XVII.
ON AUGURIES.
THE 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
