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by the law; he did not say, "I am instructed by it," but, "I delight in it." And what is, "I delight in"? I agree with it as being good, just as it also agrees with me when I want to do what is good. So the will to do good, and the unwillingness to do evil, was established from the beginning; but the law, having come, became an accuser of more things in what is evil, and a praiser of greater things in what is good. Do you see everywhere some intensification and addition bearing witness to it only, but nothing more? For even with it praising, and me delighting and willing the good, evil is still present, and its practice is not taken away. So the law becomes an ally to the one who has chosen to do something good only in this respect, that it also wills the same things as he does. Then, since he has stated it obscurely, he goes on to interpret it and make it clearer, showing how evil is present, and how the law is with the one who wants to do good. 60.511 For I delight, he says, in the law of God, according to the inner man. For I knew the good even before this, he says, but finding it also written down in letters, I praise it. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind. 3. Here again he called sin a warring law, not because of its dignity, but because of the strong obedience of those who are persuaded by it. Just as he calls mammon lord, and the belly a god, not because of their own dignity, but because of the great slavery of those subjected to them; so also here he called sin a law, because of those who so serve it and are afraid to forsake it, just as those who have received a law are afraid to forsake the law. This, then, he says, is opposed to the natural law; for this is what is meant by, "To the law of my mind." And he then introduces a battle-line and a fight, and he assigns the whole struggle to the natural law. For the law of Moses was added later as a surplus; but nevertheless both this one and that one, the one having taught, the other having praised what is right, accomplished nothing great in this battle; so great is the tyranny of sin, conquering and prevailing. Therefore, what Paul, indicating this, and declaring the utter defeat, said: But I see another law warring against the law of my mind, and taking me captive. For he did not say, simply "conquering," but, "taking me captive to the law of sin." He did not say, "to the impulse of the flesh," nor, "to the nature of the flesh," but, "to the law of sin," that is, to its tyranny, to its power. How then does he say, "which is in my members?" And what of this? For this does not make the members sin, but rather separates them from sin; for "that which is in something" is different from "that in which it is." Just as, therefore, the commandment is not evil, because sin took occasion through it; so neither is the nature of the flesh, even if it contends against us through it; since in that case the soul will also be evil, and she much more so, inasmuch as she has the authority over what is to be done. But these things are not so, they are not. For if a tyrant and a robber should take a wonderful house and royal courts, what happens is not a slander against the house, but the whole accusation is against those who plotted such things. But the enemies of the truth, along with their impiety, falling into much foolishness, do not perceive it. For they not only accuse the flesh, but also slander the law; and yet if the flesh is evil, the law is good; for it wars against it and opposes it; but if the law is not good, the flesh is good; for it fights and wars against it, according to them. How then can they say that both are of the devil, when they introduce them as contrary to one another? Do you see how much foolishness there is along with the impiety? But the doctrines of the Church are not such, but she condemns sin alone, and says that each law given by God, both that of nature and that of Moses, is an enemy to this, not to the flesh; for neither is the flesh sin, but rather a work of God, and suitable for us for virtue, if we are sober. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Have you seen how great is the tyranny of evil, that it conquers the mind even when it delights in the law? For no one has

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νόμῳ· οὔτε προεῖπεν, ὅτι Παιδεύομαι παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ', ὅτι Συνήδομαι αὐτῷ. Τί δέ ἐστι, Συνήδομαι; Ὁμολογῶ ὡς καλῶς ἔχοντι, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμοὶ τῷ θέλοντι ποιεῖν τὸ καλόν. Ὥστε τὸ θέλειν τὸ καλὸν, καὶ τὸ μὴ θέλειν τὸ πονηρὸν, ἄνωθεν ἦν προκαταβεβλημένον· ὁ δὲ νόμος ἐλθὼν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς κατήγορος ἐγένετο πλειόνων, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἐπαινέτης μειζόνων. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ ἐπίτασίν τινα καὶ προσθήκην αὐτῷ μαρτυροῦντα μόνον, πλεῖον δὲ οὐδέν; Καὶ γὰρ ἐπαινοῦντος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐμοῦ συνηδομένου καὶ θέλοντος τὸ καλὸν, τὸ κακὸν ἔτι παράκειται, καὶ ἡ πρᾶξις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀνῄρηται. Ὥστε ὁ νόμος τῷ προῃρημένῳ καλόν τι ποιῆσαι κατὰ τοῦτο σύμμαχος γίνεται μόνον, καθὸ καὶ αὐτὸς τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτῷ βούλεται. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἀσαφῶς αὐτὸ τέθεικε, προϊὼν ἑρμηνεύει αὐτὸ καὶ σαφέστερον ποιεῖ, δεικνὺς πῶς τὸ κακὸν παράκειται, καὶ πῶς τῷ θέλοντι ποιεῖν τὸ καλὸν ὁμοῦ ὁ νόμος ἐστί. 60.511 Συνήδομαι γὰρ, φησὶ, τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον. Ἤδειν μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τούτου, φησὶ, τὸ καλὸν, εὑρὼν δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐν γράμμασι κείμενον, ἐπαινῶ. Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου, ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου. γʹ. Νόμον ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἀντιστρατευόμενον τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκάλεσεν, οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν σφοδρὰν ὑπακοὴν τῶν πειθομένων αὐτῇ. Ὥσπερ οὖν κύριον τὸν μαμμωνᾶν καλεῖ, καὶ θεὸν τὴν κοιλίαν, οὐ διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πολλὴν τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων δουλείαν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα νόμον ἐκάλεσεν ἁμαρτίαν, διὰ τοὺς οὕτως αὐτῇ δουλεύοντας καὶ φοβουμένους ἀφεῖναι αὐτὴν, ὥσπερ δεδοίκασιν οἱ νόμον λαβόντες ἀφεῖναι τὸν νόμον. Αὕτη οὖν, φησὶν, ἀντίκειται τῷ νόμῳ τῷ φυσικῷ· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, Τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου. Καὶ εἰσάγει λοιπὸν παράταξιν καὶ μάχην, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ὅλον ἀνατίθησι τῷ φυσικῷ νόμῳ. Ὁ γὰρ Μωϋσέως ἐκ περιουσίας ὕστερον προσετέθη· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος, ὁ μὲν διδάξας, ὁ δὲ ἐπαινέσας τὰ δέοντα, οὐδὲν ἐν τῇ μάχῃ ταύτῃ μέγα ἤνυσαν· τοσαύτη τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ τυραννὶς, νικῶσα καὶ περιγινομένη. Ὅπερ οὖν ὁ Παῦλος ἐμφαίνων, καὶ τὴν κατὰ κράτος ἧτταν δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου, καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Νικῶντα ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', Αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Οὐκ εἶπε, Τῇ ὁρμῇ τῆς σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ, Τῇ φύσει τῆς σαρκὸς, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τουτέστι, τῇ τυραννίδι, τῇ δυνάμει. Πῶς οὖν φησι, Τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου; Καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο ἁμαρτίαν τὰ μέλη ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ χωρίζει μάλιστα τῆς ἁμαρτίας· ἕτερον γὰρ τὸ, ἔν τινι ὂν, καὶ τὸ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡ ἐντολὴ οὐκ ἔστι πονηρὰ, ἐπειδὴ δι' αὐτῆς ἀφορμὴν ἔλαβεν ἡ ἁμαρτία· οὕτως οὐδὲ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡ φύσις, εἰ καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἡμᾶς καταγωνίζεται· ἐπεὶ οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ πονηρὰ, καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκείνη, ὅσῳ καὶ τὸ κῦρος τῶν πρακτέων ἔχει. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα, οὐκ ἔστιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ θαυμαστὸν οἶκον καὶ βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς τύραννος λάβῃ καὶ λῃστὴς, διαβολὴ τῆς οἰκίας τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλ' ἡ κατηγορία πᾶσα τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιβουλευσαμένων ἐστίν. Ἀλλ' οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ μετὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ ἀνοίᾳ πολλῇ περιπίπτοντες, οὐκ αἰσθάνονται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῆς σαρκὸς μόνον κατηγοροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν νόμον διαβάλλουσι· καίτοιγε εἰ πονηρὸν ἡ σὰρξ, καλὸν ὁ νόμος· ἀντιστρατεύεται γὰρ καὶ ἐναντιοῦται· εἰ δὲ οὐ καλὸν ὁ νόμος, καλὸν ἡ σάρξ· μάχεται γὰρ αὐτῷ κατ' ἐκείνους καὶ πολεμεῖ. Πῶς οὖν ἀμφότερα τοῦ διαβόλου φασὶν εἶναι, ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις εἰσάγοντες; Ὁρᾷς ὅση μετὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ ἡ ἄνοια; Ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὰ δόγματα τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατακρίνει μόνον, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἑκάτερον παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένον, καὶ τὸν τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τὸν τοῦ Μωϋσέως, ταύτῃ πολέμιον εἶναί φησιν, οὐ τῇ σαρκί· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν σάρκα ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἔργον Θεοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἡμῖν ἐπιτήδειον, ἐὰν νήφωμεν. Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος· τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Εἶδες πόση τῆς κακίας ἡ τυραννὶς, ὅτι καὶ συνηδόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τὸν νοῦν νικᾷ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει τις