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11. But some one will say to
me that it is one thing to live after man, another thing to live
after the flesh; because man forsooth is a rational creature, and
there is in him a rational soul, whereby he differs from the beast:
but the flesh is the lowest and earthly part of man, and thus to
live after it is faulty: and for this reason, he who lives after
man, assuredly lives not after the flesh, but rather after that
part of man, whereby he is man, that is, after the spirit of the
mind whereby he excels the beasts. But this discussion is perhaps
of some force in the schools of philosophers: but we, in order to
understand the Apostle of Christ, ought to observe in what manner
the Christian books are used to speak; at any rate it is the belief
of all of us, to whom to live is Christ, that Man was taken unto
Himself by the Word of God, not surely without a rational soul, as
certain heretics will have it; and yet we read, “The Word was
made flesh.”1839
What is to
be here understood by “flesh,” but Man? “And all flesh shall
see the salvation of God.”1840
What can be understood, but all
men? “Unto Thee shall all flesh come.”1841
What is it, but all men? “Thou
hast given unto Him power over all flesh.”1842
What is it, but all men? “Of the
works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”1843
What is it, but no man shall be
justified? And this the same Apostle in another place confessing
more plainly saith, “Man shall not be justified of the works of
the Law.”1844
The
Corinthians also he rebukes, saying, “Are ye not carnal, and walk
after man?”1845
After he
had called them carnal, he saith not, ye walk after the flesh, but
after man, forasmuch as by this also what would he have understood,
but after the flesh? For surely if to walk, that is, to live, after
the flesh deserved blame, but after man deserved praise, he would
not say by way of rebuke, “ye walk after man.” Let man
recognize the reproach; let him change his purpose, let him shun
destruction. Hear thou man: walk not thou after man, but after Him
Who made man. Fall not thou away from Him Who made thee, even unto
thyself. For a man said, who yet lived not after man, “Not that
we are sufficient to think any thing from ourselves, as though of
ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God.”1846
Consider if he lived after man,
who spake these things with truth. Therefore the Apostle,
admonishing man not to live after man, restores man to God. But
whoso liveth not after man, but after God, assuredly liveth not
even after himself, because himself also is a man. But he is
therefore said also to live after the flesh, when he so lives;
because also when the flesh alone hath been named, man is
understood, as we have already shown: just as when the soul alone
hath been named, man is understood: whence it is said, “Let every
soul be subject unto the higher powers,”1847
that is, every man; and,
“Seventy-five souls went down into Egypt with Jacob,”1848
that is,
seventy-five men. Therefore live thou not after thyself, O man:
thou hadst thence perished, but thou wast sought. Live not then, I
say, after thyself, O man; thou hadst thence perished, but thou
wast found. Accuse not thou the nature of the flesh, when you hear
it said, “If ye shall live after the flesh, ye shall die.”1849
For
thus could it be said, and most truly could it, If ye shall
live after yourselves ye shall die. For the devil hath not flesh,
and yet, because he would live after himself, “he abode not in
the truth.”1850
What
wonder therefore, if, living after himself, “when he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own,” which the Truth spake truly of
him.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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