On the Twelve Abuses of the World, with extracts from On the Soul and its Origin and On the Divination of Demons against the Pagans

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The work of the most worthy prelate Aurelius Augustinus of Hippo, On the Twelve Abuses of the World, begins happily.

The twelve abuses of the world are these.

A wise man without works.
An old man without religion.
An adolescent without obedience.
A rich man without alms.
A woman without modesty.
A lord without virtue.
The first degree of abuse: A wise man without works.

A contentious Christian.
A proud pauper.
An iniquitous king.
A negligent bishop.
A layman without discipline.
A people without law.

Whoever is caught in these twelve abuses of the world, while in this life, is deceived and is spun toward the shadows of hell by the just judgment of God, without any impediment or the support of justice.

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The first degree of abuse is the wise man without good works: he who is a teacher and preacher but neglects to fulfill in action what he declares in speech. For listeners find it difficult to perform the deeds when they see that the preacher’s works diverge from the words of his preaching. For the authority of the one instructing never becomes effective unless he attaches to it the effect of his own work, especially when the teacher himself has fallen into the love of the very vices he despises as medicine for the wounds of others. Hence the Lord Himself in the Gospel, wishing to instruct the disciples in both doctrine and good work, warned them what caution to maintain in these matters, saying: If the salt has lost its flavor, with what shall it be seasoned? That is, if the teacher has erred, by what other teacher will he be corrected? And if the light that is in you is darkness, how great will that darkness be! For if the eye ceases in its office of seeing, what will set that ministry right from the hand, or the foot, or the rest of the body’s members? Therefore, let teachers consider lest they be subject to a greater vengeance if they provide, by their own failure, an occasion for many to stumble. For even Solomon, when he succumbed to the transgression of great wisdom, caused the discord of the entire kingdom of his own people by his own merit. To whom more is committed, more is required from him; and the servant who understands his master’s will and does not do it shall be beaten with sharper lashes and heavier punishments.

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The second degree of abuse: An old man without religion.
The second degree of abuse is if an old man is found to be without religion. Therefore, when the members of the outer man