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being in the flesh, cannot please God. What then? Must we destroy the flesh? But he who said these things, was he not clothed in flesh? These are not the teachings of the flesh, but of the devil; For he was a murderer from the beginning. What then does he say? Here he calls flesh the earthly reasoning, the indolent and the negligent.

This is not an accusation against the body, but a charge against a sluggish soul; for the flesh is an instrument, and no one turns away from and hates the instrument, but the one who uses the instrument badly. For we do not hate and punish the iron, but the murderer. But even this itself, he says, is an accusation against the body, that the sins of the soul are called by the name of the flesh. But I confess that the flesh is less than the soul, but it too is good. For that which is less than the good is also itself good; but evil is not less than the good, but its opposite. But if you can show that wickedness is constructed from the body, then accuse the flesh; but if you attempt to slander it from its name, it is time for you to accuse the soul also; for the man deprived of the truth is also called a soulish man, and the multitudes of demons are called spirits of wickedness. But again Scripture is accustomed to call even the mysteries by the name of the flesh, and the whole Church, saying it is the body of Christ. But if you wish also to call the right actions done through 61.672 it, extinguish by your word the senses, and you will see the soul destitute of all knowledge, and knowing none of the things it knows. For if the power of God from the creation of the world is clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, how could we see without eyes? and if faith comes from hearing, how shall we hear without ears? And to preach and to travel about is through the tongue and feet. For how shall they preach unless they are sent? and to write is through hands. Do you see that the ministry of the flesh is for us the cause of countless good things? But if he says, 'The flesh lusts against the spirit,' he speaks of two reasonings; for these are opposed to each other, virtue and wickedness, not the soul and the body. For if these were opposed, they would be destructive of each other, as fire of water, as darkness of light; but if the soul takes care of the body, and has great providence for it, and suffers countless things, so as not to leave it, and when torn away prevents it, and the body serves it, and brings much knowledge to it, and has been constructed for its activity; how could these be opposite and warring with each other? For I see them not only not as opposites, but also as being in great harmony, and holding to each other through their works. Therefore he does not say concerning these that they are opposed to each other, but he introduces a battle of evil and good reasonings. For to will and not to will, belongs to the soul. For this reason he says: but these are opposed, so that you may not allow the soul to walk in its evil desires. For as some tutor and frightening teacher, he uttered these things. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

2. What sequence is this? A very great and clear one. For he who has the Spirit, as is right, extinguishes through it every evil desire; and he who is freed from these does not need help from the law, having become much higher than its command. For he who is not angry, how does he need to hear, 'You shall not murder'? He who does not look with licentious eyes, how does he need the one who teaches not to commit adultery? For who discusses the fruit of wickedness with one who has pulled up its very root? For the root of murder is anger, and of adultery the curious gazing of the eyes. For this reason he says: If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. And here it seems to me that he has also spoken a great and wonderful encomium of the law; if the law was in the order of the spirit according to its own power before the

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ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Τί οὖν; ἀνελεῖν δεῖ τὴν σάρκα; Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ ταῦτα λέγων, οὐ σάρκα περιέκειτο; Οὐ τῆς σαρκὸς, ἀλλὰ τοῦ διαβόλου ταῦτα τὰ διδάγματα· Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπαρχῆς. Τί οὖν φησι; Σάρκα ἐνταῦθα τὸν λογισμὸν καλεῖ τὸν γεώδη, τὸν ῥᾴθυμον καὶ ἠμελημένον.

Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ σώματος κατηγορία, ἀλλὰ ῥᾳθύμου ψυχῆς ἔγκλημα· ὄργανον γάρ ἐστιν ἡ σὰρξ, τὸ δὲ ὄργανον οὐδεὶς ἀποστρέφεται καὶ μισεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν τὸ ὄργανον κακῶς μεταχειριζόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ τὸν σίδηρον, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀνδροφόνον καὶ μισοῦμεν καὶ κολάζομεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, φησὶ, κατηγορία τοῦ σώματος, τὸ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῆς ψυχῆς τῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ὀνόματι καλεῖσθαι. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁμολογῶ μὲν ἐλάττονα εἶναι τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν σάρκα, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ καλήν. Τὸ γὰρ ἔλαττον τοῦ καλοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸ καλόν· τὸ δὲ κακὸν, οὐκ ἔλαττον τοῦ καλοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐναντίον. Σὺ δὲ, εἰ μὲν ἔχεις δεῖξαι ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος κατασκευαζομένην τὴν κακίαν, κατηγόρει τῆς σαρκός· εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς προσηγορίας διαβάλλειν ἐπιχειρεῖς, ὥρα σοι καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς κατηγορεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος λέγεται ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐστερημένος, καὶ πνεύματα πονηρίας λέγεται τὰ τῶν δαιμόνων πλήθη. Τῷ δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς ὀνόματι πάλιν καὶ τὰ μυστήρια καλεῖν εἴωθεν ἡ Γραφὴ, καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἅπασαν, σῶμα λέγουσα εἶναι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ κατορθώματα καλεῖν τὰ δι' 61.672 αὐτῆς γινόμενα, σβέσον τῷ λόγῳ τὰς αἰσθήσεις, καὶ ἔρημον ὄψει τὴν ψυχὴν γνώσεως ἁπάσης, καὶ οὐδὲν εἰδυῖαν ὧν οἶδεν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ δύναμις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοουμένη καθορᾶται, πῶς ἂν ἴδοιμεν χωρὶς ὀφθαλμῶν; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἡ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς, πῶς ἀκουσόμεθα χωρὶς ὤτων; Καὶ τὸ κηρῦξαι δὲ καὶ τὸ περιελθεῖν, διὰ γλώττης καὶ ποδῶν. Πῶς γὰρ κηρύξουσιν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποσταλῶσι; καὶ τὸ γράψαι διὰ χειρῶν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι μυρίων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν αἰτία τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ διακονία; Εἰ δὲ λέγει, Ἡ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, περὶ δύο φησὶ λογισμῶν· οὗτοι γὰρ ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκεινται, ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ ἡ κακία, οὐχ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα. Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα ἀντίκειται, ἀλλήλων ἐστὶν ἀναιρετικὰ, ὡς τὸ πῦρ τοῦ ὕδατος, ὡς τὸ σκότος τοῦ φωτός· εἰ δὲ ἐπιμελεῖται σώματος ψυχὴ, καὶ πολλὴν αὐτοῦ ποιεῖ πρόνοιαν, καὶ μυρία πάσχει, ὥστε αὐτὸ μὴ καταλιπεῖν, καὶ ἀποῤῥηγνυμένη κωλύει, καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῇ διακονεῖται, καὶ πολλὴν εἰσάγει γνῶσιν αὐτῇ, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνης ἐνέργειαν τοῦτο κατεσκεύασται· πῶς ἂν ἐναντία ταῦτα εἴη καὶ μαχόμενα ἀλλήλοις; Ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ὁμονοοῦντα, καὶ ἀλλήλων ἀντεχόμενα διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὁρῶ. Οὐ τοίνυν περὶ τούτων φησὶν, ὅτι ἀντίκεινται ἀλλήλοις, ἀλλὰ λογισμῶν πονηρῶν, καὶ ἀγαθῶν μάχην εἰσάγει. Τὸ γὰρ θέλειν καὶ μὴ θέλειν, τῆς ψυχῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· ταῦτα δὲ ἀντίκειται, ἵνα μὴ συγχωρήσῃς τῇ ψυχῇ πορεύεσθαι ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτῆς ταῖς πονηραῖς. Καθάπερ γάρ τις παιδαγωγὸς καὶ διδάσκαλος φοβῶν, ταῦτα ἐφθέγξατο. Εἰ δὲ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον.

ʹ. Ποία αὕτη ἀκολουθία; Μεγίστη μὲν καὶ σαφής. Ὁ γὰρ πνεῦμα ἔχων, ὡς χρὴ, σβέννυσι διὰ τούτου πονηρὰν ἐπιθυμίαν ἅπασαν· ὁ δὲ τούτων ἀπαλλαγεὶς, οὐ δεῖται τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου βοηθείας, ὑψηλότερος πολλῷ τῆς ἐκείνου παραγγελίας γενόμενος. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ὀργιζόμενος, πῶς δεῖται ἀκούειν, Οὐ φονεύσεις; ὁ μὴ βλέπων ἀκολάστοις ὀφθαλμοῖς, πῶς χρῄζει τοῦ παιδεύοντος μὴ μοιχεύειν; Τίς γὰρ διαλέγεται περὶ τοῦ καρποῦ τῆς κακίας τῷ τὴν ῥίζαν αὐτὴν ἀνασπάσαντι; Ῥίζα γὰρ φόνου θυμὸς, καὶ μοιχείας ἡ περίεργος θεωρία τῶν ὄψεων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Εἰ πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον. Ἐνταῦθα δέ μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἐγκώμιον τοῦ νόμου εἰρηκέναι μέγα καὶ θαυμαστόν· εἰ δὲ ἐν τάξει τοῦ πνεύματος ὁ νόμος ἦν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πρὸ τῆς