Chapter 66.—The Works, Not the Substance, of the “Flesh” Opposed to the “Spirit.”

Now if we secure even this concession from them, that unbaptized persons may implore the assistance of the Saviour’s grace, this is indeed no slight point against that fallacious assertion of the self-sufficiency of nature and of the power of free will. For he is not sufficient to himself who says, “O wretched man that I am! who shall liberate me?” Nor can he be said to have full liberty who still asks for liberation. [LVI.] But let us, moreover, see to this point also, whether they who are baptized do the good which they would, without any resistance from the lust of the flesh. That, however, which we have to say on this subject, our author himself mentions, when concluding this topic he says: “As we remarked, the passage in which occur the words, ‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit,’168    Gal. v. 17. must needs have reference not to the substance, but to the works of the flesh.” We too allege that this is spoken not of the substance of the flesh, but of its works, which proceed from carnal concupiscence,—in a word, from sin, concerning which we have this precept: “Not to let it reign in our mortal body, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof.”169    Rom. vi. 12.

CAPUT LVI.

Idem tractatur argumentum. Verumtamen etiam illud videamus, utrum illi qui baptizati sunt faciant bona quae volunt, nulla carnis concupiscentia repugnante. Sed quid hinc dicamus, ipse commemorat, ubi concludens hunc locum, Ut diximus, inquit, illud quo continetur, «Caro concupiscit adversus spiritum,» non de carnis substantia, sed de operibus sentire necesse est. Hoc et nos dicimus, non de carnis substantia, sed de operibus dictum, quae veniunt de carnali concupiscentia, de peccato scilicet, de quo praecepit ut non regnet in nostro mortali corpore ad obediendum desideriis ejus (Rom. VI, 12).