[10]. Sin
Sin is taken in a twofold sense in the Gospel teachings: First, for that disease which we contract from the author of our race, in consequence of which we are given over to love of ourselves. Of this I spoke to the best of my ability when considering man. It is this disease that Paul has in mind when he says, Rom. 7:20: “It is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me.” This sin, therefore, i. e., this defect, is the
[legis: Vulgate, praecepti; Greek, τῷ, xapayyeMas 1Cf. Zwingli’s On original sin, in vol. 2 of this series, pp. 1-32.]
disease native to us in consequence of which we shun things hard and burdensome and pursue things pleasant and agreeable. In the second place, sin is taken for that which is contrary to the Law, as through the Law comes knowledge of sin, Rom. 7:7. Any course of action, therefore, which is contrary to the Law is called sin. Let us see, then, how they are related to each other, the sin that is disease and the sin that is transgression of the Law. The disease does not know that it is disease, and thinks it has a right to do whatever it likes. God does not think so, but when the disease tries to get everything for itself and thinks all things bound to serve it and to minister to its greed, He prunes this luxuriant growth with the sickle of the Law. For the Law “was added because of transgressions,” Gal. 3:19. For the Searcher of hearts is aware that the nature of all is the same, and that Thersites has just as much selflove as Agamemnon. Now if all were alike given loose reins, the only consequence would be that every man would subject everything to himself, according to the measure of his strength; whence a harvest of robbery, plundering, murder, parricide, and all that kind of enemy to human association would spring up. He therefore confines this far-reaching greed within fixed limits, and commands us not to do to others what we do not want done to us, and, conversely, to do to others what we want done to ourselves [Mt. 7:12]. And that we may do it more readily and recognize the wisdom of God, He sweetens this law of nature, as it is called, with the seasoning of love, saying: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” [Mt. 22:39]. Love is a sweet thing, but it takes even the most bitter things cheerfully, for nothing is hard to him that loveth. Therefore, though it seems a great and difficult thing to do to your neighbor what you want done to you, it becomes pleasant and very easy if you love. But here the old man, the disease, the flesh, Adam, sin, rebels—for these are the names by which the teaching of the Apostles calls this vice of φιλαυτία; [self-love]. The flesh, or the old Adam, I say, rebels, scorning everything but itself; for it would rather that all things should serve its own lust to their own destruction than put any limit to its greed and its passion
[Thersites vias the meanest, as Agamemnon was the highest, of the]
[Greeks before Troy.]
for glory and pleasure. Hence anger against the Law and the Lawgiver, hatred and machinations—hatred, because it cannot avoid or escape the Law or the Lawgiver, for if it ascendeth into heaven, He is there, if it descendeth into hell, He is there [cf. Ps. 139: 8]; machinations, because it struggles with all its might to deceive Him who yet cannot be deceived; it ponders, devises, schemes, hustles about, and after many attempts comes to this conclusion: “He is a tyrant who demands these things, for how is it possible for anyone to love another as much as himself? Nevertheless, since He makes such severe demands, His vengeance must be guarded against. You will do, therefore, as crafty slaves are wont to do with good and ἀδόλοις [guileless] masters—think up some clever dodge to blind Him so that He will not see your design.” Hence the usurer endows a priesthood or some sacred office, the whoremonger keeps a season of thoroughgoing fasting in honor of the Virgin, the betrayer puts up trembling and desperate prayers. By this more than silly cajolery they hope, forsooth, to overwhelm their unsuspecting Lord, or to throw dust in His eyes, so that they can indulge with impunity in adultery, usury, and betrayal. Thus was the Law no more listened to, nor men’s ways modeled upon it, nor the things that cause dishonor put away, but man became a god unto himself; for though the Law might slay, yet man none the less made himself alive in his wiles and hopes. Hence impiety gradually increased to such an extent that it said in its heart: “There is no God” [Ps. 14:1]; though by disguising its face it was openly posing as piety itself. I have spoken thus at rather great length that we might see how the sin that is transgression is born of the sin that is disease.
The next thing is to show how we have been made free from the Law and from sin.