Chapter XVIII.—(39.) The Eighth Passage. In What Sense He is Said Not to Sin Who is Born of God. In What Way He Who Sins Shall Not See Nor Know God.

“They also quote,” says he, “this passage, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”188    1 John i. 8. And this very clear testimony he has endeavoured to meet with apparently contradictory texts, saying thus: “The same St. John in this very epistle says, ‘This, however, brethren, I say, that ye sin not. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin.’189    1 John iii. 9. Also elsewhere: ‘Whosoever is born of God sinneth not; because his being born of God preserveth him, and the evil one toucheth him not.’190    1 John v. 18. And again in another passage, when speaking of the Saviour, he says: ‘Since He was manifested to take away sins, whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.’191    1 John iii. 5, 6. And yet again: ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear 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. And every man that hath this hope towards Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.’”192    1 John iii. 2, 3. And yet, notwithstanding the truth of all these passages, that also is true which he has adduced, without, however, offering any explanation of it: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”193    1 John i. 8. Now it follows from the whole of this, that in so far as we are born of God we abide in Him who appeared to take away sins, that is, in Christ, and sin not,—which is simply that “the inward man is renewed day by day;”194    2 Cor. iv. 16. but in so far as we are born of that man “through whom sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men,”195    Rom. v. 12. we are not without sin, because we are not as yet free from his infirmity, until, by that renewal which takes place from day to day (for it is in accordance with this that we were born of God), that infirmity shall be wholly repaired, wherein we were born from the first than, and in which we are not without sin. While the remains of this infirmity abide in our inward man, however much they may be daily lessened in those who are advancing, “we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, if we say that we have no sin.” Now, however true it is that “whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, nor known Him,”196    1 John iii. 6. since with that vision and knowledge, which shall be realized in actual sight, no one can in this life see and know Him; yet with that vision and knowledge which come of faith, there may be many who commit sin,—even apostates themselves,—who still have believed in Him some time or other; so that of none of these could it be said, according to the vision and knowledge which as yet come of faith, that he has neither seen Him nor known Him. But I suppose it ought to be understood that it is the renewal which awaits perfection that sees and knows Him; whereas the infirmity which is destined to waste and ruin neither sees nor knows Him. And it is owing to the remains of this infirmity, of whatever amount, which remain firm in our inward man, that “we deceive ourselves, and have not the truth in us, when we say that we have no sin.” Although, then, by the grace of renovation “we are the sons of God,” yet by reason of the remains of infirmity within us “it doth not appear what we shall be; only we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Then there shall be no more sin, because no infirmity shall any longer remain within us or without us. “And every man that hath this hope towards Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure,”—purifieth himself, not indeed by himself alone, but by believing in Him, and calling on Him who sanctifieth His saints; which sanctification, when perfected at last (for it is at present only advancing and growing day by day), shall take away from us for ever all the remains of our infirmity.

CAPUT XVIII.

39. «Item dicunt,» inquit, «Si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est» (I Joan, I, 8). Et huic evidentissimo testimonio quasi contrariis testimoniis respondere conatus est, quod «idem sanctus Joannes in eadem Epistola dicat, Hoc autem dico, fratres, ut non peccetis. Omnis qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, quia semen ipsius in eo manet, et non potest peccare (Id. III, 9). Item illic: Qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat, quia generatio Dei conservat eum, et malignus non tangit eum (Id. V, 18). Item illic,» inquit, «ubi de Salvatore ait: Quoniam ille apparuit, ut peccata tolleret. Omnis qui in eo manet, non peccat. Omnis qui peccat, non vidit eum, nec cognovit eum. Item illic. Charissimi, nunc filii Dei sumus, et nondum apparuit quid erimus. Scimus quoniam cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est: et omnis qui habet spem hanc in eum, sanctificat se, sicut et ipse sanctus est (Id. III, 5, 6, 2, 3).» Et tamen cum haec omnia testimonia vera sint, verum est et illud quod proposuit, et non solvit, Quod si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Ac per hoc, secundum id quod ex Deo nati sumus, in eo qui apparuit ut peccata tolleret, id est, in Christo manemus, et non peccamus; hoc est autem, quod homo interior renovatur de die in diem 0313 (II Cor. IV, 16): secundum autem quod de homine illo nati sumus, per quem peccatum intravit in mundum, et per peccatum mors, et ita in omnes homines pertransiit (Rom. V, 12), sine peccato non sumus; quia sine illius infirmitate nondum sumus, donec illa renovatione, quae fit de die in diem, quoniam secundum ipsam ex Deo nati sumus, infirmitas tota sanetur, in qua ex primo homine nati sumus, et in qua sine peccato non sumus: cujus reliquiis in homine interiore manentibus, quamvis de die in diem minuantur in proficientibus, si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Quomodo enim verum est, Omnis qui peccat, non vidit eum, nec cognovit eum: cum secundum visionem et cognitionem quae erit in specie, nemo eum in hac vita videat atque cognoscat; secundum autem visionem atque cognitionem quae est in fide, multi sint qui peccent, certe ipsi apostatae, qui tamen in eum aliquando crediderunt, ut de nullo eorum dici possit, secundum visionem et cognitionem quae adhuc in fide est, non vidit eum, neque cognovit eum? Sed intelligendum arbitror, quia renovatio perficienda videt et cognoscit: infirmitas vero absumenda non videt, nec cognoscit eum; in cujus quantiscumque reliquiis interius constitutis, si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, nos ipsos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Cum ergo per gratiam renovationis filii Dei simus, tamen propter reliquias infirmitatis nondum apparuit quid erimus: scimus quoniam cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est. Tunc peccatum nullum erit, quia infirmitas nec interior nec exterior ulla remanebit. Et omnis qui habet hanc spem in eum, sanctificat se, sicut et ipse sanctus est. Sanctificat se, non per se ipsum, sed credendo in illum et invocando illum qui sanctificat sanctos suos: cujus sanctificationis perfectio, quae nunc proficit et crescit de die in diem, omnes infirmitatis reliquias ablatura est.