16. Here some man shall say; “If the concupiscence of the bad, whereby it comes that they bear all evils for that which they lust after, be of the world, how is it said to be of their will?” As if, truly, they were not themselves also of the world, when they love the world, forsaking Him by Whom the world was made. For “they serve the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever.”44    Rom. i. 25 Whether then by the word “world,” the Apostle John signifies lovers of the world, the will, as it is of themselves, is therefore of the world: or whether under the name of the world he comprises heaven and earth, and all that is therein, that is the creature universally, it is plain that the will of the creature, not being that of the Creator, is of the world. For which cause to such the Lord saith, “Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye are of this world, I am not of this world.”45    John viii. 23 And to the Apostle He saith, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own.” But lest they should arrogate more unto themselves than their measure craved, and when He said that they were not of the world, should imagine this to be of nature, not of grace, therefore He saith, “But because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” It follows, that they once were of the world: for, that they might not be of the world, they were chosen out of the world.

CAPUT XIX.

16. Si cupiditas ex mundo, quomodo ex humana voluntate. Quod quis non sit ex mundo, non naturae est, sed gratiae. Hic dicet aliquis: Si ex mundo est concupiscentia malorum, per quam fit ut mala omnia pro eo quod ab illis concupiscitur perferant, quo modo ex eorum dicitur voluntate? Quasi vero non et ipsi ex mundo sint, cum ab eis diligitur mundus, deserto eo per quem factus est mundus. Serviunt enim creaturae potius quam Creatori, qui est benedictus in saecula (Rom. I, 25). Sive itaque mundi vocabulo Joannes apostolus dilectores significaverit mundi, voluntas quae ex ipsis est, utique ex mundo est: sive mundi nomine coelum et terram et quaecumque in eis sunt, hoc est, universam complexus sit creaturam, voluntas procul dubio creaturae, quae non est Creatoris, ex mundo est. Propter quod talibus Dominus dicit: Vos de deorsum estis, ego de sursum sum: vos de hoc mundo estis, ego non sum de hoc mundo (Joan. VIII, 23). Apostolis autem dicit: Si de mundo hoc essetis, mundus quod suum est diligeret. Sed ne sibi amplius arrogarent, quam eorum mensura poscebat, et hoc quod eos non esse dixit ex mundo, naturae putarent esse, non gratiae: Quia vero, inquit, de mundo non estis, sed ego elegi vos de mundo, propterea odit vos mundus (Id. XV, 19). Ergo de mundo erant : nam ut de mundo non essent, electi sunt de mundo.