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perform that which, he understands, ought not to be performed, doing this against his conscience, as it is said in Luke xii, 47, "That servant, who knew his Lord's will, and did not according to his will, shall deservedly be beaten with many stripes."—In the OTHER mode, it may be understood concerning him who is placed in grace, who indeed does that which is evil; not indeed by executing it in operation or with a consenting mind, but only by indulging in concupiscence according to [passionem] the feeling of the sensual appetite. And that concupiscence is on account of the reason and the understanding; because it precedes his judgment, at the approach of which such an actual operation is hindered, &c.

FIRST, therefore, he says, in reference to the omission of good, "For the good which it is my will to do, I do not."-This may indeed be understood, in one mode, about a man who is placed under sin; and thus that which he says in this place, "I do," must be received according to a complete act, which is exercised externally through the consent of reason: But when he says, “It is my will," it must be understood not indeed in reference to a complete will which is preceptive of a work or operation, but in reference to a certain incomplete will, by which men will in general that which is good, as they also have in general a correct judgment concerning one thing; and such a will is corrupted in particular, that it does not what it understands in general ought to be done, and that which it wills to do.-But, according to its being understood respecting a man recovered by grace, we must, on the contrary, understand by this which he says, "It is my will," a complete will continuing throughout in the election or choice of a particular operation, that by this which he says, " I do," may be understood an incomplete act which consists only in the sensual appetite, and does not extend to the consent of reason. For a man who is placed under grace, wills indeed to preserve his mind from corrupt lusts; but he does not perform this good, because of the inordinate motions of concupiscence which rises up in his sensual appetite. Similar to this is what he says in Gal. v, 17, "So that ye do not the things which ye would."

SECONDLY, he subjoins in reference to the perpetration of evil, "But the evil which I hate, that I do." If this be indeed understood concerning a man who is a sinner, then by this which is said, "I hate,” is understood a certain imperfect hatred, according to which every man naturally hates evil: But by this which he says, "I do," is understood an act perfected by the execution of a work according to the consent of reason: For that hatred in

general is taken away in a particular which is eligible through the inclination of a habit or passion. But if it be understood concerning a man placed under grace, then by this which he says, "I do," is on the contrary understood an imperfect act, which consists solely in the concupiscence of the sensual appetite; and by this which he says, "I hate," is understood a perfect hatred, by which any one perseveres in the detestation of evil, until the final reprobation of it, &c.

But the law of sin brings a man into captivity in two ways:By the ONE mode, through consent and operation it captivates a man who is a sinner: By the OTHER mode, it captivates a man placed under grace, with respect to the motion of concupiscence.

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Grace delivers from the body of this death in two ways:-By the ONE mode, that the corruption of the body may not have the dominion over the mind, drawing it to commit sin :-By, the OTHER mode, that the corruption of the body may be totally removed. Therefore, with respect to the FIRST, it appertains to the sinner to say, " Grace has delivered me from the body of this "death, that is, it has delivered me from sin, into which my soul "was led through the corruption of the body." But from sin a righteous man has been already delivered: Wherefore it belongs to him to say, "The grace of God hath made me free from the "body of this death, that is, that there may not be in my body the corruption of sin or of death," which will be in the resurrection. Afterwards, when he says, "So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God," &c., he infers a conclusion, which is inferred according to these two premised expositions, in different ways from the premises. For, according to the exposition of the preceding words in the person of a sinner, the conclusion must be inferred thus: "It has been said that the grace of God hath "made me free from the body of this death, that I may not be led "away by it to sin. Therefore, since I shall now be free, with "the mind I serve the law of God; but with the flesh I serve the "law of sin, which indeed remains in the flesh with respect to the "fuel, by which the flesh lusts against the Spirit.”—But if the preceding words be understood [as proceeding] from the person of a righteous man, then the conclusion must be thus inferred: "The grace of God through Jesus Christ hath made me free "from the body of this death; that is, so that the corruption of "sin and death may not be in me."

4.-HUGH THE CARDINAL.

THERE is, therefore, now no condemnation.] The preceding words have been expounded concerning the captivity of mortal sin, under which the man was carnally living; and concerning the captivity of venial sin, of the man who is in grace. But he gives the appellation of "mortal sin" to that which is exercised in operation itself; and "venial" to that which consists in the act and motion of lusting or indulging in concupiscence, without the consent of the will.

FIFTH PART.

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1. THE OPPOSITE OPINION

IS INJURIOUS TO GRACE AND HURTFUL TO GOOD MORALS.

1. IT is FIRST shewn, that the Interpretation of Romans vii, which prevails in the Present Day is injurious to Grace, by attributing to it less than is proper,—(1.) The Contest which is described in that Chapter, cannot be attributed to the Holy Spirit dwelling in a man, without manifest contumely to the Holy Ghost.—(2.) An Objection and Reply, -2. It is SECONDLY shewn, that the modern Interpretation is hurtful to good Morals; because it draws along with it, as a Consequence, that a Man flatters and encourages himself in his Sins, provided only that he commits them with a reluctant Conscience. This is illustrated by some Instances.-3. It is likewise confirmed by St. Augustine and by the Venerable Bede.

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THESIS. The Opinion which affirms, that this Chapter treats about a Man who is regenerate and placed under Grace; and which also interprets the Good which this Man would and does not, and the Evil which he would not but does, as referring to actual Good and Evil; is injurious to Grace, and inimical to good Morals.

1. THAT this modern Opinion is injurious to Divine Grace, I demonstrate in the following manner :

An injury is inflicted on grace, not only by him who attributes to nature or to free will that which belongs to grace, that is, having taken it away from grace; but likewise by him who attributes to it less than is its due, and than ought truly to be ascribed to grace. In the last of these modes, this modern opinion is inimical to grace: For it attributes less than, according to the Scriptures,

ought to be ascribed to grace. The Scriptures ascribe to Divine Grace, that, in the regenerate, it worketh not only to will but also to do; (Phil. ii, 13;) that, by its power, our old man is crucified, and the body of sin is destroyed or enervated, so that henceforth we should not obey it in the lusts thereof; that, through grace, the regenerate are dead indeed unto sin, and are raised up again to walk in newness of life, in which they serve not sin but God, neither do they yield their members as instruments of unrighte ousness unto sin, but as instruments of righteousness to God; (Rom. vi, 2—13;) that, through the efficacy of the Spirit, they mortify the deeds of the body; (viii, 13;) and that grace not only supplies to the regenerate strength to resist the world, Satan, and the flesh, but, likewise, power to gain the victory over them. (Ephes. vi, 11-18; James iv, 4-8; 1 John iv, 4; v, 4; &c. &c.)

But this modern opinion attributes to grace, that its only effect in the regenerate is to will, and not to do, that it is too weak to crucify the old man, to destroy the body of sin, or to conquer the flesh, the world and Satan. For the regenerate man, according to this opinion, is said to obey sin in its lusts, and to walk after the desires of the flesh; though he is said to do this, compelled by the violence of sin, in opposition to conscience, and with a reluctant will. For the interpretation and addition alter the mode of obedience by which men obey sin; it does not deny obedience itself. This was also the cause why St. Augustine interpreted the chapter in reference to concupiscence: For he perceived, that if he interpreted it concerning actual sins, he would be inflicting an injury on grace.

(1.) I am desirous that it should be made the subject of diligent consideration, and that it should be frequently and deliberately pondered,-whether the contest which is said to be described in this chapter can be ascribed to the indwelling Holy Spirit, without manifest contumely and dishonour to the grace of Christ and of his Holy Spirit, if this be laid down as the issue of the contest, that the man works from the will of the flesh, not from concupiscence of the Spirit. This is the result of the battle, which is laid down by those who interpret the chapter concerning actual good and evil. To any who earnestly peruses the passage, it will indeed appear evident, that such a contest cannot be ascribed to the Holy Spirit, without enormous disgrace to Him. For, what is it? It is said to be a contest, and a waging of war, between "the law of the mind," that is, the Holy Spirit dwelling within, and " the law of the members;" and the victory VOL. II. U U

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is assigned to the law of the members against the law of the mind: For it leads the man away as a captive to the law of sin, the Holy Spirit who dwells within vainly resisting and warring against it. Under these circumstances, is not the Holy Spirit represented as being much weaker than the law in the members, that is, than the lust of the flesh, and indwelling sin? The man who denies this, will deny that the sun shines when he is to be seen in all his meridian splendour. For, in this place, no mention is made of his spontaneous yielding or surrender, of desisting from the combat, or the casting away of his weapons; which we have declared (p. 572) to be the cause why he who begins to fight in the Spirit is conquered by the flesh. But no mention of such circumstances can here be made: For it is said to be a battle and a waging of war not between " the law of the members" and a man who uses "the law of the mind," but to be between " the law of the mind " and " the law of the members;" to which law of the mind the casting away of its weapons cannot be attributed, for it is itself engaged in the battle and [per se ipsam] not by proxy. Neither can a desisting from the combat be ascribed to the law of the mind before it has actually been conquered and overcome: Much less can a spontaneous surrender be attributed to it, because this can by no means occur between these two combatants. For the law of the mind " must necessarily lose its life, and cease to have any existence, before it willingly and spontaneously yields to the rebellious flesh.

(2.) Some one, however, may reply, "This is a metaphorical "kind of speaking or discourse, and, through a Prosopopœia, a "person and the properties of a person are attributed to the law "of the mind and to that of the members. But, properly and "without any trope or figure, this man is said to fight with "himself; that is, the man as he is regenerate fights with himself "as he is unregenerate."

My answer to this is, there is nothing to prevent the thing from being done in the manner now specified: For a regenerate man, as such, fights in the power and strength of the grace and the Spirit of Christ: Therefore, if while fighting he is conquered, the grace and the Spirit of Christ are overcome, which would be a fact most ignominious to the grace and the Spirit of Christ. But if he be conquered while in a state of non-resistance, and not during the conflict, but after he has cast away his weapons or has desisted from the combat, then this is not the case which is the subject of the present investigation: For, in the case stated by the apostle, the man is made prisoner while in actual combat, not

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