40. Now the things which are
to be kept safe for sanctity’s sake are these: pudicity of body,
and chastity of soul,2371
and verity of
doctrine. Pudicity
of body, without consent and permission of the
soul, doth no man
violate. For, whatever against our will and without our empowering
the same is by greater force done upon our body, is no
lewdness.
Howbeit, of permitting there may be some reason, but of consenting,
none. For we consent, when we approve and wish: but we permit even
not willing, because of some greater turpitude to be eschewed.
Consent, truly, to corporal
lewdness violates also chastity of
mind. For the
mind’s
2372
chastity consists in a good will
and sincere
love, which is not
corrupted, unless when we
love and
desire that which
Truth teaches ought not to be
loved and desired.
We have therefore to
guard the
sincerity of
love toward
God and our
neighbor; for in this is chastity of
mind sanctified: and we must
endeavor with all the
strength in our
power, and with pious
supplication, that, when the pudicity of our body is sought to be
violated, not even that outermost sense of the
soul,
2373
which is
entangled with the
flesh, may be touched with any
delight; but if
it cannot this, at least the
mind and thought
2374
in not consenting may have its
chastity
preserved entire. Now what we have to
guard in chastity of
mind,
2375
is, as
pertaining to the
love of our
neighbor,
innocence and
benevolence;
as pertaining to the
love of
God,
piety.
Innocence is that we hurt
no man;
benevolence, that we also do good to whom we can;
piety,
that we
worship God. But as for verity of
doctrine, of
religion and
piety, that is not violated unless by a
lie; whereas the highest
and inmost Verity Itself, Whose that
doctrine is, can in no
wise be
violated: which
Truth to attain unto, and in It on every
wise to
remain, and to It thoroughly to
cleave, will not be permitted, but
when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
mortal shall have put on immortality. But, because all
piety in
this
life is
practice by which we tend to that
life, which
practice
hath a guidance afforded unto it from that
doctrine, which in human
words and
signs2376
of
corporal sacraments doth insinuate and intimate
Truth herself: for
this cause this also, which by
lying is possible to be
corrupted,
is most of all to be kept incorrupt; that so, if aught in that
chastity of
mind be violated, it may have that wherefrom it may be
repaired. For once corrupt authority of doctrine, and there can be
none either course or recourse to chastity of mind.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
