Caput XXIX. De fornicatione
The Soul's Rightful Rule
Fornication arises when a softened soul consents to the flesh, yet the soul is called to rule over the flesh as its rightful mistress.
Fornication is any kind of bodily impurity that tends to arise from uncontrolled desire and from a soul grown soft—a soul that consents to the sin of its own flesh. The soul ought to be mistress and rule over the flesh, and the flesh ought to be a servant and obey its own mistress—that is, the rational soul.
The Many Faces of Impurity
Fornication is committed not only through intercourse with any woman but through any impurity that feeds the burning heat of desire.
This fornication is committed through intercourse with any woman at all, or even through any other kind of impurity, to satisfy the burning heat of desire.
The Harvest of Fornication
From fornication spring blindness of mind, bodily disorder, contempt for God's commandments, and a soul that clings to the present world while neglecting the life to come.
From this fornication are born blindness of mind, unsteady eyes, or immoderate love of the whole body; often danger to one's life, wantonness, crude jokes, insolence, and every kind of self-indulgence; hatred of God's commandments, a weakened mind, and wrongful cravings; neglect of the life to come, and delight in the present one.
The Remedy of Reverent Self-Control
Fornication is overcome by chastity, self-control, remembrance of eternal fire, and reverence for the everlasting God who sees all things.
It is overcome through chastity and practiced self-control, through remembering the eternal fire, and through reverence for the everlasting God who watches us everywhere and inspects our deeds.
Read the original Latin
Fornicatio est omnis corporalis immunditia, quae solet fieri ex incontinentia libidinis, et mollitia animae, quae consentit suae carni peccare. Nam anima domina debet esse, et imperare carni; et caro famula, et obedire dominae suae, id est, rationali animae. Quae fornicatio fit per commistionem carnis cum femina qualibet, vel etiam alia quacunque immunditia ad explendum libidinis ardorem. De qua fornicatione nascitur caecitas mentis, inconstantia oculorum vel totius corporis amor immoderatus; saepe periculum vitae, lascivia, joca, petulantia, et omnis incontinentia; odium mandatorum Dei, mentis enervatio, et injustae cupiditates; negligentia vitae futurae, et praesentis delectatio. Quae vincitur per castitatem et continentiam consuetam, et recordationem ignis aeterni, et timorem praesentiae sempiterni Dei nos ubique et opera nostra inspicientis
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