Chapter 70 [LX.]—Whether Any Man is Without Sin in This Life.

Now, whether there ever has been, or is, or ever can be, a man living so righteous a life in this world as to have no sin at all, may be an open question among true and pious Christians;179    See next treatise—its preface, or Admonitio. but whoever doubts the possibility of this sinless state after this present life; is foolish. For my own part, indeed, I am unwilling to dispute the point even as respects this life. For although that passage seems to me to be incapable of bearing any doubtful sense, wherein it is written, “In thy sight shall no man living be justified”180    Ps. cxliii. 2. (and so of similar passages), yet I could wish it were possible to show either that such quotations were capable of bearing a better signification, or that a perfect and plenary righteousness, to which it were impossible for any accession to be made, had been realized at some former time in some one whilst passing through this life in the flesh, or was now being realized, or would be hereafter. They, however, are in a great majority, who, while not doubting that to the last day of their life it will be needful to them to resort to the prayer which they can so truthfully utter, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,”181    Matt. vi. 12. still trust that in Christ and His promises they possess a true, certain, and unfailing hope. There is, however, no method whereby any persons arrive at absolute perfection, or whereby any man makes the slightest progress to true and godly righteousness, but the assisting grace of our crucified Saviour Christ, and the gift of His Spirit; and whosoever shall deny this cannot rightly, I almost think, be reckoned in the number of any kind of Christians at all.

CAPUT LX.

70. An aliquis hac in vita sine peccato. Utrum enim in hoc saeculo fuerit, vel sit, vel possit esse aliquis ita juste vivens, ut nullum habeat omnino peccatum, potest esse aliqua quaestio inter veros piosque Christianos: posse tamen esse certe post hanc vitam quisquis ambigit, desipit. Sed ego nec de ista vita volo contendere. Quanquam enim mihi non videatur aliter intelligendum quod scriptum est, Non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens (Psal. CXLII, 2), et si qua similia: utinam tamen possit ostendi, vel 0282 haec testimonia melius aliter intelligi posse, vel perfectam plenamque justitiam cui prorsus nihil addendum sit, et heri fuisse in aliquo, dum in isto corpore viveret, et hodie esse, et cras futuram; dum tamen longe plures sint, qui cum sibi usque ad ultimum vitae hujus diem necessarium esse non dubitent, ut veraciter dicant, Dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris (Matth. VI, 12); spem suam tamen in Christo atque in ejus promissionibus veram, certam, firmam esse confidant. Nullo tamen modo nisi adjuvante gratia salvatoris Christi crucifixi, et dono Spiritus ejus, vel quoslibet ad plenissimam perfectionem, vel quemquam ad qualemcumque provectum verae piaeque justitiae pervenire, qui negaverint, nescio utrum recte possint in qualiumcumque Christianorum numero deputari.