(NOTE: The electronic text obtained from The Electronic Bible Society was 
not completely corrected. EWTN has corrected all discovered errors.)

Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves 
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing initially 
before a vowel; 3. = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi = 
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute = 
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe, 
when necessary.


ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS
HOMILIES 9-14


[Translated by Rev. J. B. Morris, M.A., of Exeter College, Oxford, and Rev. 
W. H. Simcox, fellow of Queen's College, Oxford; revised by George B. 
Stevens, Ph.D., D.D., Professor in Yale University.] 


HOMILY IX: ROM. IV. 23.

"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him for 
righteousness; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe 
on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead."

    After saying many great things of Abraham, and his faith, and 
righteousness, and honor before God, lest the hearer should say, What is 
this to us, for it is he that was justified? he places us close to the 
Patriarch again. So great is the power of spiritual words. For of one of 
the Gentiles, one who was recently come near, one who had done no work, he 
not only says that he is in nothing inferior to the Jew who believes (i.e. 
as a Jew), but not even to the Patriarch, but rather, if one must give 
utterance to the wondrous truth, even much greater. For so noble is our 
birth, that his faith is but the type of ours. And he does not say, If it 
was reckoned unto him, it is probable it will be also to us, that he might 
not make it matter of syllogism. But he speaks in authentic words of the 
divine law, and makes the whole a declaration of the Scripture. For why was 
it written, he says, save to make us see (hat we also were justified in 
this way? For it is the same God Whom we have believed, and upon the same 
matters, if it be not in the case of the same persons. And after speaking 
of our faith, he also mentions God's unspeakable love towards man, which he 
ever presents on all sides, bringing the Cross before us. And this he now 
makes plain by saying,

    Ver. 25. "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for 
our justification."

    See how after mentioning the cause of His death, he makes the same 
cause likewise a demonstration of the resurrection. For why, he means, was 
He crucified? Not for any sin of His own. And this is plain from the 
Resurrection. For if He were a sinner, how should He have risen? But if He 
rose, it is quite plain that He was not a sinner. But[1] if He was not a 
sinner, how came He to be crucified?--For others,--and if for others, then 
surely he rose again. Now to prevent your saying, How, when liable for so 
great sins, came we to be justified? he points out One that blotteth out 
all sins, that both from Abraham's faith, whereby he was justified, and 
from the Saviour's Passion, whereby we were freed from our sins, he might 
confirm what he had said. And after mentioning His Death, he speaks also of 
His Resurrection. For the purpose of His dying was not that He might hold 
us liable to punishment and in condemnation, but that He might do good unto 
us. For for this cause He both died and rose again, that He might make us 
righteous.

    Chap. v. ver. 1. "Therefore being justified by faith, let us[1*] have 
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

    What does "Let us have peace" mean? Some say, "Let us not be at 
variance, through a peevish obstinacy for bringing in the Law." But to me 
he seems to be speaking now of our conversation. For after having said much 
on the subject of faith, he had set it before righteousness which is by 
works, to prevent any one from supposing what he said was a ground for 
listlessness, he says, "let us have peace," that is, let us sin no more, 
nor go back to our former estate. For this is making war with God. And "how 
is it possible," saith one, "to sin no more?" How[2] was the former thing 
possible? For if when liable for so many sins we were freed from all. by 
Christ, much more shall we be able through Him to abide in the estate 
wherein we are. For it is not the same thing to receive peace when there 
had been none, and to keel it when it has been given, since to acquire 
surely is harder than to keep. Yet nevertheless the more difficult hath 
been made easy, and carried out into effect. That which is the easier thing 
then will be what we shall easily succeed in, if we cling to Him who hath 
wrought even the other for us. But here it is not the easiness only which 
he seems to me to hint at, but the reasonableness. For if He reconciled us 
when we were in open war with Him, it is reasonable that we should abide in 
a state of reconciliation,[3] and give unto Him this reward for that He may 
not seem to have reconciled untoward and unfeeling creatures to the Father.

    Ver. 2. "By Whom also we have access," he says, "by faith unto this 
grace. (7 Mss. add, unto, etc.)

    If then He hath brought us near to Himself, when we were far off, much 
more will He keep us now that we are near. And let me beg you to consider 
how he everywhere sets down these two points; His part, and our part. On 
His part, however, there be things varied and numerous and diverse. For He 
died for us, and farther reconciled us, and brought us to Himself, and gave 
us grace unspeakable. But we brought faith only as our contribution. And so 
he says," "by faith, unto this grace" What grace is this? tell me. It is 
the being counted worthy of the knowledge of God, the being forced from 
error, the coming to a knowledge of the Truth, the obtaining of all the 
blessings that come through Baptism. For the end of His bringing us near 
was that we might receive these gifts. For it was not only that we might 
have simple remission of sins, that we were reconciled; but that we might 
receive also countless benefits. Nor did He even pause at these, but 
promised others, namely, those unutterable blessings that pass 
understanding alike and language. And this is why he has set them both down 
also. For by mentioning grace he clearly points at what we have at present 
received, but by saying, "And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God," he 
unveils the whole of things to come. And he had well said, "wherein also we 
stand." For this is the nature of God's grace. It hath no end, it knows no 
bound, but evermore is on the advance to greater things, which in human 
things is not the case. Take an instance of what I mean. A person has 
acquired rule and glory and authority, yet he does not stand therein 
continuously, but is speedily cast out of it. Or if man take it not from 
him, death comes, and is sure to take it from him. But God's gifts are not 
of this kind; for neither man, nor occasion, nor crisis of affairs, nor 
even the Devil, nor death, can come and cast us. out of them. But when we 
are dead we then more strictly speaking have possession of them, and keep 
going on enjoying more and more. And so if thou feel in doubt about those 
to come; from those now present, and what thou hast already received, 
believe in the other also. For this is why he says, "And we rejoice 
(kauchw'metha) in hope of the glory of God," that you may learn, what 
kind of soul the faithful ought to have. For it is not only for what hath 
been given, but for what is to be given, that we ought to be filled with 
confidingness, as though it were already given. For one "rejoices" in what 
is already given. Since then the hope of things to come is even as sure and 
clear as that of what is given, he says that in that too we in like manner 
"rejoice." For this cause also he called them glory. For if it contributeth 
unto God's glory, come to pass it certainly will, though it do not for our 
sakes, yet for Him it will. And why am I saying (he means) that the 
blessings to come are worthy of being gloried in (kauchh'sews)? Why even 
the very evils of this time present are able to brighten up our 
countenances, and make us find in them even our repose. Wherefore also he 
added,

    Ver. 3. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also."

    Now, consider how great the things to come are, when even at things 
that seem to be distressful we can be elated; so great is God's gift, and 
such a nothing any distastefulness in them! For in the case of external 
goods, the struggle for them brings trouble and pain and irksomeness along 
with it; and it is the crowns and rewards that carry the pleasure with 
them. But in this case it is not so, for the wrestlings have to us no less 
relish than the rewards. For since there were sundry temptations in those 
days, and the kingdom existed in hopes, the terrors were at hand, but the 
good things in expectation, and this unnerved the feebler sort, even before 
the crowns he gives them the prize now, by saying that we should "glory 
even in tribulations." And what he says is not "you should glory," but we 
glory, giving them encouragement in his own person. Next since what he had 
said had an appearance of being strange and paradoxical, if a person who is 
struggling in famine, and is in chains and torments, and insulted, and 
abused, ought to glory, he next goes on to confirm it. And (what is more), 
he says they are worthy of being gloried in, not only for the sake of those 
things to come, but for the things present in themselves For tribulations 
are in their own selves a goodly thing. How so? It is because they anoint 
us unto patient abiding. Wherefore after saying we glory in tribulations, 
he has added the reason, in these words, "Knowing that tribulation worketh 
patience." Notice again the argumentative spirit of Paul, how he gives 
their argument an opposite turn. For since it was tribulations above all 
that made them give up the hopes of things to come, and which cast them 
into despondency, he says that these are the very reasons for 
confidingness, and for not desponding about the things to  come, for 
"tribulation," he says, "worketh patience."

   Ver. 4, 5. "And patience experience, and experience hope; and hope 
maketh not ashamed."[*]Tribulations; that is, are so far from confuting 
these hopes, that they even prove them. For before the things to come are 
realized, there is a very great fruit which tribulation hath--patience;[1] 
and the making of the man that is tried, experienced. And it contributes in 
some degree too to the things to come,[2] for it gives hope a vigor within 
us, since there is nothing that so inclines a man to hope for blessings as 
a good conscience. Now no man that has lived an upright life is unconfiding 
about things to come, as of those who have been negligent there are many 
that, feeling the burden of a bad conscience, wish there were neither 
judgment nor retribution. What then? do our goods lie in hopes? Yes, in 
hopes--but not mere human hopes, which often slip away, and put him that 
hoped to shame; when some one, who was expected to patronize him, dies, or 
is altered though he lives. No such lot is ours: our hope is sure and 
unmoveable. For He Who hath made the promise ever liveth, and we that are 
to be the enjoyers of it, even should we die, shall rise again, and there 
is absolutely nothing which can put us to shame, as having been elated at 
random, and to no purpose, upon unsound hopes. Having then sufficiently 
cleared them of all doubtfulness by these words of his, he does not let his 
discourse pause at the time present, but urges again the time to come, 
knowing that there were men of weaker character, who looked too for present 
advantages, and were not satisfied with these mentioned. And so he offers a 
proof for them in blessings already given. For lest any should say, But 
what if God be unwilling to give them to us? For that He can, and that He 
abideth and liveth, we all know: but how do we know, that He is willing, 
also, to do it? From the things which have been done already. "What things 
done?" The Love which He hath shown for us. In doing what? some may say. In 
giving the Holy Ghost. Wherefore after saying "hope maketh not ashamed," he 
goes on to the proof of this, as follows:

    "Because the love of God is," he does not say "given," but "shed abroad 
in our hearts," so showing the profusion of it. That gift then, which is 
the greatest possible, He hath given; not heaven and earth and sea, but 
what is more precious than any of these, and hath rendered us Angels from 
being men, yea sons of God, and brethren of Christ. But what is this gift? 
The Holy Spirit. Now had He not been willing to present us after our labors 
with great crowns, He would never have given us such mighty gifts before 
our labors. But now the warmth of His Love is hence made apparent, that it 
is not gradually and little by little that He honors us; but He hath shed 
abroad the full fountain of His blessings, and this too before our 
struggles. And so, if thou art not exceedingly worthy, despond not, since 
thou hast that Love of thy Judge as a mighty pleader for thee. For this is 
why he himself by saying, "hope maketh not ashamed," has ascribed 
everything not to our well-doings, but to God's love. But after mentioning 
the gift of the Spirit, he again passes to the Cross, speaking as follows:

    Ver. 6-8. "For while we were yet without strength, Christ in due time 
died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet 
pervadenture for a good man some would even dare to die.[*] But God 
commendeth His love towards us."

    Now what he is saying is somewhat of this kind. For if for a virtuous 
man, no one would hastily choose to die, consider thy Master's love, when 
it is not for virtuous men, but for sinners and enemies that He is seen to 
have been crucified--which he says too after this, "In that, if when we 
were sinners Christ died for us,"

    Ver. 9, 10. "Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall 
be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were 
reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we 
shall be saved by His life."

    And what he has said looks indeed like tautology, but it is not to any 
one who accurately attends to it. Consider then. He wishes to give them 
reasons for confidence respecting things to come. And first he gives them a 
sense of shame from the righteous man's decision, when he says, that he 
also "was fully persuaded that what God had promised He was able also to 
perform;" and next from the grace that was given; then from the 
tribulation, as sufficing to lead us into hopes; and again from the Spirit, 
whom we have received. Next from death, and from our former viciousness, he 
maketh this good. And it seems indeed, as I said, that what he had 
mentioned was one thing, but it is discovered to be two, three, and even 
many more. First, that "He died:" second, that it was "for the ungodly;" 
third, that He "reconciled, saved, justified" us, made us immortal, made us 
sons and heirs. It is not from His Death then only, he says, that we draw 
strong assertions, but from the gift which was given unto us through His 
Death. And indeed if He had died only for such creatures as we be, a proof 
of the greatest love would what He had done be! but when He is seen at once 
dying, and yielding us a gift, and that such a gift, and to such creatures, 
what was done casts into shade our highest conceptions, and leads the very 
dullest on to faith. For there is no one else that will save us, except He 
Who so loved us when we were sinners, as even to give Himself up for us. Do 
you see what a ground this topic affords for hope? For before this there 
were two difficulties in the way of our being saved; our being sinners, and 
our salvation requiring the Lord's Death, a thing which was quite 
incredible before it took place, and required exceeding love for it to take 
place. But now since this hath come about, the other requisites are easier. 
For we have become friends, and there is no further need of Death. Shall 
then He who hath so spared his enemies as not to spare His Son, fail to 
defend them now they are become friends, when He hath no longer any need to 
give up his Son? For it is either because a person does not wish it, or 
because though he may wish it perhaps,[1] yet he is unable to do it, that 
he does not save. Now none of these things can be said of God. For that He 
is willing is plain from His having given up His Son.[2] But that He is 
able also is the very thing He proved likewise, from the very fact of His 
having justified men who were sinners. What is there then to prevent us any 
more from obtaining the things to come? Nothing! Then again, lest upon 
hearing of sinners, and enemies, and strengthless ones, and ungodly, thou 
shouldest be inclined to feel abashed and blush; hear what he says.

    Ver. 11; "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the atonement."

    What meaneth the "not only so?" Not only were we saved, he means, but 
we even glory [1] for this very reason, for which some suppose we ought to 
hide our faces. For, for us who lived in so great wickedness to be saved, 
was a very great mark of our being exceedingly beloved by Him that saved 
us. For it was not by angels or archangels, but by His Only-begotten Son 
Himself, that He saved us. And so the fact of His saving us, and saving us 
too when we were in such plight, and doing it by means of His Only-
begotten, and not merely by His Only begotten, but by His Blood, weaves for 
us endless crowns to glory in. For there is not anything that counts so 
much in the way of glory and confidence, as the being treated as friends 
(philei^sthai) by God, and finding a Friend (philei^n) in Him that 
loveth (agapw^nta) us. This it is that maketh the angels glorious, and 
the principalities and powers. This is greater than the Kingdom, and so 
Paul placed it above the Kingdom. For this also I count the incorporeal 
powers blessed, because they love Him, and in all things obey Him. And on 
this score the Prophet also expressed his admiration at them. "Ye that 
excel in strength, that fulfil His Word." (Ps. ciii. 20.) And hence too 
Isaiah extolleth the Seraphim, setting forth their great excellency from 
their standing near that glory, which is a sign of the greatest love.

    Let us then emulate the powers above, and be desirous not only of 
standing near the throne, but of having Him dwelling in us who sitteth upon 
the Throne. He loved us when we hated Him, and also continueth to love us. 
"For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain 
on the just and on the unjust." (Matt. v. 45.) As then He loveth us, do 
thou love Him. For He is our Friend (philei^ ga`r). And how cometh it, 
some will say, that one who is our Friend threateneth hell, and punishment, 
and vengeance? It is owing to His loving us alone. For all He doeth and is 
busied with, is with a view to strike out thy wickedness, and to refrain 
with fear, as with a kind of bridle, thy inclinableness to the worse side, 
and by blessings and by pains recovering thee from thy downward course, and 
leading thee up to Him, and keeping thee from all vice, which is worse than 
hell. But if thou mockest what is said, and wouldest rather live 
continually in misery, than be punished for a single day, it is no marvel. 
For this is but a sign of thy unformed judgment (atelou^s gnw'mhs), 
drunkenness, and incurable disorder. Since little children even when they 
see the physician going to apply burning or the knife, flee and leap away 
screaming and convulsed, and choose to have a continual sore eating into 
their body, rather than to endure a temporary pain, and so enjoy health 
afterwards. But those who have come to discretion, know that to be diseased 
is worse than submitting to the knife, as also to be wicked is worse than 
to be punished. For the one is to be cured and to be healthy, the other to 
ruin one's constitution and to be in continual feebleness. Now that health 
is better than feebleness, surely is plain to every one. Thieves then ought 
to weep not when they have their sides pierced through, but when they 
pierce through walls and murder. For if the soul be better than the body 
(as it is), when the former is ruined there is more reason to groan and 
lament; but if a man does not feel it, so much the more reason to bewail 
it. For those that love with an unchastened love ought to be more pitied 
than those who have a violent fever, and those that are drunken, than those 
that are undergoing torture. But if these are more painful (some may say), 
how come we to give them the preference? Because there are many of mankind, 
who, as the proverb saith, like the worse, and they choose these, and pass 
by the better. And this one may see happening as well in victuals as in 
forms of government, in emulous aims of life too, and in the enjoyment of 
pleasure, and in wives, and in houses, and in slaves, and in lands, and in 
the case of all other things. For which is more pleasurable pray, 
cohabiting with women or with males? with women or with mules? Yet still we 
shall find many that pass over women, and cohabit with creatures void of 
reason, and abuse the bodies of males. Yet natural pleasures are greater 
than unnatural ones. But still many there are that follow after things 
ridiculous and joyless, and accompanied with a penalty, as if pleasurable. 
Well but to them, a man may say, these things appear so. Now this alone is 
ground enough to make them miserable, that they think those things to be 
pleasurable which are not so. Thus they assume punishment to be worse than 
sin which it is not, but just the contrary. Yet, if it were an evil to the 
sinner, God would not have added evils to the evil; for He that doeth 
everything to extinguish evil, would not have increased it. Being punished 
then is no evil to the man who has done wrong, but not being punished, when 
in that plight, is evil, just as for the infirm not to be cured. (Plat. 
Gorg. p. 478, sqq.) For there is nothing so evil as extravagant desire. And 
when I say, extravagant, I mean that of luxury, and that of ill-placed 
glory, and that of power, and in general that of all things which go beyond 
what is necessary. For such is he who lives a soft and dissolute life, who 
seems to be the happiest of men, but is the most wretched, as superinducing 
upon his soul harsh and tyrannical sovereigns. For this cause hath God made 
the present a life of labor to us, that He may rid us of that slavery, and 
bring us into genuine freedom. For this cause He threatened punishment, and 
made labors a part of our portion in life, so muzzling our vaunting spirit. 
In this way the Jews also, when they were fettered to the clay and brick 
making, were at once self-governed, and called continually upon God. But 
when they were in the enjoyment of freedom, then they murmured, and 
provoked the Lord, and pierced themselves through with countless evils. 
What then, it may be said, will you say to those frequent instances of men 
being altered for the worse by tribulations? Why, that this is no effect of 
tribulation, but of their own imbecility. For neither if a man had a weak 
stomach and could not take a bitter medicine which would act as a 
purgative, but was made even worse by it, would it be the drug we should 
find fault with, but the weakness of the part, as we should therefore here 
too with the yieldingness of temper. For he who is altered so by 
tribulation, is much more likely to be affected in this way by laxity. If 
he fails even when splinted, (or tied) (this is what affliction is), much 
more will he when the bandage is removed. If when braced up he is altered, 
much more when in a state of tumor (chaunou'menos). And how am I, one 
may ask, to keep from being so altered by tribulation? Why, if thou 
reflectest that, wish it or not, thou wilt have to bear the thing 
inflicted: but if thou dost it with a thankful spirit, thou wilt gain very 
greatly thereby but if thou art indignant at it, and ragest[1] and 
blasphemest, thou wilt not make the calamity lighter, but thou wilt render 
its wave more troublous. By feeling then in this way, let us turn what is 
necessary into a matter of our own choice. What I mean is this--suppose one 
has lost his own son, another all his property: if you reflect that it is 
not in the nature of things for what has taken place to be undone; while it 
is to gain fruit from the misfortune, though irremediable, even that of 
bearing the circumstance nobly; and if instead of using blasphemous words, 
thou wert to offer up words of thanksgiving to the Lord, so would evils 
brought upon thee against thy will become to thee the good deeds of a free 
choice. Hast thou seen a son taken prematurely away? Say, "the Lord hath 
given, the Lord hath taken away." Do you see your fortune exhausted? Say, 
"naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither." 
(Job. i. 21.) Do you see evil men faring well, and just men faring ill and 
undergoing ills without number, and dost thou not know where to find the 
cause? Say, "I became even as it were a beast before Thee. Yet I am ever 
with Thee." (Ps. lxxiii. 22.) But if thou wilt search out the cause, 
reflect that He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world, and so 
you will throw off perplexity, for then every man will meet his deserts, 
even as Lazarus and the rich man. Call to mind the Apostles, for they too 
rejoiced at being scourged, at being driven about and undergoing numberless 
sufferings, because they were "counted worthy to suffer shame for His 
Name's sake." (Acts v. 41.) And do thou, then, if thou art sick, bear it 
nobly, and own thyself indebted to God for it, and thou shall receive the 
same reward with them. But how, when in feebleness and pain, art thou to be 
able to feel grateful to the Lord? Thou wilt if thou lovest Him sincerely. 
For if the Three Children who were thrown into the furnace, and others who 
were in prisons, and in countless other evils, ceased not to give thanks, 
much more will they who are in a state of disease, be able to do this. For 
there is not, assuredly there is not, anything which vehement desire doth 
not get the better of. But when the desire is even that of God, it is 
higher than anything, and neither fire, nor the sword, nor poverty, nor 
infirmity, nor death, nor aught else of the kind appeareth dreadful to one 
who hath gotten this love, but scorning them all, he will fly to heaven, 
and will have affections no way inferior to those of its inhabitants, 
seeing nothing else, neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, but gazing only at 
the one Beauty of that glory. And neither the vexations of this life 
present will depress him, nor the things which are goodly and attended with 
pleasure elate him or puff him up. Let us then love with this love (for 
there is not anything equal unto it) both for the sake of things present 
and for the sake of things to come. Or rather, more than for these, for the 
nature of the love itself. For we shall be set free both from the 
punishments of this life and of that which is to come, and shall enjoy the 
kingdom. Yet neither is the escape from hell, nor the fruition of the 
kingdom, anything great in comparison of what is yet to be said. For 
greater than all these things is it to have Christ our beloved at once and 
our lover. For if when this happens with men it is above all pleasure; when 
both happen from God, what language or what thought is able to set before 
one the blessedness of this soul? There is none that can, save the 
experience of it only. That then we may by experience come to know what is 
this spiritual joy, and life of blessedness, and untold treasure of good 
things, let us leave everything to cling to that love, with a view as well 
to our own joy as to the glory of God. For unto Him is the glory and power, 
with His Only-begotten, and the Holy Ghost, now, and ever, and unto all 
ages evermore. Amen.

HOMILY X: ROM. V. 12.

"Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and 
so death passed upon (dih^lthen 6 Mss. eis. . .) all men, for that 
all have sinned."

    As the best physicians always take great pains to discover the source 
of diseases, and go to the very fountain of the mischief, so doth the 
blessed Paul also. Hence after having said that we were justified, and 
having shown it from the Patriarch, and from the Spirit, and from the dying 
of Christ (for He would not have died unless He intended to justify), he 
next confirms from other sources also what he had at such length 
demonstrated. And he confirms his proposition from things opposite, that 
is, from death and sin. How, and in what way? He enquires whence death came 
in, and how it prevailed. How then did death come in and prevail? "Through 
the sin of one." But what means, "for that all have sinned?" This; he 
having once fallen, even they that had not eaten of the tree did from him, 
all of them, become mortal.[*][

    Ver. 13. "For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not 
imputed where there is no law."

    The phrase "till the Law" some think he used of the time before the 
giving of the Law--that of Abel, for instance, or of Noah, or of Abraham--
till Moses was born. What was the sin in those days, at this rate? some say 
he means that in Paradise. For hitherto it was not done away, (he would 
say,) but the fruit of it was yet in vigor. For it had borne that death 
whereof all partake, which prevailed and lorded over us. Why then does he 
proceed, "But sin is not imputed when there is no law?" It was by way of 
objection from the Jews, say they who have spoken on our side,[1] that he 
laid this position down and said, if there be no sin without the Law, how 
came death to consume all those before the Law? But to me it seems that the 
sense presently to be given has more to be said for it, and suits better 
with the Apostle's meaning. And what sense is this? In saying, that "till 
the Law sin was in the world," what he seems to me to mean is this, that 
after the Law was given the sin resulting from the transgression of it 
prevailed, and prevailed too so long as the Law existed. For sin, he says, 
can have no existence if there be no law. <t> If then it was this sin, he 
means, from the transgression of the Law that brought forth death, how was 
it that all before the Law died? For if it is in sin that death hath its 
origin, but when there is no law, sin is not imputed, how came death to 
prevail? From whence it is clear, that it was not this sin, the 
transgression, that is, of the Law, but that of Adam's disobedience, which 
marred all things. Now what is the proof of this? The fact that even before 
the Law all died: for "death reigned" he says, "from Adam to Moses, even 
over them that had not sinned."

    How did it reign? "After the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is 
the figure of Him that was to come." Now this is why Adam is a type of 
Christ. How a type? it will be said. Why in that, as the former became to 
those who were sprung from him, although they had not eaten of the tree, 
the cause of that death which by his eating was introduced; thus also did 
Christ become to those sprung from Him, even though they had not wrought 
righteousness, the Provider[1] of that righteousness which through His 
Cross[2] He graciously bestowed on us all. For this reason, at every turn 
he keeps to the "one," and is continually bringing it before us, when he 
says, "As by one man sin entered into the world"--and, "If through the 
offence of one many be dead:" and, "Not as it was by one that sinned, so is 
the gift;" and, "The judgment was by one to condemnation:" and again, "If 
by one (or, the one) man's offence death reigned by one;" and "Therefore as 
by the offence of one." And again, "As by one man's disobedience many (or, 
the many) were made sinners." And so he letteth not go of the one, that 
when the Jew says to thee, How came it, that by the well-doing of this one 
Person, Christ, the world was saved? thou mightest be able to say to him, 
How by the disobedience of this one person, Adam, came it to be condemned? 
And yet sin and grace are not equivalents, death and life are not 
equivalents, the Devil and God are not equivalents, but there is a 
boundless space between them. When then as well from the nature of the 
thing as from the power of Him that transacteth it, and from the very 
suitableness thereof (for it suiteth much better with God to save than to 
punish), the preeminence and victory is upon this side, what one word have 
you to say for unbelief, tell me? However, that what had been done was 
reasonable, he shows in the following words.

   Ver. 15. "But not as the offence, so is also the free gift. For if 
through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and 
the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto 
the many."

    For what he says is somewhat of this kind. If sin had so extensive 
effects, and the sin of one man too; how can grace, and that the grace of 
God, not the Father only, but also the Son, do otherwise than be the more 
abundant of the two? For the latter is far the more reasonable supposition. 
For that one man should be punished on account of another does not seem to 
be much in accordance with reason. But for one to be saved on account of 
another is at once more suitable and more reasonable. If then the former 
took place, much more may the latter. Hence he has shown from these grounds 
the likelihood and reasonableness of it. For when the former had been made 
good, this would then be readily admitted. But that it is even necessarily 
so, he makes good from what follows. How then does he make it good?

    Vet. 16. "And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the 
judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences 
unto justification."

    And what is this that he is speaking of? It is that sin had power to 
bring in death and condemnation; but grace did not do away that one sin 
only, but also those that followed after in its train. Lest then the words 
"as" and "so" might seem to make the measure of the blessings and the evils 
equal, and that you might not think, upon hearing of Adam, that it was only 
that sin which he had brought in which was done away with, he says that it 
was from many offences that an indemnity was brought about. How is this 
plain? Because after the numberless sins committed after that in paradise, 
the matter issued in justification. But where righteousness is, there of 
necessity follows by all means life, and the countless blessings, as does 
death where sin was. For righteousness is more than life, since it is even 
the root of life. That there were several goods then brought in, and that 
it was not that sin only that was taken away, but all the rest along with 
it, he points out when he says, that "the gift was of many offences unto 
justification." In which a proof is necessarily included, that death was 
also torn up by the roots. But since he had said, that the second was 
greater than the first, he is obliged to give further grounds again for 
this same thing. For, before, he had said that if one man's sin slew all, 
much more will the grace of One have the power to save. After that he shows 
that it was not that sin only that was done away by the grace, but all the 
rest too, and that it was not that the sins were done away only, but that 
righteousness was given. And Christ did not merely do the same amount of 
good that Adam did of harm, but far more and greater good. Since then he 
had made such declarations as these, he wants again here also further 
confirmation of these. And how does he give this confirmation? He says,

    Ver. 17. "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more 
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift and (so Field with 
most Mss.) of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ."

    What he says, amounts to this nearly. What armed death against the 
world? The one man's eating from the tree only. If then death attained so 
great power from one offence, when it is found that certain received a 
grace and righteousness out of all proportion to that sin, how shall they 
still be liable to death? And for this cause, he does not here say" grace," 
but "superabundance of grace." For it was not as much as we must have to do 
away the sin only, that we received of His grace, but even far more. For we 
were at once freed from punishment, and put off all iniquity, and were also 
born again from above (John iii. 3) and rose again with the old man buried, 
and were redeemed, justified, led up to adoption, sanctified, made brothers 
of the Only-begotten, and joint heirs and of one Body with Him, and counted 
for His Flesh, and even as a Body with the Head, so were we united unto 
Him! All these things then Paul calls a "superabundance" of grace, showing 
that what we received was not a medicine only to countervail the wound, but 
even health, and comeliness, and honor, and glory and dignities far 
transcending our natural state. And of these each in itself was enough to 
do away with death, but when all manifestly run together in one, there is 
not the least vestige of it left, nor can a shadow of it be seen, so 
entirely is it done away. As then if any one were to cast a person who owed 
ten mites (obo'lous) into prison, and not the man himself only, but wife 
and children and servants for his sake; and another were to come and not to 
pay down the ten mites only, but to give also ten thousand talents of gold, 
and to lead the prisoner into the king's courts, and to the throne of the 
highest power, and were to make him partaker of the highest honor and every 
kind of magnificence, the creditor would not be able to remember the ten 
mites; so hath our case been. For Christ hath paid down far more than we 
owe, yea as much more as the illimitable ocean is than a little drop. Do 
not then, O man, hesitate as thou seest so great a store of blessings, nor 
enquire how that mere spark of death and sin was done away, when such a sea 
of gifts was brought in upon it. For this is what Paul intimated by saying 
that "they who have received the abundance of the grace and righteousness 
shall reign in life." And as he had now clearly demonstrated this, he again 
makes use of his former argument, clenching it by taking up the same word 
afresh, and saying that if for that offence all were punished, then they 
may be justified too by these means.[*] And so he says,

    Ver. 18. "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men 
to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came 
upon all men unto justification of life."

    And he insists again upon it, saying,

    Ver. 19. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so 
by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.

    What he says seems indeed to involve no small question: but if any one 
attends to it diligently, this too will admit of an easy solution. What 
then is the question? It is the saying that through the offence of one many 
were made sinners. For the fact that when he had sinned and become mortal, 
those who were of him should be so also, is nothing unlikely. But how would 
it follow that from his disobedience another would become a sinner?  For at 
this rate a man of this sort will not even deserve punishment, if, that is, 
it was not from his own self that he became a sinner. What then does the 
word "sinners" mean here? To me it seems to mean liable to punishment and 
condemned to death. Now that by Adam's death we all became mortals, he had 
shown clearly and at large. But the question now is, for what purpose was 
this done? But this he does not go on to add: for it contributed nothing to 
his present object. For it is against a Jew that the contest is, who 
doubted and made scorn of the righteousness by One. And for this reason 
after showing that the punishment too was brought in by one upon all, the 
reason why this was so he has not added. For he is not for superfluities, 
but keeps merely to what is necessary. For this is what the principles of 
disputation did not oblige him to say any more than the Jew; and therefore 
he leaves it unsolved. But if any of you were to enquire with a view to 
learn, we should give this answer: That we are so far from taking any harm 
from this death and condemnation[1], if we be sober-minded, that we are the 
gainers even by having become mortal, first, because it is not an immortal 
body in which we sin; secondly, because we get numberless grounds for being 
religious (philosophi'as). For to be moderate, and to be temperate, and 
to be subdued, and to keep ourselves clear of all wickedness, is what death 
by its presence and by its being expected persuades us to. But following 
with these, or rather even before these, it hath introduced other greater. 
blessings besides. For it is from hence that the crowns of the martyrs 
come, and the rewards of the Apostles. Thus was Abel justified, thus was 
Abraham, in having slain his son, thus was John, who for Christ's sake was 
taken off, thus were the Three Children, thus was Daniel. For if we be so 
minded, not death only, but even the devil himself will be unable to hurt 
us. And besides there is this also to be said, that immortality awaits us, 
and after having been chastened a little while, we shall enjoy the 
blessings to come without fear, being as if in a sort of school in the 
present life, under instruction by means of disease, tribulation, 
temptations, and poverty, and the other apparent evils, with a view to our 
becoming fit for the reception of the blessings of the world to come.

    Ver. 20. "Moreover the Law entered: that the offence might abound."

    Since then he had shown that the world was condemned from Adam, but 
from Christ was saved and freed from condemnation, he now seasonably enters 
upon the discussion of the Law, here again undermining the high notions of 
it. For it was so far from doing any good, he means, or from being any way 
helpful, but the disorder was only increased by its having come in. But the 
particle "that" again does not assign the cause, but the result. For the 
purpose of its being given was not "in order that" it might abound, for it 
was given to diminish and destroy the offence. But it resulted the opposite 
way, not owing to the nature of the Law, but owing to the listlessness of 
those who received it.[*] But why did he not say the Law was given, but 
"the Law entered by the way?" It was to show that the need of it was 
temporary, and not absolute or imperative. And this he says also to the 
Galatians, showing the very same thing another way. "For before faith 
came," he says, "we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which 
should afterwards be revealed." And so it was not for itself, but for 
another, that it kept the flock. For since the Jews were somewhat gross-
minded, and enervated, and indifferent to the gifts themselves, this was 
why the Law was given, that it might convict them the more, and clearly 
teach them their own condition, and by increasing the accusation might the 
more repress them. But be not thou afraid, for it was not that the 
punishment might be greater that this was done, but that the grace might be 
seen to be greater. And this is why he proceeds,

    "But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound."

    He does not say did abound, but "did much more abound." For it was not 
remission from punishment only that He gave us, but that from sins, and 
life also. As if any were not merely to free a man with a fever from his 
disease, but to give him also beauty, and strength, and rank; or again, 
were not to give one an hungered nourishment only, but were to put him in 
possession of great riches, and were to set him in the highest authority. 
And how did sin abound? some will say. The Law gave countless commands. Now 
since they transgressed them all, trangression became more abundant. Do you 
see what a great difference there is between grace and the Law? For the one 
became an addition to the condemnation, but the other, a further abundance 
of gifts. Having then mentioned the unspeakable munificence, he again 
discusses the beginning and the root both of death and of life. What then 
is the root of death? It is sin. Wherefore also he saith,

    Ver. 21. "That as sin reigned unto death, even so might grace reign 
through righteousness unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

    This he says to show that the latter ranks as a king, the former, 
death, as a soldier, being marshalled under the latter, and armed by it. If 
then the latter (i.e. sin) armed death, it is plain enough that the 
righteousness destructive hereof, which by grace was introduced, not only 
disarms death, but even destroys it, and undoes entirely the dominion 
thereof, in that it is the greatest of the two, as being brought in not by 
man and the devil, but by God and grace, and leading our life unto a 
goodlier estate, and to blessings unlimited. For of it there will never be 
any end (to give you a view of its superiority from this also). For the 
other cast us out of our present life, but grace, when it came, gave us not 
the present life, but the immortal and eternal one. But for all these 
things Christ is our voucher. Doubt not then for thy life if thou hast 
righteousness, for righteousness is greater than life as being mother of 
it.

    Chap. vi. ver. 1. "What then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may 
abound? God forbid."

    He is again turning off to exhortation, yet introducing it not 
directly, lest he should seem to many to be irksome and vexing, but as if 
it rose out of the doctrines. For if, even so diversifying his address, he 
was afraid of their being offended at what he said, and therefore said, "I 
have written the more boldly unto you in some sort," (Rom. xv. 15) much 
more would he have seemed to them, had he not done so, to be too. harsh. 
Since then he showed the greatness of the grace by the greatness of the 
sins it healed, and owing to this it seemed in the eyes of the unthinking 
to be an encouragement to sin (for if the reason, they would say, why 
greater grace was shown, was because we had done great sins, let us not 
give over sinning, that grace may be more displayed still), now that they 
might not say this or suspect it, see how he turns the objection back 
again. First he does it by his deprecation. "God forbid." And this he is in 
the habit of doing at things confessed on all hands to be absurd. And then 
he lays down an irrefragable argument. And what is it?

    Ver. 2. "How shall we," he says, "that are dead to sin, live any longer 
therein?"

    What does "we are dead" mean? Does it mean that as for that, and as far 
as it goes, we have all received the sentence[1] of death? or, that we 
became dead to it by believing any being[2] enlightened. This is what one 
should rather say, since the sequel makes this clearly right. But what is 
becoming dead to it? The not obeying it in anything any more. For this 
baptism effected once for all, it made us dead to it. But this must of our 
own earnestness thenceforth continually be maintained, so that, although 
sin issue countless commands to us, we may never again obey it, but abide 
unmovable as a dead man doth. And indeed he elsewhere saith that sin itself 
is dead. But there he sets that down as wishing to show that virtue is 
easy, (Rein. vii. 87) But here, as he earnestly desires to rouse the 
hearer, he puts the death on his side. Next, since what was said was 
obscure, he again explains, using what he had said also in the way of 
reproof.

    Ver. 3, 4. "Know ye not," he says, "my brethren, that so many of us as 
were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? therefore we are 
buried with Him by baptism into death."

    What does being "baptized into His Death" mean? That it is with a view 
to our dying as He did. For Baptism is the Cross. What the Cross then, and 
Burial, is to Christ, that Baptism hath been to us, even if not in the same 
respects. For He died Himself and was buried in the Flesh, but we have done 
both to sin. Wherefore he does not say, planted together in His Death, but 
in the likeness of His Death. For both the one and the other is a death, 
but not of the same subject; since the one is of the Flesh, that of Christ; 
the other of sin, which is our own. As then that is real, so is this. But 
if it be real, then a what is of our part again must be contributed. And so 
he proceeds,

    "That as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, 
even so we also should walk in newness of life."

    Here he hints, along with the duty of a careful walk, at the subject of 
the resurrection. In what way? Do you believe, he means, that Christ died, 
and that He was raised again? Believe then the same of thyself. For this is 
like to the other, since both Cross and Burial is thine. For if thou hast 
shared in Death and Burial, much more wilt thou in Resurrection and Life. 
For now the greater is done away with, the sin I mean, it is not right to 
doubt any longer about the lesser, the doing away of death.

    But this he leaves for the present to the conscience of his hearers to 
reason out, but himself, after the resurrection to come had been set before 
us, demands of us another, even the new conversation, which is brought 
about in the present life by a change of habits.[4] When then the 
fornicator becomes chaste, the covetous man merciful, the harsh subdued, 
even here a resurrection has taken place, the prelude to the other. And how 
is it a resurrection? Why, because sin is mortified, and righteousness hath 
risen again, and the old life hath been made to vanish, and this new and 
angelic one is being lived in. But when you hear of a new life, look for a 
great alteration, a wide change. But tears come into my eyes, and I groan 
deeply to think how great religiousness (philosophi'an) Paul requires of 
us, and what listlessness we have yielded ourselves up to, going back after 
our baptism to the oldness we before had, and returning to Egypt, and 
remembering the garlic after the manna. (Num. xi. 5.) For ten or twenty 
days at the very time of our Illumination, we undergo a change, but then 
take up our former doings again. But it is not for a set number of days, 
but for our whole life, that Paul requires of us such a conversation. But 
we go back to our former vomit, thus after the youth of grace building up 
the old age of sins. For either the love of money, or the slavery to 
desires not convenient, or any other sin whatsoever, useth to make the 
worker thereof old. "Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to 
vanish away." (Heb. viii. 13.) For there is no body, there surely is none, 
to be seen as palsied by length of time, as a soul is decayed and tottering 
with many sins. Such an one gets carried on to the last degree of doting, 
yielding indistinct sounds, like men that are very old and crazed, being 
surcharged with rheum, and great distortion of mind, and forgetfulness, and 
with scales upon its eyes, and[1] disgustful to men, and an easy prey to 
the devil. Such then are the souls of sinners; not so those of the 
righteous, for they are youthful and well-favored, and are in the very 
prime of life throughout, ever ready for any fight or struggle. But those 
of sinners, if they receive even a small shock, straightway fall and are 
undone. And it was this the Prophet made appear, when he said, that like as 
the chaff which the wind scattereth from the face of the earth (Ps. i. 4), 
thus are they that live in sin whirled to and fro, and exposed to every 
sort of harm. For they neither see like a healthy person, nor hear with 
simplicity, they speak not articulately, but are oppressed with great 
shortness of breath. They have their mouth overflowing with spittle. And 
would it were but spittle, and nothing offensive! But now they send forth 
words more fetid than any mire, and what is worst, they have not power even 
to spit this saliva of words away from them, but taking it in their hand 
with much lewdness, they smear it on again, so as to be coagulating, and 
hard to perspire through.[2] Perhaps ye are sickened with this description. 
Ought ye not, then to be more so at the reality? For if these things when 
happening in the body are disgustful, much more when in the soul. Such was 
that son who wasted out all his share, and was reduced to the greatest 
wretchedness, and was in a feebler state than any imbecile or disordered 
person. But when he was willing, he became suddenly young by his decision 
alone and his change. For as soon as he had said, "I will return to my 
Father," this one word conveyed to him all blessings; or rather not the 
bare word, but the deed which he added to the word. For he did not say, 
"Let me go back," and then stay there; but said, Let me go back, and went 
back, and returned the whole of that way. Thus let us also do; and even if 
we have gotten carried beyond the boundary, let us go up to our Father's 
house, and not stay lingering over the length of the journey. For if we be 
willing, the way back again is easy and very speedy. Only let us leave the 
strange and foreign land; for this is what sin is, drawing us far away from 
our Father's house; let us leave her then, that we may speedily return to 
the house of our Father. For our Father hath a natural yearning towards us, 
and will honor us if we be changed, no less than those that are 
unattainted, if we change, but even more, just as the father showed that 
son the greater honor. For he had greater pleasure himself at receiving 
back his son. And how am I to go back again? one may say. Do but put a 
beginning upon the business, and the whole is done. Stay from vice, and go 
no farther into it, and thou hast laid hold of the whole already. For as in 
the case of the sick, being no worse may be a beginning of getting better, 
so is the case with vice also. Go no further, and then your deeds of 
wickedness will have an end. And if you do so for two days, you will keep 
off on the third day more easily; and after three days you will add ten, 
then twenty, then an hundred, then your whole life. (Cf. Hom. xvii. on St. 
Matt. p. 267, O. T.) For the further thou goest on, the easier wilt thou 
see the way to be, and thou wilt stand on the summit itself, and wilt at 
once enjoy many goods. For so it was when the prodigal came back, there 
were flutes, and harps, and dancings, and feasts, and assemblings: and he 
who might have called his son to account for his ill-timed extravagance, 
and flight to such a distance, did nothing of the sort, but looked upon him 
as unattainted, and could not find it in him even to use the language of 
reproach, or rather, even to mention barely to him the former things, but 
threw himself upon him, and kissed him, and killed the calf, and put a robe 
upon him, and placed on him abundant honors. Let us then, as we have such 
examples before us, be of good cheer and keep from despair. For He is not 
so well pleased with being called Master, as Father, nor with having a 
slave as with having a son. And this is what He liketh rather than that. 
This then is why He did all that He has done; and "spared not even His 
Only-begotten Son" (Rom. viii. 32), that we might receive the adoption of 
sons, that we might love Him, not as a Master only, but as a Father. And if 
He obtained this of us He taketh delight therein as one that has glory 
given him, and proclaimeth it to all though He needeth nothing of ours. 
This is what, in Abraham's case for instance, He everywhere does, using 
these words, "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." And yet it was 
the), of His household who should have found an honor in this; but now it 
is the Lord evidently who does this; for this is why He says to Peter, 
"Lovest thou Me more than these?" (John xxi. 17) to show that He seeketh 
nothing so much as this from us. For this too He bade Abraham offer his son 
to Him, that He might make it known to all that He was greatly beloved[1]  
by the patriarch. Now this desire to be loved exceedingly comes from loving 
exceedingly. For this cause too He said to the Apostles, "He that loveth 
father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me." (Matt. x. 37.) For 
this cause He bids us esteem that even which is in the most close 
connection with us, our soul (or, life, v. 39, and John xii. 25), as second 
to the love of him, since He wisheth to be beloved by us with exceeding 
entireness. For we too, if we have no strong feelings about a person, have 
no strong desire for his friendship either, though he be great and noble; 
whereas when we love any one warmly and really, though the person loved be 
of low rank and humble, yet we esteem love from him as a very great honor. 
And for this reason He Himself also called it glory not to be loved by us 
only, but even to suffer those shameful things in our behalf. (ib. 23.) 
However, those things were a glory owing to love only. But whatever we 
suffer for Him, it is not for love alone; but even for the sake of the 
greatness and dignity of Him we long for, that it would with good reason 
both be called glory, and be so indeed. Let us then incur dangers for Him 
as if running for the greatest crowns, and let us esteem neither poverty, 
nor disease, nor affront, nor calumny, nor death itself, to be heavy and 
burdensome, when it is for Him that we suffer these things. For if we be 
right-minded, we are the greatest possible gainers by these things, as 
neither from the contrary to these shall we if not right-minded gain any 
advantage. But consider; does any one affront thee and war against thee? 
Doth he not thereby set thee upon thy guard, and give thee an opportunity 
of growing like unto God? For if thou lovest him that plots against thee, 
thou wilt be like Him that "maketh His Sun to rise upon the evil and good." 
(Matt. v. 45.) Does another take thy money away? If thou bearest it nobly, 
thou shalt receive the same reward as they who have spent all they have 
upon the poor. For it says, "Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, 
knowing that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." (Heb. 
x. 34.) Has any one reviled thee and abused thee, whether truly or falsely, 
he weaves for thee a very great crown if thou bearest meekly his contumely; 
since he too, who calumniates, provides for us an abundant reward. For 
"rejoice," it says, "and be exceeding glad, when men say all manner of evil 
against you falsely, because great is your reward in Heaven." (Matt. v. 12, 
11.) And he too that speaketh truth against us is of the greatest service, 
if we do but bear meekly what is said. For the Pharisee spake evil of the 
Publican, and with truth, still instead of a Publican he made him a 
righteous man. (Luke xviii. 11.) And what need to go into particular 
instances. For any one that will go to the conflicts of Job may learn all 
these points accurately. And this is why Paul said, "God for us, who 
against us?" (Rom. viii. 31.) As then by being earnest, we gain even from 
things that vex us, so by being listless, we do not even improve from 
things that favor us. For what did Judas profit, tell me, by being with 
Christ? or what profit was the Law to the Jew? or Paradise to Adam? or what 
did Moses profit those in the wilderness? And so we should leave all, and 
look to one point only, how we may husband aright our own resources. And if 
we do this, not even the devil himself will ever get the better of us, but 
will make our profiting the greater, by putting us upon being watchful. Now 
in this way it is that Paul rouses the Ephesians, by describing his 
fierceness. Yet we sleep and snore, though we have to do with so crafty an 
enemy. And if we were aware of a serpent[2] nestling by our bed, we should 
make much ado to kill him. But when the devil nestleth in our souls, we 
fancy that we take no harm, but lie at our ease; and the reason is, that we 
see him not with the eyes of our body. And yet this is why we should rouse 
us the more and be sober. For against an enemy whom one can perceive, one 
may easily be on guard; but one that cannot be seen, if we be not 
continually in arms, we shall not easily escape. And the more so, because 
he hath no notion of open combat (for he would surely be soon defeated), 
but often under the appearance of friendship he insinuates the venom of his 
cruel malice. In this way it was that he suborned Job's wife, by putting on 
the mask of natural affectionateness, to give that wretchless advice. And 
so when conversing with Adam, he puts on the air of one concerned and 
watching over his interests, and saith, that "your eyes shall be opened in 
the day that ye eat of the tree." (Gen. iii. 5.) Thus Jephtha too he 
persuaded, under the pretext of religion, to slay his daughter, and to 
offer the sacrifice the Law forbade. Do you see what his wiles are, what 
his varying warfare? Be then on thy guard, and arm thyself at all points 
with the weapons of the Spirit, get exactly acquainted with his plans, that 
thou mayest both keep from being caught, and easily catch him. For it was 
thus that Paul got the better of him, by getting exactly acquainted with 
these. And so he says, "for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Cor. 
ii. 11.) Let us then also be earnest in learning and avoiding his 
stratagems, that after obtaining a victory over him, we may, whether in 
this present life or in that which is to come, be proclaimed conquerors, 
and obtain those unalloyed blessings, by the grace and love toward man, 
etc.

HOMILY XI: ROM. VI. 5.

"For if we have been planted together[*] in the likeness of His death, we 
shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,"

    What I had before occasion to remark, that I mention here too, that he 
continually digresseth into exhortation, without making any twofold 
division as he does in the other Epistles, and setting apart the former 
portion for doctrines, and the latter for the care of moral instruction. 
Here then he does not do so, but blends the latter with the subject 
throughout, so as to gain it an easy admission. Here then he says there are 
two mortifyings, and two deaths, and that one is done by Christ in Baptism, 
and the other it is our duty to effect by earnestness afterwards. For that 
our former sins were buried, came of His gift. But the remaining dead to 
sin after baptism must be the work of our own earnestness, however much we 
find God here also giving us large help. For this is not the only thing 
Baptism has the power to do, to obliterate our former transgressions; for 
it also secures against subsequent ones. As then in the case of the former, 
thy contribution was faith that they might be obliterated, so also in those 
subsequent to this, show thou forth the change in thine aims, that thou 
mayest not defile thyself again. For it is this and the like that he is 
counselling thee when he says, "for if we have been planted together in the 
likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His 
Resurrection." Do you observe, how he rouses the hearer by leading him 
straightway up to his Master, and taking great pains to show the strong 
likeness? This is why he does not say "in death," lest you should gainsay 
it, but, "in the likeness of His Death." For our essence itself hath not 
died, but the man of sins, that is, wickedness. And he does not say, "for 
if we have been" partakers of "the likeness of His Death;" but what? "If we 
have. been planted together," so, by the mention of planting, giving a hint 
of the fruit resulting to us from it. For as His Body, by being buried in 
the earth, brought forth as the fruit of it the salvation of the world; 
thus ours also, being buried in baptism, bore as fruit righteousness, 
sanctification, adoption, countless blessings. And it will bear also 
hereafter the gift of the resurrection. Since then we were buried in water, 
He in earth, and we in regard to sin, He in regard to His Body, this is why 
he did not say, "we were planted together in His Death," but "in the 
likeness of His Death." For both the one and the other is death, but not 
that of the same subject. If then he says, "we have been planted together 
in His Death,[1] we shall be in that of His Resurrection," speaking here of 
the Resurrection which (Gr. be of His Resurrection) is to come. For since 
when he was upon the subject of the Death before, and said, "Know ye not, 
brethren, that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized 
into His Death?" he had not made any clear statement about the 
Resurrection, but only about the way of life after baptism, bidding men 
walk in newness of life; therefore he here resumes the same subject, and 
proceeds to foretell to us clearly that Resurrection. And that you may know 
that he is not speaking of that resulting from baptism, but about the 
other, after saying, "for if we were planted together in the likeness of 
His Death," he does not say that we shall be in the likeness of His 
Resurrection,(1) but we shall belong to the Resurrection.(*) For to prevent 
thy saying, and how, if we did not die as He died, are we to rise as He 
rose? when he mentioned the Death, he did not say, "planted together in the 
Death," but, "in the likeness of His Death." But when he mentioned the 
Resurrection, he did not say, "in the likeness of the Resurrection," but we 
shall be "of the Resurrection" itself. And he does not say, We have been 
made, but we shall be, by this word again plainly meaning that Resurrection 
which has not yet taken place, but will hereafter. Then with a view to give 
credibility to what he says, he points out another Resurrection which is 
brought about here before that one, that from that which is present thou 
mayest believe also that which is to come. For after saying, "we shall be 
planted together in the Resurrection," he adds,

    Ver. 6. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the 
body of sin might be destroyed."

    So putting together both the cause and the demonstration of the 
Resurrection which is to come. And he does not say is crucified, but is 
crucified with Him, so bringing baptism near to the Cross. And on this 
score also it was that he said above, "We have been planted together in the 
likeness of His Death that the body of sin might be destroyed," not giving 
that name to this body of ours, but to all iniquity. For as he calls the 
whole sum of wickedness the old man, thus again the wickedness which is 
made up of the different parts of iniquity he calls the body of that man. 
And that what I am saying is not mere guesswork, hearken to Paul's own 
interpretation of this very thing in what comes next. For after saying, 
"that the body of sin might be destroyed," he adds, "that henceforth we 
should not serve sin." For the way in which I would have it dead is not so 
that ye should be destroyed and die, but so that ye sin not. And as he goes 
on he makes this still clearer.

    Ver. 7. "For he that is dead," he says, "is freed (Gr. justified) from 
sin."

    This he says of every man, that as he that is dead is henceforth freed 
from sinning, lying as a dead body, so must(2) he that has come up from 
baptism, since he has died there once for all, remain ever dead to sin. If 
then thou hast died in baptism, remain dead, for any one that dies can sin 
no more; but if thou sinnest, thou marrest God's gift. After requiring of 
us then heroism (Gr. philosophy) of this degree, he presently brings in the 
crown also, in these words.

    Ver. 8. "Now if we be dead with Christ.":

    And indeed even before the crown, this is in itself the greater crown, 
the partaking with our Master. But he says, I give even another reward. Of 
what kind is it? It is life eternal. For "we believe," he says, "that we 
shall also live with Him." And whence is this clear?

    Ver. 9. "That Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more."

    And notice again his undauntedness,(3) and how he makes the thing good 
from opposite grounds. Since then it was likely that some would feel 
perplexed at the Cross and the Death, he shows that this very thing is a 
ground for feeling confident henceforward.

    For suppose not, he says, because He once died, that He is mortal, for 
this is the very reason of His being immortal. For His death hath been the 
death of death, and because He did die, He therefore doth not die. For even 
that death Ver. 10. "He died unto sin."

    "What does "unto sin"(1) mean? It means that He was not subject even to 
that one, but for our sin, that He might destroy it, and cut away its 
sinews and all its power, therefore He died. Do you see how he affrighteth 
them? For if He does not die again, then there is no second layer, then do 
thou keep from all inclinableness to sin. For all this he says to make a 
stand against the "let us do evil that good may come. Let us remain in sin 
that grace may abound." To take away this conception then, root and branch, 
it is, that he sets down all this. But in that "He liveth, He liveth unto 
God," he says,--that is, unchangeably, so that death hath no more any 
dominion over Him. For if it was not through any liability to it that He 
died the former death, save only for the sin of others, much less will He 
die again now that He hath done that sin away. And this he says in the 
Epistle to the Hebrews also, "But now once," he says, "in the end of the 
world hath He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself. And as 
it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment; so 
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look 
for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb. 
ix. 26-28.) And he both points out the power of the life that is according 
to God, and also the strength of sin.  For with regard to the life 
according to God, he showeth that Christ shall die no more. With regard to 
sin, that if it brought about the death even of the Sinless, how can it do 
otherwise than be the ruin of those that are subject to it? And then as he 
had discoursed about His life; that none might say, What hath that which 
you have been saying to do with us? he adds,

    Ver. 11. "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto 
sin, but alive unto God."

    He well says, "reckon," because there is no setting that, which he is 
speaking of, before the eyes as yet. And what are we to reckon? one may 
ask. That we "are dead unto sin, but alive unto God. In Jesus Christ our 
Lord." For he that so liveth will lay hold of every virtue, as having Jesus 
Himself for his ally. For that is what, "in Christ," means, for if He 
raised them when dead, much more when alive will He be able to keep them 
so.

    Ver. 12. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye 
should obey it in the lusts thereof."

    He does not say, let not the flesh live or act, but, "let not sin 
reign,"(2) for He came not to destroy our nature, but to set our free 
choice aright. Then to show that it is not through any force or necessity 
that we are held down by iniquity, but willingly, he does not say, let it 
not tyrannize, a word that would imply a necessity, but let it not reign. 
For it is absurd for those who are being conducted to the kingdom of heaven 
to have sin empress over them, and for those who are called to reign with 
Christ to choose to be the captives of sin, as though one should hurl the 
diadem from off his head, and choose to be the slave of a frantic woman, 
who came begging, and was clothed in rags. Next since it was a heavy task 
to get the upper hand of sin, see how he shows it to be even easy, and how 
he allays the labor by saying, "in your mortal body." For this shows that 
the struggles were but for a time, and would soon bring themselves to a 
close. At the same time he reminds us of our former evil plight, and of the 
root of death, as it was from this that, contrary even to its beginning, it 
became mortal. Yet it is possible even for one with a mortal body not to 
sin. Do you see the abundancy of Christ's grace? For Adam, though as yet he 
had not a mortal body, fell. But thou, who hast received one even subject 
to death, canst be crowned. How then, is it that "sin reigns?" he says. It 
is not from any power of its own, but from thy listlessness. Wherefore 
after saying, "let it not reign," he also points out the mode of this 
reigning, by going on to say "that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." 
For it is not honor to concede to it (i.e. to the body) all things at will, 
nay, it is slavery in the extreme, and the height of dishonor; for when it 
doth what it listeth, then is it bereft of all liberties; but when it is 
put under restraints, then it best keeps its own proper rank.

    Ver. 13. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of 
unrighteousness unto sin.... but as instruments of righteousness."

    The body then is indifferent between vice and virtue, as also 
instruments (or arms) are. But either effect is wrought by him that useth 
it. As if a soldier fighting in his country's behalf, and a robber who was 
arming against the inhabitants, had the same weapons for defence. For the 
fault is not laid to the suit of armor, but to those that use it to an ill 
end. And this one may say of the flesh too which becomes this or that owing 
to the mind's decision, not owing to its own nature. For if it be curious 
after the beauty of another, the eye becomes an instrument of iniquity, not 
through any agency of its own (for what is of the eye, is but seeing, not 
seeing amiss), but through the fault of the thought which commands it. But 
if you bridle it, it becomes an instrument of righteousness. Thus with the 
tongue, thus with the hands, thus with all the other members. And he well 
calls sin unrighteousness. For by sinning a man deals unrighteously either 
by himself or by his neighbor, or rather by himself more than by his 
neighbor. Having then led us away from wickedness, he leads us to virtue, 
in these words:

    "But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead."

    See how by his bare words he exhorts them, on that side naming "sin" 
and on this "God." For by showing what a difference there is between the 
rulers, he casts out of all excuse the soldier that leaveth God, and 
desireth to serve under the dominion of sin. But it is not only in this 
way, but also by the sequel, that he establishes this; by saying, "as alive 
from the dead." For by these he shows the wretchedness of the other, and 
the greatness of God's gift. For consider, he says, what you were, and what 
you have been made. What then were ye? Dead, and ruined by a destruction 
which could not from any quarter be repaired. For neither was there any one 
who had the power to assist you. And what have ye been made out of those 
dead ones? Alive with immortal life. And by whom? By the all-powerful God. 
Ye ought therefore to marshal yourselves under Him with as much cheerful 
readiness, as men would who had been made alive from being dead.

    "And your members as instruments of righteousness."

    Hence, the body is not evil, since it may be made an arm(1) of 
righteousness. But by  calling it an arm, he makes it clear that there is a 
hard warfare at hand for us. And for this reason we need strong armor, and 
also a noble spirit, and one acquainted too with the ways of this warfare; 
and above all we need a commander. The Commander however is standing by, 
ever ready to help us, and abiding unconquerable, and has furnished us with 
strong arms likewise. Farther, we have need of a purpose of mind to handle 
them as should be, so that we may both obey our Commander, and take the 
field for our country. Having then given us this vigorous exhortation, and 
reminded us of arms, and battle, and wars, see how he encourages the 
soldier again and cherishes(2) his ready spirit.

    Ver. 14. "For sin shall no more have dominion over you; for ye are not 
under the Law, but under grace."

    If then sin hath no more dominion over us, why does he lay so great a 
charge upon them as he does in the words, "Let not sin reign in your mortal 
body," and, "yield not ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness 
unto sin?" What does that here said mean then? He is sowing a kind of seed 
in this statement, which he means to develop afterwards, and to cultivate 
in a powerful argument. What then is this statement? It is this; that   our 
body, before Christ's coming, was an easy prey to the assaults of sin. For 
after death a great swarm of passions entered also. And for this cause it 
was not lightsome for running the race of virtue. For there was no Spirit 
present to assist, nor any baptism of power to mortify. (John vii. 39.) But 
as some horse (Plato Phaedr. to # 74) that answereth not the rein, it ran 
indeed, but made frequent slips, the Law meanwhile announcing what was to 
be done and what not, yet not conveying into those in the race anything 
over and above exhortation by means of words. But when Christ had come, the 
effort became afterwards more easy, and therefore we had a more distant 
goal (mei'zona ta` ska'mmata) set us, in that the assistance we had given 
us was greater. Wherefore also Christ saith, "Except your righteousness 
shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no 
case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matt. v. 20.) But this he says more 
clearly in the sequel. But at present he alludes here briefly to it, to 
show that unless we stoop down very low to it, sin will not get the better 
of us. For it is not the Law only that exhorteth us, but grace too which 
also remitted our former sins, and secures us against future ones. For it 
promised them crowns after toils, but this (i.e. grace) crowned them first, 
and than led them to the contest. Now it seems to me that he is not 
signifying here the whole life of a believer, but instituting a comparison 
between the Baptism and the Law. And this he says in another passage also 
"The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."(2 Cor. iii. 6.) For the 
Law convinceth of transgression, but grace undoes transgression. As then 
the former by convincing establisheth sin so the latter by forgiving 
suffereth us not to be under sin. And so thou art in two ways set free from 
this thraldom; both in thy not being under the Law, and in thy enjoying 
grace. After then he had by these words given the hearer a breathing time, 
he again furnishes him a safeguard, by introducing an exhortation in reply 
to an objection, and by saying as follows.

    Ver. 15. "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, 
but under grace? God forbid."

    So he first adopted a form of adjuration, because it was an absurb 
thing he had named. And then he makes his discourse pass on to exhortation, 
and shows the great facility of the struggle, in the following words.(*)

    Ver. 16. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to 
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of 
obedience unto righteousness?

    I do not, he would say, mention hell as yet, nor that great (Ms. Bodl. 
long) punishment, but the shame it is in this world, when ye become slaves, 
and slaves of your own accord too, and sin's slaves, and when the wages are 
such as a second death. For if before baptism, it wrought death of the 
body, and the wound required so great attendance, that the Lord of all came 
down to die, and so put a stop to the evil; if after so great a gift, and 
so great liberty, it seize thee again, while thou bendest down under it 
willingly, what is there that it may not do? Do not then run into such a 
pit, or willingly give thyself up. For in the case of wars, soldiers are 
often given up even against their will. But in this case, unless thou 
desertest of thyself, there is no one who will get the better of thee. 
Having then tried to shame them by a sense of duty, he alarms them also by 
the rewards, and lays before them the wages of both; righteousness, and 
death, and that a death not like the former, but far worse. For if Christ 
is to die no more, who is to do away with death? No one! We must then be 
punished, and have vengeance taken upon us forever. For a death preceptible 
to the senses is not still to come in this case, as in the former, which 
gives the body rest, and separates it from the soul. "For the last enemy, 
death, is destroyed" (1 Cor. xv. 26), whence the punishment will be 
deathless. But not to them that obey, for righteousness, and the blessings 
springing from it, will be their rewards.

    Ver. 17. "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye 
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto 
you." (Lit. "into which ye were delivered.")

    After shaming them by the slavery, after alarming them by the rewards, 
and so exhorting them, he again rights them by calling the benefits to 
mind. For by these he shows that they were great evils from which they were 
freed, and that not by any labors of their own, and that things henceforth 
would be more manageable. Just as any one who has rescued a captive from a 
cruel tyrant, and advises him not to run away back to him, reminds him of 
his grievous thraldom; so does Paul set the evils passed away most 
emphatically before us, by giving thanks to God. For it was no human power 
that could set us free from all those evils, but, "thanks be to God," who 
was willing and able to do such great things. And he well says, "Ye have 
obeyed from the heart." Ye were neither forced nor pressed, but ye came 
over of your own accord, with willing mind. Now this is like one that 
praises and rebukes at once. For after having willingly come, and not 
having had any necessity to undergo, what allowance can you claim, or what 
excuse can you make, if you run away back to your former estate? Next that 
you may learn that it came not of your own willing temper only, but the 
whole of it of God's grace also, after saying, "Ye have obeyed from the 
heart," he adds," that form of doctrine which was delivered you." For the 
obedience from the heart shows the free will. But the being delivered, 
hints the assistance from God. But what is the form of doctrine?(1) It is 
living aright, and in conformity with the best conversation.

    Ver. 18. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of 
righteousness."

    There are two gifts of God which he here points out. The "freeing from 
sin," and also the "making them servants to righteousness," which is better 
than any freedom. For God hath done the same as if a person were to take an 
orphan, who had been carried away by savages into their own country, and 
were not only to free him from captivity, but were to set a kind father 
ever him, and bring him to very great dignity. And this has been done in 
our case. For it was not our old evils alone that He freed us from, since 
He even led us to the life of angels, and paved the way for us to the best 
conversation, handing us over to the safe keeping of righteousness, and 
killing our former evils, and deadening the old man, and leading us to an 
immortal life.

    Let us then continue living this life; for many of those who seem to 
breathe and to walk about are in a more wretched plight than the dead. For 
there are different kinds of deadness; and one there is of the body, 
according to which Abraham was dead, and still was not dead. For "God," He 
says, "is not a God of the dead, but of the living." (Matt. xxii. 32.) 
Another is of the soul which Christ alludes to when He says, "Let the dead 
bury their dead." (ib. viii. 22. Another, which is even the subject of 
praise, which is brought about by religion (philosophi'as), of which Paul 
saith, "Mortify your members which are upon the earth." (Col. iii. 5.) 
Another, which is the cause even of this, the one which takes place in 
baptism. "For our old man," he says, "has been crucified" (ver. 6), that 
is, has been deadened. Since then we know this, let us flee from the 
deadness by which, even though alive, we die. And let us not be afraid of 
that with which common death comes on. But the other two, whereof one is 
blissful, having been given by God, the other praiseworthy (cf. Ar. Eth. i. 
12), which is accomplished by ourselves together with God, let us both 
choose and be emulous of. And of those two, one doth David pronounce 
blessed, when he says, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven" 
(Ps. xxxii. 1); and the other, Paul holds in admiration, saying, and 
writing to the Galatians, "They that be Christ's have crucified the flesh." 
(Gal. v. 24.) But of the other couple, one Christ declares to be easy to 
hold in contempt, when He says, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are 
not able to kill the soul:" and the other fearful, for, "Fear" (He says) 
"Him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell." (Matt. x. 28.) 
And therefore let us flee from this, and choose(1) that deadness which is 
held blessed and admirable; that of the other two, we may escape the one 
and not(2) fear the other: for it is not the least good to us to see the 
sun, and to eat and drink, unless the life of good words be with us. For 
what would be the advantage, pray, of a king dressed in a purple robe and 
possessed of arms, but without a single subject, and exposed to all that 
had a mind to attack and insult him? In like manner it will be no advantage 
to a Christian to have faith, and the gift of baptism, and yet be open to 
all the passions. In that way the disgrace will be greater, and the shame 
more. For as such an one having the diadem and purple is so far from 
gaining by this dress any honor to himself, that he even does disgrace to 
that by his own shame: so the believer also, who leadeth a corrupt life, is 
so far from becoming, as such, an object of respect, that he is only the 
more one of scorn. "For as many," it says, "as sinned without law, shall 
also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be 
judged by the law." (Rom. ii. 12). And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, he 
says, "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three 
witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought 
worthy, who had trodden under foot the Son of God?" (Heb. x. 28, 29.) And 
with reason. For I placed (He might say) all the passions in subjection to 
thee by baptism. How then comes it that thou hast disgraced so great a 
gift, and hast become one thing instead of another? I have killed and 
buried thy former transgressions, like worms--how is it that thou hast bred 
others?--for sins are worse than worms, since these do harm to the body, 
those to the soul; and those make the more offensive stench. Yet we 
perceive it not, and so we are at no pains to purge them out. Thus the 
drunkard knows not how disgustful the stale wine is, but he that is not 
drunken has a distinct perception of it. So with sins also, he that lives 
soberly knows thoroughly that other mire, and the stain. But he that gives 
himself up to wickedness, like a man made drowsy with drunkenness, does not 
even know the very fact that he is ill. And this is the most grievous part 
of vice, that it does not allow those who fall into it even to see the 
greatness of their own bane, but as they lie in the mire, they think they 
are enjoying perfumes. And so they have not even the power of getting free, 
but when full of worms, like men that pride themselves in precious stones. 
so do they exult in these. And for this reason they have not so much as the 
will to kill them, but they even nourish these up, and multiply them in 
themselves, until they send them on to the worms of the world to come. For 
these are providers for those, and are not only providers, but even the 
fathers of those that never die; as it says, "their worm shall not die." 
(Mark ix. 44.) These kindle the hell which never extinguishes. To prevent 
this from happening then, let us do away with this fountain of evil, and 
extinguish the furnace, and let us draw up the root of wickedness from 
beneath, since you will do no good by cutting the tree off from above, if 
the root remains below, and sends up fresh shoots of the same kind again. 
What then is the root of the evils? Learn from the good husbandman (i.e. 
St. Paul 1 Cor. iii. 6-9), who has an accurate knowledge of such things, 
and tends the spiritual vine and cultivates the whole world. Now what does 
he say is the cause of all the evils? The love  of money. For the "love of 
money is the root of all evils." (1 Tim. vi. 10). Hence come fightings, and 
enmities and wars; hence emulations, and railings, and suspicions, and 
insults; hence murders, and thefts, and violations of sepulchres. Through 
this, not cities and countries only, but roads and habitable and 
inhabitable parts, and mountains, and groves, and hills, and, in a word, 
all places are filled with blood and murder. And not even from the sea has 
this evil withdrawn, but even there also with great fury hath it revelled, 
since pirates beset it on all sides, thus devising a new mode of robbery. 
Through this have the laws of nature been subverted, and the claims of 
relationship set aside, and the laws of piety itself(1) broken through. For 
the thraldom of money hath armed, not against the living only, but even 
against the departed too, the right hands of such men. And at death even, 
they make no truce with them, but bursting open the sepulchres, they put 
forth their impious hands even against dead bodies, and not even him that 
hath let go of life will they suffer to be let go from their plotting. And 
all the evils that you may find, whether in the house or in the market-
place, or in the courts of law, or in the senate, or in the king's palace, 
or in any other place whatsoever, it is from this that you will find they 
all spring. For this evil it is, this assuredly, which fills all places 
with blood and murder, this lights up the flame of hell, this makes cities 
as wretchedly off as a wilderness, yea, even much worse. For those that 
beset the high roads, one can easily be on one's guard against, as not 
being always upon attack. But they who in the midst of cities imitate them 
are so much the worse than them, in that these are harder to guard against, 
and dare to do openly what the others do with secrecy. For those laws, 
which have been made with a view to stopping their iniquity, they draw even 
into alliance and fill the cities with this kind of murders and pollutions. 
Is it not murder, pray, and worse than murder, to hand the poor man over to 
famine, and to cast him into prison, and to expose him not to famine only, 
but to tortures too, and to countless acts of insolence? For even if you do 
not do these things yourself to him, yet you are the occasion of their 
being done, you do them more than the ministers who execute them. The 
murderer plunges his sword into a man at once, and after giving him pain 
for a short time, he does not carry the torture any farther. But do you who 
by your calumnies, by your harassings, by your plottings, make light 
darkess to him, and set him upon desiring death ten thousand times over, 
consider how many deaths you perpetrate instead of one only? And what is 
worse than all, you plunder and are grasping, not impelled to it by 
poverty, without any hunger to necessitate you, but that your horse's 
bridle may be spattered over with gold enough, or the ceiling of your 
house, or the capitals of your pillars. And what hell is there that this 
conduct would not deserve, when it is a brother, and one that has shared 
with yourself in blessings unutterable, and has been so highly honored by 
the Lord, whom you, in order that you may deck out stones, and floors, and 
the bodies of animals with neither reason, nor perception of these 
ornaments, are casting into countless calamities? And your dog(2) is well 
attended too, while man, or rather Christ, for the sake of the hound, and 
all these things I have named, is straitened with extreme hunger. What can 
be worse than such confusion? What more grievous than such lawlessness as 
this? What streams of fire will be enough for such a soul? He that was made 
in the Image of God stands in unseemly plight, through thy inhumanity; but 
the faces of the mules that draw thy wife glisten with gold in abundance, 
as do the skins and woods which compose that canopy. And if it is a seat 
that is to be made, or a footstool, they are all made of gold and silver. 
But the member of Christ, for whom also He came hither from Heaven, and 
shed His precious Blood, does not even enjoy the food that is necessary for 
him, owing to thy rapaciousness. But the couches are mantled with silver on 
every side, while the bodies of the saints are deprived even of necessary 
clothing. And to thee Christ is less precious than anything else, servants, 
or mules, or couch, or chair, or footstool; for I pass over furniture of 
still meaner use than these, leaving it to you to know of it. But if thou 
art shocked at hearing this, stand aloof from doing it, and then the words 
spoken will not harm thee. Stand aloof, and cease from this madness. For 
plain madness it is, such eagerness about these things. Wherefore letting 
go of these things, let us look up, late as it is, towards Heaven, and let 
us call to mind the Day which is coming, let us bethink ourselves of that 
awful tribunal, and the exact accounts, and the sentence incorruptible. Let 
us consider that God, who sees all these things, sends no lightnings from 
Heaven; and yet what is done deserves not thunderbolts merely. Yet He 
neither doth this, nor doth He let the sea loose upon us, nor doth He burst 
the earth in twain, He quencheth not the sun, nor doth He hurl the heaven 
with its stars upon us. He doth not move aught from its place, but 
suffereth them to hole their course, and the whole creation to minister to 
us. Pondering all this then, let us be awestruck with the greatness of His 
love toward man, and let us return to that noble origin which belongs to 
us, since at present certainly we are in no better plight than the 
creatures without reason, but even in a much worse one. For they do love 
their kin, and need but the community of nature to cause affection towards 
each other. But thou who besides nature hast countless causes to draw thee 
together and attach thee to the member: of thyself; the being honored with 
the Word the partaking in one religion, the sharing in countless blessings; 
art become of wilder nature than they, by displaying so much carefulness 
about profitless things, and leaving the Temples of God to perish in hunger 
and nakedness, and often surrounding them also with a thousand evils. For 
if it is from love of glory that you do these things, it is much more 
binding on you to show your brother attention, than your horse. For the 
better the  creature that enjoys the act of kindness, the brighter the 
crown that is woven for such carefulness. Since now while thou fallest into 
the contrary of all this, thou pullest upon thyself accusers without 
number, yet perceivest it not. For who is there that will not speak ill of 
thee? who that will not indite thee as guilty of the greatest atrocity and 
misanthrophy, when he sees that thou disregardest the human race, and 
settest that of senseless creatures above men, and besides  senseless 
creatures, even the furniture of thy house? Hast thou not heard the 
Apostles  say, that they who first received the word sold both "houses and 
lands" (Acts iv. 34), that they might support the brethren? but you plunder 
both houses and lands, that you may adorn a horse, or wood-work, or skins, 
or walls, or a pavement. And what is worse is, that it is not men only, but 
women too are afflicted with this madness, and urge their husbands to this 
empty sort of pains, by forcing them to lay out their money upon anything 
rather than the necessary things. And if any one accuse them for this, they 
are practised with a defence, itself loaded with much to be accused. For 
both the one and the other are done at once, says one. What say you? are 
you not afraid to utter such a thing, and to set the same store by horses 
and mules and couches and footstools, as by Christ an hungered? Or rather 
not even comparing them at all, but giving the larger share to these, and 
to Him meting out with difficulty a scant share? Dost thou not know that 
all belongs to Him, both thou and thine? Dost thou not know that He 
fashioned thy body, as well as gave thee a soul, and apportioned thee the 
whole world? but thou art not for giving a little recompense to Him. But if 
thou lettest a little hut, thou requirest the rent with the utmost rigor, 
and though reaping the whole of His creation, and dwelling in so wide a 
world, thou hast not courage to lay down even a little rent, but has given 
up to vainglory thyself and all thou hast. For this is that whereof all 
these things come. The horse is none the better above his natural 
excellence for having this ornament, neither yet is the person mounted upon 
him, for sometimes he is only in the less esteem for it; since many neglect 
the rider and turn their eyes to the horse's ornaments, and to the 
attendants behind and before, and to the fan-bearers. But the man, who is 
lackeyed by these, they hate and turn their heads from, as a common enemy. 
But this does not happen when thou adornest thy soul, for then men, and 
angels, and the Lord of angels, all weave thee a crown. And so, if thou art 
in love with glory, stand aloof from the things which thou art now doing, 
and show thy taste not in thy house, but in thy soul, that thou mayest 
become brilliant and conspicuous. For now nothing can be more cheap than 
thou art, with thy soul unfurnished, and but the handsomeness of thy house 
for a screen. But if thou art impatient of hearing me speak in this way, 
listen to what one of those that are without did, and at all events be 
shamed by their philosophy. For it is said that a certain one of them, who 
went into a palace that shone with gold in abundance, and glistened with 
the great beauty of the marbles and the columns, when he saw the floor 
strewed with carpets in all directions, spat in the face of the master of 
the house, and when found fault with for it said, that since there was no 
other part of the house where he could do this, he was obliged to do this 
affront to his face. See how ridiculous a man is, who displays his taste in 
exteriors, and how little he is in the eyes of all reasonable men. And with 
good reason. For if a person were to leave thy wife to be clad in rags, and 
to be neglected, and clothed thy maid-servants with brilliant dresses, thou 
wouldest not bear it meekly, but wouldest be exasperated, and say that it 
was insulting in the extreme. Reason then in this way about your soul. When 
you display your taste in walls then, and pavement, and furniture, and 
other things of the kind, and do not give liberally in alms, or practise 
the other parts of a religious life (philosophi'an); you do nothing less 
than this, or rather what is worse than this by far. For the difference 
between servant and mistress is nothing, but between soul and flesh, there 
is a great disparity. But if it be so with the flesh, much more is it with 
a house or a couch or a footstool. What kind of excuse then dost thou 
deserve, who puttest silver on all these, but for it hast no regard, though 
it be covered with filthy rags, squalid, hungry, and full of wounds, torn 
by hounds unnumbered (Luke xvi. 20, 21); and after all this fanciest that 
thou shall get thee glory by displaying thy taste in externals wound about 
thee? And this is the very height of phrenzy, while ridiculed, reproached, 
disgraced, dishonored, and falling into the severest punishment, still to 
be vain of these things! Wherefore, I beseech you, laying all this to 
heart, let us become sober-minded, late as it is, and become our own 
masters, and transfer this adorning from outward things to our souls. For 
so it will abide safe from spoiling, and will make us equal to the angels, 
and will entertain us with unaltering good, which may we all attain by the 
grace and love toward man, etc.

HOMILY XII: ROM. VI. 19.

"I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: 
for as ye have yielded your members (so 4 Mss. Say. the members of your 
flesh) servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now 
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.''

    SINCE he had required great strictness of life, charging us to be dead 
to the world, and to Have died unto wickedness, and to abide with no notion 
towards the workings of sin, and seemed to be saying something great and 
burdensome, and too much for human nature; through a desire to show that he 
is not making any exorbitant demand, nor even as much as might be expected 
of one who enjoyed so great a gift, but one quite moderate and light, he 
proves it from contraries, and says, "I speak after the manner of men," as 
much as to say, Going by human reasonings; by such as one usually meets 
with. For he signifies either this, or the moderateness of it, by the term 
applied, "after the manner of men." For elsewhere he uses the same word. 
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man" (1 Cot. 
x. 13), that is, moderate and small. "For as ye have yielded your members 
servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield 
your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." And truly the 
masters are very different ones, but still it is an equal amount of 
servitude that I ask. For men ought to give a much larger one, and so much 
the larger as this is a greater and better mastership than the other. 
Nevertheless I make no greater demand "because of the infirmity," and that, 
he does not say of your free will or readiness of spirit, but "of your 
flesh," so making what he says the less severe. And yet on one side there 
is uncleanness, on the other holiness: on the one iniquity, and on the 
other righteousness. And who is so wretched, he says, and in such straits 
as not to spend as much earnestness upon the service of Christ, as upon 
that of sin and the devil? Hear then what follows, and you will see clearly 
that we do not even spend this little. For when (stated in this naked way) 
it does not seem credible or easy to admit, and nobody would endure to hear 
that he does not serve Christ so much as he did serve the devil, he proves 
it by what follows, and renders it credible by bringing that slavery before 
us, and saying how they did serve him.[*]

    Ver. 20. "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from 
righteousness."

    Now what he says is somewhat of this kind, When ye lived in wickedness, 
and impiety, and the worst of evils, the state of compliance ye lived in 
was such that ye did absolutely no good thing at all. For this is, "ye were 
free from righteousness." That is ye were not subject to it, but estranged 
from it wholly. For ye did not even so much as divide the manner of 
servitude between righteousness and sin, but gave yourselves wholly up to 
wickedness. Now, therefore, since ye have come over to righteousness, give 
yourselves wholly up to virtue, doing nothing at all of vice, that the 
measure you give may be at least equal. And yet it is not the mastership 
only that is so different, but in the servitude itself there is a vast 
difference. And this too he unfolds with great perspicuity, and shows what 
conditions they served upon then, and what now. And as yet he says nothing 
of the harm accruing from the thing, but hitherto speaks of the shame.

    Ver. 21. "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now 
ashamed?"

    So great was the slavery, that even the recollection of it now makes 
you ashamed; but if the recollection makes one ashamed, the reality would 
much more. And so you gained now in two ways, in having been freed from the 
shame; and also in having come to know the condition you were in; just as 
then ye were injured in two ways, in doing things deserving shame, and in 
not even knowing to be ashamed. And this is worse than the former. Yet 
still ye kept in a state of servitude. Having then proved most abundantly 
the harm of what took place then from the shame of it, he comes to the 
thing in question. Now what is this thing? "For the end of those things is 
death." Since then shame seems to be no such serious evil, he comes to what 
is very fearful, I mean death; though in good truth what he had before 
mentioned were enough. For consider how exceeding great the mischief must 
be, inasmuch as, even when freed from  the vengeance due to it, they could 
not get free of the shame. What wages then, he says, do you expect from the 
reality, when from the bare recollection, and that too when you are freed 
from the vengeance, you hide your face and blush, though under such grace 
as you are! But God's side is far otherwise.

    Ver. 22. "For now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, 
ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

    Of the former, the fruit was shame, even after the being set free. Of 
these the fruit is holiness, and where holiness is, there is all 
confidence. But of those things the end is death, and of these everlasting 
life. Do you see how he points out some things as already given, and some 
as existing in hope, and from what are given he draws proof of the others 
also, that is from the holiness of the life. For to prevent your saying 
(i.e. as an objection) everything lies in hope, he points out that you have 
already reaped fruits, first the being freed from wickedness, and such 
evils as the very recollection of puts one to shame; second, the being made 
a servant unto righteousness; a third, the enjoying of holiness; a fourth, 
the obtaining of life, and life too not for a season, but everlasting. Yet 
with all these, he says, do but serve as ye served it. For though the 
master is far preferable, and the service also has many advantages, and the 
rewards too for which ye are serving, still I make no further demand. Next, 
since he had mentioned arms and a king, he keeps on with the metaphor in 
these words:

    Ver. 23. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal 
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

    After speaking of the wages of sin, in the case of the blessings, he 
has not kept to the same order (ta'xin, rank or relation): for he does not 
say, the wages of good deeds, "but the gift of God;" to show, that it was 
not of themselves that they were freed, nor was it a due they received, 
neither yet a return, nor a recompense of labors, but by grace all these 
things came about.[*] And so there was a superiority for this cause also, 
in that He did not free them only, or change their condition for a better, 
but that He did it without any labor or trouble upon their part: and that 
He not only freed them, but also gave them much more than before, and that 
through His Son. And the whole of this he has interposed as having 
discussed the subject of grace, and being on the point of overthrowing the 
Law next. That these things then might not both make them rather listless, 
he inserted the part about strictness of life, using every opportunity of 
rousing the hearer to the practice of virtue. For when he calls death the 
wages of sin, he alarms them again, and secures them against dangers to 
come. For the words he uses to remind them of their former estate, he also 
employs so as to make them thankful, and more secure against any inroads of 
temptations. Here then he brings the hortatory part to a stop, and proceeds 
with the doctrines again, speaking on this wise.

    Chap. vii. ver. 1. "Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that 
know the Law."

    Since then he had said, we are "dead to sin," he here shows that not 
sin only, but also the Law, hath no dominion over them. But if the Law hath 
none, much less hath sin: and to render his language palatable, he uses a 
human example to make this plain by. And he seems to be stating one point, 
but he sets down at once two arguments for his proposition. One, that when 
a husband is dead, the woman is no longer subject to her husband, and there 
is nothing to prevent her becoming the wife of another man: and the other, 
that in the present case it is not the husband only that is dead but the 
wife also. So that one may enjoy liberty in two ways. Now if when the 
husband is dead, she is freed from his power, when the woman is shown to be 
dead also, she is much more at liberty. For if the one event frees her from 
his power, much more does the concurrence of both. As he is about to 
proceed then to a proof of these paints, he starts with an encomium of the 
hearers, in these words, "Know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that 
know the Law, that is, I am saying a thing that is quite agreed upon, and 
clear, and to men too that know all these things accurately,

    "How that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?"

    He does not say, husband or wife, but "man," which name is common to 
either creature; "For he that is dead," he says, "is freed (Gr. justified) 
from sin." The Law then is given for the living, but to the dead it ceaseth 
to be ordained (or to give commands). Do you observe how he sets forth a 
twofold freedom? Next, after hinting this at the commencement, he carries 
on what he has to say by way of proof, in the woman's case, in the 
following way.

    Ver. 2, 3. "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to 
her husband, so long as he liveth: but if the husband be dead, she is 
loosed from the Law of her husband. So then, if while her husband liveth, 
she be married to another man, she is called an adulteress: but if her 
husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, 
though she be married to another man."

    He keeps continually upon this point, and that with great exactness, 
since he feels quite sure of the proof grounded on it: and in the husband's 
place he puts the Law, but in the woman's, all believers. Then he adds the 
conclusion in such way, that it does not tally with the premiss; for what 
the context would require would be, "and so, my brethren, the Law doth not 
rule over you, for it is dead."[*] But he does not say so, but only in the 
premiss hinted it, and in the inference, afterwards, to prevent what he 
says. being distasteful, he brings the woman in as dead by saying,

    "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the Law."

    As then the one or the other event gives rise to the same freedom, what 
is there to prevent his showing favor to the Law without any harm being 
done to the cause? "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law 
to her husband as long as he liveth." What is become now (3 Mss. then) of 
those that speak evil of the Law?[1] Let them hear, how even when forced 
upon it, he does not bereave it of its dignity, but speaks great things of 
its power; if while it is alive the Jew is bound, and they are to be called 
adulterers who transgress it, and leave it whiles it is alive. But if they 
let go of it after it has died, this is not to be wondered at. For in human 
affairs no one is found fault with for doing this: "but if the husband be 
dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband." You see how in the 
example he points out the Law as dead, but in the inference he does not do 
so. So then if it be while her husband liveth, the woman is called an 
adulteress. See how he dwells upon the accusations of those who transgress 
the Law, while it is yet living. But since he had put an end to it, he 
afterwards favors it with perfect security, without doing any harm hereby 
to the faith. "For if while her husband liveth, she be married to another 
man, she is called an adulteress." Thus it would have been natural to say 
next, ye also, my brethren, now the Law is dead, will not be judged guilty 
of adultery, if ye become married to   another husband. Yet he does not use 
these  words, but what? "Ye are become dead to the Law;" if ye have been 
made dead, ye are no longer under the Law. For if, when the husband is 
dead, the woman is no longer liable to it, much more when herself is dead 
also she is freed from the former. Do you note the wisdom of Paul, how he 
points out that the Law itself designs that we should be divorced from it, 
and married to another? For there is nothing, he means, against your living 
with another husband, now the former is dead; for how should there be, 
since when the husband was alive it allowed this to her who had a writing 
of divorcement?[2] But this he does not set down, as it was rather a charge 
against the woman; for although this had been granted, still it was not 
cleared of blame. (Matt. xix. 7, 8.) For in cases where he has gained the 
victory by requisite and   accredited proofs, he does not go into questions 
beyond the purpose; not being captious. The marvel then is this, that it is 
the Law itself that acquits us who are divorced from it of any charge, and 
so the mind of it was that we should become Christ's. For it is dead 
itself, and we are dead; and the grounds of its power over us are removed 
in a twofold way. But he is not content with this alone, but also adds the 
reason of it. For he has not set down death without special purpose, but 
brings the cross in again, which had wrought these things, and in this way 
too he puts us under an engagement. For ye have not been freed merely, he 
means, but it was through the Lord's death. For he says,

    "Ye are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ."

    Now it is not on this only he grounds his exhortation, but also on the 
superiority of this second husband. And so he proceeds: "that ye should be 
married to another, even to Him Who is raised from the dead."

    Then to prevent their saying, If we do not choose to live with another 
husband, what theft? For the Law does not indeed make an adulteress of the 
widow who lives in a second marriage, but for all that it does not force 
her to live in it. Now that they may not say this, he shows that from 
benefits already conferred, it is binding on us to choose it: and this he 
Days down more clearly in other passages, where he says, "Ye are not your 
own;" and, "Ye are bought with a price;" and, "Be not ye the servants of 
men" (1 Cor. vi. 19, 20; vii. 23); and again, "One died for all, that they 
which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which 
died for them." (2 Cor. v. 15.) This is then what he here alludes to in the 
words, "By the Body." And next he exhorts to better hopes, saying, "That we 
should bring forth fruit unto God." For then, he means, ye brought forth 
fruit unto death, but now unto God.

    Ver. 5. "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were 
by the Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."

    You see then the gain to be got from the former husband! And he does 
not say when we were in the Law, so in every passage shrinking from giving 
a handle to heretics;[3] but "when we were in the flesh," that is, in evil 
deeds, in a carnal life. What he says then is, not that they were in the 
flesh before, but now they went about without any bodies;[4] but by saying 
what he does, he neither says that the Law is the cause of sins, nor yet 
frees it from odium. For it held the rank of a bitter accuser, by making 
their sins bare: since that, which enjoins more to him who is not minded to 
obey at all, makes the offence greater. And this is why he does not say, 
the "motions of sins" which were produced by the Law, but which "were 
through the Law" (Rom. ii. 27), without adding any "produced," but simply 
"through the Law," that is to say, which through the Law were made 
apparent, were made known. Next that he might not accuse the flesh either; 
he does not say which the members wrought, but "which did work (or were 
wrought) in our members," to show that the origin of the mischief was 
elsewhere, from the thoughts which wrought in us, not from the members 
which had them working in them. For the soul ranks as a performer, and the 
fabric of the flesh as a lyre, sounding as the performer obliges it. So the 
discordant tune is to be ascribed not to the latter, but to the former 
sooner than to the latter.

    Ver. 6. "But now," he says, "we are delivered from the Law." 
(kathrgh'thhmen, "made of no effect.")

    See how he again in this place spares the flesh and the Law. For he 
does not say that the Law was made of no effect, or that the flesh was made 
of no effect, but that we were made of no effect (i.e., were delivered). 
And how were we delivered? Why by the old man, who was held down by sin, 
being dead and buried. For this is what he sets forth in the words, "being 
dead to that, wherein we were held." As if he had said, the chain by which 
we were held down was deadened and broken through, so that that which held 
down, namely sin, held down no more. But do not fall back or grow listless. 
For you have been freed with a view to being servants again, though not in 
the same way, but "in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the 
letter." Now what does he mean here? for it is necessary to disclose it 
here, that when we come upon the passage, we may not be perplexed with it. 
When then Adam sinned (he means), and his body became liable to death and 
sufferings, it received also many physical losses, and the horse[1] became 
less active and less obedient. But Christ, when He came, made it more 
nimble for us through baptism, rousing it with the wing of the Spirit. And 
for this reason the marks for the race, which they of old time had to run, 
are not the same as ours. [2] Since then the race was not so easy as it is 
now. For this reason, He desires them to be clear not from murder only, as 
He did them of old time, but from anger also; nor is it adultery only that 
He bids them keep clear of, but even the unchaste look; and to be exempt 
not from false swearing only, but even from true. (Matt. v. 21, 27, 33.) 
And with their friends He orders them to love their enemies also. And in 
all other duties, He gives us a longer ground to run over, and if we do but 
obey, threatens us with hell, so showing that the things in question are 
not matters of free-will offering for the combatants, as celibacy and 
poverty are, but are binding upon us absolutely to fulfil. For they belong 
to necessary and urgent requisites, and the man who does not do them is to 
be punished to the utmost. This is why He said, "Except your righteousness 
exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case 
enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. v. 20.) But he that does not see 
the kingdom, shall certainly fall into hell. For this cause Paul too says, 
"Sin shall not have dominion over you, because ye are not under the Law, 
but under grace." And here again, "that ye should serve in newness of 
spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." For it is not the letter 
that condemneth, that is the old Law, but the Spirit that helpeth. And for 
this reason among the ancients, if any were found practising virginity, it 
was quite astonishing. But now the thing is scattered over every part of 
the world. And death in those times some few men did with difficulty 
despise, but now in villages and cities there are hosts of martyrs without 
number, consisting not of men only, but even of women. [3] And next having 
done with this, he again meets an objection which is rising, and as he 
meets it, gives confirmation to his own object. And so he does not 
introduce the solution of it as main argument, but by way of opposing this; 
that by the exigency of meeting it, he may get a plea for saying what he 
wishes, and make his accusation not so unpalatable. Having then said, "in 
the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter," he 
proceeds.

    Ver. 7. "What then? is the Law sin? God forbid."

    Even before this he had been saying, that "the motions of sins, which 
were by the Law did work in our members" (ver. 5): and, "sin shall have no 
dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law." (vi. 14.) And that "where 
no law is, there is no transgression." (iv. 15.) And, "but the Law came in, 
that the offence might abound" (v. 20); and, "the Law worketh wrath." (iv. 
15.) Now as all these things seem to bring the Law into disrepute, in order 
to correct the suspicion arising from them, he supposes also an objection, 
and says, "What then, is the Law sin? God forbid." Before the proof he uses 
this adjuration to conciliate the hearer, and by way of soothing any who 
was troubled at it. For so, when he had heard this, and felt assured of the 
speaker's disposition, he would join with him in investigating the seeming 
perplexity, and feel no suspicions of him. Wherefore he has put the 
objection, associating the other with him. Hence, he does not say, What am 
I to say? but "What shall we say then?" As though a deliberation and a 
judgment were before them, and a general meeting called together, and the 
objection came forward not of himself, but in the course of discussion, and 
from real circumstances of the case. For that the letter killeth, he means, 
no one will deny, or that the Spirit giveth life (2 Cor. iii. 6); this is 
plain too, and nobody will dispute it. If then these are confessedly 
truths, what are we to say about the Law? that "it is sin? God forbid." 
Explain the difficulty then. Do you see how he supposes the opponent to be 
present, and having assumed the dignity of the teacher, he comes to the 
explaining of it. Now what is this? Sin, he says, the Law is not. "Nay, I 
had not known sin, but by the Law." Notice the reach of his wisdom! What 
the Law is not, he has set down by way of objection, so that by removing 
this, and thereby doing the Jew a pleasure, he may persuade him to accept 
the less alternative. And what is this? Why that "I  had not known sin, but 
by the Law. For I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shalt 
not covet."

    Do you observe, how by degrees he shows it to be not an accuser of sin 
only, but in a measure its producer? Yet not from any fault of its own, but 
from that of the froward Jews, he proves it was, that this happened. For he 
has taken good heed to stop the mouths of the Manichees, that accuse the 
Law; and so after saying, "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the Law;" and, 
"I had not known lust, except the Law had said, Thou shall not covet;" he 
adds,

    Ver. 8. "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all 
manner of concupiscence."

    Do you see how he has cleared it of all blame? For "sin," he says, 
"taking occasion by the commandment," it was, and not the Law, that 
increased the concupiscence, and the reverse of the Law's intent was 
brought about. This came of weakness, and not of any badness. For when we 
desire a thing, and then are hindered of it, the flame of the desire is but 
increased. Now this came not of the Law; for it hindered us (3 Mss. 
endeavored) of itself to keep us off from it; but sin, that is, thy own 
listlessness and bad disposition, used what was good for the reverse. But 
this is no fault in the physician, but in the patient who applies the 
medicine wrongly. For the reason of the Law being given was, not to inflame 
concupiscence, but to extinguish it, though the reverse came of it. Yet the 
blame attaches not to it, but to us. Since if a person had a fever, and 
wanted to take cold drink when it was not good for him, and one were not to 
let him take his fill of it, and so increase his lust after this ruinous 
pleasure, one could not deservedly be found fault with. For the physician's 
business is simply prohibiting it, but the restraining himself is the 
patient's. And what if sin did take occasion from it? Surely there are many 
bad men who by good precepts grow in their own wickedness. For this was the 
way in which the devil ruined Judas, by plunging him into avarice, and 
making him steal what belonged to the poor. However it was not the being 
entrusted with the bag that brought this to pass, but the wickedness of his 
own spirit. And Eve, by bringing Adam to eat from the tree, threw him out 
of Paradise. But neither   in that case was the tree the cause, even if it  
was through it that the[1] occasion took place. But if he treats the 
discussion about the Law with somewhat of vehemence, do not feel surprise. 
For Paul is making a stand against the present exigency, and suffers not 
his language to give a handle even to those that suspected otherwise, but 
takes great pains to make the present statement correct. Do not then sift 
what he is now going on to say (4 Mss. "here saying") by itself, but put 
beside it the purpose by which he is led on to speak of these things, and 
reckon for the madness of the Jews, and their vigorous spirit of 
contention, which as he desires earnestly to do away with, he seems to bear 
violently (polu`s pnei^n) against the Law, not to find fault with it, but 
to unnerve their vigor. For if it is any reproach to the Law that sin 
taketh occasion by it, this will be found to be the case in the New 
Testament also. For in the New Testament there are thousands of laws, and 
about many more ("far more," Field) important matters. And one may see the 
same come to pass there also, not with regard to covetousness (lust, as v. 
7) only, but to all wickedness generally. For He says, "if I had not come 
and spoken unto them, they had not had sin," (John xv. 22.) Here then sin 
finds a footing in this fact, and so the greater punishment. And again when 
Paul discourseth about grace, he says, "Of how much sorer punishment, 
suppose ye, shall he be counted worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son 
of God." (Heb. x. 29.) Has not then the worse punishment its origin from 
hence, from the greater benefit? And the reason why he says the Greeks were 
without excuse was, because being honored with the gift of reason, and 
having gotten a knowledge of the beauty of the creation, and having been 
placed in a fair way for being led by it to the Creator, they did not so 
use the wisdom of God, as it was their duty. Seest thou that to the wicked 
in all cases occasions of greater punishment result from good things? But 
we shall not in this accuse the benefits of God, but rather upon this even 
admire them the more: but we shall throw the blame on the spirit of those 
who abuse the blessings to contrary purpose. Let this then be our line with 
regard to the Law also. But this is easy and feasible--the other is what is 
a difficulty. How is it that he says "I had not known lust except the Law 
had said, Thou shall not covet?" Now if man had not known lust, before he 
received the Law, what was the reason for the flood, or the burning of 
Sodom? What does he mean then? He means vehement lust: and this is why he 
did not say, lust, but" all manner of concupiscence," intimating, in that, 
its vehemency. And what, it will be said, is the good of the Law, if it 
adds to the disorder? None; but much mischief even. Yet the charge is not 
against the Law, but the listlessness of those who received it. For sin 
wrought it, though by the Law. But this was not the purpose of the Law, 
nay, the very opposite, Sin then became stronger, he says, and violent