On the Twelve Abuses of the World

Stamp of the Royal Library of Munich at the top center.

The book of Aurelius Augustinus, a most worthy prelate of Hippo, concerning the twelve abuses of the world, begins auspiciously. These are the twelve abuses of the world:
A wise man without resources.
An old man without religion.
A youth without obedience.
A rich man without charity.
A woman without modesty.
A master without virtue.
A contentious bishop.
A proud pauper.
A wicked king.
A negligent bishop.
A commoner without discipline.
A people without law.

If these twelve abuses of the world are in a man, he will be deceived and dragged to the shadows of hell by no merit of justice or assistance of God.

The first degree of abuse: A wise man without resources.

The first degree of abuse is if a man is wise in word but a peccator sinner without good works; who neglects to fulfill in deeds what he teaches in speech. For listeners scorn to perform the words when they see the preacher’s works differ from the preacher’s words. For the authority of the one who speaks never becomes effective unless he fixes it in the heart of the listener through the effect of work, especially when the teacher himself, if he has fallen into a love of vices, finds it shameful to apply medicine to his own wounds that he would use for another. Whence the Lord himself in the Gospel, wishing to instruct his disciples concerning both teaching and good work, warned what caution they should have 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? If, therefore, the eye ceases from its duty of seeing, who will demand that service from the foot or the remainder of the body? Therefore, let teachers consider lest they be subject to a greater penalty if they provide occasion for many to stumble. For even Solomon, while he incurred transgression despite his great wisdom, brought about the dissolution of the entire kingdom of the people of Israel by his own merit. To whom, therefore, many greater things are committed, if they do not rightly dispense the gifts of the ruler which they have received, they shall be held accountable. For to whom more is committed, more is demanded from him, and the servant who knows the will of his master and does not do it will be beaten with sharper lashes and heavier punishments.

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 exterior man grow old, the powers of the mind, that is, the members of the interior man, do not gain strength. For it is fitting that old men give effort to religion above all, those whom the flourishing age of this present world has deserted.