Chapter 11 [IX.]—An Objection of the Pelagians: Why Does Not a Righteous Man Beget a Righteous Man?294    [See below, c. 25; also De Nuptiis, i. 18; also contra Julianum, vi. 5.]

In vain, then, do some of them argue: “If a sinner begets a sinner, so that the guilt of original sin must be done away in his infant son by his receiving baptism, in like manner ought a righteous man to beget a righteous son.” Just as if a man begat children in the flesh by reason of his righteousness, and not because he is moved thereto by the concupiscence which is in his members, and the law of sin is applied by the law of his mind to the purpose of procreation. His begetting children, therefore, shows that he still retains the old nature among the children of this world; it does not arise from the fact of his promotion to newness of life among the children of God. For “the children of this world beget and are begotten.”295    Luke xx. 34. Hence also what is born of them is like them; for “that which is born of the flesh is flesh.”296    John iii. 6. Only the children of God, however, are righteous; but in so far as they are the children of God, they do not carnally beget, because it is of the Spirit, and not of the flesh, that they are themselves begotten. But as many of them as become parents, beget children from the circumstance that they have not yet put off the entire remains of their old nature in exchange for the perfect renovation which awaits them. It follows, therefore, that every son who is born in this old and infirm condition of his father’s nature, must needs himself partake of the same old and infirm condition. In order, then, that he may be begotten again, he must also himself be renewed by the Spirit through the remission of sin; and if this change does not take place in him, his righteous father will be of no use to him. For it is by the Spirit that he is righteous, but it is not by the Spirit that he begat his son. On the other hand, if this change does accrue to him, he will not be damaged by an unrighteous father: for it is by the grace of the Spirit that he has passed into the hope of the eternal newness; whereas it is owing to his carnal mind that his father has wholly remained in the old nature.

CAPUT IX.

11. Objectio Pelagianorum, Quare justus non gignat justum. Frustra itaque nonnulli etiam illud argumentantur, ut dicant , Si peccator genuit peccatorem, ut parvulo ejus reatus originalis peccati in Baptismi acceptione solvatur; etiam justus justum gignere debuit. Quasi ex hoc quisque carnaliter gignat quod justus est, et non ex hoc quod in membris ejus concupiscentialiter movetur, et ad usum propagandi lex peccati mentis lege convertitur. Ex hoc ergo gignit quod adhuc vetustum trahit inter filios saeculi, non ex hoc quod in novitatem promovit inter filios Dei. Filii enim saeculi hujus generant et generantur (Luc. XX, 34). Inde et quod nascitur tale est, quia et quod nascitur de carne, caro est (Joan. III, 6). Justi autem non sunt nisi filii Dei. In quantum autem sunt filii Dei, carne non gignunt; quia spiritu et ipsi, non carne nati sunt. Sed ex hoc carne gignunt, quicumque eorum gignunt, ex quo nondum in novitatem perfectam totas vetustatis reliquias commutarunt. Unde quisquis filius de hac parte nascitur vetusta et infirma, necesse est ut etiam ipse vetustus sit et infirmus: idcirco oportet ut etiam ipse in aliam generationem per remissionem peccati spiritu renovetur. Quod si in eo non fit, nihil ei proderit pater justus; spiritu enim justus est, quo eum non genuit: si autem fit, nihil ei oberit etiam pater injustus: iste enim gratia spirituali in spem novitatis aeternae transitum fecit; ille autem mente carnali totus in vetustate permansit.