The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
ancients as nothing else than the lust of revenge;[103] although
sometimes a man is angry even at inanimate objects which cannot feel
his vengeance, as when one breaks a pen, or crushes a quill that
writes badly. Yet even this, though less reasonable, is in its way
a lust of revenge, and is, so to speak, a mysterious kind of shadow
of [the great law of] retribution, that they who do evil should
suffer evil. There is therefore a lust for revenge, which is called
anger; there is a lust of money, which goes by the name of avarice;
there is a lust of conquering, no matter by what means, which is
called opinionativeness; there is a lust of applause, which is named
boasting. There are many and various lusts, of which some have names
of their own, while others have not. For who could readily give a
name to the lust of ruling, which yet has a powerful influence in the
soul of tyrants, as civil wars bear witness?
16. _Of the evil of lust,--a word which, though applicable to many
vices, is specially appropriated to sexual uncleanness._
Although, therefore, lust may have many objects, yet when no object
is specified, the word lust usually suggests to the mind the lustful
excitement of the organs of generation. And this lust not only takes
possession of the whole body and outward members, but also makes
itself felt within, and moves the whole man with a passion in which
mental emotion is mingled with bodily appetite, so that the pleasure
which results is the greatest of all bodily pleasures. So possessing
indeed is this pleasure, that at the moment of time in which it is
consummated, all mental activity is suspended. What friend of wisdom
and holy joys, who, being married, but knowing, as the apostle says,
"how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the
disease of desire, as the Gentiles who know not God,"[104] would
not prefer, if this were possible, to beget children without this
lust, so that in this function of begetting offspring the members
created for this purpose should not be stimulated by the heat of
lust, but should be actuated by his volition, in the same way as his
other members serve him for their respective ends? But even those
who delight in this pleasure are not moved to it at their own will,
whether they confine themselves to lawful or transgress to unlawful
pleasures; but sometimes this lust importunes them in spite of
themselves, and sometimes fails them when they desire to feel it, so
that though lust rages in the mind, it stirs not in the body. Thus,
strangely enough, this emotion not only fails to obey the legitimate
desire to beget offspring, but also refuses to serve lascivious lust;
and though it often opposes its whole combined energy to the soul
that resists it, sometimes also it is divided against itself, and
while it moves the soul, leaves the body unmoved.
17. _Of the nakedness of our first parents, which they saw after
their base and shameful sin._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account