Appendix to Augustine's Sermones: Sermones supposititii, Sermones 298-317

God avert from us what follows: Bind, He says, his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (ibid., 13). See what sentence he will deserve to hear who through vanity and luxury adorns his flesh, and for the sake of eternal life neglects to adorn his soul with good works. But we trust in the mercy of God that He will deign so to inspire us that we may, with His help, keep our heart unharmed by evil thoughts, and preserve our body clean in all chastity and sobriety; so that when we have merited to come before the tribunal of the eternal Judge, we may not deserve to receive punishment for evil deeds, but may attain to eternal rewards for good works: by the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ages of ages. Amen.

Sermon 314. On a possessed man rescued.

1. How neither the demoniac nor the demon is to be feared. Each man feeds either Christ or the devil. By deeds it is betrayed who the guest is. As many vices as a man has, so many demons he has. Last Sunday, dearest brethren, while Mass was being celebrated, that raving possessed man caused no small fear to all the people. It is certain, dearest brethren, that scarcely a man will be found who, when he has seen an unhappy person so tormented by the devil, does not take fright and fear. And yet, dearest brethren, if you will, with God's help we can show you how you may not fear a possessed man. You will never fear the demon that is in another's flesh if you do not have him in your own soul. Indeed, holy and perfect men not only do not fear demoniacs, but are even feared with great trembling by demoniacs, nay by the demons themselves. But if we so fear a demon in another's body, how much ought we to fear lest through evil deeds we nourish him in our own hearts? Every man, dearest brethren, in the banquet of his heart feeds either Christ or the devil. If he is willing to pursue justice, peace, chastity, mercy and charity, he without doubt feeds and refreshes Christ within himself, according to what is written: Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone opens to me, I will come in to him and sup with him (Rev. 3:20). See, it is proved to you how, or with what food, a holy soul feeds and refreshes Christ. On the contrary, whoever is willing to love pride, malice, envy, lust and other things like these, let him not doubt that he refreshes the devil and prepares for him, by such evils, delights he desires. From his own deeds each one can know what sort of guest he deserves to receive into his heart. It is certain that such a banquet as you prepare, such guests too you will deserve to have. For many dread a demon in another's body, yet neglect to fear him in their own heart. For everyone who loves pride is full of the devil. And if along with pride he is willing to have envy too, he will be subject to two demons. And if along with envy he also commits adultery, he is possessed by three demons. And if along with these evils he is willing to love lying, he is subjugated and weighed down by a whole four-horse team of demons. For as many vices as a man has, so many demons he has. Indeed in the Gospel also, that man from whom the unclean spirit had gone out, when by the grace of God he had merited to be freed from one demon of idolatry, because he would not let virtues in in place of the vices, that unclean spirit returned and brought with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself (Luke 11:24); and in him was fulfilled what is written: For by whatever a man is overcome, of that

he is also the slave (2 Pet. 2:19), and again, Whoever commits sin is the slave of sin (John 8:34).

2. The proud man is not without a demon, nor the envious, nor the adulterer, nor the liar. But perhaps someone says: How can it come about that one who has sinned through lust in his flesh should have the devil in his soul? We, dearly beloved brothers, prove what we have said by the testimonies of the holy Scriptures. For that whoever is proud is full of a demon, hear the Scripture saying, Unclean before God is everyone who exalts his heart; and again, The beginning of all pride is to apostatize from God (Sir. 10:14). What is "to apostatize" but to depart from God? And certainly whoever is separated from God is joined to the devil. And that whoever is envious cannot be without a demon, Scripture says: Through the envy of the devil death entered into the world; and they who are of his party imitate him (Wis. 2:24–25). And that he too who commits fornication is possessed by the devil, canonical Scripture none the less bears witness; for thus says the prophet: By the spirit of fornication you have been deceived (Hos. 4:12). And that every liar also cannot be without an evil spirit, Scripture is witness: Thou wilt destroy, it says, all who speak a lie (Ps. 5:7); and again, The mouth that lies kills the soul (Wis. 1:11). And in the book of Kings we read that an evil spirit said to the Lord: I, it says, will deceive Ahab. To whom the Lord said, By what means will you deceive him? And it answered: I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets. And the Lord said, You will deceive him and will prevail (1 Kgs. 22:21–22). Likewise we ought to believe concerning the other capital sins and crimes also; for no one commits them except at the devil's instigation.

3. That sins should be cured quickly by medicine. What then, brothers? Since we feel ourselves liable for many sins and crimes, must we despair? Far be this from the Christian people. We must not indeed despair, but neither must we persevere in those very sins with a hostile security. For He Who said, When you have turned and groaned, you will be saved (Ezek. 33:12), He Himself said, Do not delay to be converted to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day (Sir. 5:8). For a poultice or a fastening is best applied to wounds while they are still warm; and a wound is quickly healed which is not allowed to fester for long. And therefore when any one of us has received the wound of any sin whatever, before it festers and stinks through long habit, let him flee with all speed to the remedies of penance. If sin is allowed to rule for long, it is known to give off a most foul stench to all the saints and to those who fear God. And therefore we must labour with God's help so that, all sins having been purged away or mortified, the virtues may enter into the possession of the vices: and the place which pride held, let humility occupy; that which avarice laid waste, let almsgiving hold; that which lust defiled, let chastity cleanse and take back; that which envy held, let benevolence possess; where lying seemed to be, let truth rule. For if, brothers, with Christ's help we strive to do these things, not only do we not fear demons in the bodies of others, but we also put them to flight from our own hearts through the grace of God: by the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom is honour and glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sermon 315. On the fact that the times of the Christians were foretold, and that the Church is not free from temptations.

1. The Church's vengeance on her adversaries. What is to be considered in the persecutor. In all the divine Scriptures, dearest brothers, the times of the Christians have been foretold. This was so because it was to come about that the kings of the earth, who

on account of idols persecuted Christians, should on account of Christ destroy idols, and every power should be subjected to the yoke of Christ; that what was said might be fulfilled, I have taken vengeance on them (Ps. 117:10). For what is, I have taken vengeance on them? I have avenged myself on them. The body of Christ speaks: I have avenged myself on my enemies. How did it avenge itself? By killing error in them, by raising up faith. For whatever it was in all the wicked and perverse that persecuted Christians has been destroyed. For when a man persecutes you, do not attend to that form which God made, or to that soul which God breathed in: it is not what God made that persecutes you, but the malice which man made. All things that God made praise God. You have heard in the Benedicite, and you hear at every solemnity when they are read, how all things praise God, things heavenly and things earthly, angels, men, the lights of heaven, the trees of the earth, rivers, seas; whatever God created, whether in heaven, or on earth, or in the sea, praises God. Have you ever heard there that avarice praises God? Have you ever heard there that drunkenness praises God? Have you ever heard there that lust praises God? Have you ever heard that heresy praises God? Why do all these not praise God? Because they were not created by God. And the tree kept what it was created; man destroyed what he was raised upright to be. For if he kept in himself the good which God created in him, that is, His image, he would always praise God, not only with the tongue, but also with his life. Therefore our times too were foretold: but in our times it was foretold that there would be schisms. So then, as that Church fought against the devil, so this one too fights.

2. The devil first assailed the Church as a lion, now as a dragon. How he is overcome. The necessity of Christ's death. He underwent it willingly. Does the fighting against the devil cease? But the devil is called lion and dragon; lion on account of his onslaught, dragon on account of his snares: the lion rages openly, the dragon lies in wait in secret. In earlier times the Church fought against the lion; now it fights against the dragon. But as the lion was conquered, the dragon too is conquered. What strength has the lion against that Lion of whom it is written, The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered (Rev. 5:5)? And what strength has the dragon against the death of the Lord, Who hung the serpent on the wood? For He triumphed over death, which the devil had given man to drink through his cunning. And when Moses lifted up the serpent on the wood in the desert, the people that were being bitten by the serpent looked at the serpent and were healed: so now too, whomever the cunning of Satan has bitten, let him fix his gaze on Christ hanging on the wood, for there death was slain. The Lord lives always: but to slay death, He was clothed with death; for death could not die except in life. Bitterness does not die except in sweetness; cold does not die except in heat: death has not died except in life. What is life? Our Christ. But life had put on death. He was crucified, He was slain, He died, and He rose again; so that the Apostle might say of Him, We know that Christ does not die, and death shall no longer have dominion over Him (Rom. 6:9). But in that death had dominion over Him at first, it had dominion over One Who willed it. The lion's henchman puffed himself up against Him: then the judge by whom He was being judged raised his neck and said, Do you not answer me (John 19:10)? The roaring of the lion rages, the neck of the serpent swells; but hear the answer of the Lamb, Who knew how to slay the lion; hear that death had dominion over One Who willed it. For when He heard these things from him, He answered, You would have no power over Me, unless it had been given you from heaven (ibid. 11). Who gave this power from above? God. Who is God? The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. So then, that man might have power over God, man received power from God Himself to judge God; God hidden, man manifest.

3. The devil is a lion when he harasses, a dragon when he flatters. Against flatteries there is need of vigilance. So then, that we may be able, with God's help, to conquer the lion and the dragon of which it was said above, with great fear and trembling

let us keep before our eyes what the apostle Peter says, Your adversary the devil, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking something to devour (1 Pet. 5:8): and what the Apostle warns us concerning the dragon, that we should beware of him with all solicitude, I have fitted you, he says, to present a chaste virgin to one husband, to Christ: but I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his cunning, so also your senses be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 11:2–3). When therefore some public tribulation has arisen for you, recognize the rage and ferocity of the lion: when evil concupiscences solicit you with crafty seduction towards avarice or lust, recognize the blandishments of the dragon. If therefore you desire to guard the right faith faithfully, be strong in adversities against the ferocity of the lion: but if you desire to keep the virginity of the soul intact, watch out as much as you can for the blandishments of the dragon; lest perhaps, if you are incautious, you allow the five senses, which are in you like five virgins, to be corrupted by the serpent. For whatever is beautiful to the sight, whatever is sweet to the taste, whatever flatters the hearing, whatever entices the smell, whatever is soft to the touch: in all these, if we are incautious, as evil concupiscences creep in, we allow the virginity of the soul to be corrupted: and there is fulfilled in us what was said through the prophet, Death has entered through your windows (Jer. 9:21). For through these five senses, as through certain doors, either death or life enters into our soul.

4. Praise and blame are to be held of little account. Let us therefore be, with the Lord's help, among those five wise virgins who, as we read in the Gospel, carried oil in their lamps: and as far as we can, let us take care that we are not found among those foolish ones who, applauding themselves for the mere integrity of the body, lost the virginity of the soul through the corruption of the five senses, who did not carry oil with them; to whom it was said, Go, buy for yourselves from those who sell oil. For oil in this place is flattery and human praise: all flatterers sell oil. Therefore those are called foolish who sought praise outwardly, and did not have it within in their conscience. That is why they did not carry oil with them; because they wished to have praise in another's tongue, not in their own conscience. Yet what did they answer those foolish ones? Lest perhaps there be not enough for us (Matt. 25:4, 9): as the Apostle said, But neither do I judge my own self (1 Cor. 4:3). If therefore our conscience trembles under the examination of God's judgement, and, although it seems right to itself, fears lest the rule of justice come forth from His treasury and that be found crooked which seemed straight: how much less ought we to care about others' judgements of us, dearly beloved, whether bad or good? Neither ought we to rejoice greatly when we are praised, nor be saddened when we are blamed. False praise cannot crown us, nor false blame condemn us. For as long as we live here, we ourselves cannot judge concerning ourselves, I do not say what we shall be tomorrow, but what we are today: how much less ought we to be moved by the judgements of others, rather than by our own conscience, which bears witness to us? For our glory ought to be our conscience.

5. Let what has been heard be ruminated. And so, brethren, let your Charity attend a little, that I may say what I wish (even if not as I wish, but as the Lord shall have granted and willed), something most necessary for the daily temptations of the Catholic Church; for amid temptations she lives, and amid temptations she grows, and amid temptations she endures, and amid temptations she arrives. But when she has arrived, rest will succeed to labour; temptation withdraws, blessing remains. But I ask you, brethren, not to listen to no purpose: hold these things, ruminate them, feed on them; let not what is now being committed to memory depart from your mouth. A man's memory is like the belly of a beast. You know that in the Law those animals were called unclean which do not ruminate; but those which ruminate are clean; and whatever animals have a cloven hoof pertain to discerning the true and the false. The cloven hoof pertains to discerning what is right, what is left. For rumination