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Shorter Rules
St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925
Rule 269: It is Written, Doing the Desires of the Flesh and of the Thoughts. Is There Any…
Elsewhere the apostle gives a list of the desires of the flesh mentioning them separately by name. ‘The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strifes, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.”2 And elsewhere in more general terms: “The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be.”3 But the desires of the thoughts would be imaginations not approved by Scripture, the kind of which it is said: Casting down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God”’ and thoughts not brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.4 Wherefore it is necessary and safe always to keep what David said: ‘“And thy righteous acts are my counsel.”5
Notes
- Eph. ii. 3.
- Gal. v. 19 add μοιχεία K; 20; 21 add φόνοι K.
- Rom. viii. 7.
- 2 Cor. x. 4; 5 καὶ νοήματα μὴ αἰχμαλωτιζόμενα**.
- Ps. cxix. 24 καὶ ἡ συμβουλία μου with ℵca ART, Sw.’s (ℵ) text αἱ συμβουλίαι.