5, these rule. Therefore also in another place he says, For ye were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord: because from being sinners they had been justified. Let us not therefore suppose that the devil with his angels dwells in the highest heaven, whence we believe him to have fallen. 8. iv. 4. For such has been the error of the Manichees, who assert, that before the world was framed there existed a nation of darkness, which was in rebellion against God; and in this war the wretched men believe that the Almighty God could in no other way succour Himself, save only by sending a portion of Himself against them. And, as these state, the princes of this nation ate up a portion of God, and were attempered so as that of them the world might be formed. Thus they assert that God attained unto the victory with great losses and tortures and miseries of His own members; which members they assert were mixed up with the dark entrails of those princes, in order to attemper them, and Nor is God, or a part of Him, involved in it. 163 DE AGONE restrain them from their fury. And they understand not that so sacrilegious is their sect, as to believe that that CHRISwhereby Almighty God warred with darkness was not a TIANO. created being which He made, but His own very Nature; which thing it is impious to believe. Nor merely this, but further also, that those who were conquered were made better, in that their fury were restrained, but that God's Nature which conquered was made most miserable. Also they assert that it by its very admixture lost its proper understanding and happiness, and became entangled in great errors and losses. Now, even if they should assert that at some time or other, this Nature were cleansed, even the whole of it, yet would they affirm what is a great impiety against Almighty God, in believing a part of Him to have been so long time tost to and fro in errors and pains without any charge of offence. But, as it is, the unhappy men dare yet further to assert, that neither can the whole be cleansed; and that that very part, which cannot be cleansed, makes progress towards a chain, that so it may be bound, and tied into a grave of wickedness'; and that thus there be even there the very portion of God miserable, (albeit it hath never sinned,) and be evil entreated for ever in the prisonhouse of darkness. Thus these affirm, in order to deceive simple souls. But who is there so simple, as not to perceive that these things are impious, wherein they affirm that Almighty God hath been overcome by necessity, so as to give up a part of Himself, good and innocent, to be overwhelmed with so great losses, and defiled by so great impurity, and to be unable to set the whole free; and that, which He could not set free, to bind with everlasting chains. Who then but must execrate these things? Who but must perceive them to be impious and not to be uttered? But when those men seek to carry others away with them; these are not the first things which they affirm; for if they affirmed these, all men would mock them or flee from them: but they choose out certain passages from the Scriptures, which simple men do not understand; and by means of these deceive souls unused to them, inquiring, ' Whence is evil? As is their wont to do So Ben. sepulcro. MSS. sepulchrum,'' that therewith the grave of wickedness may be enrolled and bound,' |