St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of the law of Heauen and Earth, which swaieth humane society by counsell, and vnto which counsell hu∣mane society obeyeth. CHAP. 14.

ALL temporall things are referred vnto the benefit of the peace which is re∣sident in the Terrestriall Cittie, by the members thereof: and vnto the vse of the eternall peace, by the Cittizens of the Heauenly society. Wherefore if wee wanted reason, wee should desire but an orderly state of body, and a good temperature of affects: nothing but fleshly ease, and fulnesse of pleasure. For the peace of the body augmenteth the quiet of the soule: and if it bee a wanting, it procureth a disturbance euen in brute beasts, because the affects haue not their true temperature.

Now both these combined, adde vnto the peace of soule and bodie both, that is, vnto the healthfull order of life. For as all creatures shew how they de∣sire their bodies peace, in avoyding the causes of their hurt: and their soules, in following their appetites when neede requireth: so in flying of death; they make it as apparant how much they set by their peace of soule and body. But man hauing a reasonable soule, subiecteth all his communities with beasts, vn∣to the peace of that, to worke so both in his contemplation and action, that there may bee a true consonance betweene them both, and this wee call the peace of the reasonable soule. To this end hee is to avoide molestation by griefe, disturbance by desire, and dissolution by death, and to ayme at profi∣•…•…e knowledge, where vnto his actions may bee conformable. But least 〈◊〉〈◊〉 owne infirmity, through the much desire to know, should draw him in∣to any pestilent inconuenience of error, hee must haue a diuine instruction,

to whose directions and assistance, hee is to assent with firme and free obedi∣ence. And because that during this life, Hee is absent from the LORD, hee walk∣eth by faith, and not by sight, and therefore hee referreth all his peace of bodie, of soule, and of both, vnto that peace which mortall man hath with immor∣tall * 1.1 GOD: to liue in an orderlie obedience vnder his eternall lawe, by faith.

Now GOD, our good Maister, teaching vs in the two chiefest precepts the loue of him, and the loue of our neighbour, to loue three things, GOD, our neighbour, and our selues, and seeing he that loueth GOD, offendeth not in lo∣uing himselfe: it followeth, that hee ought to counsell his neighbour to loue GOD, and to prouide for him in the loue of GOD, sure hee is commanded to loue him, as his owne selfe. So must hee doe for his wife, children, family, and all men besides: and wish likewise that his neighbour would doe as much for him, in his need: thus shall hee bee settled in peace and orderly concord with all the world. The order whereof is, first (a) to doe no man hurt, and secondly, to helpe all that hee can. So that his owne, haue the first place in his care, and those, his place and order in humane society affordeth him more conueniency to benefit. Wherevpon Saint Paul saith, Hee that prouideth not for his owne, and namely for them that bee of his houshold, denieth the faith, and is worse then an * 1.2 Infidell. For this is the foundation of domesticall peace, which is, an orderly rule, and subiection in the partes of the familie, wherein the prouisors are the Commaunders, as the husband ouer his wife; parents ouer their children, and maisters ouer their seruants: and they that are prouided for, obey, as the wiues doe their husbands, children their parents, and seruants their maisters. But in the family of the faithfull man, the heauenly pilgrim, there the Com∣maunders are indeed the seruants of those they seeme to commaund: ruling not in ambition, but beeing bound by carefull duety: not in proud soueraignty, but in nourishing pitty.

L. VIVES.

FIrst (a) to doe no] Man can more easily doe hurt, or forbeare hurt, then doe good. All men may iniure others, or abstaine from it. But to doe good, is all and some. Wherefore holy writ bids vs first, abstaine from iniury, all we can: and then, to benefit our christian bretheren, when wee can.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Cor. 5. 7
• * 1.2

  1. Tim. 5. 8