Homily XIII.

Rom. VII. 14

“For we know that the Law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

After having said that great evils had taken place, and that sin, taking occasion by the commandment, had grown stronger, and the opposite of what the Law mainly aimed at had been the result, and after having thrown the hearer into a great deal of perplexity, he goes on next to give the rationale of these events, after first clearing the Law of any ill suspicion. For lest—upon hearing that it was through the commandment that sin took that occasion, and that it was when it came that sin revived, and through it deceived and killed—any one should suppose the Law to be the source of these evils, he first sets forth its defence with considerable advantage, not clearing it from accusation only, but encircling it also with the utmost praise. And this he lays down, not as granting it for his own part, but as declaring a universal judgment. “For we know,” he says, “that the Law is spiritual.” As if he had said, This is an allowed thing, and self-evident, that it “is spiritual,” so far is it from being the cause of sin, or to blame for the evils that have happened. And observe, that he not only clears it of accusation, but bestows exceeding great praise upon it. For by calling it spiritual, he shows it to be a teacher of virtue and hostile to vice; for this is what being spiritual means, leading off from sin of every kind. And this the Law did do, by frightening, admonishing, chastening, correcting, recommending every kind of virtue. Whence then, was sin produced, if the teacher was so admirable? It was from the listlessness of its disciples. Wherefore he went on to say, “but I am carnal;” giving us a sketch now of man, as comporting himself in the Law, and before the Law.207    Chrys. gives no hint of any controversy as to the interpretation of the passage vii. 14–25. In modern times the question has been greatly disputed: Whom does the apostle represent by the “I” who is waging such an unsuccessful combat with sin? Passing by the views that he refers to himself personally (Hofmann) and that he refers to the Jewish people under the old dispensation (Grotius, Reiche), two opinions have prevailed among interpreters (1) that he is representing the regenerate man. (For the arguments by which this view is supported see Hodge on Romans in loco). (2) That he is here personating the unregenerate man who, however, has become awakened under the law to a sense of his sinful condition. This view is preferred on the following grounds. (1) The connection of 14–25 with the argument of 7–13, which shows the power of the law to awaken the consciousness of sin and can therefore apply only to the Jew aroused by the law. (2) The relation of the passage to chap. viii. In vii. 25the apostle mounts to the Christian plane and in ch. viii. exults in the liberation from the conflict just described which Christ brings to the soul. (3) Much of the language of vii. 14–25 is inconsistent with the consciousness of a regenerate man and especially with Paul’s joyous and triumphant view of the Christian life. (4) The language throughout is appropriate, not, indeed, to the morally indifferent man, but to the unconverted Jew whom the law has awakened to a knowledge of his sin and need, and this is precisely the subject under consideration in the earlier verses of the Chap. So Tholuck, De Wette, Alford, Olshausen, Lange, Meyer, Weiss, Godet). Chrys. rather takes for granted, than states the same view, in saying that it is “a sketch of man as comporting himself in the law and before the law.”—G.B.S. “Sold under sin.” Because with death (he means) the throng of passions also came in. For when the body had become mortal, it was henceforth a necessary thing for it to receive concupiscence, and anger, and pain, and all the other passions, which required a great deal of wisdom (φιλοσοφίας) to prevent their flooding us, and sinking reason in the depth of sin. For in themselves they were not sin,208    The words of the Fathers on this subject become more definite after the Pelagian Controversy. St. Aug. contr. Julianum, i. 2, §32. (Ben. t. 10), speak thus of concupiscence, (not in act, but as an inherited habit). “It is not however called sin in the sense of making one guilty, but in that it is caused by the guilt of the first man, and in that it rebels, and strives to draw us into guilt except grace aid us.” but, when their extravagancy was unbridled, it wrought this effect. Thus (that I may take one of them and examine it as a specimen) desire is not sin: but when it has run into extravagance, being not minded to keep within the laws of marriage,209    So Field from most mss. Sav. lawful marriage. but springing even upon other men’s wives; then the thing henceforward becomes adultery, yet not by reason of the desire, but by reason of its exorbitancy. And observe the wisdom of Paul. For after praising the Law, he hastens immediately to the earlier period, that he may show the state of our race, both then and at the time it received the Law, and make it plain how necessary the presence of grace was, a thing he labored on every occasion to prove. For when he says, “sold under sin,” he means it not of those who were under the Law only, but of those who had lived before the Law also, and of men from the very first. Next he mentions the way in which they were sold and made over.

Ver. 15. “For that which I do, I know not.”

What does the “I know not” mean?—I am ignorant. And when could this ever happen? For nobody ever sinned in ignorance. Seest thou, that if we do not receive his words with the proper caution, and keep looking to the object of the Apostle, countless incongruities will follow? For if they sinned through ignorance, then they did not deserve to be punished. As then he said above, “for without the Law sin is dead,” not meaning that they did not know they were sinning, but that they knew indeed, but not so distinctly; wherefore they were punished, but not so severely: and again; “I should not have known lust;” not meaning an entire ignorance of it, but referring to the most distinct knowledge of it; and said, that it also “wrought in me all manner of concupiscence,” not meaning to say that the commandment made the concupiscence, but that sin through the commandment introduces an intense degree of concupiscence; so here it is not absolute ignorance that he means by saying, “For what I do, I know not;” since how then would he have pleasure in the law of God in his inner man? What then is this, “I know not?” I get dizzy, he means, I feel carried away,210    ἐμποδισμὸς ταῖς βουλήσεσι. Arist. Rhet. ii. I find a violence done to me, I get tripped up without knowing how. Just as we often say, Such an one came and carried me away with him, without my knowing how; when it is not ignorance we mean as an excuse, but to show a sort of deceit, and circumvention, and plot. “For what I would, that I do not: but what I hate, that I do.” How then canst thou be said not to know what thou art doing? For if thou willest the good, and hatest the evil, this requires a perfect knowledge. Whence it appears that he says, “that I would not,” not as denying free will, or as adducing any constrained necessity. For if it was not willingly, but by compulsion, that we sinned, then the punishments that took place before would not be justifiable. But as in saying “I know not,” it was not ignorance he set before us, but what we have said; so in adding the “that I would not,” it is no necessity he signifies, but the disapproval he felt of what was done.211    This seems to have been Plato’s view of free-will. See Tenneman, Plat. Philos. iv. p. 34, οὐδεὶς ἕκων πονηρὸς, etc. Since if this was not his meaning in saying, “That which I would not, that I do:” he would else have gone on, “But I do what I am compelled and enforced to.” For this is what is opposed to willing and power (ἐξουσί& 139·). But now he does not say this, but in the place of it he has put the word, “that I hate,” that you might learn how when he says, “that I would not,” he does not deny the power. Now, what does the “that I would not” mean? It means, what I praise not, what I do not approve, what I love not. And in contradistinction to this, he adds what follows; “But what I hate, that I do.”

Ver. 16. “If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the Law, that it is good.”

You see here, that the understanding is not yet perverted, but keeps up its own noble character even during the action. For even if it does pursue vice, still it hates it the while, which would be great commendation, whether of the natural or the written Law. For that the Law is good, is (he says) plain, from the fact of my accusing myself, when I disobey the Law, and hate what has been done. And yet if the Law was to blame for the sin, how comes it that he felt a delight in it, yet hated what it orders to be done? For, “I consent,” he says, “unto the Law, that it is good.”

Ver 17, 18. “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.”

On this text, those who find fault with the flesh, and contend it was no part of God’s creation, attack us. What are we to say then? Just what we did before, when discusssing the Law: that as there he makes sin answerable for everything so here also. For he does not say, that the flesh worketh it, but just the contrary, “it is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” But if he does say that “there dwelleth no good thing in it,” still this is no charge against the flesh. For the fact that “no good thing dwelleth in it,” does not show that it is evil itself. Now we admit, that the flesh is not so great as the soul, and is inferior to it, yet not contrary, or opposed to it, or evil; but that it is beneath the soul, as a harp beneath a harper, and as a ship under the pilot. And these are not contrary to those who guide and use them, but go with them entirely, yet are not of the same honor with the artist. As then a person who says, that the art resides not in the harp or the ship, but in the pilot or harper, is not finding fault with the instruments, but pointing out the great difference between them212    So the mss. Sav. has τῆς τέχνης, which seems to have been put in to show that it was not the maker, but the user of the instrument, that was meant. and the artist; so Paul in saying, that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing,” is not finding fault with the body, but pointing out the soul’s superiority. For this it is that has the whole duty or pilotage put into its hands, and that of playing. And this Paul here points out, giving the governing power to the soul, and after dividing man into these two things, the soul and the body, he says, that the flesh has less of reason, and is destitute of discretion, and ranks among things to be led, not among things that lead. But the soul has more wisdom, and can see what is to be done and what not, yet is not equal to pulling in the horse as it wishes. And this would be a charge not against the flesh only, but against the soul also, which knows indeed what it ought to do, but still does not carry out in practice what seems best to it. “For to will,” he says, “is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.” Here again in the words, “I find not,” he does not speak of any ignorance or perplexity, but a kind of thwarting and crafty assault made by sin, which he therefore points more clearly out in the next words.

Ver. 19, 20. “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me.”

Do you see, how he acquits the essence of the soul, as well as the essence of the flesh, from accusation, and removes it entirely to sinful actions? For if the soul willeth not the evil, it is cleared: and if he does not work it himself, the body too is set free, and the whole may be charged upon the evil moral choice. Now the essence of the soul and body and of that choice are not the same, for the two first are God’s works, and the other is a motion from ourselves towards whatever we please to direct it. For willing is indeed natural (ἕμφυτον), and is from God: but willing on this wise is our own, and from our own mind.

Ver. 21. “I find then a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me.”

What he says is not very clear. What then is it that is said? I praise the law, he says, in my conscience, and I find it pleads on my side so far as I am desirous of doing what is right, and that it invigorates this wish. For as I feel a pleasure in it, so does it yield praise to my decision. Do you see how he shows, that the knowledge of what is good and what is not such is an original and fundamental part of our nature, and that the Law of Moses praises it, and getteth praise from it? For above he did not say so much as I get taught by the Law, but “I consent to the Law;” nor further on that I get instructed by it, but “I delight in” it. Now what is “I delight?” It is, I agree with it as right, as it does with me when wishing to do what is good. And so the willing what is good and the not willing what is evil was made a fundamental part of us from the first. But the Law, when it came, was made at once a stronger accuser in what was bad, and a greater praiser in what was good. Do you observe that in every place he bears witness to its having a kind of intensitiveness and additional advantage, yet nothing further? For though it praises and I delight in it, and wish what is good the “evil is” still “present with me,” and the agency of it has not been abolished. And thus the Law, with a man who determines upon doing anything good, only acts so far as auxiliary to him, as that it has the same wish as himself. Then since he had stated it indistinctly, as he goes on he gives a yet more distinct interpretation, by showing how the evil is present, how too the Law is a law to such a person only who has a mind to do what is good.

Ver. 22. “For I delight,” he says, “in the law of God after the inward man.”

He means, for I knew even before this what was good, but when I find it set down in writing, I praise it.

Ver. 23. “But I see another law warring against the law of my mind.”

Here again he calls sin a law warring against the other, not in respect of good order, but from the strict obedience yielded to it by those who comply with it. As then it gives the name of master (κύριον Matt. vi. 24; Luke xvi. 13) to Mammon, and of god (Phil. iii. 19) to the belly, not because of their intrinsically deserving it, but because of the extreme obsequiousness of their subjects; so here he calls sin a law, owing to those who are so obsequious to it, and are afraid to leave it, just as those who have received the Law dread leaving the Law. This then, he means, is opposed to the law of nature; for this is what is meant by “the law of my mind.” And he next represents an array and battle, and refers213    Ver. and Sav. Marg. ἐντίθησι, which makes much the same sense; his conj. and 2 mss. ἀντιτίθησι, “sets in opposition.” the whole struggle to the law of nature. For that of Moses was subsequently added over and above: yet still both the one and the other, the one as teaching, the other as praising what was right, wrought no great effects in this battle; so great was the thraldom of sin, overcoming and getting the upper hand as it did. And this Paul setting forth, and showing the decided (κατὰ κράτος) victory it had, says, “I see another law warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity.” He does not use the word conquering only, but “bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.” He does not say the bent of the flesh, or the nature of the flesh, but “the law of sin.” That is, the thrall, the power. In what sense then does he say, “Which is in my members?” Now what is this? Surely it does not make the members to be sin, but makes them as distinct from sin as possible. For that which is in a thing is diverse from that wherein it is. As then the commandment also is not evil, because by it sin took occasion, so neither is the nature of the flesh, even if sin subdues us by means of it. For in this way the soul will be evil, and much more so too, since it has authority in matters of action. But these things are not so, certainly they are not. Since neither if a tyrant and a robber were to take possession of a splendid mansion and a king’s court, would the circumstance be any discredit to the house, inasmuch as the entire blame would come on those who contrived such an act. But the enemies of the truth, along with their impiety, fall unawares also into great unreasonableness. For they do not accuse the flesh only, but they also disparage the Law. And yet if the flesh were evil, the Law would be good. For it wars against the Law, and opposes it. If, however, the Law be not good, then the flesh is good.214    It is peculiarly interesting to see how vigorously Chrys. combats the idea that the flesh is essentially evil, as if it were a current notion of his time. This view—derived from heathen sources—exerted a powerful influence in the Church from early times and became the fruitful source of ascetic rigors.—G.B.S. For it wars and fights against it even by their own account. How come they then to assert that both belong to the devil, putting things opposed to each other before us? Do you see, along with their impiety, how great is their unreasonableness also? But such doctrines as these are not the Church’s, for it is the sin only that she condemns; and both the Laws which God has given, both that of nature and that of Moses, she says are hostile to this, and not to the flesh; for the flesh she denies to be sin, for it is a work of God’s, and one very useful too in order to virtue, if we live soberly.

Ver. 24. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

Do you notice what a great thraldom that of vice is, in that it overcomes even a mind that delighted in the Law? For no one can rejoin, he means, that I hate the Law and abhor it, and so sin overcomes me. For “I delight in it, and consent to it,” and flee for refuge to it, yet still it had not the power of saving one who had fled to it. But Christ saved even one that fled from Him. See what a vast advantage grace has! Yet the Apostle has not stated it thus; but with a sigh only, and a great lamentation, as if devoid of any to help him, he points out by his perplexity the might of Christ, and says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The Law has not been able: conscience has proved unequal to it, though it praised what was good, and did not praise it only, but even fought against the contrary of it. For by the very words “warreth against” he shows that he was marshalled against it for his part. From what quarter then is one to hope for salvation?

Ver. 25. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Observe how he shows the necessity of having grace present with us, and that the well-doings herein belong alike to the Father and the Son. For if it is the Father Whom he thanketh, still the Son is the cause of this thanksgiving. But when you hear him say, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” do not suppose him to be accusing the flesh. For he does not say “body of sin,” but “body of death:” that is, the mortal body—that which hath been overcome by death, not that which gendered death. And this is no proof of the evil of the flesh, but of the marring (ἐπηρείας, thwarting) it has undergone. As if any one who was take captive by the savages were to be said to belong to the savages, not as being a savage, but as being detained by them: so the body is said to be of death, as being held down thereby, not as producing it. Wherefore also it is not the body that he himself wishes to be delivered from, but the mortal body, hinting, as I have often said, that from its becoming subject to suffering,215    παθητὸν, which may also mean liable to passions. it also became an easy prey to sin. Why then, it may be said, the thraldom of sin being so great before the times of grace, were men punished for sinning? Because they had such commands given them as might even under sin’s dominion be accomplished. For he did not draw them to the highest kind of conversation, but allowed them to enjoy wealth, and did not forbid having several wives, and to gratify anger in a just cause, and to make use of luxury within bounds.216    He is speaking of the actual precepts. Men under the Law were encouraged to higher aims, but it was in looking beyond the letter. (Matt. v. 38.) And so great was this condescension, that the written Law even required less than the law of nature. For the law of nature ordered one man to associate with one woman throughout. And this Christ shows in the words, “He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female.” (ib. xix. 4.) But the Law of Moses neither forbade the putting away of one and the taking in of another, nor prohibited the having of two217    The typical fitness of this permission is illustrated by the case of Sarah and Hagar; the coincidence of typical with moral fitness is in many cases above our understanding. at once! (ib. v. 31.) And besides this there are also many other ordinances of the Law, that one might see those who were before its day fully performing, being instructed by the law of nature. They therefore who lived under the old dispensation had no hardship done them by so moderate a system of laws being imposed upon them. But if they were not, on these terms, able to get the upper hand, the charge is against their own listlessness. Wherefore Paul gives thanks, because Christ, without any rigorousness about these things, not only demanded no account of this moderate amount,218    So Field from 1 ms.: others “past sins:” Vulg. “our doings.” but even made us able to have a greater race set before us. And therefore he says, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ.” And letting the salvation which all agreed about pass, he goes from the points he had already made good, to another further point, in which he states that it was not our former sins only that we were freed from, but we were also made invincible for the future. For “there is,” he says, “now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh.” Yet he did not say it before he had first recalled to mind our former condition again in the words, “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Chap. viii. ver. 1. “There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”

Then as the fact that many fall into sin even after baptism presented a difficulty (ἀντέπιπτεν), he consequently hastened to meet it, and says not merely “to them that are in Christ Jesus,” but adds, “who walk not after the flesh;” so showing that all afterward comes of our listlessness. For now we have the power of walking not after the flesh, but then it was a difficult task. Then he gives another proof of it by the sequel, in the words,

Ver. 2. “For the law of the Spirit of life hath made me free.”

It is the Spirit he is here calling the law of the Spirit. For as he calls sin the law of sin, so he here calls the Spirit the law of the Spirit. And yet he named that of Moses as such, where he says, “For we know that the Law is spiritual.” What then is the difference? A great and unbounded one. For that was spiritual, but this is a law of the Spirit. Now what is the distinction between this and that? The other was merely given by the Spirit, but this even furnisheth those that receive it with the Spirit in large measure. Wherefore also he called it the law of life219    It may be right to consider τῆς ζωῆς as forming part of the attribute of νόμος in conformity with the Hebr. idiom; see Lee’s Gram. Art. 224, 8. in contradistinction to that of sin, not that of Moses. For when he says, It freed me220    “Thee” most mss., and Edd. before Field. from the law of sin and death, it is not the law of Moses that he is here speaking of, since in no case does he style it the law of sin: for how could he one that he had called “just and holy” so often, and destructive of sin too? but it is that which warreth against the law of the mind. For this grievous war did the grace of the Spirit put a stop to, by slaying sin, and making the contest light to us and crowning us at the outstart, and then drawing us to the struggle with abundant help. Next as it is ever his wont to turn from the Spirit to the Son and the Father, and to reckon all our estate to lean upon the Trinity,221    τῇ τριάδι πάντα τὰ παῤ ἡμῶν λογιζόμενος, or “imputing all things (done) by us to the Trinity.” so doth he here also. For after saying, “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death,” he pointed at the Father as doing this by the Son, then again at the Holy Spirit along with the Son. “For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free, he says. Then again, at the Father and the Son;

Ver. 3. “For what the Law could not do,” he saith, “in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”

Again, he seems indeed to be disparaging the Law. But if any one attends strictly, he even highly praises it, by showing that it harmonizes with Christ, and gives preference to the same things. For he does not speak of the badness of the Law, but of “what it could not do;” and so again, “in that it was weak,” not, “in that it was mischievous, or designing.” And even weakness he does not ascribe to it, but to the flesh, as he says, “in that it was weak through the flesh,” using the word “flesh” here again not for the essence and subsistency itself, but giving its name to the more carnal sort of mind. In which way he acquits both the body and the Law of any accusation. Yet not in this way only, but by what comes next also. For supposing the Law to be of the contrary part, how was it Christ came to its assistance, and fulfilled its requisitions, and lent it a helping hand by condemning sin in the flesh? For this was what was lacking, since in the soul the Lord had condemned it long ago. What then? is it the greater thing that the Law accomplished, but the less that the Only-Begotten did? Surely not. For it was God that was the principal doer of that also, in that He gave us the law of nature, and added the written one to it. Again, there were no use of the greater, if the lesser had not been supplied. For what good is it to know what things ought to be done, if a man does not follow it out? None, for it were but a greater condemnation. And so He that hath saved the soul it is, Who hath made the flesh also easy to bridle. For to teach is easy, but to show besides a way in which these things were easily done, this is the marvel. Now it was for this that the Only-Begotten came, and did not depart before He had set us free from this difficulty. But what is greater, is the method of the victory; for He took none other flesh, but this very one which was beset with troubles. So it is as if any one were to see in the street a vile woman of the baser sort being beaten, and were to say he was her son, when he was the king’s, and so to get her free from those who ill treated her. And this He really did, in that He confessed that He was the Son of Man, and stood by it (i.e. the flesh), and condemned the sin. However, He did not endure to smite it besides; or rather, He smote it with the blow of His death, but in this very act it was not the smitten flesh which was condemned and perished, but the sin which had been smiting. And this is the greatest possible marvel. For if it were not in the flesh that the victory took place, it would not be so astonishing, since this the Law also wrought. But the wonder is, that it was with the flesh (μετὰ σαρκὸς) that His trophy was raised, and that what had been overthrown numberless times by sin, did itself get a glorious victory over it. For behold what strange things there were that took place! One was, that sin did not conquer the flesh; another, that sin was conquered, and conquered by it too. For it is not the same thing not to get conquered, and to conquer that which was continually overthrowing us. A third is, that it not only conquered it, but even chastised it. For by not sinning it kept from being conquered, but by dying also, He overcame and condemned it, having made the flesh, that before was so readily made a mock of by it, a plain object of fear to it. In this way then, He at once unnerved its power, and abolished the death by it introduced. For so long as it took hold of sinners, it with justice kept pressing to its end. But after finding a sinless body, when it had given it up to death, it was condemned as having acted unjustly. Do you observe, how many proofs of victory there are? The flesh not being conquered by sin, Its even conquering and condemning it, Its not condemning it barely, but condemning it as having sinned. For after having convicted it of injustice, he proceeds to condemn it, and that not by power and might barely, but even by the rules of justice. For this is what he means by saying, “for sin condemned sin in the flesh.” As if he had said that he had convicted it of great sin, and then condemned it. So you see it is sin that getteth condemned everywhere, and not the flesh, for this is even crowned with honor, and has to give sentence against the other. But if he does say that it was “in the likeness” of flesh that he sent the Son, do not therefore suppose that His flesh was of a different kind. For as he called it “sinful,” this was why he put the word “likeness.”222    The Fathers lay great stress upon this phrase of the Apostles. August. contr. Faust. xiv. 5, argues, that this likeness consisted in our Lord’s flesh being mortal; death being the penalty of sin: vid. also de Nuptiis et Concupisc. 1. 12. vid. also Basil, Ep. 261, where writing against the Apollinarians, he interprets this text to mean, that whereas Christ had all affections of human nature, which implied the reality of His assumption of it, He had not those which infringe our nature, i.e. which arise from sin. Athanasius, writing against the same heretics, observes, that Christ’s sinlessness was like Adam’s before the fall (In Apoll. ii. 6): or as St. Cyril observes, greater than before the fall because He has a physical inability to sin, arising from His personality being Divine, vid. Cyr. Alex. in Esai. l. i. Orat. 4, fin. At the same time He took the flesh, not of Adam unfallen, but fallen, such as ours. Vid. Leont. contra Nest. et Eutych. lib. 2 apud Canis. vol. i. p. 568. Gall. xii. 681. Fulgent. Ep. ad. Regin. Tertull. de Carn. Christi. xvi. For sinful flesh it was not that Christ had, but like indeed to our sinful flesh, yet sinless, and in nature the same with us. And so even from this it is plain that by nature the flesh was not evil. For it was not by taking a different one instead of the former, nor by changing this same one in substance, that Christ caused it to regain the victory: but He let it abide in its own nature, and yet made it bind on the crown of victory over sin, and then after the victory raised it up, and made it immortal. What then, it may be said, is this to me, whether it was this flesh that these things happened in? Nay, it concerns thee very much. Wherefore also he proceeds:

Ver. 4. “That the righteousness223    Aristotle defines δικαίωμα to be τὸ δίκαιον ὅταν πραχθῇ· but rather in the sense of correcting wrong than in the more general meaning: Eth. b. v. c. 7, §7. It may mean here what the Law claims of right. of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh.”

What meaneth this word, righteousness? Why, the end, the scope, the well-doing. For what was its design, and what did it enjoin? To be without sin. This then is made good to us (κατώρθωται ἡμἵν) now through Christ. And the making a stand against it, and the getting the better of it, came from Him. But it is for us to enjoy the victory. Then shall we never sin henceforth? We never shall unless we have become exceedingly relaxed and supine. And this is why he added, “to them that walk not after the flesh.” For lest, after hearing that Christ hath delivered thee from the war of sin, and that the requisition (δικαίωμα) of the Law is fulfilled in thee, by sin having been “condemned in the flesh,” thou shouldest break up all thy defences; therefore, in that place also, after saying, “there is therefore no condemnation,” he added, “to them that walk not after the flesh;” and here also, “that the requisition of the Law might be fulfilled in us,” he proceeds with the very same thing; or rather, not with it only, but even with a much stronger thing.224    St. Chr. evidently used a text which read in v. 1 μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπ., but omitted ἀλλὰ κατὰ Πνεῦμα. Most mss. of the N.T. and all recent critical editions, omit both clauses there: here there is no doubt of either. For after saying, “that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh,” he proceeds, “but after the Spirit.”

So showing, that it is not only binding upon us to keep ourselves from evil deeds, but also to be adorned (κομᾅν) with good. For to give thee the crown is His; but it is thine to hold it fast when given. For the righteousness of the Law, that one should not become liable to its curse, Christ has accomplished for thee. Be not a traitor then to so great a gift, but keep guarding this goodly treasure. For in this passage he shows that the Font will not suffice to save us, unless, after coming from it, we display a life worthy of the Gift. And so he again advocates the Law in saying what he does. For when we have once become obedient to Christ, we must use all ways and plans so that its righteousness, which Christ fulfilled, may abide in us, and not come to naught.

Ver. 5. “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.”

Yet even this is no disparaging of the flesh. For so long as it keeps its own place, nothing amiss cometh to pass. But when we let it have its own will in everything, and it passes over its proper bounds, and rises up against the soul, then it destroys and corrupts everything, yet not owing to its own nature, but to its being out of proportion, and the disorder thereupon ensuing. “But they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit.”

Ver. 6. “For to be carnally minded is death.” He does not speak of the nature of the flesh, or the essence of the body, but of being carnally “minded,” which may be set right again, and abolished. And in saying thus, he does not ascribe to the flesh any reasoning power of its own. Far from it. But to set forth the grosser motion of the mind, and giving this a name from the inferior part, and in the same way as he often is in the habit of calling man in his entireness, and viewed as possessed of a soul, flesh. “But to be spiritually minded.” Here again he speaks of the spiritual mind, in the same way as he says further on, “But He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit” (ver. 27); and he points out many blessings resulting from this, both in the present life, and in that which is to come. For as the evils which being carnally minded introduces, are far outnumbered by those blessings which a spiritual mind affords. And this he points out in the words “life and peace.” The one is in contraposition to the first—for death is what he says to be carnally minded is. And the other in contraposition to the following. For after mentioning peace, he goes on,

Ver. 7. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:” and this is worse than death. Then to show how it is at once death and enmity; “for it is not subject to the Law of God,” he says, “neither indeed can be.” But be not troubled at hearing the “neither indeed can be.” For this difficulty admits of an easy solution. For what he here names “carnal mindedness” is the reasoning (or “way of thinking,” λογισμὸν) that is earthly, gross, and eager-hearted after the things of this life and its wicked doings. It is of this he says “neither yet can” it “be subject” to God. And what hope of salvation is there left, if it be impossible for one who is bad to become good? This is not what he says. Else how would Paul have become such as he was? how would the (penitent) thief, or Manasses, or the Ninevites, or how would David after falling have recovered himself? How would Peter after the denial have raised himself up? (1 Cor. v. 5.) How could he that had lived in fornication have been enlisted among Christ’s fold? (2 Cor. ii. 6–11.) How could the Galatians who had “fallen from grace” (Gal. v. 4), have attained their former dignity again? What he says then is not that it is impossible for a man that is wicked to become good, but that it is impossible for one who continues wicked to be subject to God. Yet for a man to be changed, and so become good, and subject to Him, is easy. For he does not say that man cannot be subject to God, but, wicked doing cannot be good. As if he had said, fornication cannot be chastity, nor vice virtue. And this it says in the Gospel also, “A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit” (Matt. vii. 18), not to bar the change from virtue to vice, but to say how incapable continuance in vice is of bringing forth good fruits. For He does not say that an evil tree cannot become a good one, but that bring forth good fruit it cannot, while it continues evil. For that it can be changed, He shows from this passage, and from another parable, when He introduces the tares as becoming wheat, on which score also He forbids their being rooted up; “Lest,” He says, “ye root up also the wheat with them” (ib. xiii. 29); that is, that which will spring (γίνεσθαι, 4 mss. τίκτεσθαι) from them. It is vice then he means by carnal mindedness, and by spiritual mindedness the grace given, and the working of it discernible in the right determination of mind, not discussing in any part of this passage, a substance and an entity, but virtue and vice. For that which thou hadst no power to do under the Law, now, he means, thou wilt be able to do, to go on uprightly, and with no intervening fall, if thou layest hold of the Spirit’s aid. For it is not enough not to walk after the flesh, but we must also go after the Spirit, since turning away from what is evil will not secure our salvation, but we must also do what is good. And this will come about, if we give our souls up to the Spirit, and persuade our flesh to get acquainted with its proper position, for in this way we shall make it also spiritual; as also if we be listless we shall make our soul carnal. For since it was no natural necessity which put the gift into us, but the freedom225    i.e. as exercised in coming to the font. Field proposes to soften the strong expression by reading, “it was by no natural necessity that He put, etc., but by freedom of choice He placed it.” of choice placed it in our hands, it rests with thee henceforward whether this shall be or the other. For He, on His part, has performed everything. For sin no longer warreth against the law of our mind, neither doth it lead us away captive as heretofore, for all that state has been ended and broken up, and the affections cower in fear and trembling at the grace of the Spirit. But if thou wilt quench the light, and cast out the holder of the reins, and chase the helmsman away, then charge the tossing thenceforth upon thyself. For since virtue hath been now made an easier thing (for which cause also we are under far stricter obligations of religious living), consider how men’s condition lay when the Law prevailed, and how at present, since grace hath shone forth. The things which aforetime seemed not possible to any one, virginity, and contempt of death, and of other stronger sufferings, are now in full vigor through every part of the world, and it is not with us alone, but with the Scythians, and Thracians, and Indians, and Persians, and several other barbarous nations, that there are companies of virgins, and clans of martyrs, and congregations of monks, and these now grown even more numerous than the married, and strictness of fasting, and the utmost renunciation of property. Now these are things which, with one or two exceptions, persons who lived under the Law never conceived even in a dream. Since thou seest then the real state of things voiced with a shriller note than any trumpet, let not thyself grow soft and treacherous to so great a grace. Since not even after the faith is it possible for a listless man to be saved! For the wrestlings are made easy that thou mayest strive and conquer, nor that thou shouldest sleep, or abuse the greatness of the grace by making it a reason for listlessness, so wallowing again in the former mire. And so he goes on to say,

Ver. 8. “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

What then? Are we, it will be said, to cut our bodies in pieces to please God, and to make our escape from the flesh? and would you have us be homicides, and so lead us to virtue? You see what inconsistencies are gendered by taking the words literally. For by “the flesh” in this passage, he does not mean the body, or the essence of the body, but that life which is fleshly and worldly, and uses self-indulgence and extravagance to the full, so making the entire man flesh. For as they that have the wings of the Spirit, make the body also spiritual, so do they who bound off from this, and are the slaves of the belly, and of pleasure, make the soul also flesh, not that they change the essence of it, but that they mar its noble birth. And this mode of speaking is to be met with in many parts of the Old Testament also, to signify by flesh the gross and earthly life, which is entangled in pleasures that are not convenient. For to Noah He says, “My Spirit shall not always make its abode in these men, because they are flesh.” (Gen. vi. 3 as the LXX. give it.) And yet Noah was himself also compassed about with flesh. But this is not the complaint, the being compassed about with the flesh, for this is so by nature, but the having chosen a carnal life. Wherefore also Paul saith, “But they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Then he proceeds:

Ver. 9. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit.”

Here again, he does not mean flesh absolutely, but such sort of flesh, that which was in a whirl and thraldom of passions. Why then, it may be said, does he not say so, nor state any difference? It is to rouse the hearer, and to show that he that liveth aright is not even in the body. For inasmuch as it was in a manner clear to every one that the spiritual man was not in sin, he states the greater truth that it was not in sin alone, that the spiritual man was not, but not even in the flesh was he henceforward, having become from that very moment an Angel, and ascended into heaven, and henceforward barely carrying the body about. Now if this be thy reason for disparaging the flesh, because it is by its name that he calls the fleshly life, at this rate you are also for disparaging the world, because wickedness is often called after it, as Christ also said to His disciples, “Ye are not of this world;” and again to His brethren, He says, “The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth.” (John xv. 19. ib. vii. 7.) And the soul too Paul must afterwards be calling estranged from God, since to those that live in error, he gives the name of men of the soul (1 Cor. ii. 14, ψυχικὸς A.V. natural). But this is not so, indeed it is not so. For we are not to look to the bare words, but always to the sentiment of the speaker, and so come to a perfectly distinct knowledge of what is said. For some things are good, some bad, and some indifferent. Thus the soul and the flesh belong to things indifferent, since each may become either the one or the other. But the spirit belongs to things good, and at no time becometh any other thing. Again, the mind of the flesh, that is, ill-doing, belongs to things always bad. “For it is not subject to the law of God.” If then thou yieldest thy soul and body to the better, thou wilt have become of its part. If on the other hand thou yield to the worse, then art thou made a partaker of the ruin therein, not owing to the nature of the soul and the flesh, but owing to that judgment which has the power of choosing either. And to show that these things are so, and that the words do not disparage the flesh, let us take up the phrase itself again, and sift it more thoroughly. “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,” he says. What then? were they not in the flesh, and did they go about without any bodies? What sense would this be? You see that it is the carnal life that he intimates. And why did he not say, But ye are not in sin? It is that you may come to know that Christ hath not extinguished the tyranny of sin only, but hath even made the flesh to weigh us down less, and to be more spiritual, not by changing its nature, but rather by giving it wings. For as when fire cometh in company with iron, the iron also becomes fire, though abiding in its own nature still; thus with them that believe, and have the Spirit, the flesh henceforth goeth over into that manner of working, and becometh wholly spiritual, crucified in all parts, and flying with the same wings as the soul, such as was the body of him who here speaks. Wherefore all self-indulgence and pleasure he made scorn of, and found his self-indulgence in hunger, and stripes, and prisons, and did not even feel pain in undergoing them. (2 Cor. xi.) And it was to show this that he said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,” etc. (ib. iv. 17.) So well had he tutored even the flesh to be in harmony with the spirit. “If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you” (εἴπερ.) He often uses this “if so be,” not to express any doubt, but even when he is quite persuaded of the thing, and instead of “since,” as when he says, “If it is a righteous thing,” for “seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.” (2 Thess. i. 6.) Again, “Have ye suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain?” (Gal. iii. 4.)

“Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ.” He does not say, if ye have not, but he brings forward the distressing word, as applied to other persons. “He is none of His,” he says.

Ver. 10. “And if Christ be in you.”

Again, what is good he applies to them,226    τὸ χρηστὸν for τὸν Χριστὸν Field, with the Catena and the Version of Musculus. and the distressing part was short and parenthetic. And that which is an object of desire, is on either side of it, and put at length too, so as to throw the other into shade. Now this he says, not as affirming that the Spirit is Christ, far from it, but to show that he who hath the Spirit not only is called Christ’s, but even hath Christ Himself. For it cannot but be that where the Spirit is, there Christ is also. For wheresoever one Person of the Trinity is, there the whole Trinity is present. For It is undivided in Itself, and hath a most entire Oneness. What then, it may be said, will happen, if Christ be in us? “The body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” You see the great evils that come of not having the Holy Spirit; death, enmity against God, inability to satisfy His laws, not being Christ’s as we should be, the want of His indwelling. Consider now also what great blessings come of having the Spirit. Being Christ’s, having Christ himself, vying with the Angels (for this is what mortifying the flesh is), and living an immortal life, holding henceforward the earnests of the Resurrection, running with ease the race of virtue. For he does not say so little as that the body is henceforward inactive for sin, but that it is even dead, so magnifying the ease of the race. For such an one without troubles and labors gains the crown. Then afterward for this reason he adds also, “to sin,” that you may see that it is the viciousness, not the essence of the body, that He hath abolished at once. For if the latter had been done, many things even of a kind to be beneficial to the soul would have been abolished also. This however is not what he says, but while it is yet alive and abiding, he contends, it is dead. For this is the sign of our having the Son, of the Spirit being in us, that our bodies should be in no respect different from those that lie on the bier with respect to the working of sin (so the mss. Sav. “of the body.” The preceding words are slightly corrupt.) But be not affrighted at hearing of mortifying. For in it you have what is really life, with no death to succeed it: and such is that of the Spirit. It yieldeth not to death any more, but weareth out death and consumeth it, and that which it receiveth, it keepeth it immortal. And this is why after saying “the body is dead,” he does not say, “but the Spirit ‘liveth,’” but, “is life,” to point out that He (the Spirit) had the power of giving this to others also. Then again to brace up his hearer, he tells him the cause of the Life, and the proof of it. Now this is righteousness; for where there is no sin, death is not to be seen either; but where death is not to be seen, life is indissoluble.

Ver. 11. “But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up our Lord shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Again, he touches the point of the Resurrection, since this was the most encouraging227    ἤλειφεν, v. p. 170, n. Sav. εἴληφεν. hope to the hearer, and gave him a security from what had happened unto Christ. Now be not thou afraid because thou art compassed about with a dead body. Let it have the Spirit, and it shall assuredly rise again. What then, shall the bodies which have not the Spirit not rise? How then must “all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ?” (Rom. xiv. 10) or how will the account of hell be trustworthy? For if they that have not the Spirit rise not, there will not be a hell at all. What then is it which is said? All shall rise, yet not all to life, but some to punishment and some to life. (John v. 29.) This is why he did not say, shall raise up, but shall quicken. (Dan. xii. 2.) And this is a greater thing than resurrection, and is given to the just only. And the cause of this honor he adds in the words, “By His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” And so if while here thou drive away the grace of the Spirit, and do not depart with it still safe, thou wilt assuredly perish, though thou dost rise again. For as He will not endure then, if He see His Spirit shining in thee, to give thee up to punishment, so neither will He allow them, if He see It quenched, to bring thee into the Bride-chamber, even as He admitted not those virgins. (Matt. xxv. 12.)

Suffer not thy body then to live in this world, that it may live then! Make it die, that it die not. For if it keep living, it will not live: but if it die, then shall it live. And this is the case with resurrection in general. For it must die first and be buried, and then become immortal. But this has been done in the Font. It has therefore had first its crucifixion and burial, and then been raised. This has also happened with the Lord’s Body. For that also was crucified and buried (7 mss. died) and rose again. This then let us too be doing: let us keep continually mortifying it in its works. I do not mean in its substance—far be it from me—but in its inclinations towards evil doings. For this is a life too, or rather this only is life, undergoing nothing that is common to man, nor being a slave to pleasures. For he who has set himself under the rule of these, has no power even to live through the low spirits, the fears, and the dangers, and the countless throng of ills, that rise from them. For if death must be expected, he hath died, before death, of fear. And if it be disease he dreads, or affront, or poverty, or any of the other ills one cannot anticipate, he is ruined and hath perished. What then can be more miserable than a life of this sort? But far otherwise is he that liveth to the Spirit, for he stands at once above fears and grief and dangers and every kind of change: and that not by undergoing no such thing, but, what is much greater, by thinking scorn of them when they assail him. And how is this to be? It will be if the Spirit dwell in us continually. For he does not speak of any short stay made thereby, but of a continual indwelling. Hence he does not say “the Spirit which” dwelt, but “which dwelleth in us,” so pointing to a continual abiding. He then is most truly alive, who is dead to this life. Hence he says, “The Spirit is life because of righteousness.” And to make the thing clearer, let me bring228    See Ernesti in v. παραγωγή. before you two men, one who is given up to extravagances and pleasures, and the deceitfulness of this life; and the other made dead to all these; and let us see which is more really the living one. For let one of these two be very rich and much looked up to, keeping parasites and flatterers,229    The Plutus evidently in his mind. and let us suppose him to spend the whole day upon this, in revelling and drunkenness: and let the other live in poverty, and fasting, and hard fare, and strict rules (φιλοσοφί& 139·), and at evening partake of necessary food only; or if you will let him even pass two or three days without food.230    This was not uncommon in warmer climates, Euseb. ii. 17. Which then of these two think we (3 mss. you) is most really alive? Men in general will, I know, reckon the former so, the man that takes his pleasure (Sav. σκιρτὥντα, mss. τρυφὥντα) and squanders his goods. But we reckon the man that enjoys the moderate fare. Now then since it is still a subject of contest and opposition let us go into the houses of them both, and just at the very time too when in your judgment the rich man is living in truest sense, in the very season of self-indulgence, and when we have got in, let us look and see the real condition of each of these men. For it is from the actions that it appears which is alive and which dead. Shall we not find the one among his books, or in prayer and fasting, or some other necessary duty, awake and sober, and conversing with God? but the other we shall see stupid in drunkenness, and in no better condition than a dead man. And if we wait till the evening, we shall see this death coming upon him more and more, and then sleep again succeeding to that: but the other we shall see even in the night keeping from wine and sleep. Which then shall we pronounce to be most alive, the man that lies in a state of insensibility, and is an open laughing-stock to everybody? or the man that is active, and conversing with God? For if you go up to the one, and tell him something he ought to know, you will not hear him say a word, any more than a dead man. But the latter, whether you choose to be in his company at night or by day, you will see to be an angel rather than a man, and will hear him speak wisdom about things in Heaven. Do you see how one of them is alive above all men living, and the other in a more pitiable plight even than the dead? And even if he have a mind to stir he sees one thing instead of another, and is like people that are mad, or rather is in a worse plight even than they. For if any one were to do them any harm, we should at once feel pity for the sufferer, and rebuke the doer of the wrong. But this man, if we were to see a person trample on him, we should not only be disinclined to pity, but should even give judgment against him, now that he was fallen. And will you tell me this is life, and not a harder lot than deaths unnumbered? So you see the self-indulgent man is not only dead, but worse than dead, and more miserable than a man possessed. For the one is the object of pity, the other of hatred. And the one has allowance made him, the other suffers punishment for his madness. But if externally he is so ridiculous, as having his saliva tainted, and his breath stinking of wine, just consider what case his wretched soul, inhumed as it were in a grave, in such a body as this, is probably in. For one may look upon this as much the same as if one were to permit a damsel, comely, chaste, free-born, of good family, and handsome, to be trampled on, and every way insulted by a serving woman, that was savage, and disgustful, and impure; drunkenness being something of this sort. And who, being in his senses, would not choose to die a thousand deaths, rather than live a single day in this way? For even if at daylight he were to get up, and seem to be sober from that revelling (or absurd show, κωμῳδίας, 1 ms. κώμου) of his, still even then it is not the clear brightness of temperance which he enjoys, since the cloud from the storm of drunkenness still is hanging before his eyes. And even if we were to grant him the clearness of sobriety, what were he the better? For this soberness would be of no service to him, except to let him see his accusers. For when he is in the midst of his unseemly deeds, he is so far a gainer in not perceiving those that laugh at him. But when it is day he loses this comfort even, and while his servants are murmuring, and his wife is ashamed, and his friends accuse him, and his enemies make sport of him, he knows it too. What can be more miserable than a life like this, to be laughed at all day by everybody, and when it is evening to do the same unseemly things afresh. But what if you would let me put the covetous before you? For this is another, and even a worse intoxication. But if it be an intoxication, then it must be a worse death by far than the former, since the intoxication is more grievous. And indeed it is not so sad to be drunk with wine as with covetousness. For in the former case, the penalty ends with the sufferings (several ms. “sufferer,”) and results in insensibility, and the drunkard’s own ruin. But in this case the mischief passes on to thousands of souls, and kindles wars of sundry kinds upon all sides. Come then and let us put this beside the other, and let us see what are the points they have in common, and in what again this is worse than it, and let us make a comparison of drunkards to-day. For with that blissful man, who liveth to the Spirit, let them not be put at all in comparison, but only tried by one another. And again, let us bring the money-table before you, laden as it is with blood. What then have they in common, and in what are they like each other? It is in the very nature of the disease. For the species of drunkenness is different, as one comes of wine, the other of money, but its way of affecting them is similar, both being alike possessed with an exorbitant desire. For he who is drunken with wine, the more glasses he has drunk off, the more he longs for; and he that is in love with money, the more he compasses, the more he kindles the flame of desire, and the more importunate he renders his thirst. In this point then they resemble each other. But in another the covetous man has the advantage (in a bad sense). Now what is this? Why that the other’s affection is a natural one. For the wine is hot, and adds to one’s natural drought, and so makes drunkards thirsty. But what is there to make the other man always keep desiring more? how comes it that when he is increased in riches, then he is in the veriest poverty? This complaint then is a perplexing one, and has more of paradox about it. But if you please, we will take a view of them after the drunkenness also. Or rather, there is no such thing as ever seeing the covetous man after his drunkenness, so continual a state of intoxication is he in! Let us then view them both in the state of drunkenness, and let us get a distinct notion which is the most ridiculous, and let us again figure to ourselves a correct sketch of them. We shall see then the man who dotes with his wine at eventide with his eyes open, seeing no one, but moving about at mere hap-hazard, and stumbling against such as fall in his way, and spewing, and convulsed, and exposing his nakedness in an unseemly manner. (See Habak. ii. 16.) And if his wife be there, or his daughter, or his maid-servant, or anybody else, they231    ἐγγελάσεταιmss., “he will be laughed at” or rather “she (the supposed spectator) will laugh at him.” Field reads ἐγελάσατε with one or two mss., and alters the punctuation; so that the passage will run “exposing, etc., even if his wife be there….or anybody else. Do you laugh heartily? Then let us bring before you,” etc. will laugh at him heartily. And now let us bring before you the covetous man. Here what happens is not deserving of laughter only, but even of a curse, and exceeding wrath, and thunderbolts without number. At present however let us look at the ridiculous part, for this man as well as the other has an ignorance of all, whether friend or foe. And like him too, though his eyes are open, he is blinded. And as the former takes all he sees for wine, so does this man take all for money. And his spewing is even more disgusting. For it is not food that he vomits, but words of abuse, of insolence, of war, of death, that draws upon his own head lightnings without number from above. And as the body of the drunkard is livid and dissolving, so also is the other’s soul. Or rather, even his body is not free from this disorder, but it is taken even worse, care eating it away worse than wine does (as do anger too and want of sleep), and by degrees exhausting it entirely. And he that is seized with illness from wine, after the night is over may get sober. But this person is always drunken day and night, watching or sleeping, so paying a severer penalty for it than any prisoner, or person at work in the mines, or suffering any punishment more grievous than this, if such there be. Is it then life pray, and not death? or rather, is it not a fate more wretched than any death? For death gives the body rest, and sets it free from ridicule, as well as disgrace and sins: but these drunken fits plunge it into all these, stopping up the ears, dulling the eyesight, keeping down the understanding in great darkness. For it will not bear the mention of anything but interest, and interest upon interest, and shameful gains, and odious traffickings, and ungentlemanly and slavelike transactions, barking like a dog at everybody, and hating everybody, averse to everybody, at war with everybody, without any reason for it, rising up against the poor, grudging at the rich, and civil to nobody. And if he have a wife, or children, or friends, if he may not use them all towards getting gain, these are to him more his enemies than natural enemies. What then can be worse than madness of this sort, and what more wretched? when a man is preparing rocks for his own self on every side, and shoals, and precipices, and gulfs, and pits without number, while he has but one body, and is the slave of one belly. And if any thrust thee into a state office, thou wilt be a runaway, through fear of expense. Yet to thyself thou art laying up countless charges far more distressing than those, enlisting thyself for services not only more expensive, but also more dangerous, to be done for mammon, and not paying this tyrant a money contribution only, nor of bodily labor, torture to the soul, and grief, but even of thy blood itself, that thou mayest have some addition to thy property (miserable and sorrow-stricken man!) out of this barbarous slavery. Do you not see those who are taken day by day to the grave, how they are carried to tombs naked and destitute of all things, unable to take with them aught that is in the house, but bearing what clothes they have about them to the worm? Consider these day by day, and perchance the malady will abate, unless you mean even by such an occasion to be still more mad at the expensiveness of the funeral rites—for the malady is importunate, the disease terrible! This then is why we address you upon this subject at every meeting, and constantly foment your hearing, that at all events by your growing accustomed to such thoughts, some good many come. But be not contentious, for it is not only at the Day to come, but even before it, that this manifold malady brings with it sundry punishments. For if I were to tell you of those who pass their days in chains, or of one nailed to a lingering disease, or of one struggling with famine, or of any other thing whatsoever, I could point out no one who suffers so much as they do who love money. For what severer evil can befall one, than being hated by all men, than hating all men, than not having kindly feeling towards any, than being never satisfied, than being in a continual thirst, than struggling with a perpetual hunger, and that a more distressing one than what all men esteem such? than having pains day by day, than being never sober, than being continually in worries and harasses? For all these things, and more than these, are what the covetous set their shoulder to; in the midst of their gaining having no perception of pleasure, though scraping to themselves from all men, because of their desiring more. But in the case of their incurring a loss, if it be but of a farthing, they think they have suffered most grievously, and have been cast out of life itself. What language then can put these evils before you? And if their fate here be such, consider also what comes after this life, the being cast out of the kingdom, the pain that comes from hell, the perpetual chains, the outer darkness, the venomous worm, the gnashing of teeth, the affliction, the sore straitening, the rivers of fire, the furnaces that never get quenched. And gathering all these together, and weighing them against the pleasure of money, tear up now this disease root and branch, that so receiving the true riches, and being set free from this grievous poverty, thou mayest obtain the present blessings, and those to come, by the grace and love toward man, etc.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν: ἐγὼ δὲ σαρκικός εἰμι, πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. αʹ. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, ὅτι μεγάλα γέγονε κακὰ, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία δυνατωτέρα κατέστη τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐπιλαβομένη, καὶ τοὐναντίον οὗπερ ἐσπούδαζεν ὁ νόμος ἐξέβη, καὶ εἰς πολλὴν τὸν ἀκροατὴν ἐνέβαλεν ἀπορίαν, λέγει καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν λοιπὸν, καθ' ὃν ταῦτα γέγονε, πρότερον ἀπαλλάξας τὸν νόμον τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑποψίας. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀκούων, ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀφορμὴν ἔλαβε, καὶ ὅτι ἐλθούσης αὐτῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησε, καὶ ὅτι δι' αὐτῆς ἐξηπάτησε καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν: ἵν' οὖν μὴ τὸν νόμον τῶν κακῶν τούτων αἴτιον νομίσῃ τις εἶναι, πρότερον τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ἀπολογίαν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας, οὐ μόνον κατηγορίας αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάττων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκώμιον αὐτῷ πλέκων μέγιστον. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ὡς αὐτὸς χαριζόμενος τίθησιν, ἀλλ' ὡς κοινὴν ἐκφέρων ψῆφον. Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστιν. Ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν: Ὡμολογημένον τοῦτο καὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι πνευματικός ἐστι: τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει ἁμαρτίας αἴτιος εἶναι, καὶ τῶν γεγενημένων κακῶν ὑπεύθυνος. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς οὐ κατηγορίας αὐτὸν ἀπαλλάττει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινεῖ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἁπάσης. Πνευματικὸν γὰρ εἰπὼν, διδάσκαλον αὐτὸν ἀρετῆς δείκνυσιν ὄντα, καὶ κακίας πολέμιον: τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν εἶναι πνευματικὸν, τὸ πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπάγειν: ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ νόμος ἐποίει, φοβῶν, νουθετῶν, κολάζων, διορθούμενος, τὰ περὶ ἀρετῆς συμβουλεύων ἅπαντα. Πόθεν οὖν, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐγεγόνει, εἰ οὕτω θαυμαστὸς ὁ διδάσκαλος; Παρὰ τὴν τῶν μαθητῶν ῥᾳθυμίαν. Διὸ ἐπήγαγε λέγων, Ἐγὼ δὲ σαρκικός εἰμι, τὸν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου πολιτευόμενον ἄνθρωπον ὑπογράφων. Πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Μετὰ γὰρ τοῦ θανάτου, φησὶ, καὶ ὁ τῶν παθῶν ἐπεισῆλθεν ὄχλος. Ὅτε γὰρ θνητὸν ἐγένετο τὸ σῶμα, ἐδέξατο καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν ἀναγκαίως λοιπὸν, καὶ ὀργὴν καὶ λύπην καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, ἃ πολλῆς ἐδεῖτο φιλοσοφίας, ἵνα μὴ πλημμύραντα ἐν ἡμῖν καταποντίσῃ τὸν λογισμὸν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας βυθόν. Αὐτὰ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἦν ἁμαρτία: ἡ δὲ ἀμετρία αὐτῶν μὴ χαλινουμένη, τοῦτο εἰργάζετο. Οἷον, ἵν' ὡς ἐπὶ ὑποδείγματος ἓν αὐτῶν μεταχειρίσας εἴπω, ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἁμαρτία μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν, ὅταν δὲ εἰς ἀμετρίαν ἐκπέσῃ, εἴσω τῶν τοῦ νόμου γάμων οὐκ ἐθέλουσα μένειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλλοτρίαις ἐπιπηδῶσα γυναιξὶ, τότε λοιπὸν μοιχεία τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται, ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ταύτης πλεονεξίαν. Καὶ σκόπει σοφίαν Παύλου. Ἐγκωμιάσας γὰρ τὸν νόμον, ἐπὶ τὸν ἀνωτέρω χρόνον ἔδραμεν εὐθέως, ἵνα δείξας πῶς καὶ τότε τὸ γένος διέκειτο τὸ ἡμέτερον καὶ ἡνίκα τὸν νόμον ἔλαβεν, ἀποφήνῃ τῆς χάριτος ἀναγκαίαν οὖσαν τὴν περιουσίαν: ὅπερ πανταχοῦ κατασκευάσαι ἐσπούδακε. Τὸ γὰρ, Πεπραμένος ὑπὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ὅταν λέγῃ, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λέγει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πρὸ τοῦ νόμου βεβιωκότων, καὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς γενομένων ἀνθρώπων. Εἶτα καὶ τὸν τρόπον λέγει τῆς πράσεως, καὶ τῆς ἐκδόσεως. Ὃ γὰρ κατεργάζομαι, φησὶν, οὐ γινώσκω. Τί ἐστιν, Οὐ γινώσκω; Ἀγνοῶ. Καὶ πότε τοῦτο γέγονεν; οὐδεὶς γὰρ οὐδέποτε ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ ἥμαρτεν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι, ἂν μὴ μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐλαβείας τὰς λέξεις ἐκλεξώμεθα, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀποστολικὸν ἴδωμεν σκοπὸν, μυρία ἕψεται τὰ ἄτοπα; Εἰ γὰρ ἀγνοοῦντες ἡμάρτανον, οὐδὲ δίκην ἦσαν ἄξιοι δοῦναι. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγε, Χωρὶς γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία νεκρά: οὐ τοῦτο δηλῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ᾔδεσαν ἁμαρτάνοντες, ἀλλ' ὅτι ᾔδεσαν μὲν, οὐχ οὕτω δὲ ἀκριβῶς: διόπερ ἐκολάζοντο μὲν, οὐχ οὕτω δὲ σφοδρῶς: καὶ πάλιν, Τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν, οὐ τὴν καθόλου ἄγνοιαν δηλῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν σαφεστάτην γνῶσιν ἐμφαίνων: ἔλεγε δὲ, ὅτι Κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν, οὐ τοῦτο λέγων, ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐπεισήγαγεν: οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὴν καθόλου ἄγνοιαν δηλοῖ, λέγων, Ὃ γὰρ κατεργάζομαι, οὐ γινώσκω: ἐπεὶ πῶς συνήδετο τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον; Τί οὖν ἐστιν, Οὐ γινώσκω; Σκοτοῦμαι, φησὶ, συναρπάζομαι, ἐπήρειαν ὑπομένω, οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὑποσκελίζομαι: ὅπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰώθαμεν λέγειν, Οὐκ οἶδα πῶς ὁ δεῖνα ἐλθὼν συνήρπασεν, οὐκ ἄγνοιαν προβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλὰ ἀπάτην τινὰ καὶ περίστασιν καὶ ἐπιβουλὴν ἐμφαίνοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω, τοῦτο πράσσω, ἀλλ' ὃ μισῶ, τοῦτο ποιώ. Πῶς οὖν οὐ γινώσκεις, ὃ κατεργάζῃ; Εἰ γὰρ θέλεις τὸ καλὸν, καὶ μισεῖς τὸ πονηρὸν, γνώσεως τοῦτο ἀπηρτισμένης ἐστίν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ τὸ, Ὃ οὐ θέλω, εἴρηκεν, οὐχὶ τὸ αὐτεξούσιον ἀναιρῶν, οὐδὲ ἀνάγκην τινὰ εἰσάγων βεβιασμένην. Εἰ γὰρ οὐχ ἑκόντες, ἀλλ' ἀναγκαζόμενοι ἁμαρτάνομεν, πάλιν τὰ τῶν κολάσεων τῶν ἔμπροσθεν γεγενημένων οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ, Οὐ γινώσκω, λέγων, οὐκ ἄγνοιαν ἐνέφηνεν, ἀλλ' ἅπερ εἰρήκαμεν: οὕτω καὶ τὸ, Ὃ οὐ θέλω, προσθεὶς, οὐκ ἀνάγκην ἐδήλωσεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὴ ἐπαινεῖν τὰ γινόμενα: ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν δηλώσας τῷ εἰπεῖν, Ὃ οὐ θέλω, τοῦτο πράσσω, πῶς οὐκ ἐπήγαγεν, Ἀλλ' ὃ ἀναγκάζομαι καὶ βιάζομαι, τοῦτο ποιῶ; τοῦτο γὰρ τῷ θέλειν καὶ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ἀντίκειται. Νυνὶ δὲ οὐ τοῦτο εἴρηκεν, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τούτου τὸ, Ὃ μισῶ, τέθεικεν, ἵνα μάθῃς ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν, Ὃ οὐ θέλω, οὐ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἀνεῖλε. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ, Ὃ οὐ θέλω; Ὃ μὴ ἐπαινῶ, ὃ μὴ ἀποδέχομαι, ὃ μὴ φιλῶ: οὗ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐπήγαγεν εἰπών: Ἀλλ' ὃ μισῶ, τοῦτο ποιῶ. Εἰ δὲ ὃ οὐ θέλω, τοῦτο ποιῶ, σύμφημι τῷ νόμῳ ὅτι καλός. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς τέως τὴν διάνοιαν οὐ διεφθαρμένην, ἀλλὰ ἐν τῇ πράξει τὴν οἰκείαν διατηροῦσαν εὐγένειαν; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μετέρχεται τὴν κακίαν, ἀλλὰ μισοῦσα μετέρχεται, ὃ καὶ τοῦ φυσικοῦ νόμου καὶ τοῦ γραπτοῦ μέγιστον ἐγκώμιον ἂν εἴη. Ὅτι γὰρ καλὸς ὁ νόμος, φησὶ, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ἐμαυτοῦ κατηγορῶ, παρακούων τοῦ νόμου καὶ μισῶν τὸ γεγενημένον: καίτοι εἰ ἁμαρτίας αἴτιος ἦν ὁ νόμος, πῶς αὐτῷ συνηδόμενος τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κελευόμενον γενέσθαι, ἐμίσει; Σύμφημι γὰρ τῷ νόμῳ, φησὶν, ὅτι καλός. Νυνὶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ, ἀλλ' ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία. Οἶδα γὰρ, ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοὶ, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν. Ἐνταῦθα ἐπιτίθενται οἱ τὴν σάρκα διαβάλλοντες, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δημιουργίας ἀλλοτριοῦντες. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποιμεν; Ἃ καὶ περὶ τοῦ νόμου πρώην διαλεγόμενοι εἰρήκαμεν, ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖ τὸ πᾶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἶναί φησιν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἡ σὰρξ αὐτὸ κατεργάζεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον, ὅτι Οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ, ἀλλ' ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία. Εἰ δὲ λέγει, ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῇ ἀγαθὸν, οὔπω τοῦτο ἔγκλημα τῆς σαρκός: οὐ γὰρ τὸ μὴ οἰκεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτῇ, πονηρὰν αὐτὴν δείκνυσιν οὖσαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐλάττονα μὲν ὁμολογοῦμεν εἶναι τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν σάρκα καὶ καταδεεστέραν, οὐ μὴν ἐναντίαν οὐδὲ μαχομένην οὐδὲ πονηρὰν, ἀλλ' ὡς κιθάραν κιθαριστῇ, καὶ ὡς ναῦν κυβερνήτῃ, οὕτως αὐτὴν ὑποκεῖσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ: ἅπερ οὐκ ἐναντία τοῖς ἄγουσι καὶ χρωμένοις ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συμβαίνοντα, οὐ μὴν ὁμότιμα τῷ τεχνίτῃ. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ λέγων, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐν τῇ κιθάρᾳ, οὐδ' ἐν τῇ νηῒ ἡ τέχνη, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ κυβερνήτῃ καὶ τῷ κιθαρῳδῷ, οὐ τὰ ἔργα διέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μέσον ὅσον πρὸς τὸν τεχνίτην τῆς τέχνης ἔδειξεν: οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος εἰπὼν, ὅτι Οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ἀγαθὸν, οὐ τὸ σῶμα διέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς ψυχῆς ἔδειξεν. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τὸ πᾶν ἐγκεχειρισμένη τῆς κυβερνήσεως, καὶ τῆς κιθαρῳδίας: ὅπερ καὶ Παῦλος ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι, τὸ κῦρος τῆς ψυχῆς τιθέμενος. Καὶ εἰς δύο ταῦτα τὸν ἄνθρωπον διελὼν, ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα, λέγει ὅτι ἀλογωτέρα μὲν ἡ σὰρξ, καὶ συνέσεως ἔρημος, καὶ τῶν ἀγομένων, ἀλλ' οὐ τῶν ἀγόντων: σοφωτέρα δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ τὸ πρακτέον καὶ τὸ μὴ πρακτέον συνιδεῖν δυναμένη, οὐ μὴν ἀρκοῦσα πρὸς τὸ τὸν ἵππον ἄρχειν ὡς βούλεται: ὅπερ οὐ τῆς σαρκὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς γένοιτ' ἂν ἔγκλημα, εἰδυίας μὲν ἅπερ δεῖ πράττειν, οὐκέτι δὲ εἰς ἔργον ἐκφερούσης τὰ δόξαντα. Τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, φησὶ, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὐχ εὑρίσκω. Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν εἰπὼν, Οὐχ εὑρίσκω, οὐκ ἄγνοιάν φησιν, οὐδὲ ἀπορίαν, ἀλλ' ἐπήρειάν τινα καὶ ἐπιβουλὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας: ὅπερ οὖν καὶ σαφέστερον δεικνὺς ἐπήγαγεν: Οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω, ποιῶ ἀγαθὸν, ἀλλ' ὃ οὐ θέλω κακὸν, τοῦτο πράσσω. Εἰ δὲ ὃ ἐγὼ οὐ θέλω, τοῦτο ποιῶ, οὐκέτι ἐγὼ κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ, ἀλλ' ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία. Εἶδες πῶς καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀπαλλάξας ἐγκλήματος, τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὴν πονηρὰν πρᾶξιν μετέστησεν; Εἰ γὰρ οὐ θέλει τὸ κακὸν, ἀπήλλακται ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ εἰ αὐτὸς αὐτὸ μὴ κατεργάζεται, ἠλευθέρωται καὶ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ μόνης τῆς πονηρᾶς προαιρέσεώς ἐστι τὸ πᾶν. Οὐ γὰρ ταυτὸν ψυχῆς οὐσία καὶ σώματος καὶ προαιρέσεως, ἀλλὰ τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἔργα Θεοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἐξ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν γινομένη κίνησις, πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν αὐτὴν βουληθῶμεν ἀγαγεῖν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ βούλησις, ἔμφυτον καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ: ἡ δὲ τοιάδε βούλησις, ἡμέτερον καὶ τῆς γνώμης ἡμῶν. Εὑρίσκω ἄρα τὸν νόμον τῷ θέλοντι ἐμοὶ ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν, ὅτι ἐμοὶ τὸ κακὸν παράκειται. Ἀσαφὲς τὸ εἰρημένον: τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Ἐπαινῶ τὸν νόμον, φησὶ, κατὰ τὸ συνειδὸς, καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ εὑρίσκω ἐμοὶ τῷ βουλομένῳ τὸ καλὸν ποιεῖν συνήγορον, καὶ ἐπιτείνοντά μοι τὸ βούλημα: ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐγὼ αὐτῷ συνήδομαι, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπαινεῖ τὴν γνώμην τὴν ἐμήν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς δείκνυσι τὴν μὲν τῶν καλῶν καὶ τῶν μὴ τοιούτων γνῶσιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡμῖν καταβεβλημένην, τὸν δὲ νόμον Μωϋσέως ἐπαινοῦντα αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐπαινούμενον παρ' αὐτῆς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνωτέρω εἶπεν, ὅτι Διδάσκομαι παρὰ τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλὰ, Σύμφημι τῷ νόμῳ: οὔτε προεῖπεν, ὅτι Παιδεύομαι παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ', ὅτι Συνήδομαι αὐτῷ. Τί δέ ἐστι, Συνήδομαι; Ὁμολογῶ ὡς καλῶς ἔχοντι, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμοὶ τῷ θέλοντι ποιεῖν τὸ καλόν. Ὥστε τὸ θέλειν τὸ καλὸν, καὶ τὸ μὴ θέλειν τὸ πονηρὸν, ἄνωθεν ἦν προκαταβεβλημένον: ὁ δὲ νόμος ἐλθὼν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς κατήγορος ἐγένετο πλειόνων, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἐπαινέτης μειζόνων. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ ἐπίτασίν τινα καὶ προσθήκην αὐτῷ μαρτυροῦντα μόνον, πλεῖον δὲ οὐδέν; Καὶ γὰρ ἐπαινοῦντος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐμοῦ συνηδομένου καὶ θέλοντος τὸ καλὸν, τὸ κακὸν ἔτι παράκειται, καὶ ἡ πρᾶξις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀνῄρηται. Ὥστε ὁ νόμος τῷ προῃρημένῳ καλόν τι ποιῆσαι κατὰ τοῦτο σύμμαχος γίνεται μόνον, καθὸ καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτῷ βούλεται. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἀσαφῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικε, προϊὼν ἑρμηνεύει αὐτὸ καὶ σαφέστερον ποιεῖ, δεικνὺς πῶς τὸ κακὸν παράκειται, καὶ πῶς τῷ θέλοντι ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν ὁμοῦ ὁ νόμος ἐστί. Συνήδομαι γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον. Ἤ|δειν μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τούτου, φησὶ, τὸ καλὸν, εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν γράμμασι κείμενον, ἐπαινῶ. Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου, ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου. γʹ. Νόμον ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἀντιστρατευόμενον τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν σφοδρὰν ὑπακοὴν τῶν πειθομένων αὐτῇ. Ὥσπερ οὖν κύριον τὸν μαμμωνᾶν καλεῖ, καὶ θεὸν τὴν κοιλίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πολλὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων δουλείαν: οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα νόμον ἐκάλεσεν ἁμαρτίαν, διὰ τοὺς οὕτως αὐτῇ δουλεύοντας καὶ φοβουμένους ἀφεῖναι αὐτὴν, ὥσπερ δεδοίκασιν οἱ νόμον λαβόντες ἀφεῖναι τὸν νόμον. Αὕτη οὖν, φησὶν, ἀντίκειται τῷ νόμῳ τῷ φυσικῷ: τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, Τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου. Καὶ εἰσάγει λοιπὸν παράταξιν καὶ μάχην, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ὅλον ἀνατίθησι τῷ φυσικῷ νόμῳ. Ὁ γὰρ Μωϋσέως ἐκ περιουσίας ὕστερον προσετέθη: ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος, ὁ μὲν διδάξας, ὁ δὲ ἐπαινέσας τὰ δέοντα, οὐδὲν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ταύτῃ μέγα ἤνυσαν: τοσαύτη τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ τυραννὶς, νικῶσα καὶ περιγινομένη. Ὅπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλος ἐμφαίνων, καὶ τὴν κατὰ κράτος ἧτταν δηλῶν ἔλεγε: Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Νικῶντα ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', Αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Οὐκ εἶπε, Τῇ ὁρμῇ τῆς σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ, Τῇ φύσει τῆς σαρκὸς, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τουτέστι, τῇ τυραννίδι, τῇ δυνάμει. Πῶς οὖν φησι, Τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου; Καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο ἁμαρτίαν τὰ μέλη ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ χωρίζει μάλιστα τῆς ἁμαρτίας: ἕτερον γὰρ τὸ, ἔν τινι ὂν, καὶ τὸ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ ἐντολὴ οὐκ ἔστι πονηρὰ, ἐπειδὴ δι' αὐτῆς ἀφορμὴν ἔλαβεν ἡ ἁμαρτία: οὕτως οὐδὲ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ φύσις, εἰ καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἡμᾶς καταγωνίζεται: ἐπεὶ οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πονηρὰ, καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκείνη, ὅσῳ καὶ τὸ κῦρος τῶν πρακτέων ἔχει. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ θαυμαστὸν οἶκον καὶ βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς τύραννος λάβῃ καὶ λῃστὴς, διαβολὴ τῆς οἰκίας τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλ' ἡ κατηγορία πᾶσα τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιβουλευσαμένων ἐστίν. Ἀλλ' οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ μετὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ ἀνοίᾳ πολλῇ περιπίπτοντες, οὐκ αἰσθάνονται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς σαρκὸς μόνον κατηγοροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν νόμον διαβάλλουσι: καίτοιγε εἰ πονηρὸν ἡ σὰρξ, καλὸν ὁ νόμος: ἀντιστρατεύεται γὰρ καὶ ἐναντιοῦται: εἰ δὲ οὐ καλὸν ὁ νόμος, καλὸν ἡ σάρξ: μάχεται γὰρ αὐτῷ κατ' ἐκείνους καὶ πολεμεῖ. Πῶς οὖν ἀμφότερα τοῦ διαβόλου φασὶν εἶναι, ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις εἰσάγοντες; Ὁρᾷς ὅση μετὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ ἡ ἄνοια; Ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὰ δόγματα τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατακρίνει μόνον, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἑκάτερον παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένον, καὶ τὸν τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τὸν τοῦ Μωϋσέως, ταύτῃ πολέμιον εἶναί φησιν, οὐ τῇ σαρκί: οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν σάρκα ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἡμῖν ἐπιτήδειον, ἐὰν νήφωμεν. Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος: τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Εἶδες πόση τῆς κακίας ἡ τυραννὶς, ὅτι καὶ συνηδόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τὸν νοῦν νικᾷ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι μισοῦντά με τὸν νόμον καὶ ἀποστρεφόμενον ἡ ἁμαρτία χειροῦται: συνήδομαι γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ σύμφημι, καὶ καταφεύγω πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὐδὲ φεύγοντα πρὸς αὐτὸν ἴσχυσε σῶσαι, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς καὶ φεύγοντα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἔσωσεν. Εἶδες πόση τῆς χάριτος ἡ ὑπερβολή; Ἀλλ' οὕτω μὲν οὐκ ἔθηκεν αὐτὸ ὁ Ἀπόστολος: ἀνοιμώξας δὲ μόνον καὶ θρηνήσας μέγα, ὡς ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τῶν βοηθησόντων, διὰ τῆς ἀπορίας δείκνυσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, καί φησι: Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος: τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Νόμος οὐκ ἴσχυσε, τὸ συνειδὸς οὐκ ἤρκεσε: καίτοι γε ἐπῄνουν τὰ καλὰ, καὶ οὐκ ἐπῄνουν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπεμαχόμην πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία. Τῷ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Ἀντιστρατευόμενον, ἔδειξε καὶ αὐτὸν ἀντιταττόμενον. Πόθεν οὖν ἔσται σωτηρίας ἐλπίς; Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ, φησὶ, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. Εἶδες πῶς ἔδειξεν ἀναγκαίαν τῆς χάριτος τὴν παρουσίαν, καὶ κοινὰ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τὰ κατορθώματα; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ εὐχαριστεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῆς εὐχαριστίας ταύτης καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς αἴτιος. Ὅταν δὲ ἀκούσῃς λέγοντος αὐτοῦ, Τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; μὴ νόμιζε τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτὸν κατηγορεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε σῶμα ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ σῶμα θανάτου: τουτέστι τὸ θνητὸν σῶμα, τὸ χειρωθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου, οὐ τὸ γεννῆσαν τὸν θάνατον: ὅπερ οὐ τῆς πονηρίας τῆς σαρκὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐπηρείας ἧς ὑπέμεινε, δεῖγμά ἐστιν. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις αἰχμαλωτισθεὶς παρὰ βαρβάρων, λέγοιτο εἶναι τῶν βαρβάρων, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ βάρβαρός ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὑπ' ἐκείνων κατέχεται: οὕτω καὶ τὸ σῶμα θανάτου λέγεται, ἐπειδὴ κατεσχέθη παρ' αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ προεξένησεν αὐτόν. Διόπερ οὐδὲ αὐτὸς τοῦ σώματος ῥυσθῆναι βούλεται, ἀλλὰ τοῦ θνητοῦ σώματος, αἰνιττόμενος ὃ πολλάκις ἔφην, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ παθητὸν αὐτὸ γενέσθαι, καὶ εὐεπιχείρητον γέγονε τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. δʹ. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, εἰ τοσαύτη τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ τυραννὶς πρὸ τῆς χάριτος ἦν, ἐκολάσθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες; Ὅτι τοιαῦτα ἐπετάγησαν, οἷα δυνατὸν ἦν καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κρατούσης κατορθοῦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς ἄκραν αὐτοὺς εἷλκε πολιτείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρημάτων ἀπολαύειν ἐπέτρεπε, καὶ γυναιξὶ κεχρῆσθαι πλείοσιν οὐκ ἐκώλυε, καὶ θυμῷ χαρίσασθαι μετὰ τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ τρυφῇ χρήσασθαι συμμέτρῳ: καὶ τοσαύτη ἦν ἡ συγκατάβασις, ὡς καὶ ἐλάττονα ὧν ὁ φυσικὸς διηγόρευσε νόμος, τὸν γραπτὸν ἀπαιτεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῆς φύσεως νόμος ἕνα ἄνδρα μιᾷ γυναικὶ διηνεκῶς ὁμιλεῖν ἐκέλευεν: ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δηλῶν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὁ ποιήσας ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς. Ὁ δὲ Μωϋσέως νόμος οὔτε τὴν μὲν ἐκβαλεῖν, τὴν δὲ ἀντεισάγειν ἐκώλυεν, οὔτε δύο κατὰ ταυτὸν ἔχειν ἀπηγόρευε. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτου, καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τοὺς πρὸ τούτου κατορθωκότας ἴδοι τις ἂν τῷ τῆς φύσεως παιδευομένους νόμῳ. Οὐ τοίνυν ἐπηρεάσθησαν οἱ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολιτευσάμενοι, συμμέτρου νομοθεσίας οὕτως εἰσενεχθείσης αὐτοῖς. Εἰ δὲ μηδὲ οὕτως ἤρκεσαν περιγενέσθαι, τῆς αὐτῶν ῥᾳθυμίας τὸ ἔγκλημα. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος εὐχαριστεῖ, ὅτι οὐδὲν τούτων ἀκριβολογησάμενος ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐ μόνον τῶν ἡμετέρων οὐκ ἀπῄτησεν εὐθύνας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτηδείους ἐποίησε πρὸς μείζονα δρόμον. Διό φησιν, Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἀφεὶς ὡμολογημένην, ἐκ τῶν ἤδη κατασκευασθέντων ἐπ' ἄλλο μεταβαίνει πλέον λέγων, ὅτι οὐ τῶν προτέρων ἀπηλλάγημεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον ἀχείρωτοι γεγόναμεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, κατάκριμα νῦν τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν. Ἀλλ' οὐ πρότερον αὐτὸ εἴρηκεν, ἕως ἀνέμνησε πάλιν τῆς προτέρας καταστάσεως. Πρότερον γὰρ εἰπὼν, Ἄρα οὖν αὐτὸς ἐγὼ τῷ μὲν νοῒ δουλεύω νόμω Θεοῦ, τῇ δὲ σαρκὶ νόμῳ ἁμαρτίας, τότε ἐπήγαγεν: Οὐδὲν ἄρα κατάκριμα νῦν τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἀντέπιπτεν αὐτῷ τὸ πολλοὺς καὶ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἁμαρτάνειν, διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς αὐτὸ ἐπείγεται. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησι, Τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀλλὰ, Τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσι: δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐκ ῥᾳθυμίας τὸ πᾶν λοιπὸν τῆς ἡμετέρας: δυνατὸν γὰρ νῦν μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατεῖν, τότε δὲ δύσκολον ἦν. Εἶτα γὰρ ἑτέρως αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς λέγων: Ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέ με: νόμον Πνεύματος ἐνταῦθα τὸ Πνεῦμα καλῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ νόμον ἁμαρτίας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, οὕτω νόμον Πνεύματος τὸ Πνεῦμά φησι. Καίτοι καὶ τὸν Μωϋσέως οὕτως ἐκάλει λέγων, Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, ὅτι ὁ νόμος πνευματικός ἐστι: τί οὖν τὸ μέσον; Πολὺ καὶ ἄπειρον: ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ πνευματικὸς, οὗτος δὲ νόμος Πνεύματος. Καὶ τί τοῦτο ἐκείνου διέστηκεν; Ὅτι ὁ μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐδόθη μόνον, οὗτος δὲ καὶ Πνεῦμα ἐχορήγει τοῖς δεχομένοις αὐτὸν δαψιλές. Διὸ καὶ ζωῆς αὐτὸν νόμον ἐκάλεσε, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν ἐκείνου τοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, οὐ τοῦ Μωϋσαϊκοῦ. Ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ, Ἠλευθέρωσέ με ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ θανάτου, οὐ τὸν Μωϋσέως νόμον λέγει ἐνταῦθα: οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ αὐτὸν νόμον ἁμαρτίας καλεῖ: πῶς γὰρ, ὃν δίκαιον καὶ ἅγιον πολλάκις ὠνόμασε, καὶ ἁμαρτίας ἀναιρετικόν; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός. Τοῦτον γὰρ τὸν χαλεπὸν κατέλυσε πόλεμον θανατώσασα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις, καὶ ποιήσασα τὸν ἀγῶνα κοῦφον ἡμῖν, καὶ πρότερον στεφανώσασα, καὶ τότε μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς συμμαχίας ἐπὶ τὰ παλαίσματα ἑλκύσασα. Καὶ ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ, ἀπὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα μεταβαίνων, ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ τῇ Τριάδι πάντα τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν λογιζομένος: τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐργάζεται. Καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; ἔδειξε Πατέρα διὰ Υἱοῦ τοῦτο ποιοῦντα: εἶτα πάλιν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ: Ὁ γὰρ νόμος τοῦ Πνεύματος τῆς ζωῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἠλευθέρωσέ με, φησίν: εἶτα πάλιν τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν: Τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου, φησὶν, ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκὸς, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί. Πάλιν δοκεῖ μὲν διαβάλλειν τὸν νόμον: εἰ δέ τις ἀκριβῶς προσέχοι, καὶ σφόδρα αὐτὸν ἐπαινεῖ, σύμφωνον τῷ Χριστῷ δεικνὺς, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ προῃρημένον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Τὸ πονηρὸν τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ ἀδύνατον: καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει, οὐκ, Ἐν ᾧ ἐκακούργει, ἢ ἐπεβούλευε. Καὶ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτῷ λογίζεται, ἀλλὰ τῇ σαρκὶ, λέγων: Ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός: σάρκα πάλιν ἐνταῦθα οὐχὶ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸ σαρκικώτερον φρόνημα καλῶν, δι' ὧν καὶ τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὸν νόμον ἀπαλλάττει κατηγορίας: οὐ διὰ τούτων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς. εʹ. Εἰ γὰρ ἐναντίος ἦν ὁ νόμος, πῶς ὁ Χριστὸς εἰς βοήθειαν αὐτοῦ παραγέγονε, καὶ τὸ δικαίωμα αὐτοῦ πληροῖ, καὶ χεῖρα ὤρεξε κατακρίνας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί; Τοῦτο γὰρ ὑπολέλειπτο, ἐπειδήπερ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πάλαι ὁ νόμος αὐτὴν κατακρίνας ἦν. Τί οὖν; τὸ μεῖζον ὁ νόμος ἐποίησε, τὸ δὲ ἔλαττον ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Μονογενής; Οὐδαμῶς. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ κἀκεῖνο ὁ Θεὸς εἰργάσατο, ὁ τὸν φυσικὸν δεδωκὼς νόμον, καὶ τὸν γραπτὸν προσθείς: ἄλλως δὲ οὐδὲν ὄφελος τοῦ μείζονος ἦν, τοῦ ἐλάττονος μὴ προσκειμένου. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος εἰδέναι τὰ πρακτέα μὴ μετιόντα αὐτά; Οὐδὲν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζων κατάκρισις. Ὥστε ὁ καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν σώσας, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ τὴν σάρκα εὐήνιον καταστήσας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ διδάξαι, εὔκολον: τὸ δὲ καὶ ὁδόν τινα δεῖξαι, δι' ἧς μετ' εὐκολίας ταῦτα ἐγένετο, τοῦτό ἔστι τὸ θαυμαστόν. Διὰ δὲ τοῦτο ἦλθεν ὁ Μονογενὴς, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη, ἕως ἂν ἀπήλλαξεν ἡμᾶς τῆς δυσκολίας ἐκείνης. Καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὁ τρόπος τῆς νίκης: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἑτέραν ἔλαβε σάρκα, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν ταύτην τὴν καταπονουμένην: ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἐν ἀγορᾷ γυναῖκα εὐτελῆ καὶ ἀγοραίαν τυπτομένην ἰδὼν, εἴποι αὐτῆς εἶναι υἱὸς, βασιλέως ὢν υἱὸς, καὶ οὕτως αὐτὴν ἀπαλλάξειε τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων. Ὅπερ αὐτὸς ἐποίησε, καὶ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου εἶναι ὁμολογήσας, καὶ παραστὰς αὐτῇ, καὶ κατακρίνας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Οὐ τοίνυν ἐτόλμησε τυπτῆσαι αὐτὴν λοιπὸν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐτύπτησε μὲν τῇ τοῦ θανάτου πληγῇ: τούτῳ δὲ αὐτῷ κατεκρίθη καὶ ἀπώλετο, οὐχ ἡ τυπτηθεῖσα σὰρξ, ἀλλ' ἡ τυπτήσασα ἁμαρτία: ὅπερ ἁπάντων ἐστὶ θαυμαστότερον. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ νίκη γέγονεν, οὐχ οὕτω θαυμαστὸν ἦν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ νόμος τοῦτο εἰργάζετο: τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι μετὰ σαρκὸς τὸ τρόπαιον ἔστη, καὶ ἡ μυριάκις ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καταβληθεῖσα, αὕτη λαμπρὰν κατ' αὐτῆς τὴν νίκην ἤρατο. Ὅρα γὰρ πόσα τὰ παράδοξα γέγονεν: ἓν μὲν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνίκησεν ἡ ἁμαρτία τὴν σάρκα: ἕτερον δὲ, ὅτι καὶ ἐνικήθη, καὶ παρ' αὐτῆς ἐνικήθη: οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον μὴ νικηθῆναι, καὶ νικῆσαι τὴν ἀεὶ καταβάλλουσαν. Τρίτον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκόλασε: τῷ μὲν γὰρ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν οὐκ ἐνικήθη: τῷ δὲ ἀποθανεῖν ἐνίκησε καὶ κατέκρινεν αὐτὴν, φοβερὰν αὐτῇ τὴν σάρκα ἀποφήνας τὴν πρότερον οὖσαν εὐκαταφρόνητον. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἐξέλυσε, καὶ τὸν δι' αὐτῆς εἰσενεχθέντα θάνατον ἀνεῖλεν. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐλάμβανε, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον ἐπῆγε τὴν τελευτήν: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀναμάρτητον εὑροῦσα σῶμα τῷ θανάτῳ παρέδωκεν, ὡς ἀδικήσασα κατεκρίθη. Ὁρᾷς ὅσα τὰ νικητήρια γέγονε, τὸ μὴ ἡττηθῆναι τὴν σάρκα ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τὸ καὶ νικῆσαι αὐτὴν καὶ καταδικάσαι, τὸ μὴ ἁπλῶς καταδικάσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἁμαρτοῦσαν καταδικάσαι; Πρότερον γὰρ ἐλέγξας ἠδικηκυῖαν, οὕτως αὐτὴν κατεδίκασεν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἰσχύϊ καὶ ἐξουσίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τοῦ δικαίου λόγῳ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν περὶ ἁμαρτίας: Κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί: ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Μέγα ἡμαρτηκυῖαν ἤλεγξε, καὶ τότε αὐτὴν κατεδίκασεν. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καταδικαζομένην, οὐχὶ τὴν σάρκα, ἀλλὰ ταύτην καὶ στεφανουμένην, καὶ τὴν ἀπόφασιν κατ' αὐτῆς ἐκφέρουσαν; Εἰ δὲ ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκός φησι πέμψαι τὸν Υἱὸν, μὴ διὰ τοῦτο ἄλλην ἐκείνην σάρκα εἶναι νόμιζε: ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ἁμαρτίας, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ ὁμοίωμα τέθεικεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁμαρτωλὸν σάρκα εἶχεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ὁμοίαν μὲν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ τῇ ἁμαρτωλῷ, ἀναμάρτητον δὲ, καὶ τῇ φύσει τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν. Ὥστε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν πονηρὰ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ φύσις. Οὔτε γὰρ ἑτέραν ἀντὶ τῆς προτέρας λαβὼν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὔτε αὐτὴν ταύτην μεταβαλὼν κατ' οὐσίαν, οὕτως αὐτὴν ἀναμαχήσασθαι παρεσκεύασεν: ἀλλ' ἀφεὶς μένειν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως, τὸν στέφανον ἀναδήσασθαι ἐποίησε κατὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας: καὶ τότε αὐτὴν μετὰ τὴν νίκην ἀνέστησε, καὶ ἀθάνατον εἰργάσατο. Τί οὖν, φησὶ, πρός με τοῦτο, εἰ ταῦτα ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ σαρκὶ γέγονε; Πρὸς σὲ μὲν οὖν μάλιστα: διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν: Ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσι. Τί ἐστι, Τὸ δικαίωμα; Τὸ τέλος, ὁ σκοπὸς, τὸ κατόρθωμα. Τί γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐβούλετο, καὶ τί ποτε ἐπέταττεν; Ἀναμάρτητον εἶναι. Τοῦτο τοίνυν κατώρθωται νῦν ἡμῖν διὰ Χριστοῦ: καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀντιστῆναι καὶ περιγενέσθαι, γέγονεν ἐκείνου: τὸ δὲ ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς νίκης, ἡμέτερον. Οὐκοῦν οὐχ ἁμαρτησόμεθα λοιπὸν, οὐχ ἁμαρτησόμεθα, ἂν μὴ σφόδρα ὦμεν ἐκλελυμένοι καὶ ἀναπεπτωκότες: διὸ καὶ προσέθηκε: Τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ, ἀκούσας, ὅτι σε ἐῤῥύσατο ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ πολέμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὅτι τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πεπλήρωται ἐν σοὶ, τῆς ἁμαρτίας κατακριθείσης ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, καταλύσῃς τὴν παρασκευὴν ἅπασαν: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖ εἰπὼν, Οὐδὲν ἄρα κατάκριμα, προσέθηκε: Τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσι: καὶ ἐνταῦθα, Ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου ἐν ἡμῖν, λέγων, τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Ἵνα τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου πληρωθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν, ἐπήγαγεν, Ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα: δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐ κακῶν ἀπέχεσθαι δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἀγαθῷ κομᾷν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ δοῦναί σοι τὸν στέφανον, ἐκείνου: τὸ δὲ κατασχεῖν τὰ δοθέντα, σόν. Καὶ γὰρ ὅπερ ἦν δικαίωμα τοῦ νόμου τὸ μὴ γενέσθαι ὑπεύθυνον τῇ ἀρᾷ, τοῦτο ἤνυσέ σοι ὁ Χριστός. Ϛʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν προδῷς τὴν τοσαύτην δωρεὰν, ἀλλὰ μένε φυλάττων τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον θησαυρόν. Δείκνυσι γὰρ ἐνταῦθά σοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ λουτρὸν ἡμῖν εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἂν μὴ μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν ἄξιον ἐπιδειξώμεθα βίον τῆς δωρεᾶς. Ὥστε πάλιν τῷ νόμῳ συνηγορεῖ, ταῦτα λέγων. Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πεισθῆναι τῷ Χριστῷ, πάντα δεῖ ποιεῖν καὶ πραγματεύεσθαι, ὥστε τὸ ἐκείνου δικαίωμα μένειν ἐν ἡμῖν ὅπερ ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ μὴ διαφθαρῆναι. Οἱ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ὄντες, φησὶ, τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν: οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα, τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. Τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος, τὸ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη. Διότι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν: τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο διαβολὴ τῆς σαρκός. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν τὴν οἰκείαν φυλάττῃ τάξιν, οὐδὲν ἄτοπον γίνεται: ὅταν δὲ αὐτῇ πάντα ἐπιτρέπωμεν, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ὑπερβᾶσα ὅρους κατεξανίσταται τῆς ψυχῆς, τότε πάντα ἀπόλλυσι καὶ διαφθείρει, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀμετρίαν καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης ἀταξίαν. Οἱ δὲ κατὰ πνεῦμα, τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος: τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, θάνατος. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἡ γὰρ τῆς σαρκὸς φύσις, οὐδὲ, Ἡ οὐσία τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ φρόνημα: ὃ διορθωθῆναι δύναιτ' ἂν καὶ ἀναιρεθῆναι. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει οὐ τῇ σαρκὶ λογισμὸν διδοὺς ἴδιον, ἄπαγε, ἀλλὰ τὴν παχυτέραν τῆς διανοίας ὁρμὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χείρονος αὐτὴν καλῶν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ σάρκα πολλάκις ὁλόκληρον ἄνθρωπον καὶ ψυχὴν ἔχοντα εἴωθε καλεῖν. Τὸ δὲ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος. Πάλιν κἀνταῦθα τὴν πνευματικὴν διάνοιαν λέγει, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ προϊών φησιν, Ὁ δὲ ἐρευνῶν τὰς καρδίας, οἶδε τί τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ πνεύματος: καὶ δείκνυσι πολλὰ τὰ ἐκ ταύτης ἀγαθὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. Τῶν γὰρ κακῶν, ὧν τὸ φρόνημα εἰσάγει τὸ σαρκικὸν, πολλῷ πλείονα ἀγαθὰ παρέχει τὸ πνευματικόν: ἅπερ ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Ζωὴ καὶ εἰρήνη: τὸ μὲν πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ προτέρου: Τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα, φησὶ, τῆς σαρκὸς, θάνατος: τὸ δὲ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ ἑξῆς: εἰπὼν γὰρ, Εἰρήνη, ἐπήγαγε, Διότι τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν: ὃ τοῦ θανάτου χεῖρόν ἐστιν. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, πῶς καὶ θάνατος καὶ ἔχθρα: Τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται, φησίν: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται. Ἀλλὰ μὴ θορυβηθῇς ἀκούων, Οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται: καὶ γὰρ εὔκολον ἡ ἀπορία αὕτη τὴν λύσιν ἔχει. Φρόνημα γὰρ σαρκὸς ἐνταῦθά φησι τὸν γεώδη λογισμὸν, τὸν παχὺν, τὸν πρὸς τὰ βιωτικὰ καὶ τὰς πονηρὰς πράξεις ἐπτοημένον: τοῦτόν φησιν ἀδύνατον εἶναι ὑποταγῆναι Θεῷ. Καὶ ποία λοιπὸν ἐλπὶς σωτηρίας, εἰ ἀδύνατον κακὸν ὄντα γενέσθαι καλόν; Οὐ τοῦτό φησιν: ἐπεὶ πῶς ὁ Παῦλος ἐγένετο τοιοῦτος; πῶς ὁ λῃστής; πῶς ὁ Μανασσῆς; πῶς οἱ Νινευῖται; πῶς ὁ Δαυῒδ πεσὼν, ἑαυτὸν ἀνεκτήσατο; πῶς ὁ Πέτρος ἀρνησάμενος, ἑαυτὸν ἀνέλαβε; πῶς ὁ πεπορνευκὼς, εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην κατελέγη τοῦ Χριστοῦ; πῶς οἱ Γαλάται τῆς χάριτος ἐκπεσόντες, πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανῆλθον εὐγένειαν; Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν ὅτι ἀδύνατον τὸν πονηρὸν γενέσθαι καλὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀδύνατον πονηρὸν μένοντα ὑποταγῆναι τῷ Θεῷ: μεταβαλ[λ]όμενον μέντοι, καλὸν γενέσθαι καὶ ὑποταγῆναι, ῥᾴδιον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δύναται ὑποταγῆναι τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ πονηρὰ πρᾶξις οὐ δύναται εἶναι καλή: ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν: Ἡ πορνεία οὐ δύναται εἶναι σωφροσύνη, οὐδὲ ἡ κακία ἀρετή. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ φησὶν, Οὐ δύναται δένδρον σαπρὸν καρποὺς καλοὺς ποιεῖν, οὐ τὴν ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετὴν μεταβολὴν κωλύων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ διατριβὴν λέγων μὴ δύνασθαι φέρειν καρποὺς καλούς. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Οὐ δύναται δένδρον πονηρὸν καλὸν γενέσθαι, ἀλλ' ὅτι φέρειν καρποὺς καλοὺς οὐ δύναται μένον πονηρόν: ἐπεὶ ὅτι γε δυνατὸν μεταβληθῆναι, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐξ ἄλλης ἔδειξε τοῦτο παραβολῆς, ὅταν εἰσάγῃ τὰ ζιζάνια σῖτον γινόμενα. Διὸ καὶ ἐκριζῶσαι αὐτὰ κωλύει: Μή ποτε γὰρ, φησὶ, σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀνασπάσητε καὶ τὸν σῖτον: τουτέστι, τὸν μέλλοντα γίνεσθαι ἐξ αὐτῶν. Φρόνημα τοίνυν σαρκὸς τὴν κακίαν φησὶ, καὶ φρόνημα πνεύματος τὴν χάριν τὴν δεδομένην καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τὴν τῇ προαιρέσει κρινομένην τῇ χρηστῇ, οὐδαμοῦ περὶ ὑποστάσεως καὶ οὐσίας διαλεγόμενος ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας. Ὅπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἴσχυσας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, φησὶ, τοῦτο δυνήσῃ νῦν, ὀρθὰ βαδίζειν καὶ ἀδιάπτωτα, εἰ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιλάβοιο βοηθείας. Οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατεῖν, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ κατὰ πνεῦμα βαδίζειν: ἐπειδήπερ οὐκ ἀπόχρη πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν τὸ ἐκκλῖναι ἀπὸ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιεῖν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται, ἂν τῷ πνεύματι τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκδῶμεν, καὶ τὴν σάρκα πείθωμεν τὴν οἰκείαν τάξιν ἐπιγινώσκειν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴν ἐργασόμεθα πνευματικήν: ὥσπερ οὖν, ἐὰν ῥᾳθυμῶμεν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ποιήσομεν σαρκικήν. ζʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἀνάγκη φύσεως τὸ δῶρον ἐνέθηκεν, ἀλλ' ἐλευθερία προαιρέσεως ἐνεχείρισεν, ἐν σοὶ λοιπόν ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθαι κἀκεῖνο. Τὰ γὰρ παρ' αὐτοῦ πάντα ἀπήρτισται: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀντιστρατεύεται τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοὸς ἡμῶν ἡ ἁμαρτία, οὐδὲ αἰχμαλωτίζει, καθάπερ ἔμπροσθεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα πέπαυται καὶ καταλύεται, καὶ κατέπτηχε τὰ πάθη δεδοικότα καὶ τρέμοντα τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν. Εἰ δὲ σὺ τὸ φῶς σβεννύεις, τὸν ἡνίοχον ἐκβάλλεις, καὶ τὸν κυβερνήτην ἐλαύνεις, σαυτῷ λογίζου λοιπὸν τὸ κλυδώνιον. Ὅτι γὰρ νῦν εὐκολωτέρα ἡ ἀρετὴ γέγονε, διὸ καὶ πολλὴ ἡ ἐπίτασις τῆς φιλοσοφίας, κατάμαθε πῶς μὲν, ἡνίκα ὁ νόμος ἐκράτει, τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διέκειτο πράγματα, πῶς δὲ νῦν, ἐπειδὴ ἡ χάρις ἔλαμψεν. Ἃ γὰρ μηδενὶ πρότερον ἐδόκει εἶναι δυνατὰ, παρθενία, καὶ θανάτου ὑπεροψία, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν πλειόνων παθῶν, ταῦτα πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης κατώρθωται νῦν. Καὶ οὐ παρ' ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ Σκύθαις καὶ Θρᾳξὶ καὶ Ἰνδοῖς καὶ Πέρσαις, καὶ ἑτέροις δὲ βαρβάροις πλείοσι, καὶ παρθένων χοροὶ καὶ μαρτύρων δῆμοι καὶ μοναχῶν συμμορίαι, καὶ πλείους οὗτοι λοιπὸν τῶν γεγαμηκότων εἰσὶ, καὶ νηστείας ἐπίτασις καὶ ἀκτημοσύνης ὑπερβολή: ἅπερ, πλὴν ἑνὸς ἢ δυεῖν, οὐ φαντασθῆναι ὄναρ οἱ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἠδυνήθησαν πολιτευόμενοι. Ὁρῶν τοίνυν σάλπιγγος λαμπρότερον βοῶσαν τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀλήθειαν, μὴ καταμαλακίζου, μηδὲ προδίδου τὴν τοσαύτην χάριν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν, οὐδὲ μετὰ τὴν πίστιν, ῥᾳθυμοῦντα σωθῆναι. Εὔκολα γὰρ τὰ παλαίσματα, ἵνα νικήσῃς ἀγωνιζόμενος, οὐχ ἵνα καθεύδῃς, οὐδ' ἵνα τῷ μεγέθει τῆς χάριτος πρὸς ῥᾳθυμίας ὑπόθεσιν ἀποχρήσῃ, τῷ βορβόρῳ πάλιν ἐγκαλινδούμενος τῷ προτέρῳ. Διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων: Οἱ δὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Τί οὖν; κατακόψομεν τὸ σῶμα, φησὶν, ἵνα ἀρέσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐξέλθωμεν ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ ἀνδροφόνους ἡμᾶς εἶναι κελεύεις, ἐπ' ἀρετὴν ἄγων; Ὁρᾷς πόσα ἄτοπα τίκτεται, ἐὰν ἁπλῶς τὰ λεγόμενα ἐκδεξώμεθα; Σάρκα καὶ ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸ σῶμά φησιν, οὐδὲ τὴν οὐσίαν τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ τὸν σαρκικὸν βίον καὶ κοσμικὸν, καὶ τρυφῆς καὶ ἀσωτίας γέμοντα, τὸν ὅλον σάρκα ποιοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τῷ πνεύματι πτερούμενοι, καὶ τὸ σῶμα πνευματικὸν ἐργάζονται: οὕτως οἱ τούτου μὲν ἀποπηδῶντες, γαστρὶ δὲ καὶ ἡδονῇ δουλεύοντες, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν σάρκα ποιοῦσιν, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῆς μεταβάλλοντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐγένειαν αὐτῆς ἀπολλύντες. Καὶ οὗτος τῆς λέξεως ὁ τρόπος καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολλαχοῦ κεῖται, σάρκα σημαίνων τὸν παχὺν καὶ πηλώδη βίον, καὶ ἡδοναῖς ἐμπεπλεγμένον ἀτόποις. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ Νῶέ φησιν: Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας. Καίτοι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Νῶε σάρκα περιέκειτο: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν τοῦτο ἔγκλημα τὸ περικεῖσθαι σάρκα: τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς φύσεως: ἀλλὰ τὸ σαρκικὸν ἀνῃρῆσθαι βίον. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν: Οἱ δὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται: καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι, οὐχ ἁπλῶς σάρκα λέγων πάλιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοιαύτην σάρκα, τὴν συρομένην ὑπὸ τῶν παθῶν, τὴν τυραννουμένην. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, οὐχ οὕτως εἶπεν, οὐδὲ τὴν διαφορὰν τέθεικεν; Ἐπαίρων τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν σώματι ἔσται ὁ ὀρθῶς βιῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ μὴ εἶναι τὸν πνευματικὸν, παντί που δῆλον ἦν, οὗτος τὸ μεῖζον τίθησιν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν σαρκὶ λοιπόν ἐστιν ὁ πνευματικὸς ἄνθρωπος, ἄγγελος ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη γενόμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβὰς, καὶ λοιπὸν τὸ σῶμα ἁπλῶς περιφέρων. Εἰ δὲ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν σάρκα διαβάλλεις, ἐπειδὴ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτῆς τὸν σαρκικὸν καλεῖ βίον: καὶ τὸν κόσμον οὕτω διαβαλεῖς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἡ πονηρία καλεῖται πολλάκις, καθάπερ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός: Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου: καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγε πάλιν: Οὐ δύναται ὁ κόσμος ὑμᾶς μισεῖν, ἐμὲ δὲ μισεῖ. Καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν δὲ ἀλλοτρίαν εἶναι φήσεται τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς ἐν πλάνῃ ζῶντας ψυχικοὺς ἐκάλεσεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ταῖς λέξεσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ γνώμῃ τοῦ λέγοντος ἀναγκαῖον πανταχοῦ προσέχειν, καὶ τὴν ἀκριβῆ τῶν εἰρημένων εἰδέναι διαίρεσιν. Τὰ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἀγαθὰ, τὰ δὲ κακὰ, τὰ δὲ μέσα, οἷον ψυχὴ καὶ σὰρξ τῶν μέσων ἐστὶ, καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο γενέσθαι δυναμένη: τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀεὶ, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἕτερόν τι γινόμενον. Πάλιν τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς, τουτέστιν, ἡ πονηρὰ πρᾶξις, τῶν ἀεὶ κακῶν: τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται. Ἂν τοίνυν τῷ βελτίονι δῷς τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα, ἐγένου τῆς ἐκείνου μερίδος: ἂν τῷ χείρονι πάλιν, τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀπωλείας κατέστης κοινωνὸς, οὐ παρὰ τὴν φύσιν τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν γνώμην τὴν κυρίαν ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ἑλέσθαι. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, καὶ οὐ σαρκὸς διαβολὴ τὰ εἰρημένα, πάλιν αὐτὴν μεταχειρίσαντες τὴν λέξιν, ἐξετάσωμεν ἀκριβέστερον. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι, φησί. ηʹ. Τί οὖν; οὐκ ἦσαν ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλ' ἀσώματοι περιῄεσαν; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι τοῦτο λόγον; Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι τὸν σαρκικὸν βίον ᾐνίξατο; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ; Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐ τὴν τυραννίδα τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔσβεσε μόνον ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν σάρκα κουφοτέραν καὶ πνευματικωτέραν ἐποίησεν, οὐ τῷ τὴν φύσιν μεταβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ πτερῶσαι μᾶλλον αὐτήν. Καθάπερ γὰρ πυρὸς ὁμιλοῦντος σιδήρῳ, καὶ ὁ σίδηρος γίνεται πῦρ ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ μένων φύσει: οὕτω καὶ τῶν πιστῶν καὶ πνεῦμα ἐχόντων ἡ σὰρξ λοιπὸν πρὸς ἐκείνην μεθίσταται τὴν ἐνέργειαν, ὅλη πνευματικὴ γινομένη, σταυρουμένη πάντοθεν, καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ συναναπτερουμένη: οἷον ἦν καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος. Διὸ τρυφῆς μὲν ἁπάσης καὶ ἡδονῆς κατεγέλα, ἐνετρύφα δὲ λιμῷ καὶ μάστιξι καὶ δεσμωτηρίοις, καὶ οὐδὲ ἤλγει ταῦτα πάσχων. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ἔλεγε: Τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν: οὕτως ἦν καλῶς καὶ τὴν σάρκα παιδεύσας συντρέχειν τῷ πνεύματι. Εἴπερ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. Τὸ, Εἴπερ, τοῦτο πολλαχοῦ οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλων τίθησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα πιστεύων, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ Ἐπείπερ, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ: Εἴπερ δίκαιον παρὰ Θεῷ ἀνταποδοῦναι τοῖς θλίβουσιν ὑμᾶς θλῖψιν: πάλιν, Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ. Εἰ δέ τις Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἔχετε, ἀλλ' ἐπ' ἄλλων προήγαγε τὸ λυπηρόν. Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ, φησίν. Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Πάλιν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν λυπηρὸν, βραχὺ καὶ μέσον: τὸ δὲ ποθεινὸν, ἑκατέρωθεν καὶ διὰ πολλῶν, ὥστε ἐκεῖνο συσκιάσαι. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐ τὸ Πνεῦμα Χριστὸν λέγων, ἄπαγε, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς ὅτι ὁ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἔχων, οὐ μόνον τοῦ Χριστοῦ χρηματίζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχει τὸν Χριστόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι Πνεύματος παρόντος, μὴ καὶ Χριστὸν παρεῖναι. Ὅπου γὰρ ἂν μία τῆς Τριάδος ὑπόστασις παρῇ, πᾶσα πάρεστιν ἡ Τριάς: ἀδιασπάστως γὰρ ἔχει πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, καὶ ἥνωται μετ' ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης. Καὶ τί ἔσται, φησὶν, ἐὰν ᾖ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν; Τὸ μὲν σῶμα νεκρὸν δι' ἁμαρτίαν: τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιοσύνην. Εἶδες ὅσα κακὰ ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἔχειν Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, θάνατος, ἔχθρα εἰς Θεὸν, τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀρέσαι τοῖς ἐκείνου νόμοις, τὸ μὴ εἶναι ὡς χρὴ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ μὴ ἔχειν αὐτὸν ἔνοικον. Σκόπει τοίνυν καὶ ὅσα ἀγαθὰ ἐκ τοῦ Πνεῦμα ἔχειν: τὸ Χριστοῦ εἶναι, τὸ αὐτὸν ἔχειν τὸν Χριστὸν, τὸ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἁμιλλᾶσθαι. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι νεκρῶσαι τὴν σάρκα, τὸ ζωὴν ἀθάνατον ζῇν, τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἔχειν τὰ ἐνέχυρα, τὸ μετ' εὐκολίας τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς τρέχειν δρόμον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, ἀργεῖν τὸ σῶμα λοιπὸν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νεκρὸν εἶναι: ἐπιτείνων τὴν εὐκολίαν τῶν δρόμων. Χωρὶς δὲ πραγμάτων καὶ πόνων ὁ τοιοῦτος στεφανοῦται λοιπόν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ, Τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, προσέθηκεν, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι τὴν πονηρίαν, ἀλλ' οὐ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ σώματος καθάπαξ ἀνεῖλεν. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο γένοιτο, πολλὰ καὶ τῶν τὴν ψυχὴν ὠφελῆσαι δυναμένων ἀνῄρηται. Οὐ τοίνυν τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ ζῶν καὶ μένον, νεκρὸν εἶναι βούλεται. Τοῦτο γὰρ τοῦ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχειν, τοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐν ἡμῖν εἶναι σημεῖόν ἐστιν, τὸ μηδὲν τῶν ἐν τῇ σορῷ κειμένων σωμάτων διαφέρειν ἡμῶν τὰ σώματα πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἐργασίαν. Ἀλλὰ μὴ φοβηθῇς, νέκρωσιν ἀκούσας: ἔχεις γὰρ τὴν ὄντως ζωὴν, ἣν οὐδεὶς διαδέξεται θάνατος. Τοιαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος: οὐκ εἴκει θανάτῳ λοιπὸν, ἀλλ' ἀναλίσκει θάνατον καὶ δαπανᾷ, καὶ ὅπερ ἔλαβεν, ἀθάνατον διατηρεῖ. Διόπερ εἰπὼν τὸ σῶμα νεκρὸν, οὐκ εἶπε, τὸ Πνεῦμα ζῶν, ἀλλὰ ζωὴν, ἵνα δείξῃ καὶ ἑτέροις τοῦτο δυνάμενον παρασχεῖν. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐπισφίγγων τὸν ἀκροατὴν, λέγει καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν: αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ δικαιοσύνη. Ἁμαρτίας γὰρ οὐκ οὔσης, οὐδὲ θάνατος φαίνεται: θανάτου δὲ μὴ φαινομένου, ἀκατάλυτος ζωή. Εἰ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐγείραντος Ἰησοῦν ἐκ νεκρῶν οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὁ ἐγείρας τὸν Κύριον ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ θνητὰ σώματα ὑμῶν, διὰ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν αὐτοῦ Πνεῦμα ἐν ὑμῖν. Πάλιν τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως κινεῖ λόγον, ἐπειδὴ αὕτη μάλιστα τὸν ἀκροατὴν ἤλειφεν ἡ ἐλπὶς, καὶ βεβαιοῖ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ συμβάντων. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ φοβηθῇς, φησὶν, ὅτι νεκρὸν περίκεισαι σῶμα: ἔχε τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀναστήσεται πάντως. Τί οὖν; τὰ μὴ ἔχοντα Πνεῦμα σώματα οὐκ ἀνίσταται; καὶ πῶς ἅπαντας δεῖ παραστῆναι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ; πῶς δὲ ὁ τῆς γεέννης ἀξιόπιστος ἔσται λόγος; Εἰ γὰρ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες Πνεῦμα οὐκ ἀνίστανται, οὐδὲ γέεννα ἔσται. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Πάντες μὲν ἀναστήσονται, οὐ πάντες δὲ εἰς ζωὴν, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν εἰς κόλασιν, οἱ δὲ εἰς ζωήν. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀναστήσει, ἀλλὰ, Ζωοποιήσει: ὃ πλέον τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἦν, καὶ τοῖς δικαίοις μόνοις δεδωρημένον. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς τοσαύτης τιμῆς τιθεὶς, προσέθηκε λέγων, Διὰ τὸ ἐνοικοῦν αὐτοῦ Πνεῦμα ἐν ὑμῖν. Ὥστε ἂν ἀπελάσῃς ἐνταῦθα ὢν τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν, καὶ μὴ σώαν αὐτὴν ἔχων ἀπέλθῃς, ἀπολῇ πάντως, κἂν ἀναστῇς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἀνέχεται, τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ λάμπον ὁρῶν ἐν σοὶ τότε, κολάσει σε παραδοῦναι, οὕτως οὐ καταδέξεται, ἐσβεσμένον ἰδὼν, εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα εἰσαγαγεῖν, καθάπερ οὐδὲ τὰς παρθένους ἐκείνας. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀφῇς ζῆσαι τὸ σῶμα νῦν, ἵνα τότε ζήσῃ: ποίησον αὐτὸ ἀποθανεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μένῃ ζῶν, οὐ ζήσεται: ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, τότε ζήσεται. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως γίνεται τῆς καθόλου: πρότερον γὰρ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὸ δεῖ καὶ ταφῆναι, καὶ τότε γενέσθαι ἀθάνατον. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τῷ λουτρῷ γέγονεν: ἐσταυρώθη γοῦν τὸ πρότερον καὶ ἐτάφη, καὶ τότε ἠγέρθη. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Κυριακοῦ: καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνο ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἐτάφη καὶ τότε ἀνέστη. θʹ. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιῶμεν: ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν διηνεκῶς αὐτὸ νεκρώσωμεν. Οὐχὶ τὴν οὐσίαν λέγω, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ τὰς ὁρμὰς τὰς ἐπὶ τὰς πονηρὰς πράξεις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ζωὴ, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦτο μόνον ζωὴ, τὸ μηδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ὑπομένειν, μηδὲ ἡδοναῖς δουλεύειν. Ὁ γὰρ ταύταις ἑαυτὸν ὑποτάξας, οὐδὲ ζῇν δύναται λοιπὸν διὰ τὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀθυμίας, καὶ τοὺς φόβους, καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, καὶ τῶν μυρίων παθῶν ἐσμόν. Ἄν τε γὰρ θάνατος προσδοκηθῇ, τέθνηκε πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου τῷ δέει: ἄν τε νόσον ὑποπτεύσῃ, ἂν ὕβριν, ἂν πενίαν, ἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀδοκήτων, ἀπόλωλε καὶ διέφθαρται. Τί τοίνυν τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον; Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ τῷ Πνεύματι ζῶν τοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ φόβων καὶ λύπης καὶ κινδύνων καὶ μεταβολῆς ἁπάσης ἕστηκεν ἀνώτερος, οὐ τῷ μηδὲν ὑπομένειν, ἀλλ', ὃ πολλῷ μεῖζόν ἐστι, τῷ καὶ ἐπιόντων αὐτῶν καταφρονεῖν. Πῶς δὲ τοῦτο ἔσται; Ἐὰν τὸ Πνεῦμα διόλου κατοικῇ ἐν ἡμῖν: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ εἶπεν οἰκεῖν πρὸς βραχὺ, ἀλλ' ἐνοικεῖν διηνεκῶς. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε, Τὸ ἐνοικῆσαν Πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ ἐνοικοῦν, τὴν διόλου μονὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος. Οὐκοῦν ζῶν οὗτος μάλιστά ἐστιν ὁ νεκρωθεὶς τῷ βίῳ. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε: Τὸ Πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιοσύνην. Καὶ ἵνα σαφέστερον τὸ λεγόμενον γένηται, δύο παρ[αγ]άγωμεν ἀνθρώπους, τὸν μὲν ἐκδεδομένον ἀσωτίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς καὶ τῇ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ βίου: τὸν δὲ νενεκρωμένον τούτοις: καὶ ἴδωμεν τίς ἐστι μᾶλλον ὁ ζῶν. Ἔστω γὰρ τοῖν δυοῖν τούτοιν ὁ μὲν σφόδρα πλούσιος καὶ ἐπίσημος, παρασίτους τρέφων καὶ κόλακας, καὶ πᾶσαν εἰς τοῦτο ἀναλισκέτω τὴν ἡμέραν, κωμάζων καὶ κραιπαλῶν: ὁ δὲ ἕτερος, πενίᾳ συζῶν καὶ νηστείᾳ καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ σκληραγωγίᾳ τε καὶ φιλοσοφίᾳ, ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ τῆς ἀναγκαίας μεταλαμβανέτω τροφῆς μόνον, ἢ, εἰ βούλει, καὶ δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἄσιτος ἡμέρας μενέτω: τίς οὖν ἡμῖν ἔσται ἐκ τῶν δύο τούτων ὁ μάλιστα ζῶν; Οἱ μὲν πολλοὶ εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι ἐκεῖνον ἡγήσονται, τὸν σκιρτῶντα, καὶ σκορπίζοντα τὰ αὑτοῦ: ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐκεῖνον τὸν συμμετρίας ἀπολαύοντα. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ μάχη καὶ φιλονεικία τέως ἐστὶν, εἰς τὰς ἑκατέρων εἰσέλθωμεν οἰκίας, καὶ τότε, ὅτε σοι μάλιστα δοκεῖ ζῇν ὁ πλούσιος, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ καιρῷ τῆς τρυφῆς, καὶ εἰσελθόντες κατίδωμεν ἐν τίσιν ἐστὶν ἑκάτερος τούτων: ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν πράξεων καὶ ὁ ζῶν καὶ ὁ τεθνηκὼς φαίνεται. Οὐκοῦν τὸν μὲν ἐν βίβλοις εὑρήσομεν ὄντα, ἢ ἐν εὐχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ, ἢ ἐν ἄλλῳ τινὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐγρηγορότα, καὶ νήφοντα, καὶ Θεῷ διαλεγόμενον: τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς μέθης βαπτισθέντα, καὶ νεκροῦ οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενον ὀψόμεθα: κἂν μέχρι τῆς ἑσπέρας μείνωμεν, πλείονα τὸν θάνατον τοῦτον ἐπιόντα αὐτῷ θεασόμεθα, κἀκεῖθεν πάλιν ὕπνον διαδεχόμενον: τὸν δὲ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ νήφοντα καὶ ἐγρηγορότα. Τίνα οὖν ἂν εἴποιμεν μᾶλλον ζῇν, τὸν ἀναισθήτως κείμενον, καὶ προκείμενον ἅπασι γέλωτα: ἢ τὸν ἐνεργοῦντα, καὶ Θεῷ διαλεγόμενον; Ἐκείνῳ μὲν γὰρ ἂν προσέλθῃς καὶ εἴπῃς τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων, οὐδὲν ἀκούσῃ φθεγγομένου, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τοῦ νεκροῦ: τούτῳ δὲ κἂν ἐν νυκτὶ, κἂν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ συγγενέσθαι ἐπιθυμήσῃς, ἄγγελον μᾶλλον ὄψει ἢ ἄνθρωπον, καὶ φιλοσοφοῦντα ἀκούσῃ περὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ πραγμάτων. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὁ μὲν ὑπὲρ τοὺς ζῶντας ζῇ, ὁ δὲ καὶ τεθνηκότων ἐλεεινότερον κεῖται; Κἂν ἐνεργεῖν δόξῃ, ἕτερα ἀνθ' ἑτέρων ὁρᾷ, καὶ τοῖς μαινομένοις ἔοικε, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐκείνων ἐστὶν ἀθλιώτερος. Εἰς ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ ἄν τις ὑβρίσῃ, καὶ ἐλεοῦμεν πάντες τὸν ὑβριζόμενον, καὶ ἐπιτιμῶμεν τῷ ὑβρίζοντι: τούτῳ δὲ κἂν ἐναλλόμενόν τινα ἴδωμεν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπικαμπτόμεθα εἰς ἔλεον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταψηφιζόμεθα αὐτοῦ κειμένου. Τοῦτο οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ζωή; ἀλλ' οὐ μυρίων θανάτων χαλεπώτερον; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ μόνον νεκρὸς ὁ τρυφῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νεκροῦ χείρων, καὶ δαιμονῶντος ἀθλιώτερος; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐλεεῖται, ὁ δὲ μισεῖται: καὶ ὁ μὲν συγγνώμης ἀπολαύει, ὁ δὲ κόλασιν δίδωσιν ὑπὲρ ὧν νοσεῖ. Εἰ δὲ ἔξωθεν οὕτως ἐστὶ καταγέλαστος, σεσηπότα σίελον ἔχων, καὶ οἴνου πνέων ὀδωδότος, ἐννόησον τὴν ἀθλίαν ψυχὴν τὴν ὥσπερ ἐν τάφῳ τῷ τοιούτῳ σώματι κατωρυγμένην, πῶς εἰκὸς διακεῖσθαι. Ταυτὸν γὰρ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, οἷον ἂν εἰ κόρῃ κοσμίᾳ καὶ σώφρονι καὶ ἐλευθέρᾳ καὶ εὐγενεῖ καὶ καλῇ θεραπαινίδα βάρβαρόν τινα καὶ αἰσχρὰν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον ἐνάλλεσθαι καὶ ἐνυβρίζειν μετὰ πολλῆς τις παρασκευάσειε τῆς ἐξουσίας. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ μέθη. ιʹ. Τίς οὖν οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων μυριάκις ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ μίαν οὕτω ζῆσαι ἡμέραν; Κἂν γὰρ ἡμέρας γενομένης ἐκ τῆς κωμῳδίας ἐκείνης ἀναστὰς δόξῃ νήφειν, οὐδὲ τότε καθαρᾶς ἀπολαύει σωφροσύνης, ἔτι τῆς νεφέλης ἐκείνης τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος τῆς μέθης πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἱσταμένης. Εἰ δὲ καὶ δῴη αὐτὸν καθαρῶς νήφειν, τί τὸ ὄφελος; Εἰς οὐδὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ χρήσιμος ἡ νῆψις αὕτη, ἀλλ' ἢ εἰς τὸ τοὺς κατηγόρους ἰδεῖν. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἀσχημονῇ, τοσοῦτον κερδαίνει, ὅσον οὐκ αἰσθάνεται τῶν γελώντων: ἡμέρας δὲ γενομένης, καὶ ταύτην ἀπόλλυσι τὴν παραμυθίαν, καὶ οἰκετῶν γογγυζόντων, καὶ γυναικὸς αἰσχυνομένης, καὶ φίλων διαβαλλόντων, καὶ ἐχθρῶν καταγελώντων αἰσθανόμενος. Τί ταύτης ἐλεεινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν τῆς ζωῆς, γελᾶσθαι μεθ' ἡμέραν ὑπὸ πάντων, καὶ δείλης πάλιν τὰ αὐτὰ ἀσχημονεῖν; Ἀλλὰ τί; βούλει τοὺς πλεονέκτας εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν; Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη πάλιν ἑτέρα μέθη χαλεπωτέρα: εἰ δὲ μέθη, καὶ θάνατος πάντως πολλῷ χείρων ἐκείνου, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ μέθη χαλεπωτέρα. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ οὕτω δεινὸν τὸ οἴνῳ μεθύειν, ὡς ἐπιθυμίᾳ χρημάτων: ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἡ ζημία μέχρι τοῦ πάθους ἵσταται, καὶ εἰς ἀναισθησίαν τελευτᾷ, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ μεθύοντος ἀπώλειαν: ἐνταῦθα δὲ εἰς μυρίας ἡ βλάβη διαβαίνει ψυχὰς, ποικίλους πάντοθεν ἀνάπτουσα πολέμους. Φέρε οὖν, καὶ τοῦτον ἐκείνῳ παραβάλωμεν, καὶ ἴδωμεν ἐν τίσι μὲν αὐτῷ κοινωνεῖ, ἐν τίσι δὲ αὐτοῦ πλεονεκτεῖ πάλιν, καὶ μεθυόντων ποιήσωμεν σήμερον σύγκρισιν. Πρὸς γὰρ ἐκεῖνον τὸν μακάριον, τὸν Πνεύματι ζῶντα, μηδὲ παραβαλέσθωσαν οὗτοι λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐξεταζέσθωσαν: καὶ πάλιν τὴν τράπεζαν εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν, τὴν μυρίων γέμουσαν φόνων. Ἐν τίσιν οὖν κοινωνοῦσι, καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἐοίκασιν; Ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ τοῦ νοσήματος φύσει: τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἶδος τῆς μέθης διάφορον, ἐπειδὴ τὸ μὲν ἐξ οἴνου, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ χρημάτων γίνεται: τὸ δὲ πάθος ὅμοιον: καὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἀμφότεροι ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἀτόπῳ κατέχονται. Ὅ τε γὰρ οἴνῳ μεθύων, ὅσῳ ἂν πλείους ἐκπίῃ κύλικας, τοσούτῳ πλειόνων ἐφίεται: ὅ τε χρημάτων ἐρῶν, ὅσῳπερ ἂν περιβάληται πλείω, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἀνάπτει τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὴν φλόγα, καὶ χαλεπώτερον αὑτῷ κατασκευάζει τὸ δίψος. Τούτῳ μὲν οὖν ἐοίκασιν: ἑτέρῳ δ' αὖ πάλιν ὁ φιλάργυρος πλεονεκτεῖ. Ποίῳ δὴ τούτῳ; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν πρᾶγμα πάσχει κατὰ φύσιν: ὁ γὰρ οἶνος θερμὸς ὢν, καὶ τὴν ἔμφυτον ἐπιτείνων ξηρότητα, οὕτω τοὺς μεθύοντας ποιεῖ διψῇν: ἐκεῖνος δὲ πόθεν ἀεὶ πλειόνων ἐφίεται; Πόθεν; Ἐπειδὰν μειζόνως πλουτήσῃ, τότε μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐν πενίᾳ: ἄπορον γὰρ τουτὶ τὸ πάθος, καὶ αἰνίγματι μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ἐοικός. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν αὐτοὺς, εἰ δοκεῖ, καὶ μετὰ τὴν μέθην: μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν φιλάργυρον οὐδέποτε ἔστιν ἰδεῖν μετὰ τὴν μέθην: οὕτως ἐν τῷ μεθύειν ἐστὶν ἀεί. Οὐκοῦν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ μεθύειν ὄντας ἀμφοτέρους ἴδωμεν, καὶ διασκεψώμεθα τίς μᾶλλόν ἐστι καταγέλαστος, καὶ σχηματίσωμεν αὐτοὺς ἀκριβῶς πάλιν ὑπογράφοντες. Ὀψόμεθα τοίνυν τὸν ἐξ οἴνου παραπαίοντα, γενομένης ἑσπέρας, τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀνεῳγμένων οὐδένα βλέποντα, ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ περιφερόμενον, καὶ τοῖς ἀπαντῶσιν ἐγκρούοντα, καὶ ἐμοῦντα καὶ σπαραττόμενον καὶ γυμνούμενον ἀσχημόνως: κἂν γυνὴ παρῇ, κἂν θυγάτηρ, κἂν θεραπαινὶς, κἂν ὁστισοῦν, ἐγγελάσεται δαψιλές. Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸν πλεονέκτην φέρε εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὐ γέλωτος τὰ γινόμενα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀρᾶς καὶ πολλοῦ τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ μυρίων σκηπτῶν: τέως μέντοι τὸν γέλωτα ἴδωμεν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ πάντας ἀγνοεῖ, καὶ φίλους καὶ ἐχθροὺς, καὶ ὁμοίως τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀνεῳγμένων πεπήρωται, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος πάντα οἶνον, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος πάντα χρήματα βλέπει. Καὶ ὁ ἔμετος δὲ πολὺ χαλεπώτερος: οὐ γὰρ τροφὰς προΐεται, ἀλλὰ ῥήματα λοιδορίας, ὕβρεων, πολέμων, θανάτων, μυρίους ἄνωθεν κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κεφαλῆς ἕλκοντα κεραυνούς: καὶ οἷόν ἐστι τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μεθύοντος πελιδνὸν καὶ διαῤῥέον, τοιαύτη καὶ ἡ ἐκείνου ψυχή: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμα αὐτὸ τῆς νόσου ταύτης ἀπήλλακται, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἁλίσκεται, οἴνου χαλεπώτερον τῆς φροντίδος καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀγρυπνίας κατεσθιούσης αὐτὸ, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν δαπανώσης ἅπαν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν οἰνοφλυγίᾳ κατεχόμενος, κἂν κατὰ τὴν νύκτα δύναται νήφειν: ὁ δὲ διαπαντὸς μεθύει, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ, καὶ ἐγρηγορὼς καὶ καθεύδων, δεσμώτου παντὸς καὶ τῶν τὰ μέταλλα ἐργαζομένων, καὶ εἴ τις ἑτέρα ταύτης ἐστὶ χαλεπωτέρα τιμωρία, μείζονα διδοὺς δίκην. ιαʹ. Τοῦτο οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ζωὴ, ἀλλ' οὐ θάνατος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ θανάτου παντὸς ἐλεεινότερον; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ θάνατος ἀναπαύει τὸ σῶμα, καὶ γέλωτος καὶ ἀσχημοσύνης καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλάττει: αὗται δὲ αἱ μέθαι εἰς πάντα ταῦτα ἐμβάλλουσι, τὰς ἀκοὰς ἐμφράττουσαι, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς πηροῦσαι, τὴν διάνοιαν ἐν πολλῷ τῷ σκότῳ κατέχουσαι. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀκοῦσαι, οὔτε εἰπεῖν ἕτερόν τι ἀνέχεται, ἀλλ' ἢ τόκους καὶ τόκους τόκων, καὶ ἀναίσχυντα κέρδη, καὶ καπηλείας μεμισημένας, καὶ πραγματείας ἀνελευθέρους καὶ δουλοπρεπεῖς, καθάπερ κύων πρὸς ἅπαντας ὑλακτῶν, πάντας μισῶν, πάντας ἀποστρεφόμενος, πολεμῶν ἅπασιν οὐδεμιᾶς ὑποκειμένης αἰτίας, πενήτων κατεξανιστάμενος, τοῖς πλουτοῦσι βασκαίνων, πρὸς οὐδένα ἡδέως ἔχων. Κἂν γυναῖκα ἔχῃ, κἂν παιδία, κἂν φίλους, ἂν μὴ πάντοθεν ἐξῇ κερδαίνειν αὐτῷ, τῶν φύσει πολεμίων αὐτῷ οὗτοι πολεμιώτεροι. Τί ταύτης τοίνυν τῆς μανίας γένοιτ' ἂν χεῖρον, τί δὲ ἀθλιώτερον, ὅταν αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ πανταχοῦ σκοπέλους κατασκευάζῃ καὶ ὑφάλους καὶ κρημνοὺς καὶ φάραγγας καὶ μυρία βάραθρα, σῶμα ἔχων ἓν, καὶ γαστρὶ δουλεύων μιᾷ; Κἂν μὲν εἰς πολιτικάς τις ἐμβάλῃ σε λειτουργίας, δραπετεύεις, τὸ δαπανηρὸν δεδοικώς: σεαυτῷ δὲ μυρία κατασκευάζεις πασῶν ἐκείνων ἔργα χαλεπώτερα, καὶ οὐχὶ δαπανηροτέρας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφαλερωτέρας λειτουργίας τῷ μαμμωνᾷ τελούμενος, καὶ οὐ χρήματα μόνον τῷ πονηρῷ τούτῳ τυράννῳ, οὐδὲ πόνον σώματος καὶ βάσανον ψυχῆς καὶ ἀλγηδόνας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ εἰσφέρων τὸ σῶμα, ἵνα τί σοι γένηται πλέον, ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε, ἐκ τῆς βαρβαρικῆς ταύτης δουλείας. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τὰ μνήματα φερομένους, πῶς γυμνοὶ καὶ πάντων ἔρημοι πρὸς τοὺς τάφους ἐκείνους ἀπάγονται, οὐδὲν τῶν οἴκοθεν λαβεῖν δυνάμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὰ ἃ περιβάλλονται τῷ σκώληκι φέροντες; Τούτους καθ' ἑκάστην σκόπει τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ τάχα λωφήσει τὸ πάθος, εἰ μὴ κἀκεῖθεν μέλλεις ἀπὸ τῆς πολυτελείας τῶν ἐνταφίων μαίνεσθαι μειζόνως: καὶ γὰρ χαλεπὸν τὸ πάθος, καὶ δεινὸν τὸ νόσημα. Διὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς καθ' ἑκάστην ὑμῖν ἐκκλησίαν ὑπὲρ τούτου διαλεγόμεθα, καὶ συνεχῶς ἐπαντλοῦμεν ὑμῶν τὰς ἀκοὰς, ἵνα κἂν τῇ συνηθείᾳ δυνηθείη γενέσθαι τι πλέον. Ἀλλὰ μὴ φιλονεικήσατε: οὐδὲ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμέραν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνης πολλὰς τοῦτο τὸ ποικίλον πάθος ἐπάγει τὰς τιμωρίας. Κἂν γὰρ τοὺς διηνεκῶς δεδεμένους εἴπω, κἂν τὸν νόσῳ μακρᾷ προσηλωμένον, κἂν τὸν λιμῷ παλαίοντα, κἂν ὁντιναοῦν ἕτερον, οὐδένα δυνήσομαι δεῖξαι πάσχοντα τοιαῦτα, οἷα τοὺς χρημάτων ἐρῶντας. Τί γὰρ γένοιτο χαλεπώτερον τοῦ παρὰ πάντων μισεῖσθαι, τοῦ πάντας μισεῖν; τοῦ πρὸς μηδένα ἡδέως ἔχειν; τοῦ μηδέποτε κορέννυσθαι; τοῦ δι' ὅλου διψῇν; τοῦ λιμῷ παλαίειν διηνεκεῖ, καὶ χαλεπωτέρῳ τοῦ παρὰ πᾶσι νενομισμένου, τοῦ λύπας ἔχειν καθημερινάς; τοῦ μηδέποτε νήφειν, τοῦ διαπαντὸς ἐν θορύβοις εἶναι καὶ ταραχαῖς; Ταῦτα γὰρ ἅπαντα καὶ τούτων πλείονα οἱ πλεονέκται ὑφίστανται: ἐν μὲν τῷ κερδαίνειν, κἂν τὰ πάντων περιβάλωνται, οὐδεμιᾶς αἰσθανόμενοι ἡδονῆς, τῷ πλειόνων ἐφίεσθαι: ἐν δὲ τῷ ζημιοῦσθαι, κἂν ὀβολὸν ἀπολέσωσι, πάντων ἡγούμενοι χαλεπώτερα πεπονθέναι, καὶ αὐτῆς ἐκπεπτωκέναι τῆς ζωῆς. Ποῖος οὖν ταῦτα παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται λόγος τὰ κακά; Εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐνταῦθα τοιαῦτα, ἐννόησον τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τῆς βασιλείας, τὴν ὀδύνην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς γεέννης, τὰ διηνεκῆ δεσμὰ, τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον, τὸν σκώληκα τὸν ἰοβόλον, τὸν βρυγμὸν τῶν ὀδόντων, τὴν θλῖψιν, τὴν στενοχωρίαν, τοὺς τοῦ πυρὸς ποταμοὺς, τὰς καμίνους τὰς μηδέποτε σβεννυμένας: καὶ ταῦτα ἅπαντα συναγαγὼν, καὶ τῇ τῶν χρημάτων ἀντιστήσας ἡδονῇ, πρόῤῥιζον ἀνάσπασον τουτὶ τὸ νόσημα, ἵνα τὸν ἀληθῆ πλοῦτον λαβὼν, καὶ τῆς χαλεπῆς ταύτης πενίας ἀπαλλαγεὶς, καὶ τῶν παρόντων καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχῃς, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.