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but entered in, that the trespass might abound; and, The law works wrath. Since, therefore, all these things seemed to bring accusation against the law, as if correcting the suspicion arising from them, he poses an objection, and says: What then? is the law sin? May it not be. Before the argument, he forbade it, winning over the hearer, and healing the one who was scandalized. For having then heard, and been fully informed about his disposition, he seeks with him what seems to be a difficulty, and does not suspect the one speaking; wherefore he also anticipated and posed that objection. For he did not say, What then might I say? but, What shall we say? as if a council and a decision were set forth, and a common Church assembled, and the objection appearing not from him, but from the sequence of what was said and from the truth of the matters. For that the letter kills, no one will deny, he says; and that the spirit gives life, this too is clear, and no one would contend. If, therefore, these things are acknowledged, what might we say about the law? that it is sin? May it not be. Solve 60.500 then the difficulty. Do you see how he sets up the adversary with him, and taking the authority of the teacher, comes to the solution? What then is the solution? It is not sin, he says. But I would not have known sin, except through the law. See the intensity of wisdom. What the law is not, he has set down by way of contrast, so that by refuting this, and in this way gratifying the Jew, he might persuade him to accept the lesser point. And what is the lesser point? That I did not know sin, except through the law. For I had not known desire, he says, unless the law had said, You shall not desire. Do you see how little by little he shows it not only to be an accuser of sin, but also quietly constructive? not indeed because of its own fault, but because of the ungrateful Jews he declares this happens. For he has also been eager to shut the mouths of the Manichaeans who accuse the law. For having said, that I did not know sin, except through the law, and I had not known desire, unless the law had said; You shall not desire, he added: But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of desire. 5. Do you see how he acquitted it of the charges? For sin, taking occasion, he says, not the law, increased the desire, and the contrary of what the law willed, has happened; which was of weakness, not of wickedness. For when we desire something, and then are hindered, the flame of desire is raised higher. But this is not because of the law; for it itself forbade so as to lead away; but sin, that is, your indolence and wicked will, used the good for the contrary purpose. But this is not the fault of the physician, but of the sick person who used the medicine badly. For he did not give the law for this reason, to kindle desire, but to extinguish it; but the contrary resulted; but the accusation is not his, but ours. For if someone, by not allowing a person with a fever who desires an untimely cold drink to be filled, should increase the desire for this destructive pleasure, he would not be justly blamed; for it was only the physician's part to forbid, but the sick person's part to abstain. For what if sin took its occasion from it? For many of the wicked also increase their own wickedness from good commandments; since the devil also destroyed Judas in this way, casting him into avarice, and making him steal from the poor; but it was not being entrusted with the money-box that did this to him, but the wickedness of his will. And Eve, having prepared Adam to eat from the tree, cast him out of paradise; but not even there was the tree the cause, even if the occasion came through it. But if he has used stronger language concerning the law, do not be surprised; for Paul addresses the urgent matter, not allowing a handle to those who otherwise suspect what is said, but making a great effort to correct the present issue. Do not, therefore, examine what is said here in isolation, but also consider the hypothesis, for which he is led to say these things, and reckon the Jewish madness, and their vigorous

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δὲ παρεισῆλθεν, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα· καὶ, Ὁ νόμος ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα πάντα ἐδόκει διαβολὴν φέρειν τῷ νόμῳ, ὡς διορθούμενος τὴν ἐκ τούτων ὑπόνοιαν, τίθησι καὶ ἀντίθεσιν, καί φησι· Τί οὖν; ὁ νόμος ἁμαρτία; Μὴ γένοιτο. Πρὸ τῆς κατασκευῆς ἀπηγόρευσε, τὸν ἀκροατὴν οἰκειούμενος, καὶ τὸν σκανδαλιζόμενον θεραπεύων. Λοιπὸν γὰρ ἀκούσας, καὶ περὶ τῆς διαθέσεως αὐτοῦ πληροφορηθεὶς, ζητεῖ μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸ δοκοῦν εἶναι ἄπορον, καὶ οὐχ ὑποπτεύει τὸν λέγοντα· διὸ καὶ τὴν ἀντίθεσιν προλαβὼν ἐκείνην τέθεικεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Τί οὖν εἴποιμι ἄν; ἀλλὰ, Τί ἐροῦμεν; ὡς βουλῆς καὶ γνώμης προκειμένης, καὶ Ἐκκλησίας κοινῆς συγκεκροτημένης, καὶ οὐ παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων ἀκολουθίας καὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀληθείας τῆς ἀντιθέσεως φανείσης. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ τὸ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ, φησί· καὶ ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἂν φιλονεικήσειεν. Εἰ τοίνυν ταῦτα ὡμολογημένα, τί ἂν εἴποιμεν περὶ τοῦ νόμου; ὅτι ἁμαρτία; Μὴ γένοιτο. Λῦσον 60.500 οὖν τὴν ἀπορίαν. Εἶδες πῶς μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀντίδικον ἵστησι, καὶ τὸ τοῦ διδάσκοντος ἀξίωμα λαβὼν, ἐπὶ τὴν λύσιν ἔρχεται; Τίς οὖν ἡ λύσις; Ἁμαρτία μὲν οὐκ ἔστι, φησίν. Ἁμαρτίαν δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἔγνων, εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου. Ὅρα σοφίας ἐπίτασιν. Ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ νόμος, ἐξ ἀντιθέσεως τέθεικεν, ἵνα ἀναιρῶν τοῦτο, καὶ ταύτῃ χαριζόμενος τῷ Ἰουδαίῳ, πείσῃ τὸ ἔλαττον αὐτὸν καταδέξασθαι. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ ἔλαττον; Ὅτι Τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων, εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου. Τήν τε γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν. Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις. Ὁρᾷς πῶς κατὰ μικρὸν οὐχὶ μόνον κατήγορον αὐτὸν ὄντα δείκνυσι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἠρέμα κατασκευαστικόν; οὐ μὴν παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν τὴν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τῶν ἀγνωμόνων Ἰουδαίων ἀποφαίνει τοῦτο συμβαῖνον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Μανιχαίων ἐσπούδακεν ἐμφράξαι τὰ στόματα τῶν κατηγορούντων τοῦ νόμου. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Τὴν ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔγνων, εἰ μὴ διὰ νόμου, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν οὐκ ᾔδειν, εἰ μὴ ὁ νόμος ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἀφορμὴν δὲ λαβοῦσα ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, κατειργάσατο ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν. εʹ. Εἶδες πῶς αὐτὸν ἀπήλλαξεν ἐγκλημάτων; Ἀφορμὴν γὰρ λαβοῦσα, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία, οὐχ ὁ νόμος, ηὔξησε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ τοὐναντίον οὗπερ ἐβούλετο ὁ νόμος, γέγονεν· ὅπερ ἀσθενείας ἦν, οὐ πονηρίας. Ὅταν γάρ τινος ἐπιθυμῶμεν, εἶτα κωλυώμεθα, αἴρεται μᾶλλον τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἡ φλόξ. Ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὸν νόμον τοῦτο· αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐκώλυσεν ὥστε ἀπαγαγεῖν· ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία, τουτέστιν, ἡ ῥᾳθυμία ἡ σὴ καὶ ἡ γνώμη ἡ πονηρὰ, τῷ καλῷ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἐχρήσατο. Ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ ἰατροῦ τοῦτο ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀῤῥωστοῦντος τῷ φαρμάκῳ κακῶς χρησαμένου. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἔδωκε τὸν νόμον, ἵνα ἀνάψῃ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἀλλ' ἵνα σβέσῃ· τοὐναντίον δὲ ἐξέβη· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκείνου, ἀλλ' ἡμῶν ἡ κατηγορία. Οὐδὲ γὰρ, εἴ τις τῷ πυρέττοντι, καὶ ψυχροποσίας ἀκαίρως ἐπιθυμοῦντι, μὴ παρασχὼν ἐμφορηθῆναι, τῆς ὀλεθρίας ταύτης ἡδονῆς αὐξήσειε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἐγκαλοῖτο ἂν δικαίως· τοῦ γὰρ ἰατροῦ τὸ κωλῦσαι ἦν μόνον, τὸ δὲ ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦ κάμνοντος. Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἡ ἁμαρτία τὴν ἀφορμὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔλαβε; Πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐξ ἀγαθῶν ἐπιταγμάτων τὴν αὑτῶν πονηρίαν αὔξουσιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ διάβολος οὕτω τὸν Ἰούδαν ἀπώλεσεν, εἰς φιλοχρηματίαν ἐμβαλὼν, καὶ κλέπτειν τὰ τῶν πενήτων ποιήσας· ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ πιστευθῆναι τὸ γλωσσόκομον αὐτὸν τοῦτο εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ' ἡ τῆς γνώμης πονηρία. Καὶ ἡ Εὔα δὲ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου παρασκευάσασα φαγεῖν, ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ τὸ δένδρον αἴτιον, εἰ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀφορμὴ γέγονεν. Εἰ δὲ σφοδρότερον κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ τῷ περὶ τοῦ νόμου, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· πρὸς γὰρ τὸ κατεπεῖγον ὁ Παῦλος ἵσταται, οὐκ ἀφεὶς μὲν οὐδὲ τοῖς ἄλλως ὑποπτεύουσι τὰ λεγόμενα λαβὴν παρασχεῖν, πολλὴν δὲ σπουδὴν ποιούμενος τὸ παρὸν διορθῶσαι. Μὴ τοίνυν γυμνὰ ἐξέταζε τὰ ἐντεῦθεν λεγόμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν προστίθει, δι' ἣν ταῦτα εἰπεῖν προάγεται, καὶ τὴν μανίαν λογίζου τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν, καὶ τὴν εὔτονον αὐτῶν