Chapter 19.—In What Sense the Righteousness of Man in This Life is Said to Be Perfect.

From this it results that the virtue which is now in the righteous man is named perfect up to this point, that to its perfection belong both the true knowledge and humble confession of even imperfection itself. For, in respect to this infirmity, that little righteousness of man’s is perfect according to its measure, when it understands even what it lacks. And therefore the apostle calls himself both perfect and imperfect,224    Phil. iii. 12, 15.—imperfect, to wit, in the thought of how much is wanting to him for the righteousness for the fulness of which he is still hungering and thirsting; but perfect in that he does not blush to confess his own imperfection, and goes forward in good that he may attain. As we can say that the wayfarer is perfect whose approach is well forwarded, although his intention is not carried out unless his arrival be actually effected. Therefore, when he had said, “According to the righteousness which is in the law, I am one who has been without blame,” he immediately added, “What things were gain to me, those I counted but loss for Christ’s sake. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things to be loss for the sake of the eminent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord: for whose sake I have believed all things not only to be losses, but I have thought them to be even as dung, that I might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God in faith.”225    Phil. iii. 6, etc. See! the apostle does not, of course, say falsely, that “according to the righteousness which is of the law he was without blame;” and yet those things which were gain to him, he casts away for Christ’s sake, and thinks them losses, injuries, dung. And not only these things, but all other things which he mentioned previously; not on account of any kind of knowledge, but, as he himself says, “the eminent knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord,” which, beyond a doubt, he had as yet in faith, but not yet in sight. For then the knowledge of Christ will be eminent, when He shall be so revealed that what is believed is seen. Whence, in another place, he thus says, “For ye have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”226    Col. iii. 3, etc. Hence, also, the Lord Himself says, “He who loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”227    John xiv. 21. Hence John the Evangelist says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be: but we know, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”228    1 John iii. 2. Then shall the knowledge of Christ be eminent. For now it is, as it were, hidden away in faith; but it does not yet appear eminent in sight.

19. Ex hoc factum est, virtutem, quae nunc est in homine justo, perfectam hactenus nominari, ut ad ejus perfectionem pertineat etiam ipsius imperfectionis et in veritate cognitio, et in humilitate confessio. Tunc enim est secundum hanc infirmitatem pro suo modulo perfecta ista parva justitia, quando etiam quid sibi desit intelligit. Ideoque Apostolus et imperfectum et perfectum se dicit (Philipp. III, 12 et 15): imperfectum scilicet, cogitando quantum illi ad justitiam desit, cujus plenitudinem adhuc esurit ac sitit; perfectum autem, quod et suam imperfectionem confiteri non erubescit, et ut perveniat bene procedit. Sicut possumus dicere perfectum esse viatorem, cujus bene promovetur accessio, quamvis non perficiatur intentio, nisi fuerit facta perventio. Propterea cum dixisset, Secundum justitiam, quae in lege est, qui fuerim sine querela: mox addidit, Quae mihi lucra fuerunt, haec propter Christum damna esse duxi: verumtamen et arbitror omnia damnum esse propter eminentem scientiam Christi Jesu Domini nostri; propter quem omnia non solum detrimenta credidi, verum etiam stercora existimavi esse, ut Christum lucrifaciam, et inveniar in illo non habens meam justitiam quae ex lege est, sed eam quae est per fidem Christi, quae est ex Deo justitia in fide (Ibid., 6-9). Ecce Apostolus secundum justitiam quae ex lege est, sine querela se fuisse, non utique mendaciter dicit; et tamen haec quae illi lucra fuerunt, abjicit propter Christum, et damna, detrimenta, stercora existimat, non solum haec, sed et caetera omnia quae supra commemoravit; propter non qualemlibet, sed eminentem, sicut ipse dicit, scientiam Christi Jesu Domini nostri, quam procul dubio adhuc in fide habebat, nondum in specie. Tunc enim erit eminens Christi scientia, quando fuerit ita revelatus, ut quod creditur videatur. Unde alio loco ita dicit: Mortui enim estis, et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Cum Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc et vos apparebitis cum illo in gloria (Coloss. III, 3, 4). Hinc et ipse Dominus: Qui diligit me, inquit, diligetur a Patre meo, et ego diligam eum, et manifestabo me ipsum illi (Joan. XIV, 21). Hinc Joannes evangelista: Dilectissimi, inquit, filii Dei sumus, et nondum apparuit quod erimus. Scimus autem quia cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est (I Joan. III, 2). Tunc erit eminens Christi scientia. Nunc enim est quidem abscondita in fide, sed nondum eminens apparet in specie.