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| Chapter I. Discourse of Abbot Theonas on the Apostle's words: “For I do not the good which I would.“
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Chapter I.
Discourse of Abbot Theonas on the Apostle’s words:
“For I do not the good which I would.”
At the return of light
therefore, as the old man was forced by our intense urgency to
investigate the depths of the Apostle’s subject, he spoke as
follows: As for the passages by which you try to prove that the Apostle
Paul spoke not in his own person but in that of sinners: “For I
do not the good that I would, but the evil which I hate, that I
do;” or this: “But if I do that which I would not, it is no
longer I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me;” or what
follows: “For I delight in the law of God after the inner man,
but I see another law in my members opposing the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members;”2229
these passages
on the contrary plainly show that they cannot possibly fit the person
of sinners, but that what is said can only apply to those that are
perfect, and that it only suits the chastity of those who follow the
good example of the Apostles. Else how could these words apply to the
person of sinners: “For I do not the good which I would, but the
evil which I hate that I do”? or even this: “But if I do
what I would not it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwelleth in
me”? For what sinner defiles himself unwillingly by adulteries
and fornication? Who against his will prepares plots against his
neighbour? Who is driven by unavoidable necessity to oppress a man by
false witness or cheat him by theft, or covet the goods of another or
shed his blood? Nay rather, as Scripture says, “Mankind is
diligently inclined to wickedness from his youth.”2230
For to such an extent are all inflamed by
the love of sin and desire to carry out what they like, that they
actually look out with watchful care for an opportunity of committing
wickedness and are afraid of being too slow to enjoy their lusts, and
glory in their shame and the mass of their crimes, as the Apostle says
in censure,2231
and seek credit
for themselves out of their own confusion, of whom also the prophet
Jeremiah maintains that they commit their flagitious crimes not only
not unwillingly nor with ease of heart and body, but with laborious
efforts to such an extent that they come to toil to carry them out, so
that they are prevented even by the hindrance of arduous difficulty
from their deadly quest of sin; as he says: “They have laboured
to do wickedly.”2232
Who also will
say that this applies to sinners: “And so with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin,” as it
is plain that they serve God neither with the mind nor the flesh? Or
how can those who sin with the body serve God with the mind, when the
flesh
receives the
incitement to sin from the heart, and the Creator of either nature
Himself declares that the fount and spring of sin flows from the
latter, saying: “From the heart proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, etc.”2233
Wherefore it is clearly shown that
this cannot in any way be taken of the person of sinners, who not only
do not hate, but actually love what is evil and are so far from serving
God with either the mind or the flesh that they sin with the mind
before they do with the flesh, and before they carry out the pleasures
of the body are overcome by sin in their mind and
thoughts.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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