Therefore, by a custom of speech already prevailing, in one way the law and all the prophets who prophesied until John are called the " Old Testament; " although this is more definitely called the " Old Instrument " rather than the " Old Testament; " but this name is used in another way by the apostolical authority, whether expressly or impliedly. For the apostle is express when he says, " Until this day, as long as Closes is read, remaineth the same veil in the reading of the old testament; because it is not revealed, because it is made of no effect in Christ." 3 For thus certainly the old testament referred to the ministry of Moses. Moreover, he says, " That we should serve in the newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter," + signifying that same testament under the name of the letter. In another place also, "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit maketh alive." 5 And here, by the mention of the new, he certainly meant the former to be understood as the old. But much more evidently, although he did not say either old or new, he distinguished 3 2 Cor. iii. 14.
the two testaments and the two sons of Abraham, the one of the bondwoman, the other of the free, as I have above mentioned. For what can be more express than his saying, " Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, have ye not heard the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are m allegory; for these are the two testaments; the one in the Mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Agar. For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia, which is associated with Jerusalem which now is, for it is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother?"^ What is more clear, what more certain, what more remote from all obscurity and ambiguity to the children of the promise?
And a little after, " Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise." ^ Also a little after, " But we, brethren, are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free," ^ with the liberty with which Christ has made us free. Let us, therefore, choose whether to call the righteous men of old the children of the bondwoman or of the free. Be it far from us to say, of the bondwoman; therefore if of the free, they pertain to the new testament in the Holy Spirit, whom, as making alive, the apostle opposes to the killing letter. For on what ground do they not belong to the grace of the new testament, from whose words and looks we convict and rebut such most frantic and ungrateful enemies of the same grace as these?
CHAP. 13. — WHY ONE OF THE COVEN.ANTS IS CALLED OLD, THE OTHER NEW.
But some one will say, " In what way is that called the old which was given by INIoses four hundred and thirty years after; and that called the new which was given so many years before to Abraham?" Let him who on this subject is disturbed, not litigiously but earnestly, first understand that when from its earlier time one is called " old," and from its posterior time the other " new," it is the revelation of them that is considered in their names, not their institution. Because the old testament was revealed through Moses, by whom the holy and just and good law was given, whereby should be brought about not the doing away but the knowledge of sin, — by which the proud might be convicted who were desirous of establishing their own righteousness, as if they had no need of divine help, and being made guilty of the letter, might flee to the Spirit of grace, not to be justified by their own righteousness, but by that of God — that 6 GaL iv. 21 ff.
7 Gal. iv. 28.
8 Gal.
IV. 31.
4o8 [Book III.
is, by the righteousness which was given to them of God. For as the same apostle says, " By the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God vvithout the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and by the prophets." ' Because the law, by the very fact that in it no man is justified, affords a witness to the righteousness of God. For that in the law no man is justified before God is manifest, because " the just by faith lives." ^ Thus, therefore, although the law does not justify the wicked when he is convicted of transgression, it sends to the God who justifieth, and thus affords a testimony to the righteousness of God. Moreover, the prophets offer testimony to God's righteousness by fore-announcing Christ, " who is made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 3 gut that law was kept hidden from the beginning, when nature itself convictctl wicked men, who did to others what they would not have done to themselves. But the revelation of the new testament in Christ was made when He was manifested in the flesh, wherein appeared the righteousness of God — that is, the righteousness which is to men from God. For hence he says, " But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested."-* This is the reason why the former is called the old testament, because it was revealed in the earlier time; and the latter the new, because it was revealed in the later time. In a word, it is because the old testament pertains to the old man, from which it is necessary that a man should make a beginning; but the new to the new man, by which a man ought to pass from his old state. Thus, in the former are earthly promises, in the latter heavenly promises; because this pertained to God's mercy, that no one should think that even earthly felicity of any kind whatever could be conferred on anybody, save from the Lord, who is the Creator of all things. But if God is worshipped for the sake of that earthly happiness, the worship is that of a slave, belonging to the children of the bondmaid; but if for the sake of God Himself, so that in the life eternal God may be all things in all, it is a free service belonging to the children of the freewoman, who is our mother eternal in the heavens — who first seemed, as it were, barren, when she had not any children manifest; but now we see what was prophesied concerning her: " Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for there are many children of the desolate more than of her who has an husband," 5 — that is, more than of that Jerusalem, 2 Gal. iii. II. S Isa. liv. I.
3 I Cor. i. 30, 31.
who in a certain manner is married in the bond of the law, and is in bondage with her children. In the time, then, of the old testament, we say that the Holy Spirit, in those who even then were the children of promise according to Isaac, was not only an assistant, which these men think is sufficient for their opinion, but also a bestower of virtue; and this they deny, attributing it rather to their free will, in contradiction to those fathers who knew how to cry unto God with truthful piety, ".I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength." ^ CHAP. 14 [v.] — CALUMNY CONCERNING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES.
They say, moreover, " that all the aposdes or prophets are not defined as entirely holy by us, but that we say that they were less wicked in comparison with those that were worse; and that this is the righteousness to which God affords His testimony, so that, as the prophet says that Sodom was justified in comparison with the Jews, so also we say that the saints exercised some goodness in comparison with criminal men." Be it far from us to say such things; but either they are not able to understand, or they are unwilling to observe, or, for the sake of misrepresentation, they pretend that they do not know what we say. Let them hear, therefore, either themselves, or rather those whom, as inexperienced and unlearned persons, they are striving to deceive. Our faith — that is, the catholic faith — distinguishes the righteous from the unrighteous not by the law of works, but by that of faith, because the just by faith lives.
By which distinction it results that the man who leads his life without murder, without theft, without false-witness, without coveting other men's goods, giving due honour to his parents, chaste even to continence from all carnal intercourse whatever, even conjugal, most liberal in almsgiving, most patient of injuries; who not only does not deprive another of his goods, but does not even ask again for what has been taken away from himself; or who has even sold all his own property and appropriated it to the poor, and possesses nothing which belongs to him as his own; — with such a character as this, laudable as it seems to be, if he has not a true and catholic faith in God, must yet depart from this life to condemnation. But another, who has good works from a right faith which worketh by love, maintains his continency in the honesty of wedlock, although he does not, like the other, well refrain altogether, but pays and repays the debt of carnal connection, and has intercourse not only for the sake of offspring, but also for the sake of pleasure, although only with his 6 Ps. xviii. I.
Chap. 16.) AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS.
wife, which the apostle allows to those that are married as pardonable; — does not receive injuries with so much patience, but is raised into anger with the desire of vengeance, although, in order that he may say, " As we also forgive our debtors," forgives when he is asked; — possesses personal property, giving thence indeed some alms, but not as the former so liberally; — does not take away what belongs to another, but, although by ecclesiastical, not by civil judgment, yet contends for his own: certainly this man, who seems so inferior in morals to the former, on account of the right faith which he has in God, by which he lives, and according to which in all his wrong-doings he accuses himself, and in all his good works praises God, giving to himself the shame, to God the glory, and receivmg from Him both forgiveness of sins and love of right deeds, — shall be delivered for this life, and depart to be received into the company of those who shall reign with Christ. Wherefore, if not on account of faith? Which, although without works it saves no man (for it is not a reprobate faith, since it worketh by love), yet by it even sins are loosed, because the just by faith hveth; but without it, even those things which seem good works are turned into sins: " For everything which is not of faith is sin." ' And it is brought about, on account of this great difference, that although with no possibility of doubt a persevering integrity of virginity is preferable to conjugal chastity, yet a woman even twice married, if she be a catholic, is preferred to a professed virgin that is a heretic; nor is she in such wise preferred because this one is better in God's kingdom, but because the other is not there at all. Now the former, indeed, whom we have described as being of better morals, if a true faith be his, surpasses the second one, although both will be in heaven; yet if the faith be wanting to him, he is so surpassed by him that he himself is not there at all.
CHAP. 15. — THE PERFECTION OF APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.
Since, then, all righteous men, both the more ancient and the apostles, lived from a right faith which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; and had with their faith morals so holy, that although they might not be of such perfect virtue in this life as that which should be after this life, yet whatever of sin might creep in from human infirmity might be constandy done away by the piety of their faith itself: it results from this that, in comparison with the wicked whom God will condemn, it must be said that these were " righteous," since by their pious faith they were so ' Rom. xiv. 23.
far removed into the opposite of those wicked men that the apostle cries out, "What part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"^ But it is plain that the Pelagians, these modern heretics, seem to themselves to be religious lovers and praisers of the saints, since they do not dare to say that they were of an imperfect virtue; although that elected vessel confesses this, who, considering in what state he still was, and that the body which is corrui:)ted drags down the soul, says, " Not that I have already attained or am yet perfect; brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended." ^ And yet a little after, he who had denied himself to be perfect says, " Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded," ■♦ in order that he might show that, according to the measure of this life, there is a certain perfection, and that to that perfection this also is to be attributed, even although any one may know that he is not yet perfect. For what is more perfect, or what was more excellent, than the holy priests among the ancient people? And yet God prescribed to them to offer sacrifice first of all for their own sins. And what is more holy among the new people than the apostles? And yet the Lord prescribed to them to say in their prayer, " Forgive us our debts." For all the pious, therefore, who lie 1 under this burden of a corruptible flesh, and groan in the infirmity of this life of theirs, there I is one hope: " We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He is j the propitiation for our sins." 5 CHAP. 16 [VI.J — MISREPRESENTATION CONCERN- ; ING SIN IN CHRIST.
They have not a righteous advocate, who are I (even if that were the only difference) distinj guished absolutely and widely from the right-! eous. Be it far from us to say. as they themselves slanderously affirm, that this just Advocate " spoke falsely by the necessity of the flesh; " but we say that He, in the likeness of sinful j flesh, in respect of sin, condemned sin. And they, perchance not understanding this, and j being blinded by the desire of misrepresenta- ■ tion, and ignorant of the number of ways in which the name of sin is accustomed to be used in the Holy Scriptures, declare that we affirm sin of Christ. Therefore we assert that Christ both had no sin, — neither in soul nor in the body; and that, by taking upon Him flesh in the likeness of sinful flesh, in respect of sin He condemned sin. And this assertion, somewhat obscurely made by the apostle, is explained in two ways, — either that the likenesses of things are accustomed to be called by the names of those things to which they are like, so that the * Phil. iii. 15.
4IO [Book III.
apostle may be understood to have intended to call this likeness of sinful flesh by the name of " sin; " or else that the sacrifices for sins were under the law called " sins," all which things were figures of the flesh of Christ, which is the true and only sacrifice for sins, — not only for those which are all washed away in baptism, but also for those whicli afterwards creep in from the weakness of this life, on account of which the universal Church daily cries in prayer to God, '* Forgive us our debts," and they are forgiven us by means of that singular sacrifice for sins which the apostle, speaking according to the law, did not hesitate to call " sin." Whence, moreover, is that much plainer passage of his, which is not uncertain by any twofold ambiguity, " We beseech you in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God. He made Him to be sin for us, who had not known sin; that we might be the righteousness of God in Him." ' For the passage which I have above mentioned, " In respect of sin. He condemned sin," because it was not said, " In respect of his sin," may be j understood by any one, as if He said that He j condemned sin in respect of the sin of the Jews; because in respect of their sin who crucified Him, it happened that He shed His blood for the remission of sins. But this passage, where God is said to have made Christ Himself j "sin," who had not known sin, does not seem to me to be more fittingly understood than that Christ was made a sacrifice for sins, and on this account was called " sin."
CHAP. 1 7 [VII. J — THEIR CALUMNY ABOUT THE FULFILMENT OF PRECEPTS IN THE LIFE TO COME.
But who can bear their objecting to us, " that we say that after the resurrection such is to be our progress, that there men can begin to fulfil the commands of God, which they would not here; " since we say that there there will be no sin at all, no struggle with any desire of sin; as if they themselves would dare to deny this? That wisdom also and the knowledge of God, is then perfected in us, and that in the Lord there" is such rejoicing that it is a full and a true security, who will deny, unless he is so averse from the truth that on this very account he cannot attain unto it? But these things will not be in precepts, but in reward of those precepts which should here be observed; the neglect of which precepts, indeed, does not lead thither to the reward. But here the grace of God gives the desire of keeping His commandments; and if anything in these commandments is less perfectly observed. He forgives it on account of what we say in prayer, as well " Thy will be done," as '•' Forgive us our debts." Here, then, ' 2 Cor. V. 20, 21.
it is prescribed that we sin not; there, the reward is that we cannot sin. Here, the precept is that we obey not the desires of sin; there, the reward that we have no desires of sin. Here, the precept is, " Understand, ye senseless among the people; and ye fools, be at some time wise; " ^ there, the reward is full wisdom and perfect knowledge. " For we see now through a glass in an enigma," says the apostle, " but then face to face: now I know in jjart; but then I shall know even as also I am kno\\Ti." 3 Here, the precept is, " Exult unto the Lord, our helper," * and, " Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord; " 5 there, the reward is to rejoice with a perfect and unspeakable joy. Lastly, in the precept it is written, " Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness; " but in the reward, " Because they shall be filled." ^ Whence, I ask, shall they be filled, except with what they hunger and thirst after? Who, then, is so abhorrent, not only from the divine perception, but also from the human perception, as to say that in man there can be such righteousness while he is hungering and thirsting for it, as there will be when he shall be filled with it? But when we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, if the faith of Christ is -watchful in us, what is it to be believed that we are hungering and thirsting for, save Christ? " For He is made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; that, as it is written. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." ^ And because we only believe on Him not seeing Him, therefore we thirst and hunger after righteousness. For as long as we are in the body, we wander from the Lord; for we walk by faith, not by appearance. But wh«n we shall see Him, and attain certainly to the appearance, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable; and then we shall be filled with righteousness, since now we say to Him with pious longing, " I shall be satisfied when Thy glory shall be manifested." ** CHAP. 18. — PERFECTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FULL SECURITY WAS NOT EVEN IN PAUL IN THIS LIFE.
But how impudent I do not say, but how insane, is the pride which, not yet being equal to the angels of God, thinks itself already able to have a righteousness equal to the angels of God; and does not consider so great and holy a man, who assuredly hungered and thirsted after that very perfection of righteousness, when he was unwilling to be lifted up by the greatness of his revelations; and yet that he might not be lifted up, he was not left to his own choice and will, 2 Ps. cxiv. 8. 5 Ps. xxxiii. I. 8 Ps. xvii. 15.
but received " the thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet him; on which account he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him, and the Lord said unto him. My grace is sufficient for thee, for strength is made perfect in weakness." ' \Vliat strength, save that to which it belongs not to be lifted up? And who doubts that this belongs to righteousness? The angels of God, tlien, are endowed with this ])erfection of righteousness, since tliey always beliold the face of the Father, and thus of the entire Trinity, because they see through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. But nothing is more sublime than that revelation, nor yet does any of the angels in that contemplation of rejoicing ones find a messenger of Satan needful that he may be bufleted by him, lest so great a magnitude of revelation should lift him up. The apostle Paul certainly had not yet that perfection of virtue, nor yet was he equal to the angels of God; but there was in Him the weakness of lifting himself up, which also had to be checked by the angel of Satan, lest he should be lifted up by the magnitude of his revelations. Although, then, the first lifting up cast down Satan,- yet that greatest Physician, who well knew how to make use of even evil things, applied from the angel of Satan, against the mischief of elation, a wholesome, although a painful, medicament, just as an antidote used to be made even of serpents against the poisons of serpents. What, then, is the meaning of " My grace is sufficient for thee," except that you may not by giving way succumb to the buffet of the messenger of Satan? And what is " Strength is made perfect in weakness," except that in that place of weakness hitherto, there may be the perfection of virtue, so that in the very presence of infirmity, lifting-up may be repressed? \Miich infirmity assuredly shall be healed by future immortality. For how is that soundness to be called perfect where medicine is still needful, even from the buffet of an angel of Satan?
CH.\P. 19. — IN WHAT SENSE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JNIAN IN THIS LIFE IS SAID TO BE PERFECT.
From this it results that the virtue which is now in the righteous man is named perfect up to this point, that to its perfection belong both the true knowledge and humble confession of even imperfection itself. For, in respect to this infirmity, that little righteousness of man's is perfect according to its measure, when it understands even what it lacks. And therefore the apostle calls himself both perfect and imperfect,^ ' 2 Cor. xii. 7.
^ [The reference is to the sin of pride, by which Satan himself fell from the estate of holiness in which he was created. — W.J ■5 Phil. iii. 12, 15.
— imperfect, to wit, in the thought of how much is wanting to him for the righteousness for the fulness of which he is still hungering and thirsting; but perfect in that he does not blush to confess his own imperfection, and goes forward in good that he may attain. As we can say that the wayfarer is perfect whose approach is well forwarded, although his intention is not carried out unless his arrival be actually effected. Therefore, when he had said, " According to the righteousness which is in the law, I am one who has been without blame," he immediately added, " What things were gain to me, those I counted but loss for Christ's sake. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things to be loss for the sake of the eminent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord: for whose sake I have believed all things not only to be losses, but I have thought them to be even as dung, that I might gain Christ and be fountl in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God in faith." ■* See I the apostle does not, of course, say falsely, that " according to the righteousness which is of the law he was without blame; " and yet those things which were gain to him, he casts away for Christ's sake, and thinks them losses, injuries, dung. And not only these things, but all other things which he mentioned previously; not on account of any kind of knowledge, but, as he himself says, " the eminent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord," which, beyond a doubt, he had as yet in faith, but not yet in sight. For then the knowledge of Christ will be eminent, when He shall be so revealed that what is believed is seen. Whence, in another place, he thus says, '• For ye ha\-e died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." 5 Hence, also, the Lord Himself says, " He who loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."^ Hence John the Evangelist says, " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be: but we know, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." ^ Then shall the knowledge of Christ be eminent.
For now it is, as it were, hidden away in faith; but It does not yet appear eminent in sight.
CHAP. 20. — WHY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF THE LAW IS VALUED SLIGHTLY BY PAUL.
Therefore the blessed Paul casts away those past attainments of his righteousness, as " losses '' and " dung," that " he may win Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law." Wherefore his own, if it * Phil. iii. 6, etc. ' 1 John iii. 2.
S Col. iii. 3, etc.
6 John xiv. 21.
[Book III.