Augustine: Earlier Writings (continued)
TO SIMPLICIAN— ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS 383 demn the law. He says these things because the law increases concupiscence by prohibiting it, and makes a man guilty as a transgressor of the law. The law commands what men in their infirmity are not able to fulfil, unless they turn piously to the grace of God. Those are said to be under the law over whom it exercises dominion, that is, those whom it punishes, and it punishes all transgressors. Those who have received the law break it, unless through grace they obtain power to do what it commands. So it is that the law does not exercise dominion over those who are under grace, and fulfil it by love, though they were condemned when they were under the fear of the law.
16. If the apostle's words induce us to think that he is finding fault with the law, what are we to make of these: "I delight in the law of God after the inward man"? He actually praises the law when he says that. But it may be replied that here the apostle is speaking of another law, the law of Christ, and not the law which was given to the Jews. So I ask which law is he speaking of when he says, "The law came that sin might abound." They reply "No doubt, that which the Jews received."
Is he then speaking of the same law when he says, "Sin taking occasion by the commandment wrought all manner of concupiscence in me"? What is the difference between "wrought all manner of concupiscence in me," and, "that sin might abound"? Observe also that that other statement is in complete agreement, "that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." That is the same thing as "that sin might abound." If we show that the commandment is a good thing from which sin took occasion to work all manner ofconcupiscence and to become exceeding sinful, we have shown at the same time that the law is good which came that sin might abound, i.e., might work all manner of concupiscence and become exceeding sinful. Let them hear the apostle's own words. "What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? God forbid." This, they say, is said of the law of Christ, that is, of the law of grace. Then, what do they understand of what follows? "I had not known sin but by the law. I had not known concupiscence did not the law say. Thou shalt not covet. But sin took occasion through the commandment to work all manner of concupiscence in me." The context of the words indicates sufficienUy of what law he is speaking when he says, "Is the law sin? God forbid." Obviously, the law by whose commandment occasion was given to sin to work all manner of concupiscence; the law, therefore, which came in afterwards that sin might abound; the law which