Against the Manichaeans 915

and such great friendships undergo such changes, how is the matter not a contest? Jesus was once hated by Paul, and is greatly loved by the one who hated him; robbery was loved by the robber, and virtue hated; so far was the mind changed as to love exceedingly what it hated greatly. For this is proper to the virtuous man, to love what was hated and hate what was loved. Many when young loved shameful things and hated holy things; and today, having come to knowledge, they have been set apart; for this reason they are not even recognized; for this reason they have struggled with themselves; for this reason they do not keep even their old image; and yet they too are human. They did not cease to be human: the substance remains, but the manners do not remain. The substances are not dissolved, but the manners are dissolved; each one's substance, the substance of man, stands; but I no longer recognize the man: he was given to sexual immorality and has become self-controlled; he was a robber and has imitated the life of a benefactor. He has not dissolved the stamp of his face; the stamp of his appearance remains; he has not destroyed the appearance of his nature. When I see the man, I recognize who he is; but when I look at his manner, I am astonished; I no longer recognize him; the change has given the astonishment. The substances have not been altered; the body remains, not having become another; for neither was the body changed into the bodiless, nor did the soul become different in substance; but while the substances remain, the practices did not remain. What then shall we say? If while the substances remain the practices did not remain, the practices are no longer essential; for otherwise they would have remained with the substances and not been removed. But if the substances have remained and the practices have not, rather the eye once caught by pleasure has acquired self-control as a counter-key; the tongue once rash and hasty, running ahead of counsels, now obeys the bridle, confesses, and speaks what is safe; and the body, once living without rule, is now quiet and restrained and henceforth self-controlled: the eye's craving was not its nature, nor the tongue's rashness, nor the body's slackness. One must not stop at natural things and keep silent about these; it was the eye's to see, not how to see; and the tongue's to speak, not how to speak; for the quality of movements lies in choice, while the simple and harmless movement of things has been given to the members. The simple movement, then, is harmless; but the change is hidden; and when will and teachings lead the eyes