35. “Your friends persuade you to lay hands and even constraint
on the Indian philosophers, not even in their dreams beholding
our works. Our bodies you may remove from place to place, our
souls you cannot compel to do what they do not will, no more
than wood or stone to utter sounds. A great fire burns pain into
living bodies and begets corruption; on this fire we are, for
we are burning alive. There is neither king nor prince who can
compel us to do what we have not determined to do. Nor are we
like the philosophers of Greece, who have conceived words rather
than realities, in order to give celebrity to their opinions;
in our case realities are associated with words and words with
realities; our acts are swift and our discourses short, we enjoy
a delightful freedom in the exercise of virtue.”
36 and 37. Excellent words, but still words; excellent constancy, but
that of a man; excellent letter, but that of a philosopher. But amongst
us, even maidens through desire of death have mounted even up to heaven
by the lofty steps of virtue. Why should I mention Thecla, Agnes,
or Pelagia, who sprouting forth as noble tendrils[190] have hastened
to death as if to immortality? The virgin exulted among lions, and
dauntlessly beheld the roaring beasts. And to compare our history with
that of the Indian philosophers, what Calanus boasted in words holy
Laurence proved by his acts, for he was burnt alive, and surviving
the flames said, ‘Turn me and eat me.’ Nor did the youths of the race
of Abraham[191] or the sons of the Maccabees strive less boldly; the
former sung while in the midst of the flames, and the latter, during
their punishment, asked not to be spared, but reproached their
persecutor in order to enrage him more. The wise man therefore is free.
38. But what can be more sublime than holy Pelagia, who was surrounded
by persecutors, but before she came into their presence said; ‘I die
willingly, no man shall touch me, no one with wanton look shall defile
my chastity, I will carry away with me my modesty, my honour untainted;
these ruffians shall reap no profit from their insolence. Pelagia
will follow Christ, no man shall deprive her of her liberty, no man
shall see her free faith made captive, her illustrious chastity, her
inheritance of wisdom. What is enslaved shall remain here, not amenable
to any duty.’ Great therefore is the freedom of that pious virgin, who
encircled by her persecutors gave way not the least in the midst of
these great dangers to her integrity and her life.
Sidenote: Prov. xxix. 22. stirreth up strife. E.V.
Sidenote: S. John viii. 34.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. vi. 12, 13.
Sidenote: 1 Cor. x. 29.
39. But he is not free over whom anger reigns, for he is subject to
the yoke of sin; for _an angry man diggeth out sin_, and, _Whosoever
committeth sin, is the servant of sin_. Neither is he free who is
enslaved to avarice, for he cannot possess his vessel. Neither is he
free who seeing his desires and pleasures, fluctuates in his devious
course. He is not free who is bowed down by ambition, for he obeys the
rule of another. But he is free who is able to say, _All things are
lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient, all things are lawful
for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the
belly, and the belly for meats._ He is free who says, _For why is my
liberty judged of another man’s conscience?_
Sidenote: Prov. xxvi. 8.
Sidenote: Ib. 9.
Sidenote: Rom. vii. 23.
40. Liberty therefore belongs to the wise man not to the fool; for _he
who binds a stone in a sling is like him who giveth honour to a fool_,
for he wounds himself, and while brandishing his dart chiefly endangers
his own body. Certainly as he is stung by the sling, and by the falling
of the stone the evil is increased, so the fall of a fool when he is
set at liberty is more rapid. Wherefore the power of a fool is rather
to be retrenched than any new liberty added, for slavery is suitable
for him. And therefore it is added, _As a thorn goeth up into the
hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools_. For as
he is wounded by his cups, so is the fool by his deeds. The one by
drinking involves himself in sin, the other by acting subjects himself
to censure, and by his deeds is drawn into bondage. Paul saw himself
_brought into captivity by the law of sin_, and therefore, in order to
be freed, he fled to the grace of liberty.
Sidenote: Ps. xxxii. 10.
Sidenote: Prov. xiii. 24.
Sidenote: Ps. xxxviii. 4, 5.
41. Fools then are not free, for it is said to them, _Be ye not like
to horse and mule, which have no understanding, whose mouths must be
held with bit and bridle lest they fall upon thee. Great plagues remain
for the ungodly_; for they have need of these, in order that their
folly may be restrained. It is good discipline which requires this,
not severity. Further, _he that spareth his rod hateth his son_: for a
man’s own sins scourge him still more severely. For heavy is the weight
of crime, heavy the scourges of sin; they are heavy as a sore burthen,
they inflict wounds upon the soul, and make the ulcers of the mind to
stink.
Sidenote: Prov. xxiv. 30.
42. Wherefore let us lay aside this grievous burthen of slavery, let
us renounce sensuality, and the evil delights which bind us with the
bonds, as it were, of lusts, and fetter us with chains. For these
delights profit not the fool, and whoever has given himself to them
from his boyhood will abide in bondage; living he will be as dead. Let
sensuality then be cut down, let evil delights be pruned away, and let
him who has been wanton bid farewell to his former courses. For the
vine which has been cut down bears fruit, that which has been partly
pruned puts forth leaves, that which has been neglected grows too
luxuriantly. Therefore it is written, _Like a field is the foolish man,
and like a vineyard the man void of understanding_; if you leave him
alone, he will become desolate. Let us then tend this body of ours, let
us chasten it, let us reduce it to subjection, let us not neglect it.
Sidenote: Rom. vi. 13.
Sidenote: Ib.
Sidenote: Ps. xiv. 6.
43. For our members are _instruments of righteousness_, they are also
_instruments of sin_. If they are raised upwards, they are instruments
of righteousness, that sin should not reign in them: if our body has
died to sin, transgression will not reign therein, and our members will
be free from sin. Let us not therefore obey its lusts, nor _yield our
members instruments of unrighteousness unto sin_. If you have looked
upon a woman to lust after her, your members are the instruments of
sin. If you have spoken and solicited her, your tongue and your mouth
are instruments of sin. If you have removed the landmarks which your
fathers set up, your members are instruments of sin. If you have hasted
_with swift feet to shed the blood_ of the innocent, your members are
instruments of sin.
Sidenote: Prov. xiv. 7.
Sidenote: Job xxix. 15.
44. On the other hand, if you have seen a poor man, and taken him
into your house, your members are instruments of righteousness. If you
have rescued one who was suffering wrong, or one who was being led to
execution; if you have cancelled the bond of the debtor, your members
are instruments of righteousness. If you have confessed Christ (for
_the lips of knowledge are the instruments of understanding_,) your
lips are the members of righteousness. He who can say, _I was eyes to
the blind, and feet was I to the lame, I was a father to the poor_, his
members are members of righteousness.
Sidenote: Job xxxi. 33.
Sidenote: Prov. xviii. 17.
Sidenote: Ps. xxxii. 6.
45. Being therefore set free from sin, and redeemed, as it were, at the
price of the Blood of Christ, let us not be made subject to the bondage
of men or of passion. Let us not blush to confess our sins. Behold how
free he was who could say, _I feared not the multitude of the people;
that I should not confess my sin in the sight of all_. For he that
confesses his sin is released from servitude, and _the just accuses
himself in the beginning of his speech_. Not the free but the just man
also; but justice is in liberty and liberty in confession, for as soon
as a man shall confess he is absolved. Lastly, _I said I will confess
my sins unto the Lord, and so Thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin_.
The delay of absolution depends on confessing, the remission of sins
follows closely on confession. He therefore is wise who confesses; he
is free whose sin is remitted, for he contracts now no debt of guilt.
Farewell: love me as indeed you do, for I also love you.
LETTER XXXVIII.
A.D. 387.
IN this letter S. Ambrose continues the subject, maintaining
that the truly wise man is not only free but rich also,
illustrating his statements with instances from the Old
Testament.