Chapter 47 [XL.]—For What Pelagius Thought that Christ is Necessary to Us.

Perhaps, however, he thinks the name of Christ to be necessary on this account, that by His gospel we may learn how we ought to live; but not that we may be also assisted by His grace, in order withal to lead good lives. Well, even this consideration should lead him at least to confess that there is a miserable darkness in the human mind, which knows how it ought to tame a lion, but knows not how to live. To know this, too, is it enough for us to have free will and natural law? This is that wisdom of word, whereby “the cross of Christ is rendered of none effect.”121    1 Cor. i. 17. He, however, who said, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,”122    1 Cor. i. 19. since that cross cannot be made of none effect, in very deed overthrows that wisdom by the foolishness of preaching whereby believers are healed. For if natural capacity, by help of free will, is in itself sufficient both for discovering how one ought to live, and also for leading a holy life, then “Christ died in vain,”123    Gal. ii. 21. and therefore also “the offence of the cross is ceased.”124    Gal. v. 11. Why also may I not myself exclaim?—nay, I will exclaim, and chide them with a Christian’s sorrow,—“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by nature; ye are fallen from grace;”125    Gal. v. 4. for, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and wishing to establish your own righteousness, you have not submitted yourselves to the righteousness of God.”126    Rom. x. 3. For even as “Christ is the end of the law,” so likewise is He the Saviour of man’s corrupted nature, “for righteousness to every one that believeth.”127    Rom. x. 4.

CAPUT XL.

47. Christum ad quid necessarium nobis fuisse putavit Pelagius. Sed putat fortasse ideo necessarium esse Christi nomen, ut per ejus Evangelium discamus quemadmodum vivere debeamus, non etiam ut ejus adjuvemur gratia, quo bene vivamus. Vel hinc saltem confiteatur esse miserabiles tenebras in animo humano, qui scit quemadmodum debeat leonem domare, et nescit quemadmodum vivere. An et hoc ut sciat sufficit ei liberum arbitrium lexque naturalis? Haec est sapientia verbi, qua evacuatur crux Christi. Sed qui dixit, Perdam sapientiam sapientum; quia ista crux non potest evacuari, profecto istam sapientiam per stultitiam praedicationis, qua credentes sanantur, evertit (I Cor. I, 17, 19, 21). Si enim possibilitas naturalis per liberum arbitrium, et ad cognoscendum quomodo vivere debeat, et ad bene vivendum sufficit sibi; ergo Christus gratis mortuus est (Galat. II, 21); ergo evacuatum est scandalum crucis. Cur non etiam ego hic exclamem? imo exclamabo, et istis increpitabo dolore christiano: Evacuati estis a Christo, qui in natura justificamini, a gratia excidistis (Id. V, 11, 4): ignorantes enim Dei justitiam, et vestram volentes constituere, justitiae Dei non estis subjecti. Sicut enim finis legis, ita etiam naturae humanae vitiosae salvator Christus est, ad justitiam omni credenti (Rom. X, 3 et 4).