Chapter 3. On the Liberty of the City of God.

A THIRD reason why the kingdom of God is called a "city," is because a kingdom is in the form of a monarchy, and this seems opposed to liberty. But all the citizens of heaven are free, and Jerusalem, our mother above, is also "free," according to St. Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians. This blessed Apostle knew what he was speaking of, since he had been rapt up into the third heaven, into paradise, and became acquainted with the nature of the city. Wherefore, as a kingdom implies servitude, and a city liberty, that kingdom alone may

be called a city where they who obey the king are free. But the blessed in heaven possess not one simple liberty, but one that is manifold. In the first place, all the in habitants are free from the servitude of sin, because the first liberty possessed in the earthly paradise was to be able not to sin ; but the second enjoyed in heaven is far more excellent — " not to be able to sin," as St. Austin teaches."*

Another liberty (like the former) is being free from the servitude of death. Adam in the earthly paradise was free, so that he could have escaped death : the Sons ol Adam in the heavenly paradise are free, so that they cannot die. You must not be surprised at our making liberty to consist in not being able to do anything ; because "^not ^being able to sin, and not able to die," indicate the height of liberty from the servitude of sin, and the servitude of mor tality. For he who cannot sin, is not only free from sin, but is also so far removed from its servitude that he feels a sure secu rity sin will never prevail within him ; and he who cannot die is not only free from death, but he is so far removed from it that he feels confident death will never approach him. This liberty God alone naturally enjoys, for the Apostle says: " Who alone hath immortality." And ^ although the angels and souls endowed with reason are

• De Correptione et Gratia, cap. ii.

said to be naturally immortal, because they have within them no principle of corruption ; yet God, who made them, can also destroy them. But, as we have already remarked, the angels and blessed ^ spirits are certain that they will never sin and never die, and therefore they are completely free from the servitude of sin and^of death ; this is a most honourable participation in the Divine liberty.

The third liberty consists in being free from "necessity" in general. Now man is obliged to eat, drink, sleep, and labour, at one time to stand or walk, and at another to lie down. But the saints in heaven are not subject to any such necessity, but are free from every necessity, which is the liberty of the glory of the Sons of God, as St. Paul expresses it in his Epistle to the Romans. How great this liberty is, first poor people, then spiritual men, and thirdly the rich of this world bear witness. What labour the poor endure that they may pro vide food and clothing for themselves and children! and how greatly would they thank those who would free them from such a state of servitude ! Many even rob and plunder others, and suffer themselves to be led into bad habits, to be enabled to support themselves; for they say with the unjust steward in the Gospel, " To dig I am unable, to beg I am ashamed ; 1 know what I will do." I will defraud my Mas ter — that is, by theft and injustice I will

free myself from His servitude. But by this mode of acting we fall into a far more grievous servitude, viz., the servitude of sin and the devil, the most bitter enemy of the human race. Holy men, who give themselves up to heavenly contemplation, consider the servitude of attending to the body to be a grievous burden, because it standeth in need of many things, and steals a great part of their time from other more important concerns. Eusebius, in his Ecclesias tical History,"" relates from Philo that the first Christians of Alexandria, living under St. Mark the Evangelist, were so taken up with their heavenly meditations as never to taste any food until after sunset, that thus they might give the whole day and a great part of the night to such spiritual employ ment : scarcely did they allow any portion for the refreshment of the body. The same historian tells us, that some forgot their food for three days together, and others continued their fast for six days. Cassian in his Colloquies, and Theodoret in his History, testify that many holy hermits were accustomed to the same thing. Wherefore, to all these the servitude of the body was most grievous, and with the Apostle they exclaimed: " Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But to the inhabitants of this world, and especially to those

who are rich, this servitude does not appear grievous, but were they wise they would think differently. They are addicted to excessive eating and drinking, and love to sleep on soft couches, and when they ex ceed the bounds of moderation, they fill their bodies with diseases, and to get free from them they are obliged to take bitter medicine, and to endure many sharp pains. Wherefore they are necessitated, whether willing or unwilling, either to remain enemies to God and to bear His terrible wrath, or to fight against the concupiscence of the flesh by temperance and sobriety. This is doubtless a most laborious and dan gerous war ; but thus both poor and rich, the good and the wicked, would be free from a most painful "necessity" and mise rable servitude.

The fourth liberty consists in being free from obedience to the law and the divine precepts, for " the law is not made for the just man, but for the unjust," as St. Paul mentions in His Epistle to Timothy. None are more just than the blessed, who are confirmed in justice, and cannot therefore become unjust.^ It is true, indeed, that to the just living in this world, the law is not a threatening one, because of their own. accord they willingly obey it ; nevertheless, it cannot be denied but that it is a law which directs and binds them to do that which is commanded, and to avoid that which is forbidden. But the just, who

enjoy the liberty of the Sons of God, stand in need of no law, because they behold all justice in the divine "Word," and, being confirmed in perfect charity, they cannot but accomplish the will of God. Great, then, is this liberty which frees them from every solicitude, and which is so opposed to captivity and the servitude of those un happy beings, who, with their hands and feet bound, are "cast into the exterior darkness/' and into the "furnace of fire," which they can neither endure nor avoid. And yet either one or the other of these abodes will be the lot of every son of Adam. But, alas ! many are so blinded by the smoke of present honours, or by the dust of earthly goods, that they see not these things, neither do they consider them, " until sud den destruction" come upon them: then their torments open their eyes, which before their sins had shut.