Chapter XII.

Another passage of St. John is considered. The necessity of keeping the commandments of God may be complied with by those who, having fallen, repent, as well as by those who have not fallen, as is shown in the case of David.

53. Let us consider another similar passage: “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.”83    S. John iii. 36. That which abideth has certainly had a commencement, and that from some offence, viz., that first he not believe. When, then, any one believes, the wrath of God departs and life comes. To believe, then, in Christ is to gain life, for “he that believeth in Him is not judged.”84    S. John iii. 18.

54. But with reference to this passage they allege that he who believes in Christ ought to keep His sayings, and say that it is written in the Lord’s own words: “I am come a light into this world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My word and keep it, I judge him not.”85    S. John xii. 47 [not exact]. He judges not, and do you judge? He says, “that whosoever believeth on Me may not abide in darkness,” that is, that if he be in darkness he may not remain therein, but may amend his error, correct his fault, and keep My commandments, for I have said, “I will not the death of the wicked, but the correction.”86    Ezek. xxiii. 11. I said above that he that believeth on Me is not judged, and I keep to this: “For I am not come to judge the world, but that the world may be saved through Me.”87    S. John iii. 17. I pardon willingly, I quickly forgive, “I will have mercy rather than sacrifice,”88    Hosea vi. 6. because by sacrifice the just is rendered more acceptable, by mercy the sinner is redeemed. “I come not to call the righteous but sinners.”89    S. Matt. ix. 13. Sacrifice was under the Law, in the Gospel is mercy. “The Law was given by Moses, grace by Me.”90    S. John i. 17.

55. And again further on He says: “He that despiseth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him.”91    S. John xii. 48. Does he seem to you to have received Christ’s words who has not corrected himself? Undoubtedly not. He, then, who corrects himself receives His word, for this is His word, that every one should turn back from sin. So, then, of necessity you must either reject this saying of His, or if you cannot deny it you must accept it.

56. It is also necessary that he who leaves off sinning must keep the commandments of God and renounce his sins. We ought not, then, to interpret this saying of him who has always kept the commandments, for if this had been His meaning He would have added the word always, but by not adding it He shows that He was speaking of him who has kept what he has heard, and what he heard has led him to correct his faults; he has then kept what he has heard.

57. But how hard it is to condemn to penance for life one who even afterwards keeps the commandments of the Lord, let Him teach us Himself Who has not refused forgiveness. Even to those who do not keep His commandments, as you read in the Psalm: “If they profane My statutes and keep not My commandments, I will visit their offences with the rod and their sins with scourges, but My mercy will I not take from them.”92    Ps. lxxxix. [lxxxviii.] 31, 32. So, then, He promises mercy to all.

58. Yet that we may not think that this mercy is without judgment, there is a distinction made between those who have paid continual obedience to God’s commandments, and those who at some time, either by error or by compulsion, have fallen. And that you may not think that it is only our arguments which press you, consider the decision of Christ, Who said: “If the servant knew his Lord’s will and did it not, he shall be beaten with many stripes, but if he knew it not, he shall be beaten with few stripes.”93    S. Luke xii. 47, 48. Each, then, if he believes, is received, for God “chasteneth every son whom He receiveth,”94    Heb. xii. 6. and him whom He chasteneth He does not give over unto death, for it is written: “The Lord hath chastened me sore, but He hath not given me over unto death.”95    Ps. cxviii. [cxvii.] 18.

CAPUT XII.

Locis ex Joannis Evangelio jam citatis alius indidem adjungitur. Tum servandorum Dei mandatorum necessitatem objicientibus facile respondetur non ei 0483A soli qui semper, sed etiam ei qui post lapsum illa servaverit, vitam promitti. Quod ubi ex Davide comprobatum est, quamdam tamen esse inter utrumque differentiam declaratur.

53. [Alias cap. XI.] Aliud simile consideremus: Qui credit in Filium, habet vitam aeternam: qui autem non credit Filio, non videbit vitam, sed ira 405 Dei manet super eum (Joan. III, 16). Quod manet utique jam coepit, et ex delicto aliquo coepit; quia ante non credidit. Ubi ergo quis credit, ira Dei discedit, vita autem accedit (Ibid., 36). Credere ergo in Christum, lucrum vitae est; qui enim credit in eum, non judicatur.

54. Sed referunt hoc loco quoniam is qui credit in Christum, custodire debeat sermonem ejus; sic enim 0483B aiunt scriptum, dicente Domino: Ego lux in hunc mundum veni, ut omnis qui credit in me, in tenebris non maneat: et si quis audierit sermonem meum, et custodierit eum, ego non judico eum (Joan. XII, 46, 47). Ille non judicat, et tu judicas? Ille dicit: Ut qui credit in me, in tenebris non maneat, hoc est, et si fuerit in tenebris, non permaneat in eis, errorem emendet, culpam corrigat, custodiat mandata mea; dixi enim: Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed correctionem (Ezech. XXXIII, 11). Dixi supra: Quoniam qui in me credit, non judicatur; et hoc custodio: Non enim veni, ut judicem mundum, sed ut salvetur mundus per me (Joan. III. 17). Libenter ignosco (De Poenit., dist. 1, cap. Libenter), prompte indulgeo: Misericordiam malo, quam sacrificium (Ose. VI, 6); 0483C quia per sacrificium justus commendatur, per misericordiam peccator redimitur. Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores (Matth. IX, 13). In Lege sacrificium, in Evangelio misericordia est: Lex per Moysen data est, per me gratia (Joan. I, 17). Quid hoc evidentius?

55. Denique et subter ait: Qui spernit me, et non accipit verba mea, habet qui judicet eum (Joan. XII, 48). Num tibi videtur accipere verba Christi, qui se non correxerit? Profecto non videtur. Qui ergo corrigit se, accipit verbum ejus, hoc est enim verbum ejus, ut se unusquisque revocet a culpa. Aut excludas igitur necesse est hanc ejus sententiam: aut si negare non potes, acquiescas.

56. Oportet eum quoque mandata custodire Dominica, 0483D qui peccare desinat, delictis renuntiet. Non ergo de eo debes interpretari dictum, qui semper custodierit; si enim hoc sensisset, addidisset, semper: non addendo autem, de eo pronuntiavit, qui quod audivit, custodierit: audivit autem ut corrigeret errorem: custodivit igitur quod audivit.

57. [Alias cap. XII.] Quam vero durum sit ut ad poenam vocetur perpetuam, qui vel postea custodit 0484A Domini mandata, ipse te doceat, qui etiam non custodientibus mandata sua veniam non denegavit, sicut habes in psalmi corpore: Si justitias meas profanaverint, et mandata mea non custodierint; visitabo in virga iniquitates eorum, et in flagellis delicta eorum: misericordiam autem meam non disperdam ab eis (Psal. LXXXVIII, 32, 33). Omnibus igitur promittit misericordiam.

58. Sed ne sine judicio hanc esse misericordiam putetis, est discretio inter eos qui perpetuam detulerint obedientiam mandatis coelestibus, et inter eos qui aliquando vel errore, vel necessitate lapsi sint. Et ne nostro circumscribi te argumento putes, Christi judicium accipe; etenim ait: Si sciens servus voluntatem domini sui non fecit, vapulabit multis: si 0484B autem nescivit, 406 vapulabit paucis (Luc. XII, 47, 48). Uterque igitur si credat, recipitur, quia castigat omnem filium Deus, quem recipit (Hebr. XII, 6): et quem castigat, morti utique non tradit; quia scriptum est: Castigans castigavit me Dominus, et morti non tradidit me (Psal. CXVII, 18).