Chapter 27.—In What Sense Lust is Called Sin in the Regenerate.

But concerning that concupiscence of the flesh of which they speak, I believe that they are deceived, or that they deceive; for with this even he that is baptized must struggle with a pious mind, however carefully he presses forward, and is led by the Spirit of God. But although this is called sin, it is certainly so called not because it is sin, but because it is made by sin, as a writing is said to be some one’s “hand” because the hand has written it. But they are sins which are unlawfully done, spoken, thought, according to the lust of the flesh, or to ignorance—things which, once done, keep their doers guilty if they are not forgiven. And this very concupiscence of the flesh is in such wise put away in baptism, that although it is inherited by all that are born, it in no respect hurts those that are born anew. And yet from these, if they carnally beget children, it is again derived; and again it will be hurtful to those that are born, unless by the same form it is remitted to them as born again, and remains in them in no way hindering the future life, because its guilt, derived by generation, has been put away by regeneration; and thus it is now no more sin, but is called so, whether because it became what it is by sin, or because it is stirred by the delight of sinning, although by the conquest of the delight of righteousness consent is not given to it. Nor is it on account of this, the guilt of which has already been taken away in the laver of regeneration, that the baptized say in their prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors;”65    Matt. vi. 12. but on account of sins which are committed, whether in consentings to it, when what is right is overcome by that which pleases, or when by ignorance evil is accepted as if it were good. And they are committed, whether by acting, or by speaking, or—and this is the easiest and the quickest—by thinking. From all which things what believer ever will boast that he has his heart pure? or who will boast that he is pure from sin?66    Prov. xx. 9. Certainly that which follows in the prayer is said on account of concupiscence: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” “For every one,” as it is written, “is tempted when he is drawn away of his own concupiscence, and enticed; then, when concupiscence hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin.”67    Jas. i. 14.

27. Sed de ista concupiscentia carnis falli eos credo, vel fallere; cum qua necesse est ut etiam baptizatus, et hoc si diligentissime proficit, et Spiritu Dei agitur (Rom. VIII, 14), pia mente confligat. Sed haec etiamsi vocatur peccatum, non utique quia peccatum est, sed quia peccato facta est, sic vocatur: sicut scriptura manus cujusque dicitur, quod manus eam fecerit. Peccata autem sunt, quae secundum carnis concupiscentiam vel ignorantiam illicite fiunt, dicuntur, cogitantur: quae transacta etiam reos tenent, si non remittantur. Et ista ipsa carnis concupiscentia in Baptismo sic dimittitur, ut quamvis tracta sit a nascentibus, nihil noceat renascentibus. Ex quibus tamen, si filios carnaliter gignunt, rursus trahitur; rursusque est nocitura nascentibus, nisi eadem forma renascentibus remittatur, et insit nihil obfutura vitae futurae, quoniam reatus ejus generatione tractus, regeneratione dimissus est: et ideo jam non sit peccatum, sed hoc vocetur, sive quod peccato facta sit, sive quod peccandi delectatione moveatur, etsi ei vincente delectatione justitiae non consentiatur. Nec propter ipsam, cujus jam reatus lavacro regenerationis absumptus est, dicunt in oratione baptizati, Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: sed propter peccata quae fiunt, sive in ejus consensionibus, cum ab eo quod libet vincitur quod placet, sive cum per ignorantiam malum quasi bonum placet. Fiunt autem, sive operando, sive loquendo, sive quod facillimum atque celerrimum est, cogitando. A quibus omnibus quis etiam fidelium gloriabitur castum se habere cor, aut quis gloriabitur mundum se esse a peccato (Prov. XX, 9)? Illud sane quod in oratione sequitur, propter ipsam dicitur, Ne nos inferas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo (Matth. VI, 12, 13). Unusquisque enim, sicut scriptum est, tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et illectus; deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit, parit peccatum (Jacobi, I, 14, 15).