Without This Humbling We Would Fall Further

That the pride arising from this purity would be more dangerous than all sins and wickedness, and that for this reason we would gain no reward for any height of perfect chastity, we may call as witnesses those powers we spoke of before. Since they are believed to feel no such desires of the flesh, they were thrown down from their high and heavenly state into everlasting destruction simply through pride of heart. And so we would be altogether, hopelessly lukewarm. We would have no warning of our carelessness planted either in our body or in our mind, and we would never strive to reach the glow of perfection, or even keep to strict frugality and abstinence, were it not that this stirring of the flesh springs up and humbles us, checks us, and makes us keen and anxious to purify ourselves from spiritual sins. [a]