But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Otherwise; by the eye here we may understand our purpose; if that be pure and right, all our works which we work according thereto are good. These He he recalls the body, as the Apostle speaks of certain works as members; “Mortify your members, fornication and uncleanness.” But the deeds themselves, which go forth tomen’s society, have a result to us uncertain, and therefore He calls them darkness; as when I give money to one in need, I know not what he will do withit.If then the purport of your heart, which you can know, is defiled with the lust of temporal things, much more is the act itself, of which the issue is uncertain, defiled. For even though one should reap good of what you do with a purport not good, it will be imputed to you as you did it, not as it resulted to him. If however our works are done with asingle purport, that is with the aim of charity, then are they pure and pleasing in God’s sight.
cont. Mendac., 7: But acts which are known to be in themselves sins, are not tobe done as with a good purpose; but such works only as are either good or bad, according as the motives from which they are done are either good or bad, and are not in themselves sins; as to give food to the poor is good if it be done from merciful motives, but evil if it be done from ostentation. But such works as are in themselves sins, who will say that they are to be done with good motives, or that they are not sins? Who would say, Let us rob the rich, that we may have to give to the poor?
