A Treatise concerning man’s perfection in righteousness,
Chapter II.—(1.) The First Breviate of Cœlestius.
Chapter III.—(5.) The Fifth Breviate.
Chapter IV.—(9.) The Ninth Breviate.
Chapter V.—(11.) The Eleventh Breviate.
Chapter VI.—(12.) The Twelfth Breviate.
(13.) The Thirteenth Breviate.
(14.) The Fourteenth Breviate.
Chapter VII.—(16.) The Sixteenth Breviate.
(18.) The Righteousness of This Life Comprehended in Three Parts,—Fasting, Almsgiving, and Prayer.
(19.) The Commandment of Love Shall Be Perfectly Fulfilled in the Life to Come.
Chapter IX.—(20.) Who May Be Said to Walk Without Spot Damnable and Venial Sins.
(22.) Passages to Show that God’s Commandments are Not Grievous.
(24.) To Be Without Sin, and to Be Without Blame—How Differing.
(26.) Why Job Was So Great a Sufferer.
(28.) When Our Heart May Be Said Not to Reproach Us When Good is to Be Perfected.
Chapter XII.—(29.) The Second Passage. Who May Be Said to Abstain from Every Evil Thing.
Chapter XV.—(34.) The Opposing Passages.
(35.) The Church Will Be Without Spot and Wrinkle After the Resurrection.
(36.) The Difference Between the Upright in Heart and the Clean in Heart.
Chapter XVI.—(37.) The Sixth Passage.
Chapter XIX—(40.) The Ninth Passage.
(41.) Specimens of Pelagian Exegesis.
(42.) God’s Promises Conditional. Saints of the Old Testament Were Saved by the Grace of Christ.
(14.) The Fourteenth Breviate.
XIV. “Again the question must be asked,” he says, “If man’s nature is good, as nobody but Marcion or Manichæus will venture to deny, in what way is it good if it is impossible for it to be free from evil? For that all sin is evil who can gainsay?” We answer, that man’s nature is both good, and is also able to be free from evil. Therefore do we earnestly pray, “Deliver us from evil.”36 Matt. vi. 13. This deliverance, indeed, is not fully wrought, so long as the soul is oppressed by the body, which is hastening to corruption.37 Wisd. ix. 15. This process, however, is being effected by grace through faith, so that it may be said by and by, “O death, where is thy struggle? Where is thy sting, O death? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law;”38 1 Cor. xv. 35, 36. because the law by prohibiting sin only increases the desire for it, unless the Holy Ghost spreads abroad that love, which shall then be full and perfect, when we shall see face to face.
Ratiocinatio 14. «Iterum,» ait, «quaerendum est, si natura hominis bona est, quod nullus negare nisi Marcion aut Manichaeus audebit, quomodo igitur bona est, si malo ei carere non est possibile? Omne enim peccatum malum esse quis dubitet?» Respondemus, et naturam hominis bonam esse, et eam malo carere posse. Nam ideo clamamus, Libera nos a malo (Matth. VI, 13): quod non perficitur, quamdiu corpus quod corrumpitur, aggravat animam (Sap. IX, 15). Sed hoc agitur gratia per fidem, ut aliquando dicatur, Ubi est, mors, contentio tua? ubi est, mors, aculeus tuus? Aculeus autem mortis peccatum; virtus vero peccati, lex (I Cor. XV, 55, 56). Quoniam lex prohibendo auget peccati cupiditatem, nisi diffundat Spiritus charitatem, quae plena et perfecta tunc erit, cum videbimus facie ad faciem.