's language is, all that is called carnal,--whatever man does
without faith, while he is in the body and a carnal life. I hold,
indeed, that St. Peter had a somewhat different mode of speech, yet
do not think that he uses the word soul, as St. Paul does, for
spirit; but St. Peter has given in more to the common Greek word,
than St. Paul. Yet much stress is not to be laid upon this: let it be
understood of all kinds of lusts, or all kinds of carnal desire or
impurity. But this at least he would teach us, that no saint on earth
can be fully perfect and holy. Yet the high schools have even trodden
the passage under their feet, nor do they understand it; they think
it is said only of sinners, as though the saints had no more wicked
lusts remaining. But whoever will study carefully into the
Scriptures, must note a distinction, because the prophets sometimes
speak of the saints in an obvious way, as though they were perfectly
holy in every respect; while on the other hand they speak also of
them as having evil lusts and being troubled with sins.

In regard to those two positions, those persons cannot see their way.
Understand, then, that Christians are divided into two parts,--into
an inward nature which is faith, and an outward which is the flesh.
If we look upon a Christian as it respects faith, then he is pure and
entirely holy; for the word of God has nothing impure in it, and
wherever it enters the heart that depends upon it, it will make that
also pure. Because, in respect to faith all things are perfect:
according to that, we are kings and priests and the people of God, as
was said above. But since faith exists in the flesh, and while we yet
live on earth we feel at times evil dispositions, as impatience and
fear of death, &c.

These are all the fault of the old man, for faith is not yet mature,
has not attained full control over the flesh.

This you may understand from the parable in the Gospel, Luke x., of
the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among
thieves, who beat him and left him lying half dead, whom the
Samaritan afterward took up, and bound up his wounds, and took care
of him, and saw to it that he should be nursed. There you perceive
that this man, since he is to be attended upon, is not sick unto
death,--his life is safe; all that is wanting is, that he should be
restored to health. Life is there, but he is not completely restored,
for he lies yet in the hands of the physicians and must