Chapter 30 [XXVII.]—The Evil Desires of Concupiscence; We Ought to Wish that They May Not Be.

For the concupiscence of the flesh is in some sort active, even when it does not exhibit either an assent of the heart, where its seat of empire is, or those members whereby, as its weapons, it fulfils what it is bent on. But what in this action does it effect, unless it be its evil and shameful desires? For if these were good and lawful, the apostle would not forbid obedience to them, saying, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof.”104    Rom. vi. 12. He does not say, that ye should have the lusts thereof, but “that ye should obey the lusts thereof;” in order that (as these desires are greater or less in different individuals, according as each shall have progressed in the renewal of the inner man) we may maintain the fight of holiness and chastity, for the purpose of withholding obedience to these lusts. Nevertheless, our wish ought to be nothing less than the nonexistence of these very desires, even if the accomplishment of such a wish be not possible in the body of this death. This is the reason why the same apostle, in another passage, addressing us as if in his own person, gives us this instruction: “For what I would,” says he, “that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”105    Rom. vii. 15. In a word, “I covet.”106    “Concupisco” in the Latin, and hence used in this discussion. For he was unwilling to do this, that he might be perfect on every side. “If, then, I do that which I would not,” he goes on to say, “I consent unto the law that it is good.”107    Rom. vii. 16. Because the law, too, wills not that which I also would not. For it wills not that I should have concupiscence, for it says, “Thou shall not covet;”108    “Concupisco” in the Latin, and hence used in this discussion. and I am no less unwilling to cherish so evil a desire. In this, therefore, there is complete accord between the will of the law and my own will. But because he was unwilling to covet,109    “Concupisco” in the Latin, and hence used in this discussion and yet did covet,110    “Concupisco” in the Latin, and hence used in this discussion. and for all that did not by any means obey this concupiscence so as to yield assent to it, he immediately adds these words: “Now, then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”111    Rom. vii. 17.

CAPUT XXVII.

30. Concupiscentiae desideria mala. Ut non sint velle debemus. Agit enim aliquid concupiscentia carnis, et quando ei non exhibetur 0431 vel cordis assensus ubi regnet, vel membra velut arma quibus impleatur quod jubet. Agit autem, quid, nisi ipsa desideria mala et turpia? Non enim si bona et licita essent, eis obedire prohiberet Apostolus dicens: Non regnet peccatum in vestro mortali corpore ad obediendum desideriis ejus. Non enim ait, Ad habenda desideria ejus; sed, ad obediendum desideriis ejus: ut quoniam sunt in aliis majora, in aliis minora, prout quisque in hominis interioris novitate profecerit, in hoc agonem justitiae pudicitiaeque servemus, ne illis obediamus. Ut tamen nec ipsa sint desideria, velle debemus, etiam si in corpore mortis hujus id obtinere non possumus. Hinc enim et alio loco idem apostolus loquens velut ex suae personae introductione nos instruit, dicens, Non enim quod volo, hoc ago; sed quod odi, illud facio; id est, concupisco: quia et hoc nollet facere, ut esset omni ex parte perfectus. Si autem quod nolo, inquit, hoc facio, consentio legi quoniam bona: quia hoc et illa non vult, quod et ego nolo. Non vult enim ut concupiscam, quae dicit, Non concupisces: et ego nolo concupiscere. In hoc itaque consentiunt, voluntas legis, et mea. Verum quia concupiscere nolebat, et tamen concupiscebat, sed eidem concupiscentiae nequaquam consentiendo serviebat, adjunxit atque ait: Nunc autem jam non ego operor illud, sed id quod in me habitat peccatum.