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But if any one says that the flesh is the cause of all vices and ill
conduct, inasmuch as the soul lives wickedly only because it is moved
by the flesh, it is certain he has not carefully considered the whole
nature of man. For "the corruptible body, indeed, weigheth down the
soul." Whence, too, the apostle, speaking of this corruptible
body, of which he had shortly before said, "though our outward man
perish," says, "We know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from
heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For
we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that
we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be
swallowed up in life." We are then burdened with this corruptible
body; but knowing that the cause of this burdensomeness is not the
nature and substance of the body, but its corruption, we do not desire
to be deprived of the body, but to be clothed with its immortality.
For then, also, there will be a body, but it shall no longer be a
burden, being no longer corruptible. At present, then, "the
corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle
weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things," nevertheless
they are in error who suppose that all the evils of the soul proceed
from the body.
Virgil, indeed, seems to express the sentiments of Plato in the
beautiful lines, where he says,- "A fiery strength inspires their
lives, An essence that from heaven derives, Though clogged in part
by limbs of clay And the dull 'vesture of decay;'" but though he
goes on to mention the four most common mental emotions, desire,
fear, joy, sorrow, with the intention of showing that the body is the
origin of all sins and vices, saying,- " Hence wild desires and
grovelling fears, And human laughter, human tears, Immured in
dungeon-seeming nights They look abroad, yet see no light," yet we
believe quite otherwise. For the corruption of the body, which weighs
down the soul, is not the cause but the punishment of the first sin;
and it was not the corruptible flesh that made the soul sinful, but the
sinful soul that made the flesh corruptible. And though from this
corruption of the flesh there arise certain incitements to vice, and
indeed vicious desires, yet we must not attribute to the flesh all the
vices of a wicked life, in case we thereby clear the devil of all
these, for he has no flesh. For though we cannot call the devil a
fornicator or drunkard, or ascribe to him any sensual indulgence
(though he is the secret instigator and prompter of those who sin in
these ways), yet he is exceedingly proud and envious. And this
viciousness has so possessed him, that on account of it he is reserved
in chains of darkness to everlasting punishment. Now these vices,
which have dominion over the devil, the apostle attributes to the
flesh, which certainly the devil has not. For he says "hatred,
variance emulations, strife, envying" are the works of the flesh;
and of all these evils pride is the origin and head, and it rules in
the devil though he has no flesh. For who shows more hatred to the
saints? who is more at variance with them? who more envious, bitter,
and jealous? And since he exhibits all these works, though he has no
flesh, how are they works of the flesh, unless because they are the
works of man, who is, as I said, spoken of under the name of flesh?
For it is not by having flesh, which the devil has not, but by living
according to himself, that is, according to man, that man became like
the devil. For the devil too, wished to live according to himself
when he did not abide in the truth; so that when he lied, this was not
of God, but of himself, who is not only a liar, but the father of
lies, he being the first who lied, and the originator of lying as of
sin.
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