Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XX/Chapter 4

Chapter IV.&#8212;Men Sin Through Ignorance.

When Peter said this, Micah, who was himself one of his followers, asked:&#160; &#8220;What, then, is the reason why men sin?&#8221;&#160; And Peter said:&#160; &#8220;It is because they are ignorant that they will without doubt be punished for their evil deeds when judgment takes place. &#160; For this reason they, having lust, as I elsewhere said, for the continuance of life, gratify it in any accidental way, it may be by the vitiation of boys, or by some other flattering sin.&#160; For in consequence of their ignorance, as I said before, they are urged on through fearlessness to satisfy their lust in an unlawful manner.&#160; Wherefore God is not evil, who has rightly placed lust within man, that there may be a continuance of life, but they are most impious who have used the good of lust badly.&#160; The same considerations apply to anger also, that if one uses it righteously, as is within his power, he is pious; but going beyond measure, and taking judgment to himself, he is impious.&#8221;