53. [XLVIII.]—In What Sense Some Men May Be Said to Live Without Sin in the Present Life.

But in reference to the particular point in which he quoted the holy Ambrose with so much approbation,—because he found in that author’s writings, from the praises he accorded to Zacharias and Elisabeth, the opinion that a man might possibly in this life be without sin;130    Ambrose on St. Luke, Book i. c. 17. although this cannot be denied if God wills it, with whom all things are possible, yet he ought to consider more carefully in what sense this was said. Now, so far as I can see, this statement was made in accordance with a certain standard of conduct, which is among men held to be worthy of approval and praise, and which no human being could justly call in question for the purpose of laying accusation or censure. Such a standard Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth are said to have maintained in the sight of God, for no other reason than that they, by walking therein, never deceived people by any dissimulation; but as they in their sincerity appeared to men, so were they known in the sight of God.131    Luke i. 6; compare De Perfect. Just. ch. 38. The statement, however, was not made with any reference to that perfect state of righteousness in which we shall one day live truly and absolutely in a condition of spotless purity. The Apostle Paul, indeed, has told us that he was “blameless, as touching the righteousness which is of the law;”132    Phil. iii. 6. and it was in respect of the same law that Zacharias also lived a blameless life. This righteousness, however, the apostle counted as “dung” and “loss,” in comparison with the righteousness which is the object of our hope,133    Phil. iii. 8. and which we ought to “hunger and thirst after,”134    Matt. v. 6. in order that hereafter we may be satisfied with the vision thereof, enjoying it now by faith, so long as “the just do live by faith.”135    Rom. i. 17.

CAPUT XLVIII.

53. Illud autem propter quod sic laudavit sanctum Ambrosium, quia scilicet in scriptis ejus invenit ex laudibus Zachariae et Elisabeth, posse hominem in hac vita esse sine peccato: quanquam negandum non sit, si hoc velit Deus, apud quem sunt omnia possibilia, consideret tamen diligentius, quemadmodum dictum sit. Dictum enim est, quantum mihi videtur, secundum quamdam inter homines conversationem probabilem atque laudabilem, quam nullus hominum juste posset in accusationis et criminationis querelam vocare. Quam propterea in Dei conspectu Zacharias et ejus uxor habuisse referuntur (Luc. I, 6), quia in ea homines nulla dissimulatione fallebant, sed ut apparebant hominibus, ita noti erant oculis Dei. Non autem dictum est hoc secundum illam perfectionem justitiae, in qua vere atque omnimodo immaculati perfectique vivemus. Nam et apostolus Paulus dixit, secundum justitiam quae ex lege est, se fuisse sine querela; in qua lege etiam Zacharias sine querela conversabatur: sed hanc Apostolus justitiam in stercoribus et detrimentis deputavit, in comparatione justitiae quam speramus (Philipp. III, 6, 8), et quam nunc esurire ac sitire debemus (Matth. V, 6), ut ea quandoque saturemur in specie, quae nunc est in fide, quamdiu justus ex fide vivit (Rom. I, 17).