"the Law of our mind." But the suggestion [maligni] of the Devil, that is, the law of sin, when coming to the members of the flesh, also immits itself, through the flesh, to us. For, after we have once voluntarily transgressed the law of God, and have admitted the suggestion of the Devil, we have granted entrance to him, being brought into captivity by our own selves to sin: Whence our body is promptly led on to commit sin. Therefore, the odour and feeling of sin is said to be inherent to our body, that is, the lust and pleasure of the body," the law in the members of our flesh." Therefore," the law of the mind," that is, the conscience, feels a sort of condelectation in the law of God, that is, in the commandment which it really wills. But "the law of sin,"—that is, the suggestion through the law which is in the members, that is, the concupiscence, the inclination and motion of the body,-by means of the irrational part of the soul also " wars against the law of my mind," that is, my conscience, and "brings me into captivity, who will the law of God and do it not, but will sin," according to contradiction through the enticement of pleasure and the lust of the body, and the brute part of the soul which is devoid of reason;-as I have before said, it causes me to err, and persuades me to serve sin. "But what was impossible to the law, in that the law was rendered weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin," (for he assumed flesh, but by no means sin,)" condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.". For "the Spirit maintains a friendly contest with our infirmity," and affords strength to "the law of the mind" in our souls, against "the law which is in our members."

11.-THEOPHYLACT.

HE SAYS, "I am carnal," that is, human nature universally, -both that part of it in existence before the enactment of the law, and that at the time of the giving of the law,-had a numerous multitude [affectus] of passions associated with it. For we not only became mortal through Adam's transgression of the law, but human nature, being " sold under sin," receives likewise [pravos affectus] corrupt inclinations, being evidently subjected to the authority and domination of sin, so that it cannot raise its head.On Romans 7.

This weakness, therefore, the law could not cure, though it dictated what ought to be done: But when Christ came, He healed VOL. II.

R R

it. This then is the scope or design of those things which the apostle has said, or will yet say,-to shew that human nature has endured those things which are immedicable, and that it cannot be restored to soundness by any other than by Christ, and by Him alone.-Ibid.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?] The law of nature was not able, the written law could not; but the tyranny of sin conquered both of them. Whence, therefore, is the hope of salvation? &c.-Ibid.

I yield thanks to God through Jesus Christ.] For He has performed those things which the law was unable to do. For He has delivered me from weakness of body, inspiring into it strength and consolation, that it may no longer be oppressed by the tyranny of sin.

12.-AMBROSE.

WHETHER St. Ambrose, or some other person, was the author or the interpolator of those Commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans, which generally pass under his name, the following are some of his remarks on the Seventh chapter :

That he is sold under sin, is, that he derives his origin from Adam, who first sinned, and by his own transgression rendered himself subject to sin, as Isaiah says, "For your iniquities have ye sold yourselves." (1, 1.) For Adam first sold himself; and, by this act, all his seed was subjected to sin. Wherefore man is too full of weakness to observe the precepts of the law, unless he be strengthened by divine aids. Hence arises that which he says, "The law is spiritual, but I am carnal," &c.; that is, the law is strong, and just, and faultless; but man is frail, and subjugated [paterno delicto] by the offence of his progenitor, that he is unable to use his power with regard to yielding obedience to the law: He must therefore flee to the mercy of God, that he may avoid the severity of the law, and being exonerated from his transgressions, may, with regard to other things, resist his enemy, under the favour of heaven.

But to perform that which is good I find not.] Therefore, that which is commanded by the law is pleasing to him, and his wil is to do it; but, in order to its completion, power and virtue are wanting; because he is so oppressed by the power of sin, that he cannot go where he would; neither is he able to contradict, because another is the lord and master of his power.—Ibid.

That he may extol the grace of God, the apostle expounds these words, concerning the great evils from which it has delivered

man; that he might point out what destructive materials he derives from Adam, but what blessings through Christ have been obtained for him whom the law could neither succour nor relieve.-Ibid. Let the whole [of the rest of the] passage be perused.

13.-JEROME.

WE HAVE sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, &c.] Undoubtedly the three Hebrew children had not sinned, neither were they of that [accountable] age when they were led away to Babylon, so as to be punished for their vices. Therefore, as they here speak in the person of their nation at large, so we must read and apply that passage of the apostle, "For what I would, that do I not," &c.-On Dan. 9.

III. THE OPINION OF ST. AUGUSTINE.

1. QUOTATIONS from his Writings.-2. These passages confirm the Interpretation of the author. It is objected, that St. Augustine afterwards gave a different Explanation, and retracted his former Opinion: To this the Reply is, it appears that his Interpretation of this Chapter was free from any such Change.—3. What St. Augustine properly retracted is shewn by quotations from his Writings.-4. His Modesty in the Explanation of this Chapter. He understands this passage to refer, not to actual Sins, but to the internal Motions of Concupiscence.

1. But let us approach to St. Augustine, and see what was his opinion concerning this passage, since my opinion is loaded and oppressed with the weight of his authority :

If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.] The law is indeed sufficiently defended from all crimination. But we must be on our guard to prevent any one from supposing, that, by these words, the free exercise or choice of the will is taken away from us; which is not the fact. For now is described a man placed under the law, before [the arrival of] grace.-Exposition of certain Propositions from the Epistle to the Romans, cap. 7.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, &c.] He calls that "the law of sin" by which every one is bound who is entangled in [consuetudine] the habit or nature of the flesh. He says, that this wars against "the law of the mind," and "brings it into captivity to the law of sin:" From this the man is understood to be described who is not yet under grace. For if the carnal habit or nature were only to maintain a

warfare, and not to bring into captivity, there would not be damnation. For in this consists damnation,-that we obey and serve corrupt and carnal desires: But if such desires still exist and do not all disappear, yet in this case we do not yield obedience to them, we are not brought into captivity, and we are now under grace: Concerning which he speaks when he cries out for the aid of the Deliverer, that this might be possible through the grace of love, which fear was not able to do through the law. For he has said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" And he added, "The Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." He then begins to describe man placed under grace, which is the third degree of those four into which we have distinguished mankind.-Ibid.

But not being yet content with the past inquiry and explanation, lest I had with too much negligence passed by any thing in it, (Rom. vii,) I have still more cautiously and attentively examined the very same words of the apostle, and the tenour of their meanings. For you would not consider it proper to ask such things, if the manner in which they may be understood were easy and devoid of difficulties. For, from the passage in which it is written, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid;"―unto that in which the apostle says, "I find then a law, that, when I would do good," &c. ;-and, I believe, as far as the verse in which it is said, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord;"-you wished me to elucidate or resolve the question first from these passages, in which the apostle seems to me to have transfigured unto himself a man placed under the law, with whose words he speaks from his own person.-To Simplicianus, the Bishop of the Church of Milan.

Hence it is evident, FIRST, that the Church had at that period prescribed nothing definite concerning the meaning of this passage: For Simplicianus, the Bishop of Milan, indeed officiating in the very Church in which St. Ambrose had formerly discharged the episcopal functions, would not have earnestly requested to have the opinion of St. Augustine, if the opinion to be maintained concerning it were to be through prescription. -SECONDLY. After St. Augustine had diligently considered the matter, he openly declares, that the whole passage must be understood as referring to a man under the law.

"For," he says, "I was without the law once." By this he plainly shews, that he was not speaking properly in his own person, but generally in the person of " the old man."—Ibid.

He afterwards subjoins the cause why it is so, and says, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal:” In which he shews, that the law cannot be fulfilled except by spiritual persons, who do not become such without the aid of grace.-Ibid.

Indeed when he had said, "But I am carnal," he also subjoined the kind of carnal man that he was. For even those who are now placed under grace, and who are now redeemed by the blood of Christ, and born again through faith, are called “ carnal” after a certain manner; to whom the same apostle says, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal," &c. (1 Cor. iii, 1.) But that man who is still under the law and not under grace, is so very carnal as not yet to be born again from sin, but to be sold under the law by sin; because the price of deadly pleasure embraces that sweetness by which a man is deceived and delighted to act even contrary to the law, since by how much greater is the pleasure by so much less is the lawfulness, &c.—" He consents, therefore, to the law of God,” inasmuch as he does not what it prohibits, but chiefly by not willing that which he does. For, not being yet liberated by grace, he is conquered [by sin], although through the law he is both conscious that he is acting improperly, and is reluctant. But with regard to that which follows, where he "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me;" he does not therefore say it, because he does not consent to commit sin, though he consents to the law by disapproving of the sin which he commits. But he is still speaking in the person of a man placed under the law, who is not yet under grace, and who is indeed drawn, by reigning concupiscence and by the deceitful sweetness of prohibited sin, to perpetrate evil, though, through his knowledge of the law, he partly disapproves of such bad actions. But this is the reason why he says, "It is no more I that do it," because being conquered he does it, since it is done by [cupiditas] evil desires, to whose conquering power he yields. But grace causes him no longer thus to yield, and strengthens the mind of man against lusts: Of which grace the apostle is now about to treat. -Ibid. See also what immediately follows this quotation.

says,

"To will is present with me: He says this with respect to facility. For what can be more easy, to a man placed under the law, than to will that which is good, and to do what is evil?, &c.-Ibid.

But the whole of this is said for the purpose of shewing to man, while yet a captive, that he must not presume on his own strength or powers. On this account he reproved the Jews as proudly