(30.) “Every Man is a Liar,” Owing to Himself Alone; But “Every Man is True,” By Help Only of the Grace of God.

“Moreover,” says he, “in Job himself it is said: ‘And he maintained the miracle of a true man.’124    Job xvii. 8. Again we read in Solomon, touching wisdom: ‘Men that are liars cannot remember her, but men of truth shall be found in her.’125    Ecclus. xv. 8. Again in the Apocalypse: ‘And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault.’”126    Rev. xiv. 5. To all these statements we reply with a reminder to our opponents, of how a man may be called true, through the grace and truth of God, who is in himself without doubt a liar. Whence it is said: “Every man is a liar.”127    Ps. cxv. 2. As for the passage also which he has quoted in reference to Wisdom, when it is said, “Men of truth shall be found in her,” we must observe that it is undoubtedly not “in her,” but in themselves that men shall be found liars. Just as in another passage: “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,”128    Eph. v. 8.—when he said, “Ye were darkness,” he did not add, “in the Lord;” but after saying, “Ye are now light,” he expressly added the phrase, “in the Lord,” for they could not possibly be “light” in themselves; in order that “he who glorieth may glory in the Lord.”129    1 Cor. i. 31. The “faultless” ones, indeed, in the Apocalypse, are so called because “no guile was found in their mouth.”130    Rev. xiv. 5. They did not say they had no sin: if they had said this, they would deceive themselves, and the truth would not be in them;131    1 John i. 8. and if the truth were not in them, guile and untruth would be found in their mouth. If, however, to avoid envy, they said they were not without sin, although they were sinless, then this very insincerity would be a lie, and the character given of them would be untrue: “In their mouth was found no guile.” Hence indeed “they are without fault;” for as they have forgiven those who have done them wrong, so are they purified by God’s forgiveness of themselves. Observe now how we have to the best of our power explained in what sense the quotations he has in his own behalf advanced ought to be understood. But how the passage, “Every man is a liar,” is to be interpreted, he on his part has altogether omitted to explain; nor is an explanation within his power, without a correction of the error which makes him believe that man can be true without the help of God’s grace, and merely by virtue of his own free will.

30. «Item,» inquit, «apud ipsum Job: Et miraculum tenuit veracis hominis. Item apud Salomonem de Sapientia: Viri mendaces non erunt illius memores; viri autem veraces invenientur in illa (Eccli. XV, 8). Item in Apocalypsi: Et in ore ipsorum non est inventum mendacium; sine macula sunt» (Apoc. XIV, 5). Ad haec et nos respondemus, admonentes quomodo dicendus sit homo verax per Dei gratiam atque veritatem, qui per se ipsum sine dubio mendax est. Unde dictum est, Omnis homo mendax. Hoc et testimonium sonat de Sapientia, quod ipse posuit: Viri autem veraces invenientur in illa: qui procul dubio non in illa, sed in se ipsis invenientur esse mendaces. Sicuti est, Fuistis aliquando tenebrae, nunc autem lux in Domino (Ephes. V, 8). Cum diceret, tenebrae, non addidit in Domino: cum autem dixit, lux, addidit utique, in Domino: quia in se ipsis lux esse non possent; ut qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur (I Cor. I, 31). Illi vero in Apocalypsi propterea tales dicti sunt, quod non sit inventum in ore eorum mendacium: quia non dixerunt se non habere peccatum; quod si dicerent, se ipsos deciperent, et veritas in eis non esset (I Joan. I, 8): porro si veritas in eis non esset, inveniretur in ore eorum mendacium. Quod si propter invidiam, cum essent sine peccato, dicerent se non esse sine peccato; hoc ipsum esset mendacium, falsumque esset quod dictum est, Non est inventum in ore ipsorum mendacium. Ideo ergo sine macula sunt, quia sicut ipsi dimiserunt debitoribus suis, sic illis Deo dimittente mundati sunt. Ecce nos, ut valuimus, exposuimus quomodo accipienda essent testimonia, quae pro sua causa commemoravit. Ipse autem quomodo sit accipiendum quod scriptum est, Omnis homo mendax, omnino non solvit; nec solvere poterit, nisi correcto errore, quo credit hominem sine adjutorio gratiae Dei, per solam propriam voluntatem posse esse veracem.