The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…

I thought (saith he) that these things, (to wit) I am carnal, sold under sin, and led captive unto the law of sin by the law of my members, could not be truly spoken of any, but of such as are so enthralled of their carnal concupiscence, that they did whatsoever it compelled them, which to conceive of the Apostle were mere madness, seeing in many of the Saints, the spirit so lusteth against the flesh, that it cannot thus prevail. But afterwards I gave way to other of better judgment, or rather to the truth it self, plainly perceiving in these words of the Apostle the groaning and complaint of the Saints striving against their carnal concupiscence, &c. Whereof it came to pass that I understood this place as it was understood by Hilary, Gregory, Ambrose, and the rest of the holy and famous Doctors of the Church, who do all think that the Apostle did courageously fight against his carnal concupiscence, which he had in him though he desired to be freed from it, and that in these words he professeth this his conflict. And a little after; neither can well any mans spirit lust against his flesh, unless the spirit of Christ dwelled in him. So Gregory Nazianzen acknowledgeth and deploreth this conflict which he felt in himself between the flesh and the spirit. Neither am I (saith he) wholly mind or spirit, that is, pure nature, ⟨p. 168⟩nor on the other side wholly flesh, that is nature corrupted, but composed of both, I am an other thing and yet both of them. Whereof it is, that I continually suffer perpetual tumults of war, the flesh and the spirit encamping against one another. I am the image of God, and am drawn into vice, though I struggle and ¹strive against it, the worse part wickedly conflicting against the better; so as not without great labour and daily wrestling, the hand and help of God assisting me, I flee and resist vice. And these thus conflicting the one with the other, the eye of God beholding them from heaven hath aided the spirit, subdued the tumult and rage of the trouble some flesh, ad stilled the swelling waves of carnal perturbations. And so also the flesh rageth with furious strength, and never resteth from making cruel war; and though there may be sometime an intermission, yet there is never a dismission from the fight.

I thought (saith he) that these things, (to wit) I am carnall, sold vnder sinne, and led captiue vnto the lawe of sinne by the lawe of my members, could not bee truely spoken of any, but of such as are so inthralled of their carnall concupiscence, that they did whatsoeuer it compelled them, which to conceiue of the Apostle were meere madnesse, seeing in many of the Saints, the spirit so lusteth against the flesh, that it canot thus preuaile. But afterwards I gaue way to other of better iudgment, or rather to the truth it selfe, plainly perceiuing in these words of the Apostle the groaning and complaint of the Saints striuing against their carnall concupiscence, &c. Whereof it came to passe that I vnderstood this place as it was vnderstood by Hilarie, Gregory, Ambrose, and the rest of the holy and famous Doctors of the Church, who doe all thinke that the Apostle did couragiously fight against his carnall concupiscence, which he had in him though hee desired to be freed from it, and that in these wordes hee professeth this his conflict. And a little after; neither can well any mans spirit lust against his flesh, vnlesse the spirit of Christ dwelled in him. So Gregory Nazianzen acknowledgeth and deploreth this conflict vvhich he felt in himselfe betweene the flesh and the spirit. Neither am I (saith hee) wholly minde or spirit, that is, pure nature,