30. But, after that he had made mention of these evils, he added and said, “On account of which cometh the wrath of God on the sons of unbelief.”117    Col. iii. 6 Surely it was a wholesome alarm that believers might not think that they could be saved on account of their faith alone, even although they should live in these evils: the Apostle James with most clear speech crying out against that notion, and saying, “If any say that he have faith, and have not works, shall his faith be able to save him?”118    James ii. 14 Whence also here the Teacher of the Gentiles said, that on account of these evils the wrath of God cometh on the sons of unbelief. But when he saith, “Wherein ye also walked sometime, when ye were living therein;”119    Col. iii. 7 he shows sufficiently that now they were not living therein. Forsooth unto these they had died, that their life might be hidden in God with Christ. When then they were now not living in them, they were now bidden to mortify such. Forsooth, themselves not living in the same, the things were living, as I have already shown a little above, and were called their members, that is to say, those faults which dwelt in their members; by a way of speech, that which is contained through that which contains; as it is said, The whole Forum talks of it, when men talk who are in the Forum. In this very way of speech it is sung in the Psalm, “Let all the earth worship Thee:”120    Ps. lxvi. 4 that is, all men who are in the earth.

CAPUT XIV.

30. Fidem sine operibus non salvare. Vitia carnis constanter debellanda. In continentiae praelio vires et victoria referenda in Deum. Cum autem mala illa commemorasset, adjunxit atque ait: Propter quae venit ira Dei in filios infidelitatis. Utique salubriter terruit, ne putarent fideles propter solam fidem suam, etiamsi in his malis viverent, se posse salvari; apostolo Jacobo contra istum sensum voce manifestissima reclamante ac dicente, Si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat, numquid poterit fides salvare eum (Jacobi II, 14)? Unde et hic Doctor Gentium propter illa mala venire iram Dei dixit in filios infidelitatis. Cum autem dicit, In quibus et vos aliquando ambulastis, cum viveretis in illis; satis ostendit quod in illis jam non viverent. His quippe mortui erant, ut eorum vita in Deo cum Christo esset abscondita. Cum ergo jam in illis non viverent, mortificare jam talia jubebantur. Ipsis quippe in eisdem non viventibus illa vivebant; sicut paulo ante jam ostendi: et membra dicebantur ipsorum, ea videlicet vitia quae in membris habitabant ipsorum, 0371 modo locutionis per id quod continet id quod continetur; sicut dicitur, Totum forum inde loquitur, cum homines loquantur qui sunt in foro. Ipso locutionis modo in Psalmo canitur, Omnis terra adoret te (Psal. LXV, 4); id est, omnes homines qui sunt in terra.