Having not done the things that are beyond his power, since they are impossible, he is not accountable. How then does God, by commanding things beyond our power, that is, not to sin, subject the sinner to punishments, since man is unable to fulfill the law? The apostle also testifies to these things, saying, By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Answer. That which is impossible for every man is also impossible for any particular man, for example, to fly in the air like an eagle is impossible for a particular man, because it is also impossible for every man; and conversely, that which is possible for a particular man, such as sailing, is also possible for every man. But if, as the divine scripture says, some of those under the law have become blameless in righteousness, it is clear that for all those under the law it was also possible in the same way to become blameless according to the righteousness which is of the law. For the blessed apostle Paul says of himself that as for the righteousness which is from the law, he was blameless; and the blessed evangelist Luke says concerning Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth that they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And what is all the righteousness according to the law? To love God above oneself, and one's neighbor as oneself; which is not impossible for men who are willing. Therefore, the statement By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified does not speak of not being able to do impossible things, but of not being willing to do possible things. For we use the will for possible things, not for impossible things; for praise or blame arises for things done or not done that are possible and in our power. And this is a sign that we men sin because we do not choose what is right and not because we are unable: that not all men fall into all forms of sin, but some fall into this form of sin, and others into that one, and some into more, and others into fewer, and some into none, like the aforementioned righteous ones; which would not happen to men—to sin in one form of sin, but never in another—if men sinned because of a weakness of nature and not because of a lack of will in their choice. Question 104. If the law gives no place of repentance to those who have sinned in the case of crimes, but brings upon them inevitable danger, how was the prophet David, having committed adultery and murder, deemed worthy of pardon, not contrary to the law? And if pardon is a good thing, why is that which is unpardonable joined to the law? But if it is bad, which I do not think, how has the Giver of good things bestowed what is bad on the prophet? Answer. If the law does not give a place of repentance to the one who has sinned in the case of crimes, how in the ninety-seventh question

τὰ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν μὴ ποιήσας, ἐπεί εἰσιν ἀδύνατα, ὑπάρχει ἀνεύθυνος. Πῶς οὖν ὁ θεὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐπιτάττων, τουτέστι τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα ὑποβάλλει κολά σεσι, τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀδυνάτου ὄντος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ νόμου ἐκ πλήρωσιν; Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος, Oὐ δι καιωθήσεται, λέγων, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου πᾶσα σάρξ. Ἀπόκρισις. Τὸ παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἀδύνατον τοῦτο καὶ τινὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ὑπάρχει ἀδύνατον, οἷον τὸ πέτεσθαι ἐν τῷ ἀέρι ὡς ἀετὸς τινὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν, ὅτι καὶ παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐστὶν ἀδύ νατον· καὶ ἀνάπαλιν τὸ τινὶ ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατόν, ὡς τὸ πλεῖν, καὶ παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν ὑπάρχει. Ἀλλ' εἰ, καθώς φησιν ἡ θεία γραφή, τινὲς τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον δικαιοσύνῃ γεγόνασιν ἄμεμπτοι, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον ὑπῆρχε δυ νατὸν τῷ ὁμοίῳ τρόπῳ κατὰ τὴν ἐκ νόμου δικαιοσύνην γενέσθαι ἀμέμπτοις. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ μὲν μακάριος Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ὅτι Κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος· ὁ δὲ μακάριος Λουκᾶς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς περὶ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ Ἐλισσάβετ ὅτι Ἠσαν δί καιοι ἀμφότεροι ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ, πορευόμενοι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασι τοῦ κυρίου ἄμεμπτοι. Τί δέ ἐστι πᾶσα ἡ κατὰ τὸν νόμον δικαιοσύνη; Τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τὸν θεὸν μὲν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτόν, τὸν πλησίον δὲ ὡς ἑαυτόν· ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδύνατον ἀνθρώποις βουληθεῖσι. Τὸ οὖν Ἐξ ἔργων νόμου μὴ δικαιωθῆναι πᾶσαν σάρκα οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὰ ἀδύνατα λέγει, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι τὰ δυνατά. Τῇ γὰρ βουλήσει πρὸς τὰ δυνατὰ κεχρήμεθα, οὐ πρὸς τὰ ἀδύνατα· τοῖς γὰρ δυνατοῖς καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῖν οὖσιν ὁ ἔπαινος ἢ ὁ ψόγος γίνεται πραχθεῖσιν ἢ μὴ πραχθεῖσι. Τοῦ δὲ ∆ιὰ τὸ μὴ αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἁμαρτάνομεν ἄνθρωποι ἔστι τοῦτο σημεῖον, τὸ μὴ πάντας ἀνθρώπους πᾶσι τοῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἴδεσιν ἐμπεσεῖν, ἀλλὰ τινὰς μὲν τούτῳ τῷ εἴδει τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐμπεσεῖν, τινὰς δὲ ἐκείνῳ, καὶ τινὰς μὲν πλείοσι, τινὰς δὲ ἐλάττοσι, τινὰς δὲ οὐδενὶ κατὰ τοὺς προει ρημένους δικαίους· ὅπερ οὐκ ἂν συνέβη ἀνθρώποις, τὸ τινὶ μὲν εἴδει τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἁμαρτάνειν, τινὶ δὲ οὐδέποτε ἁμαρ τάνειν, εἰ ἀδυναμίᾳ φύσεως καὶ οὐκ ἀβουλίᾳ προαιρέσεως ἡμάρτανον οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Ἐρώτησις ρδ. Eἰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων χώραν μετανοίας τοῖς ἡμαρτη κόσιν ὁ νόμος οὐ δίδωσιν, ἀλλὰ κίνδυνον αὐτοῖς ἐπάγει ἀπα ραίτητον, πῶς μοιχείαν καὶ φόνον ὁ προφήτης ∆αυῒδ ἐργα σάμενος οὐ παρὰ τὸν νόμον συγγνώμης ἠξίωται; Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀγαθὸν ἡ συγγνώμη, διὰ τί τὸ ἀσύγγνωστον τῷ νόμῳ συνέ ζευκται; Eἰ δὲ φαῦλον, ὅπερ οὐκ οἶμαι, πῶς ὁ τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγὸς τὸ φαῦλον τῷ προφήτῃ κεχάρισται; Ἀπόκρισις. Eἰ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐγκλημάτων χώραν μετανοίας τῷ ἡμαρτηκότι ὁ νόμος οὐ δίδωσι, πῶς ἐν τῇ ἐνενηκοστῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἐρωτήσει