Chapter 6.—Of the Character of
the Human Will Which Makes the Affections of the Soul Right or
Wrong.
But the character of the human will
is of moment; because, if it is wrong, these motions of the soul
will be wrong, but if it is right, they will be not merely
blameless, but even praiseworthy. For the will is in them all;
yea, none of them is anything else than will. For what are desire
and joy but a volition of consent to the things we wish? And what
are fear and sadness but a volition of aversion from the things
which we do not wish? But when consent takes the form of seeking
to possess the things we wish, this is called desire; and when
consent takes the form of enjoying the things we wish, this is
called joy. In like manner, when we turn with aversion from that
which we do not wish to happen, this volition is termed fear; and
when we turn away from that which has happened against our will,
this act of will is called sorrow. And generally in respect of
all that we seek or shun, as a man’s will is attracted or
repelled, so it is changed and turned into these different
affections. Wherefore the man who lives according to God, and not
according to man, ought to be a lover of good, and therefore a
hater of evil. And since no one is evil by nature, but whoever is
evil is evil by vice, he who lives according to God ought to
cherish towards evil men a perfect hatred, so that he shall neither
hate the man because of his vice, nor love the vice because of the
man, but hate the vice and love the man. For the vice being
cursed, all that ought to be loved, and nothing that ought to be
hated, will remain.