Chapter 13.—Why One of the Covenants is Called Old, the Other New.

But some one will say, “In what way is that called the old which was given by Moses four hundred and thirty years after; and that called the new which was given so many years before to Abraham?” Let him who on this subject is disturbed, not litigiously but earnestly, first understand that when from its earlier time one is called “old,” and from its posterior time the other “new,” it is the revelation of them that is considered in their names, not their institution. Because the old testament was revealed through Moses, by whom the holy and just and good law was given, whereby should be brought about not the doing away but the knowledge of sin,—by which the proud might be convicted who were desirous of establishing their own righteousness, as if they had no need of divine help, and being made guilty of the letter, might flee to the Spirit of grace, not to be justified by their own righteousness, but by that of God—that is, by the righteousness which was given to them of God. For as the same apostle says, “By the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and by the prophets.”203    Rom. iii. 20, 21. Because the law, by the very fact that in it no man is justified, affords a witness to the righteousness of God. For that in the law no man is justified before God is manifest, because “the just by faith lives.”204    Gal. iii. 11. Thus, therefore, although the law does not justify the wicked when he is convicted of transgression, it sends to the God who justifieth, and thus affords a testimony to the righteousness of God. Moreover, the prophets offer testimony to God’s righteousness by fore-announcing Christ, “who is made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”205    1 Cor. i. 30, 31. But that law was kept hidden from the beginning, when nature itself convicted wicked men, who did to others what they would not have done to themselves. But the revelation of the new testament in Christ was made when He was manifested in the flesh, wherein appeared the righteousness of God—that is, the righteousness which is to men from God. For hence he says, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.”206    Rom. iii. 21. This is the reason why the former is called the old testament, because it was revealed in the earlier time; and the latter the new, because it was revealed in the later time. In a word, it is because the old testament pertains to the old man, from which it is necessary that a man should make a beginning; but the new to the new man, by which a man ought to pass from his old state. Thus, in the former are earthly promises, in the latter heavenly promises; because this pertained to God’s mercy, that no one should think that even earthly felicity of any kind whatever could be conferred on anybody, save from the Lord, who is the Creator of all things. But if God is worshipped for the sake of that earthly happiness, the worship is that of a slave, belonging to the children of the bondmaid; but if for the sake of God Himself, so that in the life eternal God may be all things in all, it is a free service belonging to the children of the freewoman, who is our mother eternal in the heavens—who first seemed, as it were, barren, when she had not any children manifest; but now we see what was prophesied concerning her: “Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for there are many children of the desolate more than of her who has an husband,”207    Isa. liv. 1.—that is, more than of that Jerusalem, who in a certain manner is married in the bond of the law, and is in bondage with her children. In the time, then, of the old testament, we say that the Holy Spirit, in those who even then were the children of promise according to Isaac, was not only an assistant, which these men think is sufficient for their opinion, but also a bestower of virtue; and this they deny, attributing it rather to their free will, in contradiction to those fathers who knew how to cry unto God with truthful piety, “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.”208    Ps. xviii. 1.

13. Sed dicet aliquis: Quomodo vetus appellatur, quod post quadringentos et triginta annos factum est per Moysen (Id. III, 17); et novum dicitur, quod ante tot annos factum est ad Abraham? Qui ex hoc non litigiose, sed studiose movetur, intelligat primum, quia cum ex anteriore tempore dicitur vetus, ex posteriore autem novum; revelationes eorum considerantur in his nominibus, non institutiones. Per Moysen quippe revelatum est Testamentum vetus, per quem data est lex sancta, et justa, et bona (Rom. VII, 12), per quam fieret non abolitio, sed cognitio peccati; qua convincerentur superbi suam justitiam volentes constituere, quasi divino adjutorio non egentes, et rei facti litterae confugerent ad gratiae spiritum, non sua justitia justificandi, sed Dei, hoc est, quae illis esset ex Deo. Nam sicut idem apostolus loquitur, Per legem cognitio peccati: nunc autem sine lege justitia Dei manifestata est, testificata per Legem et prophetas (Id. III, 20, 21). Lex quippe, eo ipso quo in ea nemo justificatur, testimonium perhibet justitiae Dei. Quod enim in lege nemo justificatur apud Deum, manifestum est quia justus ex fide vivit (Galat. III, 11). Sic ergo, cum lex non justificat impium de praevaricatione convictum, mittit ad justificantem Deum, atque ita justitiae Dei perhibet testimonium. Prophetae vero testimonium 0597 perhibent justitiae Dei, praenuntiando Christum, qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo et justitia et sanctificatio et redemptio: ut quemadmodum scriptum est, Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur (I Cor. I, 30, 31). Erat autem occulta ista lex ab initio, cum homines iniquos natura ipsa convinceret, aliis facientes quod sibi fieri noluissent. Revelatio autem novi Testamenti in Christo facta est, cum est manifestatus in carne; in quo apparuit justitia Dei, id est, quae hominibus ex Deo est. Hinc enim ait: Nunc autem sine lege justitia Dei manifestata est. Ecce qua causa illud dicitur vetus Testamentum, quia priore; hoc autem novum, quia posteriore tempore revelatum est. Deinde, quia Testamentum vetus pertinet ad hominem veterem, a quo necesse est hominem incipere; novum autem ad hominem novum, quo debet homo ex vetustate transire. Ideo in illo sunt promissa terrena, in isto promissa coelestia: quia et hoc ad Dei misericordiam pertinuit, ne quisquam vel ipsam terrenam qualemcumque felicitatem, nisi a Domino creatore universitatis putet cuiquam posse conferri. Sed si propter illam colatur Deus, servilis est cultus, pertinens ad filios ancillae: si autem propter ipsum Deum, ut in aeterna vita sit Deus omnia in omnibus, liberalis est servitus, pertinens ad filios liberae, quae est mater nostra aeterna in coelis; quae prius tanquam sterilis apparebat, quando perspicuos filios non habebat; nunc autem videmus quod de illa prophetatum est, Laetare, sterilis, quae non paris; erumpe et exclama, quae non parturis: quia multi filii desertae, magis quam ejus quae habet virum (Isai. LIV, 1): id est, magis quam illus Jerusalem, quae legis quodammodo vinculo maritata est, et servit cum filiis suis. Tempore igitur veteris Testamenti Spiritum sanctum in eis, qui etiam tunc secundum Isaac promissionis filii erant, non solum adjutorem, quod isti suo dogmati sufficere existimant; verum etiam largitorem dicimus fuisse virtutis, quod isti negant, libero eam potius arbitrio tribuentes, contradicentibus illis patribus qui sciebant ad Deum veraci pietate clamare, Diligam te, Domine, virtus mea (Psal. XVII, 2).