26. But, in order that it may
be more clearly understood, how there may be virtue in habit,
although it be not in work, I speak of an example, about which no
Catholic Christian can doubt. For that our Lord Jesus Christ in
truth of flesh hungered and thirsted, ate and drank, no one doubts
of such as out of the Gospel are believers. What, then, was there
not in Him the virtue of continence from meat and drink, as great
as in John Baptist? “For John came neither eating nor drinking;
and they said, He hath a devil; the Son of Man came both eating and
drinking; and they said, “Lo, a glutton and wine-bibber, a friend
of publicans and sinners.”2007
What, are not such things said
also against them of His household, our fathers, from another
kind
of using of things earthy, so
far as pertains to sexual
intercourse; “Lo, men
lustful and
unclean,
lovers of
women and
lewdness?” And yet as in Him that was not true, although it were
true that He
abstained not, even as John, from eating and drinking,
for Himself saith most plainly and truly, “John came, not eating,
nor drinking; the Son of Man came eating and drinking:” so
neither is this true in these Fathers; although there hath come now
the
Apostle of
Christ, not wedded, nor begetting, so that the
heathen say of him, He was a magician; but there came then the
Prophet of
Christ, marrying and begetting sons, so that the
Manichees say of him, He was a man fond of
women: “And
wisdom,”
saith He, “hath been justified of her
children.”
2008
What the
Lord there added, after He had thus spoken of John and of Himself;
“But
wisdom,” saith He, “hath been justified of her
children.” Who see that the
virtue of continence ought to exist
even in the
habit of the
soul, but to be shown forth in
deed,
according to opportunity of things and times; even as the
virtue of
patience of holy martyrs appeared in
deed; but of the
rest equally
holy was in
habit. Wherefore, even as there is not unequal
desert
of
patience in Peter, who
suffered, and in John, who
suffered not;
so there is not unequal
desert of continence in John who made no
trial of
marriage,
2009
| 2009 S. Jerome agt.
Jovinianus. |
and in
Abraham, who
begat sons.
For both the celibate of the one, and the
marriage estate of the
other, did service as
soldiers to Christ, as times were allotted;
but John had continence in work also, but Abraham in habit
alone.
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