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31. “But now do ye also,”
saith he, “put down all;”1927 and he makes mention of
several more evils of that sort. But what is it, that it is not
enough for him to say, “Do ye put down all,” but that he added
the conjunction and said, “ye also?” save that lest they should
not think that they did those evils and lived in them with impunity
on this account, because their faith set them free from wrath,
which cometh upon the sons of unbelief, doing these things, and
living in them without faith. Do ye also, saith he, put down those
evils, on account of which cometh the wrath of God on the children
of unbelief; nor promise yourselves impunity of them on account of
merit of faith. But he would not say, “put ye down,” unto those
who had already laid down so far as that they consented not to such
faults, nor were yielding their members to them as weapons of sin,
save that the life of Saints stands in this past deed, and is still
engaged in this work, so long as we are mortal. For, so long as the
Spirit lusteth against the flesh, this business proceeds with great
earnestness, resistance is offered unto evil delights, unclean
lusts, carnal and shameful motions, by the sweetness of holiness,
by the love of chastity, by spiritual vigor, and by the beauty of
continence; thus they are laid down by them who are dead to them,
and who live not in them by consenting. Thus, I say, they are put
down, whilst they are weighed down by continued continence, that
they rise not again. Whosoever, as though secure, shall cease from
this laying aside of them, straightway they will assault the
Citadel of the mind, and will themselves put it down thence, and
will reduce it into slavery to them, captive after a base and
unseemly fashion. Then sin will reign in the mortal body of man to
obey its desires; then will it yield its members weapons of
unrighteousness unto sin:1928 and the last state of that man
shall be worse than the former.1929 For it is much more tolerable not
to have begun a contest of this kind, than after one hath begun to
have left the conflict, and to have become in place of a good
warrior, or even in place of a conqueror, a captive. Whence the
Lord saith not, whoso shall begin, but “Whoso shall persevere
unto the end, he shall be saved.”1930
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