Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/377



HE Apostle  Paul,  the  teacher  of  all  nations,  exhorted  those Christians whom  he  had  formerly  converted  to  the  faith,  in an  Epistle,  that  is  a  letter,  thus  saying:  ' Fratres,  Spiritu ambulate, et  desideria  carnis  non  perficietis,  et  cetera ' — '  My  brethren,  walk  in  the  Spirit,  that  is  in  spiritual  conversation,  and  ye  shall  not fulfil  the  lusts  of  your  flesh. The flesh  verily  warreth  against  the spirit,  and  the  spirit  against  the  flesh. These things  verily,  that  is the  body  and  the  soul,  fight  between  themselves. But the  soul  is  the  flesh's  mistress,  and  it  befitteth  her  that  she  should  ever  rule the bondmaid,  that  is  the  flesh,  according  to  her  bests. Ill fareth it with  the  house  where  the  bondmaid  is  the  ruler  of  the  mistress and the  mistress  is  in  subjection  to  the  bondmaid;  so  also  will  the life of  man  be  ordered  backward,  if  the  flesh  which  is  corruptible and mortal  shall  subdue  the  spirit,  which  is  eternal  and  imperishable, to  its  base  lusts,  which  will  destroy  them  both,  and  bring them to  everlasting  torments. The Apostle  said,  'If  ye  be  led  by the  Spirit,  then  are  ye  not  under  the  Law.'     He  said  in  another place, '  There  is  no  law  set  for  righteous  men,  but  for  unrighteous and disobedient,  for  the  profane  and  the  guilty;'  because  the  law, that is  the  righteous  rule,  will  not  greet  [i. e. visit]  the  righteous man with  any  evil,  but  it  will  punish  the  unrighteous  according  to their  works. The righteous  verily  need  not  fear  the  strict  rule which God's  law  teacheth,  if  he  restraineth  himself  from  all  foolishness. Paul said,  '  Manifest  are  the  works  of  the  flesh,  adultery  and