he assigned as a reason for
his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil;
here, when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he
will not thereafter show such anger, he puts forward the same reason.
To human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine
wisdom.

64. But I gladly pass by such sublime themes, and leave them to minds
possessed of leisure. For me it is enough that these works are spoken
to suit our spiritual condition, inasmuch as God points out that he is
now appeased and no longer angry. So parents, having chastised their
disobedient children as they deserve, win again their affections by
kindness. This change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather
of commendation. It profits the children; otherwise they, while
fearing the rod, might also begin to hate their parents. This
explanation is good enough for me, for it appeals to our faith. Others
may explain differently.

65. We should give diligent attention to this passage because it
plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt, a truth above all others
to be apprehended, because without it God's mercy and grace cannot be
rightly understood. Hence, the quibblers previously mentioned are to
be despised and we have good reason to take to task the translator who
gave occasion for this error by rendering the words so as to say, not
that the imagination of man's heart is evil, but that it is inclined
to evil. Upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those
passages of Paul where he says that all are children of wrath (Eph 2,
3) that all have sinned (Rom 5, 12) and are under sin (Rom 3, 9). They
argue from our passage as follows: Moses does not say that human
nature is evil, but that it is prone to evil; this condition, call it
inclination or proclivity, is under the control of free will, nor does
it force man toward the evil, or (to use their own words) it imposes
no constraint upon man.

66. Then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare
that even after the fall of man, there remains in him a good will and
a right understanding. For the natural powers, say they, are
unimpaired, not only in man but even in the devil. And finally they so
twist Aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends
toward that which is best. Some traces of these views are found also
in the writings of the Church fathers. Using Psalms 4, 6 as a basis,
where the prophet says, "Jehovah, lift