Romans 1:26

Yes, and also in the first chapter of the epistle he authenticates nature, when he asserts that males and females changed among themselves the natural use of the creature into that which is unnatural, by way of penal retribution for their error.

This is the third time that the apostle uses the phrase “God gave them up.” Each time he gives reasons for this, but the reasons do not seem to correspond to the causes.… It is therefore better to take all three instances together and regard them as a single cause for the abandonment of men to their lusts.… And similarly, all of these lusts are found in every case of abandonment.… It seems that in these three points the apostle has enumerated every kind of godlessness—one group worships idols, another serves the creation instead of the Creator, and the third has refused to pay attention to God. The first group must be the pagans, the second group includes the wise men and philosophers, while in my opinion, the third group refers to the heretics who either deny God or utter different blasphemies against the Most High.

Would those so condemned not have remained in the lusts of their hearts, even if they had not been given up to them by God? Would they not have fallen into dishonorable passions, even if they had not been given up to them by God? Would they not have fallen into an unfit mind quite apart from being given up to it by God?

Oh, if placed on that lofty watch-tower you could gaze into the secret places-if you could open the closed doors of sleeping chambers, and recall their dark recesses to the perception of sight,-you would behold things done by immodest persons which no chaste eye could look upon; you would see what even to see is a crime; you would see what people embruted with the madness of vice deny that they have done, and yet hasten to do,-men with frenzied lusts rushing upon men, doing things which afford no gratification even to those who do them. I am deceived if the man who is guilty of such things as these does not accuse others of them. The depraved maligns the depraved, and thinks that he himself, though conscious of the guilt, has escaped, as if consciousness were not a sufficient condemnation. The same people who are accusers in public are criminals in private, condemning themselves at the same time as they condemn the culprits; they denounce abroad what they commit at home, willingly doing what, when they have done, they accuse,-a daring which assuredly is fitly mated with vice, and an impudence quite in accordance with shameless people. And I beg you not to wonder at the things that persons of this kind speak: the offence of their mouths in words is the least of which they are guilty.

Paul tells us that these things came about, that a woman should lust after another woman, because God was angry at the human race because of its idolatry. Those who interpret this differently do not understand the force of the argument. For what is it to change the use of nature into a use which is contrary to nature, if not to take away the former and adopt the latter, so that the same part of the body should be used by each of the sexes in a way for which it was not intended? Therefore, if this is the part of the body which they think it is, how could they have changed the natural use of it if they had not had this use given to them by nature? This is why he said earlier that they had been handed over to uncleanness, even though he did not explain in detail what he meant by that.

All these affections then were vile, but chiefly the mad lust after males; for the soul is more the sufferer in sins, and more dishonored, than the body in diseases. But behold how here too, as in the case of the doctrines, he deprives them of excuse, by saying of the women, that "they changed the natural use." For no one, he means, can say that it was by being hindered of legitimate intercourse that they came to this pass, or that it was from having no means to fulfil their desire that they were driven into this monstrous insaneness. For the changing implies possession. Which also when discoursing upon the doctrines he said, "They changed the truth of God for a lie." And with regard to the men again, he shows the same thing by saying, "Leaving the natural use of the woman." And in a like way with those, these he also puts out of all means of defending themselves by charging them not only that they had the means of gratification, and left that which they had, and went after another, but that having dishonored that which was natural, they ran after that which was contrary to nature. But that which is contrary to nature hath in it an irksomeness and displeasingness, so that they could not fairly allege even pleasure. For genuine pleasure is that which is according to nature. But when God hath left one, then all things are turned upside down. And thus not only was their doctrine Satanical, but their life too was diabolical. Now when he was discoursing of their doctrines, he put before them the world and man's understanding, telling them that, by the judgment afforded them by God, they might through the things which are seen, have been led as by the hand to the Creator, and then, by not willing to do so, they remained inexcusable. Here in the place of the world he sets the pleasure according to nature, which they would have enjoyed with more sense of security and greater glad-heartedness, and so have been far removed from shameful deeds. But they would not; whence they are quite out of the pale of pardon, and have done an insult to nature itself. And a yet more disgraceful thing than these is it, when even the women seek after these intercourses, who ought to have more sense of shame than men. And here too the judgment of Paul is worthy of admiration, how having fallen upon two opposite matters he accomplishes them both with all exactness. For he wished both to speak chastely and to sting the hearer. Now both these things were not in his power to do, but one hindered the other. For if you speak chastely you shall not be able to bear hard upon the hearer. But if you are minded to touch him to the quick, you are forced to lay the naked facts before him in plain terms. But his discreet and holy soul was able to do both with exactness, and by naming nature has at once given additional force to his accusation, and also used this as a sort of veil, to keep the chasteness of his description. And next, having reproached the women first, he goes on to the men also, and says, "And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman." Which is an evident proof of the last degree of corruptness, when both sexes are abandoned, and both he that was ordained to be the instructor of the woman, and she who was bid to become an helpmate to the man, work the deeds of enemies against one another. And reflect too how significantly he uses his words. For he does not say that they were enamoured of, and lusted after one another, but, "they burned in their lust one toward another." You see that the whole of desire comes of an exorbitancy which endureth not to abide within its proper limits. For everything which transgresseth the laws by God appointed, lusteth after monstrous things and not those which be customary. For as many oftentimes having left the desire of food get to feed upon earth and small stones, and others being possessed by excessive thirst often long even for mire, thus these also ran into this ebullition of lawless love. But if you say, and whence came this intensity of lust? It was from the desertion of God: and whence is the desertion of God? from the lawlessness of them that left Him; "men with men working that which is unseemly." Do not, he means, because you have heard that they burned, suppose that the evil was only in desire. For the greater part of it came of their luxuriousness, which also kindled into flame their lust. And this is why he did not say being swept along or being overtaken, an expression he uses elsewhere; but what? working. They made a business of the sin, and not only a business, but even one zealously followed up. And he called it not lust, but that which is unseemly, and that properly. For they both dishonored nature, and trampled on the laws. And see the great confusion which fell out on both sides. For not only was the head turned downwards but the feet too were upwards, and they became enemies to themselves and to one another, bringing in a pernicious kind of strife, and one even more lawless than any civil war, and one rife in divisions, and of varied form. For they divided this into four new, and lawless kinds. Since (whence) this war was not twofold or threefold, but even fourfold. Consider then. It was meet, that the twain should be one, I mean the woman and the man. For "the twain," it says, "shall be one flesh." (Gen. ii. 24.) But this the desire of intercourse effected, and united the sexes to one another. This desire the devil having taken away, and having turned the course thereof into another fashion, he thus sundered the sexes from one another, and made the one to become two parts in opposition to the law of God. For it says, "the two shall be one flesh;" but he divided the one flesh into two: here then is one war. Again, these same two parts he provoked to war both against themselves and against one another. For even women again abused women, and not men only. And the men stood against one another, and against the female sex, as happens in a battle by night. You see a second and third war, and a fourth and fifth; there is also another, for beside what have been mentioned they also behaved lawlessly against nature itself. For when the Devil saw that this desire it is, principally, which draws the sexes together, he was bent on cutting through the tie, so as to destroy the race, not only by their not copulating lawfully, but also by their being stirred up to war, and in sedition against one another.

Because of the reasons given above, they were abandoned to their disgraceful behavior. Those who turned against God turned everything on its head. For those who forsook the author of nature could not keep to the order of nature.

God gave them up because that is what they wanted.

146. Having set forth the sin of ungodliness [n. 141], according to which they have sinned against the divine nature, he now sets forth the punishment whereby they have been reduced to sinning against their own nature. First, he mentions the punishment; secondly, he explains it, there [26b; n. 148] at For their women; thirdly, its fittingness, there [27b; n. 151] at the recompense. 147. Therefore, he says, for this reason, i.e., because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, God gave them up not, of course, by impelling them to evil but by abandoning them, to dishonorable passions, i.e., sins against nature, which are called passions in the sense that a passion implies that a thing is drawn outside the order of its own nature, as when water becomes hot or when a man becomes sick. Hence, because man departs from the natural order, when he commits such sins, they are fittingly called passions, as in Rom (7:5): "The passions of sins." They are called dishonorable passions, because their acts are not worthy of man: "It is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret" (Eph 5:12). For if sins of the flesh are shameful, because through them man is lowered to what is bestial in him, much more so are sins against nature, through which man sinks below the bestial: "I will change his glory into shame" (Hos 4:7). 148. Then when he says For their women (v.26b) he explains his statement. First, in regard to women; 80 secondly, in regard to men, there [v. 27; n. 150] at And, in like manner, the men also. 149. He says therefore first: the reason why I say that they have been given up to dishonorable passions is that their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural: "Does not nature itself teach you?" (1 Cor 11:14); "They have transgressed the laws, broken the everlasting covenant," i.e., the natural law (Is 24:5). It should be noted that something is against man’s nature in two ways: in one way, against the nature of what constitutes man, i.e., rationality. In this way, every sin is said to be against man’s nature, inasmuch as it is against right reason. Hence, Damascene says that an angel in sinning was turned from what is according to nature into what is contrary to nature. In another way, something is said to be against man’s nature by reason of his general class, which is animal. Now it is obvious that according to the intent of nature, sexual union in animals is ordained to the act of generation; hence, every form of union from which generation cannot follow is against the nature of animal as animal. In line with this it is stated in a gloss that "the natural use is that a man and a woman come together in one copulation, but it is against nature that a man pollute a man and a woman a woman." The same is true of every act of intercourse from which generation cannot follow. 150. Then when he says, And, in like manner, the men also, he explains in regard to males, who gave up natural relations with women and were consumed, i.e., lusted for something beyond the intent of nature: "They blazed like a fire of thorns" (Ps 118:12); and this in their desires, i.e., carnal desires, men committing shameful acts with men: "I will uncover your shame before them and they will see all your baseness" (Ez 16:37). 81 151. Then he shows that this punishment suited their guilt, when he says, and receiving in their own person, i.e., in the deformation of their nature, the due reward of their error, i.e., the error of exchanging the truth of God for a lie; the due reward, i.e., the retribution they deserved to receive according to the order of justice which required that those who insulted God’s nature by attributing to creatures what is his alone, should be affronts to their own nature. Although "reward" seems to imply something good, it is taken here for any retribution, even evil: "Wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23); "All their wages shall be burned with fire" (Mic 1:7). It should be noted that the Apostle very reasonably considers vices against nature, which are the worst carnal sins, as punishments for idolatry, because they seem to have begun as idolatry, namely, at the time of Abraham, when idolatry is believed to have begun. That seems to be the reason why they are first recorded to have been punished among the people of Sodom (Gen 19). Furthermore, as idolatry became more widespread, these vices grew. Hence it is written in 2 Macc (4:12) that Jason "founded a gymnasium right under the citadel, and he induced the noblest of the young men to wear the Greek hat," i.e., put them in brothel houses. Now this was not the beginning, but an increase and progression of the heathenish and foreign manners. 152. Then when he says And as they did not see fit (v. 28) he shows that they fell under a penalty of justice. First, he shows that previous sin brought them to these sins; secondly, he enumerates the differences among these sins, there [n. 156] at Filled with all iniquity. 82 153. He mentions the preceding sin when he says, and since they did not see first to acknowledge God. This can be interpreted in two ways: in one way, that although they could have had true knowledge about God by the light of reason considering visible things, nevertheless, to sin more freely, they did not acknowledge God, i.e., they did not approve having God in their knowledge: "They said to God: ‘Depart from us. We do not desire knowledge of your ways.’" (Jb 21:14). In another way it can mean that they did not acknowledge that God knows about human behavior: "The Lord does not see: the God of Jacob does not perceive" (Ps 94:7). According to this interpretation the punishment is shown to fit this sin, when he says, God gave them up to a base mind [sense]. 154. "Sense" here does not mean man’s external sense, by which sense-perceptible things are known, but the interior sense, according to which he judges his behavior: "To fix one thoughts on her," i.e., wisdom, "is to have perfect understanding [sense]" (Wis 6:12). It is called a base sense, because it reached discommendable judgments about behavior: "Men of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith" (2 Tim 3:8); "Refuse silver they are called" (Jer 6:30). 155. Therefore, he continues: and to improper conduct, i.e., behavior not in accord with right reason: "Their works are useless" (Wis 3:11). Yet it is fitting that those who sinned against knowing God either by refusing to acknowledge Him or by thinking that they do not know Him, should be given up to a perverse sense. That is why it is written in Wis (14:31): "A just penalty always pursues the transgression of the unrighteous." 83 156. Then when he says, they were filled with all manner of wickedness, he enumerates these unbecoming actions. First, he describes their general state, saying that they were filled with all manner of wickedness, because, as stated in 1 Jn (3:4): "All sin is wickedness." For just as every virtue, inasmuch as it carries out a precept of the Law qualifies as righteousness, so every sin, inasmuch as it is at variance with the rule of the divine law, qualifies as wickedness. And so sins are particularly reprehended in the sacred scripture. He stresses their guilt in two ways: first, in its enormity, when he says, filled. For that person seems to be filled with wickedness whose affections are totally dedicated to sinning: "Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness" (Ps 13:3). Secondly, in its extent , because they sin not in one matter only but in all: "The worship of idols is the beginning and cause and end of every evil" (Wis 14:27). 157. Then when he says, evil, he enumerates their sins in detail. First, their transgressions which disobey negative precepts; secondly, their omission, which disregard affirmative precepts, there [v. 30b; n. 163] at proud. Regarding the first he does two things: first, he mentions the sins by which a person deteriorates within himself; secondly, those by which he becomes harmful to his neighbor, there [n. 159] at wickedness. 158. In regard to the first he describes the source of deterioration in general terms, when he says, evil, i.e., malice, which is a habit of vice opposed to virtue. Hence it is that 84 18 The Latin has nequitia derived from nequire, meaning "to be unable." a person who sins from habit is said to sin from malice: "Why do you boast of malice?" (Ps 51:1). Getting down to particulars, he mentions first the sin by which a person is disarranged in regard to the desire for bodily pleasures, when he says, fornication. For although fornication, strictly speaking, is with prostitutes who offered themselves publicly near the "fornices," i.e., the triumphal arches, yet here it is taken for any unlawful concubinage: "Beware, my son, of all immorality" (Tb 4:12). Secondly, the vice through which a person is misaligned in his desire for external things, when he says, covetousness, which is the untamed desire for possessing: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have" (Heb 13:5). 159. Then the sins which tend to harm one’s neighbor are mentioned: first, malice, i.e. villainy, which inclines a person to attempt what he cannot accomplish.18 This happens especially in regard to harming one’s neighbor, whom one does not always succeed in harming as planned: "let the evils of the wicked come to an end" (Ps 7:9). Secondly, he mentions the root of these sins, when he says, full of envy, which consists in being grieved at another’s good; as a result one is incited to harm the other: "Through the devil’s envy death entered the world" (Wis 2:24). 160. Then are mentioned the wrongs: first, the obvious ones that are deeds, when he says, murders, which are the chief wrongs: "There is swearing, lying, killing, stealing and committing of adultery" (Hos 4:2). He says murders in the plural because murder is present not only in the action but also in the will: "Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (1 Jn 3:15), i.e., who hates him to kill him. 85 Secondly, the obvious ones that are words, when he says, strife [contention], which is an attack on the truth launched with the self-assurance of shouting: "It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife" (Pr 20:3). 161. Then he mentions the covert injuries: first, one that is general, when he says, deceit, i.e., when one thing is pretended and something else is done: "Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peaceably to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him" (Jer 9:8). After these he mentions the inner root of these harmful deeds, when he says, malignity, which implies an evil fire, i.e., ill will in the heart: "They speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts" (Ps 28:3); "The Lord abhors deceitful men" (Ps 5:6). 162. Then he mentions the covert wrongs that are perpetrated by words, when he says, gossips [whisperers], i.e., those who secretly whisper in men’s ears to sow discord among them: "Curse the whisperer and deceiver, for he has destroyed many who were at peace" (Si 28:15); slanderers, i.e., persons who detract from another’s reputation secretly, i.e., saying evil things about another without his knowing it: "If a serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer" (Ec 10:11). But lest these sins be regarded as trivial, because they are committed only by words, he adds, hateful to God; for they mainly attack something that God loves in men, namely, mutual love: "This is my commandment, that you love one another" (Jn 15:12); hence it is stated in Pr (6:16): "There are six things which the Lord hates, and a seventh is an abomination to him, namely, a person who sows discord among brothers." 86 He adds, insolent, namely, those who insult another to his face: "Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him" (1 Tim 1:13). Thus he mentioned three vices that agree on one point, namely, they say something evil about one’s neighbor. But they differ in their aim, for the whisperer intends discord, the slanderer ill repute, and the insolent injury. 163. Then he mentions the sins that involve omission: first, the root of these sins, when he says, haughty. They are called haughty, as though moving on a higher plane than they ought. On account of an unregulated desire for excellence, they wish to be first, refuse any rule outside themselves and, therefore, ignore commands: "The beginning of all sin is pride" (Si 10:13), which is true, insofar as sin is a turning from God, but not insofar as sin is a turning to a perishable good. For it is stated in 1 Tim (6:10): "The love of money is the root of all evils." 164. Secondly, he describes the progress of pride. First, from it is born in the heart a boastful attitude, so that a person esteems himself above others: "I am not like other men" (Lk 18:11). Against those who over esteem themselves Ps 131 (v.1) says: "My eyes are not raised too high." Secondly, from pride arises presumption to be new and different in behavior, to which he alludes, when he says, inventors of evil. For since good things have already been established by God and men, the result is that they devise new evils: "Their devising are against the Lord" (Is 3:8). 87 165. Then the omissions are mentioned: first, in regard to authority; hence, in regard to parents he says, disobedient to parents, contrary to what is commanded in Eph (6:1): "Children, obey your parents in the Lord." In regard to God’s authority he says, foolish, i.e., acting contrary to God’s wisdom: "The fear of the Lord is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Jb 28:28). Secondly, he mentions a sin of omission relating to oneself, when he says, faithless [slovenly] in appearance and in gait: "A man’s attire and open-mouthed laughter and a man’s manner of walking show what he is" (Si 19:30). Some fall under this indictment, when their manner conflicts with the common customs of the people among whom they live. Thirdly, he mentions omission touching one’s equals, toward whom we ought to have, first of all, affection in the heart; hence, he says, heartless: "The heart of the wicked is cruel" (Pr 12:10); "Men will be lovers of self" and not of others (2 Tim 3:2). Secondly, a man should live in social life with his equals, in contrast to which he says, without fidelity; consequently, they do not live in society with others: "They smote them with the edge of the sword … and there was no deliverer, … because they had no dealings with anyone" (Jg 18:27); "Woe to him that is alone when he falls and has no one to lift him up" (Ec 4:10). Fourthly, he mentions an omission affecting one’s inferiors, when he says, ruthless [without mercy], which we ought to show to the desolate: "Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (Jas 2:13). 166. Then (v. 32) he shows that they are deserving of God’s anger or vengeance. In this regard there are three points to consider [n. 167ff.]. 88 First, their naturalistic attitude, because although they knew that god is just and possessed of all other perfections, they did not believe that He would punish their sins: "They say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do well, and will not do ill’" (Zeph 1:12). This is why he says, although they knew God’s decree, they do these things. 167. Secondly, the punishment due to their sins, when he says, they deserve to die: "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). For it is fitting that the soul which deserts God should be deserted by its own body through bodily death and in the end be deserted by God through eternal death: "The death of the wicked is very evil" (Ps 34:22); "Over such the second death has no power" (Rev 20:6). 168. Thirdly, he considers those who deserve this punishment: first, those who do these things, i.e., the above mentioned sins: "Thou hatest all evildoers. Thou destroyest those who speak lies" (Ps 5:5-6).