Sins And Agreement

Sublato enim malitiae semine, nequitiae fructus arescent; non enim dat arbor fructus, cujus excisae sunt radices. Nam ideo et Moyses Sodomae et Gomorrhae gesta memoravit, exitiumque non tacuit, ut timorem poneret hujus rei vitandae. Non ergo hoc vitium et contaminatio dehonestatae vitae ab eo admittitur, qui in animo cogitat Deum. Sunt quidam qui se reos non putant, si non operantur quae mala sunt, assentiant autem facientibus. Assentire autem est, si, cum possit reprehendere, taceat: aut audiens has fabulas, aduletur. Sciens enim impurus et malignus non ignorari quae agit, et minime se vitari, sed etiam honori esse, gloriatur forte se talem: nec confundi potest in his, quando videt faveri sibi, et obsecundari ab iis, qui non sunt tales; et ita est, ut qui fomitem praebeant delictis illorum: ideoque dignum est ut pari crimine rei habeantur. Sunt iterum alii, qui non solum faciunt mala, sed etiam consentiunt facientibus;; ut non solum faciant, sed et talibus consentiant. Duplex ergo horum est nequitia: non enim tam mali sunt, qui faciunt, et facientibus contradicunt; scientes enim nefaria, non illa vindicant: illi vero tam nequissimi sunt, qui et faciunt, et consentiunt facientibus, ut nec Deum timeant sed increscere cupientes mala, ideo haec minime vindicant, ut suadeant non illa esse vitanda. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Ad Romanos, Caput I Source: Migne PL 17.63b-c

If the seed of wickedness is removed, the fruit of evil withers, for the tree gives no fruit if its roots have been severed. Thus Moses recorded the deeds of Sodom and Gomorrah and was not silent about their end, 1 that he instill fear concerning what is to avoided. Therefore this vice and pollution of a shameful life is not allowed in one who thinks on God in his soul. There are some who think themselves not guilty if they do not do evil things, even though they agree with those who do them. One agrees, if when one is able to correct, one is silent, or if hearing the tales of what they do, one smiles. For when a foul and wicked man knows that others are not ignorant of what he has done, and that he will not be shunned at all because of it, but indeed he will be esteemed, he may glory that he is such a person, nor can he be troubled by these things when he sees he has favour and friendship with those who do not do such things, and so it is that they who give excuse for wrongdoing are rightly equally guilty of the criminal act. There are then others, who not only do evil things, but even agree with those who do them, that not only do they do such things but agree with them. 2 The iniquity of such is therefore twofold, for not only are they evil who do such things and dispute with the doers of them, for they know it is wrong and they do not defend them, but they are much worse who do these things and agree with those who do them, for they fear not God but desire to increase evil, and so they do not at all reprove these things in order that they might persuade that these things are not to be avoided. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Epistle of Saint Paul To The Romans, Chapter 1 1 Gen 19.24-25 2 Rom 1.32