The Institution of Christian Religion

We will allege some other sentences, whereby shall better appear what he thought. In y• second book against Julian: This law of sin is both released by the spiritual regeneration, & abideth in the mortal flesh: released herein, because the guiltiness is taken away in the sacrament whereby the faithful are regenerate: and it abideth, because it worketh the desires against which the faithful do fight. Again. Therefore the law of sin (which was also in the members of so great an Apostle is released in baptism, but not ended. Again. The law of sin (of which yet remaining the guiltiness, is in baptism discharged) Ambrose called wickedness: because it is wickedness for the flesh to lust against the Spirit. Again. Sin is dead in respect of that guiltiness wherein it held us, and even being dead, it still rebelleth till it be healed with perfection of burial. And yet plainer in the v. book. As the blindness of heart is both a sin, whereby men believeth not in God: and also a punishment of sin, whereby a proud heart is chastised with worthy correction: and the cause of sin when any thing is committed by the error of a blind heart: so the lust of flesh against which a good spirit lusteth, is both sin, because there is in it disobedience against the government of the mind: and also the punishment of sin, because it is given for recompense to the deservings of the disobedient: and the cause of sin in man, when he consenteth by defection or in man, when he is borne: by infection. Here without any doubtful speech he calleth it sin, because when error was ones overthrown, and the truth confirmed, he less feared slanderous reports. As in the .xlj. Homily upon John, where doubtless he speaketh according to the true meaning of his mind, he saith:¹ If in the flesh thou serve the law of sin, do that which the Apostle himself saith: let not sin reign in your mortal body to obey the ⟨p. 131⟩desires thereof. He saith not, let it not be, but let it not reign. So long as thou livest, sin must needs be in thy members: at least let Reign be taken from it. Let not that be done which it commandeth. They that defend that lust is no sin, are wont to object that saying of James:² Lust, after that it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin. But this is easily confuted.