diebus percipere non debet prohiberi. Si autem ex veneratione magna percipere non præsumit, laudanda est; sed si perceperit, non judicanda. Bonarum quippe mentium est, et ibi aliquo modo culpas suas agnoscere, ubi culpa non est; quia sæpe sine culpa agitur quod venit ex culpa; unde etiam cum esurimus sine culpa comedimus, quibus ex culpa primi hominis factum est ut esuriamus. Menstrua enim consuetudo mulieribus non aliqua culpa est, videlicet, quæ naturaliter accidit. Sed tamen quod natura ipsa ita vitiata est, ut etiam sine voluntatis studio videatur esse polluta, ex culpa venit vitium, in quo se ipsa, qualis per judicium facta sit, humana natura cognoscat; et homo, qui culpam sponte perpetravit, reatum culpæ portet invitus. Atque ideo feminæ cum semetipsis considerent, et si in menstrua consuetudine ad sacramentum Dominici corporis et sanguinis accedere non præsumant, de sua recta consideratione laudandæ sunt; dum vero percipiendo ex religiosa vitæ consuetudine, ejusdem mysterii amore rapiuntur, reprimendæ, sicut prædiximus, non sunt. Sicut enim in Testamento Veteri exteriora opera observantur, ita in Testamento Novo, non tam quod exterius agitur, quam id quod interius cogitatur, sollicita intentione attenditur, ut subtili sententia puniatur. Nam cum multa Lex velut immunda manducare prohibeat, in Evangelio tamen Dominus dicit, [Matth. xv. 11,] Non quod intrat in os coinquinat hominem, sed quæ exeunt de ore, illa sunt quæ coinquinant hominem; atque paulo post subjecit exponens, [Matth. xv. 19,] Ex corde exeunt cogitationes mala. Ubi ubertim indicatum est, quod illud ab omnipotente Deo pollutum esse in opere ostenditur, quod ex pollutæ cogitationis radice generatur. Unde

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mystery of the holy communion during those days. But A.D. 597. if any one out of profound respect does not presume to do it, she is to be commended; yet if she receives it, she is not to be judged. For it is the part of noble minds in some manner to acknowledge their faults, even where there is no offence; because very often that is done without a fault, which, nevertheless, proceeded from a fault. Therefore, when we are hungry, it is no crime to eat; yet our being hungry proceeds from the sin of the first man. The monthly courses are no crime in women, because they naturally happen; however, because our nature itself is so depraved, that it appears be so without the concurrence of the will, the fault proceeds from sin, and thereby human nature may herself know what she is become by judgment. And let man, who wilfully committed the offence, bear the guilt of that offence. And, therefore, let women consider with themselves, and if they do not presume, during their monthly courses, to approach the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, they are to be commended for their praiseworthy consideration; but when they are carried away with love of the same mystery to receive it out of the usual custom of religious life, they are not to be restrained, as we said before. For as in the Old Testament the outward works are observed, so in the New Testament, that which is outwardly done, is not so diligently regarded as that which is inwardly thought, in order to punish it by a discerning judgment. For whereas the Law forbids the eating of many things as unclean, yet our Lord says in the Gospel, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." And presently after he added, expounding the same, "Out of the heart proceedeth evil thoughts." Where it is insufficiently shown, that that is declared by Almighty God to be polluted in fact, which proceeds from the root of a polluted thought. Whence also Paul the

Paulus quoque apostolus dicit, [Tit. i. 15,] Omnia munda mundis, coinquinatis autem et infidelibus nihil est mundum; atque mox ejusdem causam coinquinationis annuncians subjungit, Coinquinata sunt enim et mens eorum et conscientia. Si ergo ei cibus immundus non est, cui mens immunda non fuerit, cur, quod munda mente mulier ex natura patitur ei in immunditiam reputetur?

Vir autem cum propria conjuge dormiens, nisi lotus aqua, intrare ecclesiam non debet; sed neque lotus intrare statim debet. Lex autem veteri populo præcepit, ut mixtus vir mulieri et lavari aqua debeat, et ante solis occasum ecclesiam non intrare; quod tamen intelligi spiritualiter potest. Quia mulieri vir miscetur, quando illicitæ concupiscentiæ animus in cogitatione per delectationem conjungitur; quia, nisi prius ignis concupiscentiæ a mente deferveat, dignum se congregationi fratrum æstimare non debet, qui se gravari per nequitiam pravæ voluntatis videt. Quamvis de hac re diversæ hominum nationes diversa sentiant, atque alia custodire videantur, Romanorum tamen semper ab antiquioribus usus fuit, post admixtionem propriæ conjugis, et lavacri purificationem quærere, et ab ingressu ecclesiæ paululum reverenter abstinere. Nec hæc dicentes culpam deputamus esse conjugium, sed quia ipsa licita admixtio conjugis sine voluptate carnis fieri non potest, a sacri loci ingressu abstinendum est, quia voluptas ipsa esse sine culpa nullatenus potest. Non enim de adulterio, vel fornicatione, sed de legitimo conjugio natus fuerat, qui dicebat, [Ps. i. 6,] Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum, et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. Qui enim in iniquitatibus conceptum se noverat, a delicto se natum gemebat; quia portat arbor in ramo humorem vitii, quem traxit ex radice. In quibus tamen verbis non admixtionem conjugum iniquitatem nominat, sed

Apostle says, "Unto the pure all things are pure, but A.D. 597. unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure." And presently after, declaring the cause of that defilement, he adds, "For even their mind and conscience is defiled." If, therefore, meat is not unclean to him who has a clean mind, why shall that which a clean woman suffers according to nature, be imputed to her as uncleanness?

A man who has approached his own wife is not to enter the church unless washed with water, nor is he to enter immediately although washed. The Law prescribed to the ancient people, that a man in such cases should be washed with water, and not enter into the church before the setting of the sun. Which, nevertheless,

may be understood spiritually, because a man acts so when the mind is led by the imagination to unlawful concupiscence; for unless the fire of concupiscence be first driven from his mind, he is not to think himself worthy of the congregation of the brethren, whilst he thus indulges an unlawful passion. For though several nations have different opinions concerning this affair, and seem to observe different rules, it was always the custom of the Romans from ancient times, for such an one to be cleansed by washing, and for some time respectfully to forbear entering the church. Nor do we, in so saying, assign matrimony to be a fault; but forasmuch as lawful intercourse cannot be had without the pleasure of the flesh, it is proper to forbear entering the holy place, because the pleasure itself cannot be without a fault. For he was not born of adultery or fornication, but of lawful marriage, who said, “Behold I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin my mother brought me forth." For he who knew himself to have been conceived in iniquity, lamented that he was born from sin, because the tree in its bough bears the moisture it drew from the root. In which words, however, he does not call the union of the married couple iniquity, but the

ipsam, videlicet, voluptatem admixtionis. Sunt etenim multa, quæ licita probantur esse ac legitima, et tamen in eorum actu aliquatenus fœdamur; sicut sæpe irascendo culpas insequimur, et tranquillitatem in nobis animi perturbamus; et cum rectum sit quod agitur, non est tamen approbabile quod in eo animus perturbatur. Contra vitia quippe delinquentium iratus fuerat, qui dicebat, [Ps. vi. 7,] Turbatus est præ ira oculus meus; quia enim non valet nisi tranquilla mens in contemplationis se lucem suspendere, in ira suum oculum turbatum dolebat; quia, dum male acta deorsum insequitur, confundi atque turbari a summorum contemplatione cogebatur. Et laudabilis ergo est ira contra vitium, et tamen molesta, qua turbatum se aliquem reatum incurrisse æstimat. Oportet itaque legitimam carnis copulam, ut causa prolis sit, non voluptatis; et carnis commixtio creandorum liberorum sit gratia, non satisfactio vitiorum. Si quis vero sua conjuge, non cupidine voluptatis raptus, sed solummodo creandorum liberorum gratia, utitur, iste profecto sive de ingressu ecclesiæ, seu de sumendo Dominici corporis sanguinisque mysterio, suo est judicio relinquendus; quia a nobis prohiberi non debet accipere, qui in igne positus nescit ardere. Cum vero non amor procreandæ sobolis, sed voluptas dominatur in opere commixtionis, habent conjuges etiam de sua commixtione quod defleant. Hoc enim eis concedit sancta prædicatio; et tamen de ipsa concessione metu animum concutit. Nam cum Paulus apostolus diceret, [1 Cor. vii. 9, 6,] Qui se continere non potest, habeat uxorem suam, statim subjungere curavit, Hoc autem dico secundum indulgentiam, non secundum imperium. Non enim indulgetur quod licet, quia justum est; quod igitur indulgere dixit, culpam esse demonstravit.

Vigilanti vero mente pensandum est, quod in Sina monte Dominus ad populum locuturus prius eundem