written the book which contains the points I have refuted to the best of my ability. You see, as I was saying, the important difference existing between such of them as maintain that infants are absohitely pure and free from all sin, whether original or actual; and those who suppose that so soon as born infants have contracted actual sins of their own, from which they need cleansing by baptism. The latter class, indeed, by examining the Scriptures, and considering the authority of the whole Church as well as the form of the sacrament itself, have clearly seen that by baptism remission of sins accrues to infants; but they are either unwilling or unable to allow that the sin which infants have is original sin. The former class, however, have clearly seen (as they easily might) that in the very nature of man, which is open to the consideration of all men, the tender age of which we speak could not possibly commit any sin whatever in its own proper conduct; but, to avoid acknowledging original sin, they assert that there is no sin at all in infants.
Now in the truths which they thus severally maintain, it so happens that they first of all mutually agree with each other, and subsequently differ from us in material aspect. For if the one party concede to the other that remission of sins takes place in all infants which are baptized, whilst the other concedes to their opponents that infants (as infant nature itself in its silence loudly proclaims) have as yet contracted no sin m their Dwn living, then both sides must agree m conceding to us, that nothing remains but original sin, which can be remitted in baptism to :hAP. 65 [XXXV.] — IN INFANTS THERE IS NO SIN OF THEIR OWN COMMISSION.
Will this also be questioned, and must we 'spend time in discussing it, in order to prove and show how that by their own will — without ivhich there can be no sin in their own life — infants could never commit an offence, whom ill, for this very reason, are in the habit of calling innocent? Does not their great weakness of mind and body, their great ignorance of things,:heir utter inability to obey a precept, the absence in them of all perception and impression Df law, either natural or written, the complete vant of reason to impel them in either direction, — proclaim and demonstrate the point before js by a silent testimony far more expressive than my argument of ours? The very palpableness )f the fact must surely go a great way to persuade us of its truth; for there is no place where [ do not find traces of what I say, so ubiquitous s the fact of which we are speaking, — clearer, ndeed, to perceive than any thing we can say to ^rove it.
CHAP. dd. — infants' faults spring from their SHEER ignorance.
I should, however, wish any one who was wise on the point to tell me what sin he has seen or thought of in a new-born infant, for redemption from which he allows baptism to be already necessary; w^hat kind of evil it has in its own proper life committed by its own mind or body.
If it should happen to cry and to be wearisome to its elders, I wonder whether my informant would ascribe this to iniquity, and not rather to unhappiness. What, too, would he say to the fact that it is hushed from its very weeping by no appeal to its own reason, and by no prohibition of any one else? This, however, comes from the ignorance in which it is so deeply steeped, by reason of which, too, when it grows stronger, as it very soon does, it strikes its mother in its little passion, and often her very breasts which it sucks when it is hungry. Well, now, these small freaks are not only borne in very young children, but are actually loved, — and this with what affection except that of the flesh," by which we are delighted by a laugh or a joke, seasoned with fun and nonsense by clever persons, although, if it were understood literally, as it is spoken, they would not be laughed with as facetious, but at as simpletons? We see, also, how those simpletons whom the common people call Moriones^ are used for the amusement of the sane; and that they fetch higher prices than the sane when appraised for the slave market. So great, then, is the influence of mere natural feeling, even over those who are by no means simpletons, in producing amusement at another's misfortune. Now, although a man may be amused by another man's silliness, he would still dislike to be a simpleton himself; and if the father, who gladly enough looks out for, and even provokes, such things from his own prattling boy, were to foreknow that he would, when grown up, turn out a fool, he would without doubt think him more to be grieved for than if he were dead. While, however, hope remains of growth, and the hght of intellect is expected to increase with the increase of years, then the insults of young children even to their parents seem not merely not wrong, but even agreeable and pleasant. No prudent man, doubtless, could possibly approve of not only not forbidding in children such conduct in word or deed as this, as soon as they are able to be forbidden, but even of exciting them to it, for the vain amusement of their elders. For as soon as children are of an age to know their father and mother, they dare not use wrong words to either, unless permitted or bidden by either, or both.
' Carnali.
^ See above, ch. 32.
[Book I.
But such things can only belong to such young children as are just striving to lisp out words, and whose minds are just able to give some sort of motion to their tongue. Let us, however, consider the depth of the ignorance rather of the new-born babes, out of which, as they advance in age, they come to this merel)- temporary stuttering folly, — on their road, as it were, to knowledge and speech.
CH.AP. 67 [XXXVI.] — ON THE IGNORANCE OF INFANTS, AND WHENCE IT ARISES.
Yes, let us consider that darkness of their rational intellect, by reason of which they are even completely ignorant of God, whose sacraments they actually struggle against, while bemg baptized. Now my mquiry is. When and whence came they to be immersed in this darkness? Is it then the fact that they incurred it all here, and in this their own proper life forgat God through too much negligence, after a life of wisdom and religion in their mother's womb? Let those say so who dare; let them listen to it who wish to; let them believe it who can. I, however, am sure that none whose minds are not blinded by an obstinate adherence to a foregone conclusion can possibly entertain such an opinion. Is there then no evil in ignorance, — nothing which needs to be purged away? \V'hat means that prayer: " Remember not the sins of my youth and of my ignorance?" ' For although those sins are more to be condemned which are knowingly committed, yet if there were no sins of ignorance, we should not have read in Scripture what I have quoted, "Remember not the sins of my youth and of my ignorance." Seeing now that the soul of an infant fresh from its mother's womb is still the soul of a human being, — nay, the soul of a rational creature, — not only untaught, but even incapable of instruction, I ask why, or when, or whence, it was plunged into that thick darkness of ignorance in which it lies? If it is man's nature thus to begin, and that nature is not already corrupt, then why was not Adam created thus? Why was he capable of receiving a commandment? and able to give names to his wife, and to all the animal creation? For of her he said, "She shall be called Woman;"^ and in respect of the rest we read: " Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof." ^ Whereas this one, although he is ignorant where he is, what he is, by whom created, of what parents born, is already guilty of offence, incapable as yet of receiving a commandment, and so completely involved and overwhelmed in a thick cloud of ignorance, that he cannot be aroused out of his sleep, so as to recognize even ' Ps. xxiv. 7. ^ Gen. ii. 23. 3 Gen. ii. 19.
these facts; but a time must be patiently awaited, until he can shake off this strange intoxication, as it were, (not indeed in a single night, as even the heaviest drunkenness usually can be, but) little by little, through many months, and even years; and until this be accomplished, we have to bear in little children so many things which we punish in older persons, that we cannot enumerate them. Now, as touching this enormous evil of ignorance and weakness, if in this present life infants have contracted it as soon as they were born, where, when, how, have they by the perpetration of some great iniquity become suddenly implicated in such darkness?
CHAP. 68 [XXXVII.] — IF ADAM WAS NOT CRE- ATED OF SUCH A CHAR.'^CTER AS THAT IN WHICH WE ARE BORN, HOW IS IT THAT CHRIST, AL- THOUGH FREE FROM SIN, WAS BORN AN INFANT AND IN WEAKNESS?
Some one will ask, If this nature is not pure, but corrupt from its origin, since Adam was not created thus, how is it that Christ, who is far more excellent, and was certainly born without any sin of a virgin, nevertheless appeared in this weakness, and came into the world in infancy? To this question our answer is as follows: Adam was not created in such a state, because, as no sin from a parent preceded him, he was not created in sinful flesh. We, however, are in such a condition, because by reason of his preceding sin we are born in sinful flesh. While Christ was born in such a state, because, in order that He might for sin condemn sin. He assumed the likeness of sinful flesh.-* The question which we are now discussing is not about Adam in respect of the size of his body, why he was not made an infant but in the perfect greatness of his mem- J bers. It may indeed be said that the beasts " were thus created likewise, — nor was it owing to their sin that their young were born small.
Why all this came to pass we are not now asking. But the question before us has regard to the vigor of man's mind and his use of reason, by virtue of which Adam was capable of instruction, and could apprehend God's precept and the law of His commandment, and could easily keep it if he would; whereas man is now bom in such a state as to be utterly incapable of doing so, owing to his dreadful ignorance and weakness, not indeed of body, but of mind, — although we must all admit that in every infant there exists a rational soul of the self-same substance (and no other) as that which belonged to the first man. Still this great infirmity of the flesh, clearly, in my opinion, points to a something, whatever it may be, that is penal. It raises the doubt whether, if the first human beings had not sinned, * Rom. viii. 3.
Chap. 70.]
tliey would have had children who could use, neither tongue, nor hands, nor feet. That they should be born children was perhaps necessary, on account of the limited capacity of the womb. But, at the same time, it does not follow, because a rib is a small part of a man's body, that God made an infant wife for the man, and then built her up into a woman. In like manner, God's almighty power was competent to make her children also, as soon as born, grown up at once.
CHAP. 69 [XXXVIII.] — THE IGNORANCE AND THE INFIRMITY OF AN INFANT.
But not to dwell on this, that was at least possible to them which has actually happened to many animals, the young of which are born small, and do not advance in mind (since they have no rational soul) as their bodies grow larger, and yet, even when most diminutive, run about, and recognize their mothers, and require no external help or care when they want to suck, but with remarkable ease discover their mothers' breasts themselves, although these are concealed from ordinary sight. A human being, on the contrary, at his birth is furnished neither with feet fit for walking, nor with hands able even to scratch; and unless their lips were actually applied to the breast by the mother, they would not know where to find it; and even when close to the nipple, they would, notwithstanding their desire for food, be more able to cry than to suck. This utter helplessness of body thus fits in with their infirmity of mind; nor would Christ's flesh have been " in the likeness of sinful flesh," unless that sinful flesh had been such that the rational soul is oppressed by it in the way we have described, — whether this too has been derived from parents, or created in each case for the individual separately, or inspired from above, — concerning which I forbear from inquiring now.
CHAP. 70 [XXXLX.] HOW FAR SIN IS DONE AWAY IN INFANTS BY BAPTISM, ALSO IN ADULTS, AND WHAT ADVANTAGE RESULTS THEREFROM.
In infants it is certain that, by the grace of ■Cod, through His baptism who came in the likeaiess of sinful flesh, it is brought to pass that the ^sinful flesh is done away. This result, however, 1 is so effected, that the concupiscence which is diffused over and innate in the living flesh itself is not removed all at once, so as to exist in it no longer \ but only that that might not be injurious to a man at his death, which was inherent at his birth. For should an inf:\nt live after baptism, and arrive at an age capable of obedience to a law, he finds there somewhat to fight against, and, by God's help, to overcome, if he has not received His grace in vain, and if he is not willing to be a reprobate. For not even to those who are of riper years is it given in baptism (except, perhaps, by an unspeakable miracle of the almighty Creator), that the law of sin which is in their members, warring against the law of their mind, should be entirely extinguished, and cease to exist; but that zvhatever of evil has been done, said, or thought by a man whilst he was servant to a mind subject to its concupiscence, should be abolished, and regarded as if it had never occurred. The concupiscence itself, however, (notwithstanding the loosening of the bond of guilt in which the devil, by it, used to keep the soul, and the destruction of the barrier which separated man from his Maker,) remains in the contest in w^hich we chasten our body and bring it into subjection, whether to be relaxed for lawful and necessary uses, or to be restrained by continence.' But inasmuch as the Spirit of God, who knows so much better than we do all the past, and present, and future of the human race, foresaw and foretold that the life of man would be such that " no man living should be justified in God's sight," -it happens that through ignorance or infirmity we do not exert all the powers of our will against it, and so yield to it in the commission. of sundry unlawful things, — becoming worse in proportion to the greatness and frequency of our surrender; and better, in proportion to its unimportance and infrequency. The investigation, however, of the point in which we are now interested— whether there could possibly be (or whether in fact there is, has been, or ever will be) a man without sin in this present life, except Him who said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me " ^ — requires a much fuller discussion; and the arrangement of the present treatise is such as to make us postpone the question to the commencement of another book.
BOOK 11.
IK WHICH AUGUSTIN ARGUES AGAINST SUCH AS SAY THAT IN THE PRESENT LIFE THERE ARE, HAVE BEEN, AND WILL BE, MEN WHO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SIN AT ALL. HE LAYS DOWN FOUR PROPOSITIONS ON THIS HEAD: AND TEACHES, FIRST, THAT A MAN MIGHT POSSIBLY LIVE IN THE PRESENT LIFE WITHOUT SIN, BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND HIS OWN FREE WILL; HE NEXT SHOWS THAT NEVERTHELESS IN FACT THERE IS NO MAN WHO LIVES QUITE FREE FROM SIN IN THIS LIFE j THIRDLY, HE SETS FORTH THE REASON OF THIS, — BECAUSE THERE IS NO MAN WHO EXACTLY CONFINES HIS WISHES WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE JUST REQUIRE-MENT OF EACH CASE, WHICH JUST REQUIREMENT HE EITHER FAILS TO PERCEIVE, OR IS UNWILLING TO CARRY OUT IN PRACTICE; IN THE FOURTH PLACE, HE PROVES THAT THERE IS NOT, NOR HAS BEEN, NOR EVER WILL BE, A HUMAN BEING — EXCEPT THE ONE MEDIATOR, CHRIST WHO IS FREE FROM ALL SIN.
CHAP. I [l.] WHAT HAS THUS FAR BEEN DWELT ON; AND WHAT IS TO BE TREATED IN TfflS BOOK.
We have, my dearest Marcellinus, discussed at sufificient length, I think, in the former book the baptism of infants, — how that it is given to them not only for entrance into the kingdom of God, but also for attaining salvation and eternal life, which none can have without the kingdom of God, or without that union with the Saviour Christ, wherein He has redeemed us by His blood. I undertake in the present book to discuss and explain the question, Whether there lives in this world, or has yet lived, or ever will live, any one without any sin whatever, except " the one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all;"' — with as much care and ability as He may Himself vouchsafe to me. And should there occasionally arise in this discussion, either inevitably or casually from the argument, any question about the baptism or the sin of infants, I must neither be surprised nor must I shrink from giving the best answer I can, at such emergencies, to whatever point challenges my attention.
CHAP. 2 [n.] SOME PERSONS ATTRIBUTE TOO MUCH TO THE FREEDOM OF MAN's WILL; IGNO- RANCE AND INFIRMITY.
A solution is extremely necessary of this question about a human life unassailed by any deception or preoccupation of sin, in consequence ' 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.
even of our daily prayers. For there are some persons who presume so much upon the free determination of the human will, as to suppose that it need not sin, and that we require no divine assistance, — attributing to our nature, once for all, this determination of free will. An inevitable consequence of this is, that we ought not to pray " not to enter into temptation," — that is, not to be overcome of temptation, either when it deceives and surprises us in our ignorattce, or when it presses and importunes us in our weakness. Now how hurtful, and how pernicious and contrary to our salvation in Christ, and how violently adverse to the religion itself in which we are instructed, and to the piety whereby we worship God, it cannot but be for us not to beseech the Lord for the attainment i of such a benefit, but be rather led to think that petition of the Lord's Prayer, " Lead us not into temptation," ^ a vain and useless insertion, — i it is beyond my ability to express in words. | CHAP. 3 [in.] IN WHAT WAY GOD COMMANDS NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE. WORKS OF JMERCY, ME.ANS OF WIPING OUT SINS.
Now these people imagine that they are acute (as if none among us knew it) when they say, that " if we have not the will, we commit no sin; nor would God command man to do what was impossible for human volition." But they do not see, that in order to overcome certain things, which are the objects either of an evil desire or an ill-conceived fear, fnen need the 2 Matt. vi. 13.
Chap. 5.]
strenuous efforts, and sometimes even all the energies, of the will; and that we should only imperfectly employ these in every instance, Pie foresaw who willed so true an utterance to be spoken by the prophet: " In Thy sight shall no man living be justified." ' The Lord, therefore, foreseeing that such would be our character, was pleased to provide and endow with efficacious virtue certain healthful remedies against the guilt and bonds even of sins committed after baptism, — for instance, the works of mercy, — as when he says: " Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you." ^ For who could quit this life with any hope of obtaining eternal salvation, with that sentence impending: " Whosoever shall keep the whole, law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all," ^ if there did not soon after follow: " So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty: for he^ shall have judgment without mercy that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment?" •♦ CHAP. 4 [iV.] — CONCUPISCENCE, HOW FAR IN US; THE BAPTIZED ARE NOT INJURED BY CON- CUPISCENCE, BUT ONLY BY CONSENT THERE- WITH.
Concupiscence, therefore, as the law of sin which remains in the members of this body of death, is born with infants. In baptized infants, it is deprived of guilt, is left for the struggle [of life], 5 but pursues with no condemnation, such as die before the struggle. Unbaptized infants it implicates as guilty and as children of wrath, even if they die in infancy, draws into condemnation. In baptized adults, however, endowed with reason, whatever consent their mind gives to this concupiscence for the commission of sin is an act of their own will. After all sins have been blotted out, and that guilt has been cancelled which by nature ^ bound men in a conquered condition, it still remains, — but not to hurt in any way those who yield no consent to it for unlawful deeds, — until death is swallowed up in victory,'' and, in that perfection of peace, nothing is left to be conquered. Such, however, as yield consent to it for the commission of unlawful deeds, it holds as guilty; and unless, through the medicine of repentance, and through works of mercy, by the intercession in our behalf of the heavenly High Priest, they be healed, it conducts us to the second death and utter condemnation. It was on this account that the Lord, when teaching us to pray, advised us, besides other petitions, to say: " Forgive us * Jas. ii. 10.
* Jas. ii. 12.
our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into tempation, but deliver us from evil." ^ For evil remains in our flesh, not by reason of the nature in which man was created by God and wisdom, but by reason of that offence into which he fell by his own will, and in which, since its powers are lost, he is not healed with the same facility of will as that with which he was wounded.
Of this evil the apostle says: " I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing; "'^ and it is likewise to the same evil that he counsels us to give no obedience, when he says: " Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to obey the lusts thereof." '° When, therefore, we have by an unlawful inclination of our will yielded consent to these lusts of the flesh, we say, with a view to the cure of this fault, " Forgive us our debts; " " and we at the same time apply the remedy of a work of mercy, in that we add, " As we forgi\-e our debtors." That we may not, however, yield such consent, let us pray for assistance, and say, " And lead us not into temptation; " — not that God ever Himself tempts any one with such temptation, " for God is not a tempter to evil, neither tempteth He any man; " '^ but in order that whenever we feel the rising of temptation from our concupiscence, we may not be deserted by His help, in order that thereby Ave may be able to conquer, and not be carried away by enticement. We then add our request for that which is to be perfected at the last, when mortality shall be swallowed up of life: '^ " But deliver us from evil." '-" For then there will exist no longer a concupiscence which we are bidden to struggle against, and not to consent to. The whole substance, accordingly, of these three petitions may be thus briefly expressed: " Pardon us for those things in which we have been drawn away by concupiscence; help us not to be drawn away by concupiscence; take away concupiscence from us."
CHAP. 5 [v.] — THE WILL OF MAN REQUIRES THE HELP OF GOD.
Now for the commission of sin we get no help from God; but we are not able to do justly, and to fulfil the law of righteousness in every part thereof, except we are helped by God. For as the bodily eye is not helped by the light to turn away therefrom shut or averted, but is helped by it to see, and cannot see at all unless it help it; so God, who is the light of the inner man, helps our mental sight, in order that we may do some good, not according to our own, but according to His righteousness. But if we turn ' Matt. vi. 12, 13.
[Book II.
[Book II.
away from Him, it is our own act; we then are wise according to the flesh, we then consent to the concupiscence of the flesh for unlawful deeds. When we turn to Him, therefore, God helps us; when we turn away from Him, He forsakes us. But then He helps us even to turn to Him; and this, certainly, is something that light does not do for the eyes of the body. When, therefore. He commands us in the words, "Turn ye unto me, and I will turn unto you," ' and we say to Him, "Turn us, O God of our salvation,"^ and again, "Turn us, O God of hosts; " ^ what else do we say than, " Give what Thou commandest? " ■» W^hen He commands us, saying, " Understand now, ye simple among the people," s and we say to Him, " Give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments;"'^ what else do we say than, "Give what Thou commandest?" WHien He commands us, saying, " Go not after thy lusts," ^ and we say to Him, " We know that no man can be continent, except God gives it to him; " ^ what else do we say than, " Give what Thou commandest?" W'hen He commands us, saying, " Do justice," 9 and we say, " Teach me Thy judgments, O Lord; " '° what else do we say than, "Give what Thou commandest?" In like manner, when He says: " Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled," " from whom ought we to seek for the meat and drink of righteousness, but from Him who promises His fulness to such as hunger and thirst after it?
CHAP. 6. WHEREIN THE PHARISEE SINNED WHEN HE THANKED GOD; TO GOD'S GRACE MUST BE ADDED THE EXERTION OF OUR OWN Let US then drive away from our ears and minds those who say that we ought to accept the determination of our own free will and not pray God to help us not to sin. By such darkness as this even the Pharisee was not blinded; for although he erred in thinking that he needed no addition to his righteousness, and supposed himself to be saturated with abundance of it, he nevertheless gave thanks to God that he was not " like other men, unjust, extortioners, adulterers, or even as the publican; for he fasted twice in the week, he gave tithes of all that he possessed." '^ He wished, indeed, for no addition ■ Zech. i. 3.
^ Ps. Ixxxv. 4.
^ Ps. Ixxx. 3, 4.
•♦ Da quod jubes; see the Confessions, Book x. chap. 26.
s Ps. xciv. 8.
' Ps. cxix. 7j.
' Ecclus. xviii. 30.
8 Wisd. viii. 21.
9 Tsa. Ivi. I., '° Ps. cxix. io8.
" Matt. V.6.