Quod amor noster adversum se ex charitate et cupiditate contrario appetitu dividatur.
The Soul Divided Against Itself
The soul, capable of both love and greed, stands divided against itself by the fresh outpouring of love and the lingering traces of long-standing greed.
But because the only part of our soul that is capable of receiving either love or greed — what is more commonly called love — is the very thing that, through a fresh outpouring of love and the lingering traces of long-standing greed, stands divided against itself, as if torn by a contrary desire.
The Apostle's Witness to Inner Conflict
Paul confesses his own divided will: 'Not what I wish, I do' (Rom. 7:15).
The Apostle speaks of this: Not what I wish, I do—✦ (Rom. 7).
Flesh Against Spirit
Paul further testifies that the flesh desires against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, so that we cannot do what we wish (Gal. 5:17).
And again: The flesh desires against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.✦ These oppose each other, so that you do not do whatever you wish.✦ (Gal. 5).
Correcting the Manichaean Error
The Apostle's terms 'spirit' and 'flesh' do not denote two contrary natures but rather the newness of mind through love poured out by the Holy Spirit and the lingering bondage of the old self, which together wage continuous conflict within a single soul.
It must be understood that the Apostle, by the terms 'spirit' and 'flesh,' in no way described two contrary natures in one person, as the impure Manichaeans dream; but by the term 'spirit' he expresses the newness of the mind through the outpouring of love — for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.✦ (Rom. 5); and by the term 'flesh' he also, drawing from the remnants of our old condition, suggests the wretched bondage of the soul — that between our long-accustomed old self and the unfamiliar new self, a continuous conflict arises within a single mind.
Read the original Latin
Verum, quia charitatis sive etiam cupiditatis ea sola animae nostrae portio capax est, quae usitatius amor nuncupatur, ipse est, qui ex nova infusione charitatis, et ex reliquiis vetustae cupiditatis, quasi quodam contrario appetitu adversus semetipsum constat esse divisus. De quo et Apostolus: Non quod volo ago (Rom. vii). Et iterum: Caro concupiscit adversus spiritum, et spiritus adversus carnem. Haec sibi invicem adversantur, ut non quaecunque vultis, illa faciatis (Gal. v). Intelligendum sane Apostolum spiritus carnisque nomine nequaquam duas contrarias in homine uno, ut impuri somniant Manichaei, descripsisse naturas; sed spiritus appellatione mentis ex charitatis infusione exprimens novitatem, charitas quippe Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum qui datus est nobis (Rom. v); carnis quoque vocabulo ex reliquiis vetustatis miseram animae insinuans servitutem, inter vetus nostrum inolitum, novumque insolitum, continuum una mente asserit oboriri conflictum.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.7.15 — For I do not understand what I do. For I do not do what I want, but what I hate, that I do.
- ↩Gal.5.17 — For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do the things you wish.
- ↩Gal.5.17 — For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do the things you wish.
- ↩Rom.5.5 — And hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Speculum caritatis (The Mirror of Charity) companion
Reorder one love at a time, daily
Use the study map with the free Chosen Portion app's daily readings to work through Aelred at a sustainable pace.
Aelred wrote the Mirror as a rule for daily interior discipline in community, and Chosen Portion carries that discipline forward as a short ordered reading each day.
- All 3 books and 102 chapters mapped into 4 weekly themes with page-level pointers
- Aelred's choice-motion-fruit test, turned into a one-page self-examination worksheet
- 16 discussion questions ready for personal journaling or a 4-session small group