Chapter 50 [XXIX.]—Righteousness is the Gift of God.

Let no man therefore boast of that which he seems to possess, as if he had not received it;261    1 Cor. iv. 7. nor let him think that he has received it merely because the external letter of the law has been either exhibited to him to read, or sounded in his ear for him to hear. For “if righteousness is by the law, then Christ has died in vain.”262    Gal. ii. 21. Seeing, however, that if He has not died in vain, He has ascended up on high, and has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men,263    Ps. lxviii. 18; Eph. iv. 8. it follows that whosoever has, has from this source. But whosoever denies that he has from Him, either has not, or is in great danger of being deprived of what he has.264    Luke viii. 18; xix. 26. “For it is one God which justifies the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith;”265    Rom. iii. 30. in which clauses there is no real difference in the sense, as if the phrase “by faith” meant one thing, and “through faith” another, but only a variety of expression. For in one passage, when speaking of the Gentiles,—that is, of the uncircumcision,—he says, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen by faith;”266    Gal. iii. 8. and again, in another, when speaking of the circumcision, to which he himself belonged, he says, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Jesus Christ.”267    Gal. ii. 15, 16. [The discussion turns on the difference in the Latin prepositions ex and per, representing the Greek ἐκ and δια.—W.] Observe, he says that both the uncircumcision are justified by faith, and the circumcision through faith, if, indeed, the circumcision keep the righteousness of faith. For the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith,268    Rom. ix. 30.—by obtaining it of God, not by assuming it of themselves. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works269    Rom. ix. 31, 32.—in other words, working it out as it were by themselves, not believing that it is God who works within them. “For it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of His own good pleasure.”270    Phil. ii. 13. And hereby “they stumbled at the stumbling-stone.”271    Rom. ix. 32. For what he said, “not by faith, but as it were by works,”272    Rom. ix. 32. he most clearly explained in the following words: “They, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”273    Rom. x. 3, 4. Then are we still in doubt what are those works of the law by which a man is not justified, if he believes them to be his own works, as it were, without the help and gift of God, which is “by the faith of Jesus Christ?” And do we suppose that they are circumcision and the other like ordinances, because some such things in other passages are read concerning these sacramental rites too? In this place, however, it is certainly not circumcision which they wanted to establish as their own righteousness, because God established this by prescribing it Himself. Nor is it possible for us to understand this statement, of those works concerning which the Lord says to them, “Ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition;”274    Mark vii. 9. because, as the apostle says, Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”275    Rom. ix. 31. He did not say, Which followed after their own traditions, framing them and relying on them. This then is the sole distinction, that the very precept, “Thou shalt not covet,”276    Ex. xx. 17. and God’s other good and holy commandments, they attributed to themselves; whereas, that man may keep them, God must work in him through faith in Jesus Christ, who is “the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”277    Rom. x. 4. That is to say, every one who is incorporated into Him and made a member of His body, is able, by His giving the increase within, to work righteousness. It is of such a man’s works that Christ Himself has said, “Without me ye can do nothing.”278    John xv. 5.

Chapter 51.—Faith the Ground of All Righteousness.

The righteousness of the law is proposed in these terms,—that whosoever shall do it shall live in it; and the purpose is, that when each has discovered his own weakness, he may not by his own strength, nor by the letter of the law (which cannot be done), but by faith, conciliating the Justifier, attain, and do, and live in it. For the work in which he who does it shall live, is not done except by one who is justified. His justification, however, is obtained by faith; and concerning faith it is written, “Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring down Christ therefrom;) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is (says he), the word of faith which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”279    Rom. x. 6–9. As far as he is saved, so far is he righteous. For by this faith we believe that God will raise even us from the dead,—even now in the spirit, that we may in this present world live soberly, righteously, and godly in the renewal of His grace; and by and by in our flesh, which shall rise again to immortality, which indeed is the reward of the Spirit, who precedes it by a resurrection which is appropriate to Himself,—that is, by justification. “For we are buried with Christ by baptism unto death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”280    Rom. vi. 4. By faith, therefore, in Jesus Christ we obtain salvation,—both in so far as it is begun within us in reality, and in so far as its perfection is waited for in hope; “for whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”281    Rom. x. 13; Joel ii. 32. “How abundant,” says the Psalmist, “is the multitude of Thy goodness, O Lord, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, and hast perfected for them that hope in Thee!”282    Ps. xxxi. 19. By the law we fear God; by faith we hope in God: but from those who fear punishment grace is hidden. And the soul which labours under this fear, since it has not conquered its evil concupiscence, and from which this fear, like a harsh master, has not departed,—let it flee by faith for refuge to the mercy of God, that He may give it what He commands, and may, by inspiring into it the sweetness of His grace through His Holy Spirit, cause the soul to delight more in what He teaches it, than it delights in what opposes His instruction. In this manner it is that the great abundance of His sweetness,—that is, the law of faith,—His love which is in our hearts, and shed abroad, is perfected in them that hope in Him, that good may be wrought by the soul, healed not by the fear of punishment, but by the love of righteousness.

CAPUT XXIX.

50. Justitia ex dono Dei. Nemo itaque glorietur ex eo quod videtur habere, tanquam non acceperit (I Cor. IV, 7); aut ideo se putet accepisse, quia littera extrinsecus, vel ut legeretur apparuit, vel ut audiretur insonuit. Nam si per legem justitia, ergo Christus gratis mortuus est (Galat. II, 21). Porro autem si non gratis mortuus est, ascendit in altum, captivam duxit captivitatem, et dedit dona hominibus (Psal. LXVII, 19; Ephes. IV, 8): inde habet, quicumque habet. Quisquis autem inde se habere negat, aut non habet, aut id quod habet auferetur ab eo (Luc. VIII, 18, et XIX, 26). Unus enim Deus qui justificat circumcisionem ex fide, et praeputium per fidem (Rom. III, 30): quod non ad aliquam differentiam dictum est, tanquam aliud sit ex fide, et aliud per fidem; sed ad varietatem locutionis. Alio quippe loco cum de Gentibus diceret, hoc est, de praeputio: Praevidens , inquit, Scriptura, quia ex fide justificat Gentes Deus (Galat. III, 8). Itemque cum de circumcisione loqueretur, unde erat ipse: Nos, inquit, natura Judaei, et non ex Gentibus peccatores, scientes quia non justificatur 0232 homo ex operibus legis, nisi per fidem Jesu Christi, et nos in Christum Jesum credimus (Galat. II, 15, 16). Ecce et praeputium dixit justificari ex fide, et circumcisionem per fidem, si tamen circumcisio justitiam fidei teneat . Sic enim Gentes quae non sectabantur justitiam, apprehenderunt justitiam, justitiam autem quae ex fide est: impetrando eam ex Deo, non ex semetipsis praesumendo. Israel vero persequens legem justitiae, in legem justitiae non pervenit. Quare? Quia non ex fide, sed tanquam ex operibus (Rom. IX, 30, 31): id est, tanquam eam per semetipsos operantes, non in se credentes operari Deum. Deus est enim qui operatur in nobis et velle et operari, pro bona voluntate (Philipp. II, 13). Ac per hoc offenderunt in lapidem offensionis (Rom. IX, 32). Nam quid dixerit, quia non ex fide, sed tanquam ex operibus; apertissime exposuit, dicens, Ignorantes enim Dei justitiam, et suam volentes constituere, justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti. Finis enim legis Christus, ad justitiam omni credenti (Id. X, 3, 4). Et adhuc dubitamus quae sint opera legis, quibus homo non justificatur, si ea tanquam sua crediderit sine adjutorio et dono Dei, quod est ex fide Jesu Christi? et circumcisionem caeteraque talia suspicamur, quia etiam de his sacramentis aliis in locis talia quaedam leguntur? Sed hic utique non circumcisionem tanquam suam justitiam volebant constituere: quia et ipsam Deus praecipiendo constituit. Nec de illis operibus hoc intelligi potest, de quibus Dominus eis dicit, Rejicitis mandatum Dei, ut traditiones vestras statuatis (Matth. XV, 3, et Marc. VII, 9). Quia persequens, inquit, legem justitiae, in legem justitiae non pervenit Israel: non dixit, Persequens traditiones suas, id est, consectans. Haec ergo sola distantia est, quia ipsum, Non concupisces (Exod. XX, 17), et caetera mandata ejus sancta et bona sibi tribuebant: quae ut possit homo facere, Deus operatur in homine per fidem Jesu Christi, qui finis est ad justitiam omni credenti; id est, cui per spiritum incorporatus factusque membrum ejus, potest quisque illo incrementum intrinsecus dante, operari justitiam: de cujus operibus etiam ipse dixit, quia sine me nihil potestis facere (Joan. XV, 5).

51. Ideo quippe proponitur justitia legis, quod qui fecerit eam, vivet in illa (Levit. XVIII, 5); ut cum quisque infirmitatem suam cognoverit, non per suas vires, neque per litteram ipsius legis, quod fieri non potest, sed per fidem concilians justificatorem perveniat, et faciat, et vivat in ea. Opus enim quod qui fecerit, vivet in eo, non fit nisi a justificato. Justificatio autem ex fide impetratur: de qua scriptum est, Ne dixeris in corde tuo, Quis ascendit in coelum? hoc est Christum deducere: Aut quis descendit in abyssum? hoc est Christum a mortuis reducere. Sed quid dicit? Prope te est verbum in ore tuo, et in corde tuo: hoc est, inquit, verbum fidei quod praedicamus: quia si confitearis in ore tuo quia Dominus est Jesus, et credideris in 0233 corde tuo quia Deus illum suscitavit a mortuis, salvus eris (Rom. X, 5-9). In tantum justus, in quantum salvus. Per hanc enim fidem credimus, quod etiam nos Deus a mortuis excitet: interim spiritu, ut in novitate ejus gratiae temperanter et juste et pie vivamus in hoc saeculo (Tit. II, 12); post etiam carne nostra ad immortalitatem resurrectura, quod est meritum spiritus , qui eam in resurrectione sibi congrua, hoc est, in justificatione praecedit. Consepulti enim sumus Christo per Baptismum in mortem, ut quemadmodum Christus resurrexit a mortuis per gloriam Patris, sic et nos in novitate vitae ambulemus (Rom. VI, 4). Fide igitur Jesu Christi impetramus salutem, et quantum nobis inchoatur in re, et quantum perficienda exspectatur in spe. Omnis enim qui invocaverit nomen Domini, salvus erit (Joel II, 32; Rom. X, 13). Quam multa multitudo, ait Psalmista, dulcedinis tuae, Domine, quam abscondisti timentibus te, perfecisti autem sperantibus in te (Psal. XXX, 20)! Ex lege timemus Deum, ex fide speramus in Deum: sed timentibus poenam absconditur gratia. Sub quo timore anima laborans, quando concupiscentiam malam non vicerit, nec timor ille quasi custos severus abscesserit; per fidem confugiat ad misericordiam Dei, ut det quod jubet, atque inspirata gratiae suavitate per Spiritum sanctum faciat plus delectare quod praecipit, quam delectat quod impedit. Ita multa multitudo dulcedinis ejus, hoc est, lex fidei, charitas ejus conscripta in cordibus atque diffusa, perficitur sperantibus in eum , ut anima sanata non timore poenae, sed amore justitiae operetur bonum.