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is afflicted in some member; and this one again more or less than another. And this was also said by the Lord, "many and few," according to common usage, just as also certain other such things. For we often know this kind of speech is used also for those who are afflicted by some single passion; for example when we say of someone who only has a fever, or suffers pain in the eye, marveling, that "how many things he has suffered," or "how many distresses he has endured." Therefore, "to be beaten with many and few stripes," I say again, is not in the extension or completion of time, but comes about in the difference of the punishment.

QUESTION 268. In what sense are some called sons of disobedience, and children of wrath? RESPONSE. The Lord 31.1268 knows to name as children and sons of someone those who do his will, whether of good or of evil. For "If," he says, "you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham;" and again: "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father." Thus he who does the works of disobedience becomes a son of disobedience. Perhaps, just as the devil is named not only a sinner, but also sin itself, because he was, I think, the originator of sin; so also the devil might be called disobedience itself for the same reason. One is a child of wrath, insofar as he has made himself worthy of wrath. For as the Apostle addressed those worthy of the Lord, and those who do the works of light and day, as sons of light and sons of day; so it is consistent to understand also, "We were children of wrath." It should be known, however, that the son of disobedience is also the child of wrath, as the Lord declared, that "He who is disobedient to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him."

QUESTION 269 Since it is written, "doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts;" if the desires of the flesh are one thing, and those of the thoughts another; and what are these. RESPONSE. The Apostle in another place enumerates the desires of the flesh individually by name, saying: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and the like;" and elsewhere more comprehensively, that "The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." But the desires of the thoughts would be reasonings not attested by Scripture, such as are those about which it is said: "Casting down reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God," and thoughts not taken captive to the obedience of Christ. Therefore it is necessary and safe always and everywhere to keep that which was said by David: "And my counsel is your justifications." 31.1269

QUESTION 270. What is, "Perplexed, but not in despair?" RESPONSE. The Apostle, showing the full assurance of his own confidence in God by contrast with human understanding, sets each of the things lying in this passage thus. For with respect to human understanding, he says, "We are hard-pressed on every side," but with respect to confidence in God, he adds, "yet not crushed;" again, with respect to human understanding, "perplexed;" but with respect to confidence in God, "not in despair;" and the rest similarly. Such also are those things said by him elsewhere: "as dying, and behold we live;" "as poor, yet making many rich;" "as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

QUESTION 271. Since the Lord says: "But rather give alms of such things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean to you;" if one finds cleansing for all things that one has sinned, through almsgiving. RESPONSE. The very sequence of the preceding words clarifies what was said. For having said before, that "You cleanse the outside of the cup and

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δέ τινι μέλους καταπονεῖται· καὶ οὗτος πάλιν ἑτέρου πλεῖον ἢ ἔλατ τον. Εἴρηται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο τῷ Κυρίῳ τὸ, πολλὰς καὶ ὀλίγας, κατὰ τὴν χρῆσιν τῆς συνηθείας, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ τοιαῦτα. Οἴδαμεν γὰρ πολλάκις τὸ τοιοῦτον εἶδος τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑφ' ἑνός τινος πάθους κεκακωμένων παραλαμβανόμενον· οἷον ὅταν λέγωμεν ἐπί τινος πυρέσσοντος μόνον, ἢ ὀφθαλμὸν ὀδυνωμένου, θαυμάζοντες, ὅτι πόσα ἔπαθεν, ἢ πόσας ὑπέμεινεν ἀνάγκας. Ὥστε τὸ, πολλὰς καὶ ὀλίγας δέρεσθαι, πάλιν λέγω, οὐκ ἐν τῇ τοῦ χρόνου παρατάσει ἢ συμπληρώσει, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ δια φορᾷ τῆς κολάσεως γίνεται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΞΗʹ. Κατὰ ποῖον νοῦν λέγονταί τινες υἱοὶ ἀπειθείας, καὶ τέκνα ὀργῆς; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τέκνα καὶ υἱούς τινος ὀνομάζειν οἶδεν ὁ Κύ 31.1268 ριος τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ, εἴτε ἀγαθοῦ εἴτε κακοῦ. Εἰ τέκνα γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦτε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐποιεῖτε ἄν· καὶ πάλιν· Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστὲ, καὶ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν. Ὥστε καὶ ἀπειθείας υἱὸς ὁ τὰ τῆς ἀπειθείας ἐργα ζόμενος γίνεται. Τάχα δὲ, ὥσπερ οὐχ ἁμαρτωλὸς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοαμαρτία ὁ διάβολος ὀνομάζεται, διὰ τὸ ἀρχηγὸς, ὡς οἶμαι, γεγονέναι τῆς ἁμαρ τίας· οὕτω καὶ αὐτοαπείθεια λέγοιτο ἂν ὁ διάβολος διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν. Τέκνον δὲ ὀργῆς ἐστί τις, καθ' ὃ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν πεποίηκε τῆς ὀργῆς. Ὡς γὰρ τοὺς ἀξίους τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὰ τοῦ φωτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἔργα, υἱοὺς φωτὸς καὶ υἱοὺς ἡμέρας ὁ Ἀπό στολος προσηγόρευσεν· οὕτως ἀκόλουθον νοεῖν καὶ τὸ, Ἦμεν τέκνα ὀργῆς. Εἰδέναι μέντοιγε χρὴ, ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπειθείας, ὁ αὐτός ἐστι καὶ τέκνον ὀργῆς, τοῦ Κυ ρίου ἀποφηναμένου, ὅτι Ὁ ἀπειθῶν τῷ Υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψε ται τὴν ζωὴν, ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μενεῖ ἐπ' αὐτόν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΞΘʹ Ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, «Ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν·» εἰ ἄλλα μέν ἐστι τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς θελήματα, ἄλλα δὲ τῶν διανοιῶν· καὶ ποῖα ταῦτα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὰ μὲν τῆς σαρκὸς θελήματα ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ κατὰ μέρος ὀνομαστὶ καταλέγει ὁ Ἀπόστολος, λέγων· Φα νερὰ δέ ἐστι τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς, ἅτινά ἐστι μοιχεία, πορνεία, ἀκαθαρσία, ἀσέλγεια, εἰδωλο λατρεία, φαρμακεία, ἔχθραι, ἔρεις, ζῆλοι, θυμοὶ, ἐριθεῖαι, διχοστασίαι, αἱρέσεις, φθόνοι, φόνοι, μέθαι, κῶμοι, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια τούτοις· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ περιληπτικώτερον, ὅτι Τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς Θεόν· τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπο τάσσεται, οὔτε γὰρ δύναται· τὰ δὲ τῶν διανοιῶν θελήματα λογισμοὶ εἶεν ἂν μὴ μαρτυρούμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς, οἷοί εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· Λογισμοὺς καθαιροῦντες, καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρό μενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ νοήματα μὴ αἰχμαλωτιζόμενα εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιόπερ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ἀσφαλὲς ἀεὶ καὶ πανταχοῦ φυλάσσειν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εἰρημένον· Καὶ ἡ συμβουλία μου τὰ δικαιώματά σου. 31.1269

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟʹ. Τί ἐστιν, «Ἀπορούμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξαπορού μενοι;» ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν πληροφορίαν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ εἰς Θεὸν πεποιθή σεως ἐξ ἀντιπαραθέσεως τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου φρονήματος δεικνὺς ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ἕκαστον τῶν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ κειμένων οὕτω τίθησιν. Ὡς μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον φρόνημα, Ἐν παντὶ θλιβόμενοι, φη σίν· ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ Θεὸν πεποίθησιν ἐπιφέρει τὸ, Ἀλλ' οὐ στενοχωρούμενοι· πάλιν, ὡς μὲν πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον φρόνημα, Ἀπορούμενοι· ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ Θεὸν πεποίθησιν, τὸ, Οὐκ ἐξ απορούμενοι· καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὁμοίως. Οἷά ἐστι κἀκεῖνα τὰ ἀλλαχοῦ αὐτῷ εἰρημένα· Ὡς ἀποθνήσκοντες, καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶμεν· ὡς πτωχοὶ, πολλοὺς δὲ πλου τίζοντες· ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες, καὶ πάντα κατ έχοντες.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΟΑʹ. Τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· «Πλὴν τὰ ἐνόντα δότε ἐλεημοσύνην· καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντα καθαρὰ ὑμῖν ἐστιν·» εἰ πάντων, ὅσα ἥμαρτέ τις, διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸν καθαρισμὸν εὑρίσκει. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Αὐτὴ ἡ ἀκολουθία τῶν προκειμένων σαφηνίζει τὸ εἰρημένον. Προειπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Καθαρίζετε τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ