Untitled - Saints' Books

"
"
"
"
CHAP, vi.] The Sin of Incontinence. 113
mian,
to see a man who preaches chastity made the
slave of lust !"
III.
Sad Effects of Impurity.
Let us. now examine the evils that the vice of incon
tinence produces in the soul, particularly
priest.
i. BLINDNESS OF THE SOUL.
in that of a
First, this sin blinds the soul, and makes her lose sight
of God and of the eternal truths. Chastity," says St.
Augustine, purifies the mind, and through
it men see
God." 2 But the first effect of the vice of impurity is,
according to St. Thomas, blindness of the understand
ing. Its effects are thus described by the saint: "The
effects of this impure vice are: blindness of the mind,
hatred of God, attachment to the present life, horror of
3
the future life." St. Augustine has said that impurity
takes away the thought of eternity. 4 When a raven
finds a dead body, its first act is to pluck out the eyes;
and the first injury that incontinence inflicts on the soul
is to take away the light of the things of God. This
was felt
by Calvin, who was first a parish priest, a
pastor of souls,* but afterwards, by this vice, became
"Qui prsedicator constitutus es castitatis, non te pudet servum
esse libidinis!"
S. ad Past, in syn.
"Castitas, mundans mentes hominum, prsestat videre Deum."
Serin. 291, E. B. app.
Caecitas mentis, odium Dei, affectus praesentis saeculi, horor vel
desperatio futuri." 2. 2, q. 153, a. 5.
4 "
Luxuria futura non sinit cogitare."
* John Calvin was provided, at the age of twelve, with a chaplaincy
in the church of Noyon, and afterwards with the curacy of Pont
1
Eveque, near this city, although he was never raised to the dignity
of the priesthood. (Diet. hist, de Feller.)
8