fuch a Man is certainly to be left to his own Judgment, either as to entering the Church, or as to receiving the Myftery of the Body and Blood of our Lord; for he is not to be forbid by us to receive, who being plac'd in the Fire cannot burn. But when, not the Love of getting Children, but Pleasure prevails in the Work of Copulation, the Conforts have fomething to lament for their having to do with one another. For this the holy Preaching allows them, and yet fhakes the Mind with dread of the very Allowance. For when Paul the Apostle faid, Let him that can not con→ tain, have his Wife; he prefently took care to fubjoin, But this I fay by way of Indulgence, not by way of Command. For that is not granted by way of Indulgence which is lawful, because it is juft; and therefore, that which he said, he indulg'd, he fhow'd to be an Offence. It is feriously to be confider'd, that when God was to fpeak to the People on Mount Sinai, he firft commanded them to abstain from Women. And if fo much Cleannefs of Body was there requir'd, where God fpoke to the People by the means of a fubje&t Creature, that thofe who were to hear the Words of God, fhould not have had to do with Women, how much more ought Women, who receive the Body of the Almighty God, to preferve themselves in Cleannefs of Flesh, left they be burden'd with the very Greatnefs of the ineftimable Mystery. For this Reafon it was faid to David, concerning his Men by the Prieft, that if they were clean from Women, they should receive the Shew Bread, which they fhould not have receiv'd at all, had not David firft declar'd

them

Then the Man,

them clean from Women. who, after having had to do with his Wife, has been wafh'd with Water, is alfo capable of receiving the Myftery of the Holy Communion, when it is lawful for him, according to what has been before declar'd, to enter the Church.

Auguftin's Queftion.

Whether after an Illufion, which uses to happen in a Dream, any Man may receive the Body of our Lord, or if he be a Prieft, celebrate the divine Myfteries.

Gregory answers.

Such a Man, the Teftament of the old Law, as has been faid already in the Article above, calls polluted, and allows him not to enter into the Church till the Evening, after being wafh'd with Water. The which nevertheless the Spiritual People taking in another Senfe, will understand in the fame manner as above; because he is impos'd upon as it were in a Dream, who being tempted with Filthiness is defil'd by real Reprefentations in Thought, and he is to be wafh'd with Water, that he may cleanse away the Sins of Thought with Tears; and unless the Fire of Temptation depart before, may know himself to be guilty as it were till the Evening. But Difcretion is very neceflary in that Illufion, for seriously confidering, what may caufe that to happen in the Mind of the Perfon fleeping; for fometimes it proceeds from Excefs of Eating, or Drinking; fometimes from Superfluity of Nature, or Infirmity, and fometimes from Thought, G 4

And

And when it happens, either through Superfluity or Infirmity of Nature, fuch an Illufion is not to be appréhended, because it is rather to be lamented, that the Mind of the Perfon, who knew nothing of it, fuffers the fame, than that he occafion'd it. But when the Appetite of Gluttony commits Excefs in Food, and thereupon the Receptacles of the Humors are opprefs'd, the Mind from thence contracts fome Guilt; yet not fo much as to obftruc the receiving of the Holy Mystery, or celebrating Mafs; when an Holy-day requires it, or Neceffity obliges the Sacrament to be adminifter'd, because there is no other Prieft in the Place; for if there be others, who can perform the Ministry; the Illufion proceeding from overmuch eating is not to exclude from the receiving the facred Mystery; but I am of Opinion, he ought humbly to abftain from offering the Sacrifice of the Myftery; provided, nevertheless, that it has not fhaken the Mind of the Perfon fleeping with fome foul Imagination. For there are fome, who for the most Part fo fuffer the Illufion, that their Mind, even when in the Sleep of the Body, is not defil'd with filthy Thoughts. In which cafe one thing appears, and is that the guilty Mind is not clear even in its own Judgment, for tho' It does not remember to have feen any thing whilft the Body was fleeping, yet it calls to mind that when waking it fell into bodily Gluttony. But if the fleeping Illufion proceeds from an evil Thought when waking, then the Guilt is manifeft to the Mind; for he perceives from whence that Filth fprung, because what he knowingly thought of, that he fuffer'd ig

norant

norantly. But it is to be confider'd, whether that Thought was no more than a Suggestion, or proceeded to Delectation, or which is ftill more criminal confented to Sin. For all Sin is committed three Ways, viz. by Suggestion, by Delectation, and by Confent. Suggestion is occafion'd by the Devil, Delectation is from the Flefh, and Confent from the Mind. For the Serpent suggested the first Offence, Eve, as Flesh, was delighted with it, but Adam confented, as the Spirit, or Mind. And much Discretion is requifite for the Mind to fit as Judge between Suggestion and Delectation, and between Delectation and Confent. For if the eyil Spirit fuggeft a Sin into the Mind, if there enfue no Delectation in the Sin, the Sin is no Way committed; but when the Flesh begins to be delighted, then Sin begins to sprout. But if it deliberately confents, then the Sin is known to be perfected. The beginning therefore of Sin is in the Suggestion, the nourishing of it in Delectation, in the Confent the Perfection. And it often happens that what the evil Spirit fows in Thought, the Flesh draws to Delectation, and yet the Soul does not confent to that Delectation. And whereas the Flesh cannot be delighted without the Soul, yet the Mind ftrugling against the Pleasures of the Flesh, is unwillingly fomewhat ty'd down in the carnal Delectation, fo as that through Reafon it contradicts and does not confent, and yet being ty'd down by Delectation, grievously laments its being fo bound. Wherefore that prime Soldier of the Heavenly Army, fighing faid, I fee another Law in my Members warring Rom.7.23. against the Law of my Mind, and bringing me into

Captivity to the Law of Sin, which is in my Mem<bers. But if he was a Captive, he did not fight; but he did fight, therefore he was not a Captive; he therefore fought by the Law of the Mind, which the Law that is in the Members did oppofe; if he fought fo, he was no Captive. Thus then Man is, as I may fay, a Captive and free. Free on Account of Juftice, which he loves, a Captive by the Delectation he unwillingly bears.

Thus far the Anfwers of the Holy Pope Gregory, to the Queftions of the most Reverend Prelate Auguftin. The Epiftle he mentions he had writ to the Bishop of Arles, was directed to Virgilius, Succeffor to Etherins, the Copy whereof follows.

CHAP. XXVIII.

Pope Gregory writes to the Bishop of Arles to affift Auguftin in the Work of God.

The

O the Moft Reverend and Moft Holy Brother Virgilius, our Fellow Bishop, Gregory, Servant of the Servants of God. With how much Affection Brethren, coming of their own accord are to be entertain'd is well known, by their being for the most part invited on account of Charity. Therefore, if our common Brother, Bishop Auguftin, fhall happen to come to you, I defire your Love will receive him so kindly and affectionately, as is becoming, that he may be cherish'd with the

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