Chapter 39 [XXI.]—Julian’s Fifth Objection Concerning the Saints of the Old Testament.

“We say,” says he, “that the saints of the Old Testament, their righteousness being perfected here, passed to eternal life,—that is, that by the love of virtue they departed from all sins; because those whom we read of as having committed any sin, we nevertheless know to have amended themselves.” Of whatever virtue you may declare that the ancient righteous men were possessed, nothing saved them but the belief in the Mediator who shed His blood for the remission of their sins. For their own word is, “I believed, and therefore I spoke.”89    Ps. cxvi. 10. Whence the Apostle Paul also says, “And we having the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.”90    2 Cor. iv. 13. What is “the same Spirit,” but that Spirit whom these righteous men also had who said such things? The Apostle Peter also says, “Why do ye wish to put a yoke upon the heathen, which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? But, by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe that we shall be saved, even as they.”91    Acts xv. 10, 11. You who are enemies to this grace do not wish this, that the ancients should be believed to have been saved by the same grace of Jesus Christ; but you distribute the times according to Pelagius,92    See above, On Original Sin, 30. in whose books this is read, and you say that before the law men were saved by nature, then by the law, lastly by Christ, as if to men of the two former times, that is to say, before the law and under the law, the blood of Christ had not been necessary; making void what is said: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”93    1 Tim. ii. 5.

CAPUT XXI.

39. Quinta Juliani antithesis, de justis veteris Testamenti. «Dicimus,» inquit, «sanctos veteris Testamenti perfecta hinc justitia ad aeternam transisse vitam, id est, studio virtutis ab omnibus recessisse peccatis: quia et illi quos legimus aliquid peccasse, postea tamen eos emendasse cognovimus.» Quantaelibet fuisse virtutis antiquos praedices justos, non eos salvos fecit nisi fides Mediatoris, qui in remissionem peccatorum sanguinem fudit. Ipsorum enim vox est: Credidi, propter quod locutus sum (Psal. CXV, 1). Unde ait et apostolus Paulus: Habentes autem eumdem spiritum fidei, secundum quod scriptum est, Credidi, propter quod locutus sum; et nos credimus, propter quod et loquimur (II Cor. IV, 13). Quid est, eumdem spiritum; nisi quem justi quoque illi habuerunt, qui ista dixerunt? Dicit etiam apostolus Petrus: Quid vultis jugum imponere Gentibus, quod neque nos portare potuimus, neque patres nostri? Sed per gratiam Domini Jesu Christi credimus salvi fieri , quemadmodum et illi (Act. XV, 10, 11). Hoc vos non vultis, inimici huic gratiae , ut eadem gratia Jesu Christi salvi facti credantur antiqui: sed distribuitis tempora secundum Pelagium, in cujus libris hoc legitur; et ante Legem dicitis salvos factos esse natura , deinde per Legem, postremo per Christum, quasi hominibus duorum superiorum temporum, ante Legem scilicet et in Lege, sanguis Christi non fuerit necessarius: evacuantes quod dictum est, Unus enim 0570 Deus, unus et mediator Dei et hominum homo Christus Jesus (I Tim. II, 5).