Enchiridion On Faith, Hope and Love
by Saint Augustine
CHAPTER XXI
PROBLEMS OF CASUISTRY
78.
What sins are trivial and what are grave, however, is not for human
but
for
divine judgment to determine. For we see that, in respect of some
sins, even the
apostle,
by pardoning them, has conceded this point. Such a case is seen in
what the
venerable
Paul says to married folks: "Do not deprive one another, except
by
consent
for a time to give yourselves to prayer, and then return together
lest Satan
tempt
you at the point of self-control."173
One could consider that it is not a sin for a
married
couple to have intercourse, not only for the sake of procreating
children--
which
is the good of marriage--but also for the sake of the carnal pleasure
involved.
Thus,
those whose self-control is weak could avoid fornication, or
adultery, and
other
kinds of impurity too shameful to name, into which their lust might
drag them
through
Satan's tempting. Therefore one could, as I said, consider this not a
sin, had
the
apostle not added, "But I say this as a concession, not as a
rule." Who, then,
denies
that it is a sin when he agrees that apostolic authority for doing it
is given
only
by "concession"?
Another
such case is seen where he says, "Dare any of you, having a case
against
another, bring it to be judged before the unrighteous and not the
saints?"174
And
a bit later: "If, therefore, you have cases concerning worldly
things," he says,
"you
appoint those who are contemptible in the Church's eyes. I say this
to shame
you.
Can it be that there is not a wise man among you, who could judge
between his
brethren?
But brother goes to law with brother, and that in the presence of
unbelievers."175
And here it might be thought that it was not a
sin to bring suit
against
a brother, and that the only sin consisted in wishing it judged
outside the
Church,
if the apostle had not added immediately, "Now therefore the
whole fault
among
you is that you have lawsuits with one another."176
Then, lest someone
excuse
himself on this point by saying that he had a just cause and was
suffering
injustice
which he wished removed by judicial sentence, the apostle directly
resists
such
thoughts and excuses by saying: "Why not rather suffer iniquity?
Why not
rather
be defrauded?"177
Thus we are brought back to that saying of the
Lord: "If
anyone
would take your tunic and contend in court with you, let go your
cloak
also."178
And in another place: "If a man takes away
your goods, seek them not
back."179
Thus, he forbids his own to go to court with
other men in secular suits.
And
it is because of this teaching that the apostle says that this kind
of action is "a
fault."
Still, when he allows such suits to be decided in the Church,
brothers judging
brothers,
yet sternly forbids such a thing outside the Church, it is clear that
some
concession
is being made here for the infirmities of the weak.
Because
of these and similar sins--and of others even less than these, such
as
offenses
in words and thoughts--and because, as the apostle James confesses,
"we
all
offend in many things,"180
it behooves us to pray to the Lord daily and
often, and
say,
"Forgive us our debts," and not lie about what follows this
petition, "As we also
forgive
our debtors."
172Ps.
58:11 (Vulgate); cf. Ps. 59:10 (R.S.V.).
173I
Cor. 7:5 (mixed text).
174I
Cor. 6:1.
175I
Cor. 6:4-6.
176I
Cor. 6:7a.
177I
Cor. 6:7b.
178Matt.
5:40.
179Luke
6:30.
180James
3:2 (Vulgate).
79.
There are, however, some sins that could be deemed quite trifling if
the
Scriptures
did not show that they are more serious than we think. For who would
suppose
that one saying to his brother, "You fool," is "in
danger of hell-fire," if the
Truth
had not said it? Still, for the hurt he immediately supplied a
medicine, adding
the
precept of brotherly reconciliation: "If, therefore, you are
offering a gift at the
altar,
and remember there that your brother has something against you,"181
etc.
Or
who would think how great a sin it is to observe days and months and
years
and seasons--as those people do who will or will not begin projects
on certain
days
or in certain months or years, because they follow vain human
doctrines and
suppose
that various seasons are lucky or unlucky--if we did not infer the
magnitude
of this evil from the apostle's fear, in saying to such men, "I
fear for you,
lest
perhaps I have labored among you in vain"182?
80.
To this one might add those sins, however grave and terrible, which,
when
they come to be habitual, are then believed to be trivial or no sins
at all. And
so
far does this go that such sins are not only not kept secret, but are
even
proclaimed
and published abroad--cases of which it is written, "The sinner
is
praised
in the desires of his soul; and he that works iniquity is
blessed."183
In
the divine books such iniquity is called a "cry" (clamor).
You have such a
usage
in the prophet Isaiah's reference to the evil vineyard: "I
looked that he should
perform
justice, yet he did iniquity; not justice but a cry."184
So also is that passage
in
Genesis: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is multiplied,"185
for among these
people
such crimes were not only unpunished, but were openly committed, as
if
sanctioned
by law.
So
also in our times so many evils, even if not like those [of old],
have come to
be
public customs that we not only do not dare excommunicate a layman;
we do not
dare
degrade a clergyman for them. Thus, several years ago, when I was
expounding
the Epistle to the Galatians, where the apostle says, "I fear
for you, lest
perchance
I have labored in vain among you," I was moved to exclaim: "Woe
to the
sins
of men! We shrink from them only when we are not accustomed to them.
As for
those
sins to which we are accustomed--although the blood of the Son of God
was
shed
to wash them away--although they are so great that the Kingdom of God
is
wholly
closed to them, yet, living with them often we come to tolerate them,
and,
tolerating
them, we even practice some of them! But grant, O Lord, that we do
not
practice
any of them which we could prohibit!" I shall someday know
whether
immoderate
indignation moved me here to speak rashly.
