Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book IV: On the Justice of Works
Chapter 6: The true Christian liberty is asserted, and thence also the necessity of works is proved
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book IV. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
True Christian liberty, then, from the evangelical and Apostolic letters, is known to be placed in three things: in liberty from sin and death, in liberty from the yoke of the ceremonial and judicial law of the Hebrews, and from the dominion and guilt of the natural and moral law. Of the liberty from sin and death, which follows from sin, the Lord speaks, John 8: If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. For a little before he had said: He that committeth sin is the servant of sin. Of the same speaks the Apostle, Romans 6: When you were the servants of sin, you were free from justice; but now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. And chapter 7 the same Apostle again confirms this by the similitude of a woman, who by the death of her husband is freed from the bondage of that husband, that she may freely be joined to another man. For three persons are introduced in that similitude: the person of the woman, the person of the dying husband, and the person of the other man to whom the woman again is married. But in applying the similitude, by the woman the Apostle understands baptized and justified men; by the man to whom the woman again is married, he understands Christ; by the dying man, from whom the woman is freed, he understands sin and death. But the Apostolic sentence was rendered obscure, since, when he ought to have said that sin is dead, he contrariwise said that we are mortified through the death of Christ. For it comes to the same, whether we die to sin, or sin die to us. And the sentence was rendered more obscure, since, when he ought at least to have said that we are mortified to sin, or to death, he said that we are mortified to the law, since the law (as he explains below) by occasion fostered and increased sin, and held us subject to sin, as a wife to a husband. But that the intention of the Apostle was to say that we, through the death of Christ, are freed from sin, and that in that similitude sin holds the place of the dying husband, is clear from those words: Therefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you may belong to another, who is risen again from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, wrought in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were detained, so that we may serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Where, as from this, that he says, “that we may bring forth fruit to God,” we understand that God is the second husband who is married to the soul, and to whom it brings forth fruit by bearing the offspring of good works, so also from this, that he says, “to bring forth fruit unto death,” we understand that death is the former husband to whom the soul was coupled, and to whom it brought forth fruit by bearing the offspring of evil works. See St. Augustine copiously explaining this place in the book of 83 Questions, question 66, and book 15 against Faustus, chapter 8, where he admonishes that a baptized man is said to be mortified to the law, not because he is dead to the justice of the law, but to the guilt and transgression of the law, which the law by the letter, when grace was lacking, wrought. From this first liberty we gather that the adversaries gravely err when they say that sin always lives in justified men, but is not imputed. For if it were so, we should not be truly and properly freed, nor should we be truly dead to sin, but should still bring forth fruit unto death, and serve in the oldness of the letter, not in the newness of the spirit.
Now, of the second liberty, which is from the burdens of the ceremonial and judicial law, there are also most open testimonies. For this is what the Apostle Peter cries, Acts 15: Why tempt you to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? And the Apostle Paul, Galatians 2: Neither Titus, who was a Gentile, was compelled to be circumcised; but because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into servitude. And chapter 4: How turn you again to the weak and needy elements, which you desire to serve again? And chapter 5: Stand fast, and be not held again under the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul tell you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. And Hebrews 7: The priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law. And in the same place: There is a setting aside of the former commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness; for the law brought nothing to perfection. And chapter 9 the ceremonies of the law are called justices of the flesh, laid on until the time of correction. Nor is there now any doubt about this liberty. Of the third liberty, which is from the dominion of the divine moral law — that is, by which it comes to pass that the law does not lord over us as over servants, threatening the scourge, and ever striking fear, but commands the free, and those willing liberally to obey; not taking from the law the force of obligating, but adding to men that charity of fulfilling it gladly — the same Apostle speaks when he says, Romans 6: You are not under the law, but under grace. 2 Corinthians 3: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Galatians 5: If you be led by the spirit, you are not under the law. And 1 Timothy 1: The law is not made for the just man, but for the unjust and the disobedient. For, as St. Augustine observes in the explanation of the first psalm, it is one thing for a man to be under the law, another for a man to be in the law. For he is said to be under the law who is driven by the law as a servant; he is in the law who acts according to the law, as free. Wherefore the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 9, says that he was made all things to all: to those who are under the law, as if he were under the law, when he truly was not under the law; to those who are without law, as if he were without law, when yet he was not without the law of God, but was in the law of Christ. Where he denies that he is under the law, and affirms that he is in the law. Whence in the book On Continence, chapter 3, the same Augustine says: “We are not under the law, commanding indeed good, but not giving it, but we are under grace, which, making us love that which the law commands, can command the free.” And in the book On Nature and Grace, chapter 37: “If you be led by the spirit, you are not under the law — namely, the law which strikes fear, gives not charity.” And in the book On the Spirit and the Letter, chapter 10, he explains that, “The law is not made for the just man,” of the law terrifying and threatening, which the just need not, but the unjust. Which also St. Ambrose beautifully explains to the same sentence, on Psalm 36, treating that, The law of his God is in his heart. Where he says that the law was written in tables of stone on account of the unjust, from whose hearts the law of God had already begun to be blotted out, according to that of Galatians 3, The law was set because of transgression — that, namely, transgressors might be compelled to see it in the tables, who no longer saw it in their hearts. For to the just the law written in tables is not necessary, since they diligently keep it in their hearts. For the law of his God is in his heart.
Some of the Catholics add — among whom is Dominic Soto, book 2 On Justice and Right, question 3, article 4 — that Christians are freed not only from the ceremonial law, and from the guilt and terror of the moral law, but also from the whole law written in the books of Moses — not that we are not bound to keep that law of Moses as it is natural, and insofar as it is renewed in the Gospel and epistles of the Apostles, but as it is written by Moses himself. For Moses cannot now obligate us, but Christ alone; for we are Christians, not Jews. And this seems to be proved efficaciously enough: first, from the very beginning of the Decalogue, as it is written Exodus 20, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt — for we were never servants in Egypt; second, from that of Luke 16, The law and the prophets were until John; third, from the Apostle, who, Romans 7, Hebrews 7, and Galatians 3, seems to say absolutely that the whole law of Moses is taken away. But we think it truer that the moral law, even as it was given by Moses and by the Prophets, and as it is written in the books of the Old Testament, truly obligates Christians. For what the Lord says, Matthew 5, I am not come to destroy the law, but to fulfil, is understood of the moral law, as is clear from that whole chapter. But to fulfil is not (as Dominic Soto says) to bring the time when that law ought to cease — that is, by his coming to impose an end on it, since it was to endure until the coming of Christ. It is not (I say) that in that place to fulfil, but to perfect and establish, the corruptions being removed which had accrued to it through false interpretations. For Christ fulfilled the law about avoiding murder, since he taught that anger too, which is the way to murder, is to be avoided. Moreover St. Paul, Romans 3, when he says, Do we then destroy the law through faith? God forbid; but we establish the law, speaks of the law of Moses; for that is understood in the Scriptures when the law is named absolutely. Besides, the Apostles always allege the words of the Old Testament when they teach that the moral precepts are to be kept, as is clear Romans 13: Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, etc. Ephesians 6: Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise. James 2: If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, etc. But why would the Apostles do this, if those testimonies pertained not to Christians? Truly it is a wonder why Dominic Soto, in the place noted, wrote that no testimony from the books of the Old Testament, as regards the force of obligating, can be brought against Christians. For not only the Apostles, but also all the Fathers, nay and all the Theologians, allege testimonies of the Old Testament to prove the moral precepts — as, for example, to prove that usuries are forbidden, who does not allege Psalm 14 and Ezechiel 18? Besides, St. Augustine, book 10 against Faustus, chapter 2, in express words says that the precepts of life are kept by Christians from the very books of the Old Testament. And both he and the other Fathers cited in the preceding chapter often repeat that the moral precepts given to the Jews obligate Christians also. And are not in the Catechisms, which the whole Church of the Christians uses, the ten precepts written word for word taken from chapter 20 of Exodus? Finally the moral law of the Old Testament is not only divine, but also spiritual, holy, just, good, as is said Romans 7, and moreover unspotted, converting souls, and enlightening the eyes, as is said in Psalm 18; finally the book of the commandments of God, and the law that is for ever, as is said Baruch 4. Wherefore there is no reason why it should not agree with Christians, or why it should have been abrogated by Christ.
Nor do the contrary arguments convince, but rather seem to confirm our sentence. For (as regards that, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt) it agrees with us also, seeing we were in Egypt, and were freed from Egypt in the persons of our fathers. For we who are converted to God from the Gentiles are ingrafted into the root of the good olive — that is, joined to the people of the Patriarchs, as the Apostle says, Romans 11. For the people of God of the Old Testament was not extinguished, but grew by the adjunction of the Gentiles; whence the same Apostle, 1 Corinthians 10, addressing the Christians from the Gentiles, says: I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, etc. And so we are the sons of Abraham whom God promised him when he said, Genesis 17, I have made thee a father of many nations. On which matter see more in the Apostle, Romans 3 and 4, and Galatians 4, and in Augustine, epistle 200 to Asellicus; where he deduces from the Scriptures that the Jews, who according to the flesh descend from Sara and Israel, and yet are unbelieving, are according to the spirit broken branches, and pertain to Agar and Esau; but we, who according to the flesh are not Jews, and yet believe in Christ, are the true Jews in spirit, and pertain to Sara and Israel. And in the same place he says that all the moral precepts of the old law are without doubt to be kept by us, who are now the people of God. Moreover, if we were not captives in Egypt, yet we were in the power of the devil, which that bondage signified; and if we were not freed from the hard burdens of clay and bricks, yet we were freed from the far harder burdens of sins. And so God rightly says to us too: I am thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before me, etc. To that, The law and the prophets were until John, the answer is at hand. For the Lord speaks of the law prophesying through figures, not of the law instituting the manners of men. Which is had more openly, Matthew 11: All the prophets and the law prophesied until John — that is, all the predictions of the future Messiah, whether by the words of the Prophets or by the figures and ceremonies of the law, extend not beyond John, who was the last of the Prophets. And so this place ought to be understood of the ceremonial law, not of the moral. Further, on Romans 7 we have already shown, at the beginning of this chapter, that not the law is abrogated, but the guilt of the law. Which can be confirmed from this, that in the same chapter 7 the same Apostle says: I am delighted with the law according to the inward man. Likewise: I consent to the law, that it is good. Likewise: I myself with my mind serve the law of God. Certainly, if he served the law of God, he was not dead to the law, nor was the law dead to him, as to the obligation and debt of fulfilling. Wherefore at the beginning of chapter 8 he says, The law of the spirit of life hath delivered me from the law of sin and of death — that is, the law written in the heart, which is charity, freed me from the law written in tables, which without the spirit was a killing letter. But it freed me, because it effected (as the same Apostle at once subjoins) that the justification of the law (written, namely, in tables) might be fulfilled in us. But in the places Galatians 3 and Hebrews 7 the discourse is of the ceremonial law, as was said above. See what we said, chapter 2, in the explanation of the fifth distinction of the law and the Gospel. We have, then, that from true Christian liberty it is gathered that the keeping of the law and good works are most necessary to a Christian man.
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CAPUT VI. 'Asseritur vera libertas Christiana , et inde quoque probatur necessitas operum bono¬ rum. Vera igitur Christiana libertas ex Evange- licis, et Apostolicis litteris, tribus in rebus sita esse cognoscitur, in libertate a peccato et morte, in libertate a jugo legis caeremo- nialis et judicialis Hebraeorum, et a dominio, et reatu legis naturalis atque moralis. De libertate a peccato et morte, quae ex peccato sequitur, loquitur Dominus Joan. vili. Si vos Filius liberaverit , vere liberi eri¬ tis. Nam paulo ante dixerat : Qui facit pec¬ catum, servus est peccati. De eadem loquitur Apostolus ad Roman. vi. Cum servi essetis peccati , liberi fuistis justitiae ; nunc autem li¬ berati a peccato , servi autem facti Deo, habe¬ tis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem , finem vero vitam aeternam (1). Et cap. 7. idem Apo¬ stolus hoc rursus confirmat similitudine mu¬ lieris, quae per mortem viri liberatur a ser¬ vitute ejusdem viri, ut possit libere cum alio viro conjungi. Tres enim personae in ea si¬ militudine introducuntur, persona mulieris, persona viri morientis, et persona alterius viri, cui rursus mulier nubit. Applicando autem similitudinem, per mu¬ lierem intelligit Apostolus homines baptiza- tos, et justificatos : per virum, cui rursus mulier nubit, intelligit Christum, per virum morientem, a quo mulier liberatur, intelligit peccatum, et mortem : sed reddita est obscura sententia Apostolica, quoniam cum debuisset dicere, peccatum esse" mortuum, ipse contra dixit, nos mortificatos esse per mortem Chri¬ sti. Nam in idem recidit, sive nos moriamur peccato, sive peccatum moriatur nobis. Obs¬ curior etiam sententia reddita est, quoniam cum debuisset saltem dicere, nos mortifica¬ tos esse peccato, vel morti, dixit, nos mor¬ tificatos esse legi, quoniam lex (ut infra ex¬ plicat) ex occasione peccatum fovebat et augebat, et nos ipsi peccato, ut conjugem viro, subjectos tenebat. Quod autem intentio Apostoli fuerit dicere, nos per Christi mortem liberatos esse a pec¬ cato, et in ea similitudine peccatum tenere locum viri morientis, perspicuum est ex illis verbis : Itaque fratres mei., et vos mortificati estis legi per corpus Christi, ut sitis alterius, qui ex mortuis resurrexit, ut fructificemus Deo; cum enim in carne essemus , passiones, equae per legem erant , operabantur in membris nostris , ut fructificaremus morti. Nunc autem soluti sumus a lege mortis, in qua detinebamur , ita ut serviamus in novitate spiritus, et non in ve¬ tustate litterae. Ubi sicut ex eo, quod dicit, ut fructificemus Deo, intelligimus, Deum esse secundum virum Qui nubit anima, et cui fru¬ ctificat, proles bonorum operum pariendo ; sic etiam ex eo, quod dicit, ut fructificare¬ mus morti, intelligimus mortem esse priorem virum cui copulata erat anima et cui fructi¬ ficabat, proles malorum operum pariendo. Vide sanctum Augustinum copiose hunc lo¬ cum explicantem in lib. lxxxiii. qusest. 66. et lib. xv. contra Faustum, cap. 8. ubi mo¬ net, hominem baptizatam dici mortificatum legi, non quia sit mortuus legis justitiae, sed legis reatui et praevaricationi, quam lex per litteram, cum gratia defuit, faciebat. Ex hac prima libertate colligimus, adver¬ sarios graviter errare, cum dicunt, peccatum in hominibus justificatis semper vivere, sed non imputari. Nam si ita esset, non essemus vere et proprie liberati, neque essemus pec¬ cato vere mortui, sed adhuc fructificaremus morti, et serviremus in vetustate litterae, non in novitate spiritus. Jam vero de libertate secunda, quae est ab oneribus legis caeremonialis et judicialis, exstant etiam apertissima testimonia. Hoc enim est, quod clamat Apostolus Petrus Actor, xv. Quid tentatis imponere jugum su¬ per cervices discipulorum, quod nec nos, nec patres nostri portare potuimus. Et Apostolus Paulus ad Galat. n. Nec Titus, inquit, com¬ pulsus est circumcidi, cum esset gentilis. Sed propter falsos fratres, qui subintroierunt ex¬ plorare libertatem nostram, quam habemus in Christo Jesu, ut nos in servitutem redigerint. Et cap. iv : Quomodo iterum convertimini ad infirma, et egena elementa, quibus denuo ser¬ vire vultis. Et cap. v : State et nolite iterum jugo servitutis contineri. Ecce ego Paulus dico vobis, quoniam si circumcidamini , Christus vobis nihil proderit. Et ad Hebr. vii : Trans¬ lato enim sacerdotio necesse est, ut et legis translatio fiat. Et ibidem : Reprobatio fit prae¬ cedentis mandati propter infirmitatem ejus et inutilitatem. Nihil enim ad perfectum adduxit (1) Joan. VIII, 36; ibid. 34; Rom. VI, 20. 312 LIBER IV. lex (1). Et cap. 9. vocantur effiremonite legis, justitia) carnis usque ad tempus correctionis impositte. Neque de hac libertate ulla jam dubitatio est. De tertia libertate, queo est a dominio le¬ gis divina) moralis, id est, per quam fit, ut lex nobis non dominetur tamquam servis imminens flagello, et timorem semper incu- liens, sed -ut imperet libris, et liberaliter obtemperare volentibus : non adimendo legi vim obligandi, sed addendo hominibus cha- ritatem illam libenter implendi, loquitur idem Apostolus cum ait ad Roman. vi : Non estis sub lege , sed sub gratia , II ad Gorinth. m. Ubi spiritus Domini, ibi libertas, ad Galat. v. Si spiritu ducimini, non estis sub lege. Et I Timoth. i. Justo non est lex posita, sed inju¬ stis et non subditis (2). Nam ut S. Augustinus observat in explicatione primi psalmi, aliud est hominem esse sub lege aliud hominem esse in lege. Sub lege enim dicitur esse qui a lege agitur tamquam servus ; in lege est, qui secundum legem agit, ut liber. Quare Apostolus I Gorinth. ix. dicitse factum esse omnia omnibus, iis, qui sub lege sunt, quasi esset sub lege, 'cum vere non esset, sub lege, iis qui sine lege sunt, quasi sine lege esset, cum tamen sine lege Dei non esset, sed in lege esset Christi. Ubi negat se esse sub lege, et affirmat esso in lege. Undo in libro do continentia, cap. 3. idem Augustinus ait : « Non sumus sub lege bo¬ num quidem jubente, non tamen dante, sed sumus sub gratia, quse id quod lex jubet, faciens nos amare, potest liberis imperare » . Et in lib. de natura et gratia, cap. 37. « Si spiritu, inquit, ducimini, non estis sub lege, utique lege qute timorem incutit, non tribuit charitatem ». Etin libro de spiritu et littera, cap. 10. explicat illud : « Justo non est lex posita », de lege terrente et minante, qua justi non indigent, sed injusti. Quod etiam pulchre explicat in camdem sententiam S. Ambrosius in Psalm. xxxvi. tractans illud : Lex Dei ejus in corde ipsius. Ubi dicit, lege scriptam fuisse in tabulis lapideis propter injustos, de quorum cordibus lex Dei deleri jam coeperat; juxta illud ad Galat. m. Lex propter transgressionem posita est p3). Ut vi¬ delicet transgressores eam videre cogeren¬ tur in tabulis, qui non amplius eam videbant in cordibus. Nam justis non est necessaria lex scripta in tabulis, cum eam diligenter servent in cordibus. Lex enim Dei ejus in corde ipsius. Addunt aliqui ex catholicis, in quibus csE Dominicus a Soto lib. n. de Justitia et Jure qumst. 3. art. -4. non solum Christianos libe¬ ratos esse a lege cseremoniali, et a reatu, et terrore legis moralis, sed etiam a tota lege scripta in libris Mosis, non quod non tenea¬ mur servare legem illam Mosis, ut est natu¬ ralis, et quatenus in Evaugelio, et epistolis Apostolorum renovatur, sed ut est ab ipso Mose scripta. Non enim Moses nos jam obli¬ gare potest, sed solus Christus : Christiani enim sumus, non Juda)i, et videtur id satis efficaciter probari primo, ex ipso principio Decalogi, ut scribitur Exodi xx. Ego sum Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra /Eggpti. Nos enim numquam fuimus servi in ALgypto. Secundo ex illo Lucte xvi. Lex et Prophetae usque ad Joannem (4). Tertio ex Apostolo, qui ad Rom. vn. ad Ilebr. vn. et ad Galat. m. videtur absolute dicere totam legem Mo¬ sis esse sublatam. Cseterum nos verius putamus, legem mo¬ ralem, etiam ut est data per Mosem et per Prophetas, atque ut est in libris veteris Te¬ stamenti scripta, vere obligare Christianos. Nam quod Dominus ait, Matth. v. Non veni legem solvere, sed adimplere (5), intelligitur de lege morali, ut patet ex toto illo capite. Adimplere autem non est (ut Dominicus a Soto ait) adducere tempus, quo lex illa ces¬ sare debet, id est, per adventum suum illi finem imponere, quandoquidem usque ad Christi adventum duratura erat. Non (in¬ quam) id' est, eo loco adimplere, sed perfi¬ cere et stabilire remotis corruptelis, qua) per falsas interpretationes illi accesserant. Adim¬ plevit enim Christus legem de cavendo ho¬ micidio, quia docuit cavendam esse etiam iram, qua) est via ad homicidium. Praeterea S. Paulus ad Rom. iit. cum ait : Numquid legem destruimus per fidem ? absit, sed legem statuimm (6). Loquitur de lege Mo¬ sis, illa enim in Scripturis intelligitur cum absolute lex nominatur. AdhcCC Apostoli semper allegant verba Testamenti veteris, cum praiccpta moralia servanda esse docent, ut patet ad Rom. xui. (1) Act. XV, 10; Gal. II, 3; ibid. IV, 9; ibici. V, I; Gal. V, 18: I Tini. I, 9. —(3) Psal. XXXVI, 31 ; Gal (5) Matii. V, 17. — (G) Rom. III, 31. Heb. VII, 12. -(2) Rom. VI, 14; II Cor. III, 17! . III, 19. ~ (4) Exod. XX, 2 ; Lue. XVI, IG. - CAPUT VI. 313 Non adulterabis . non occides, non furaberis, non falsum testimonium dices, non concupisces , et si quod est aliud mandatum etc. Ad Ephes. vi. Honora patrem et matrem, quod est man¬ datum primum in promissione. Jacobi n. Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scri¬ pturas, Diliges proximum tuum sicut te ipsum etc.( 1). At cur Apostoli hoc facerent, si testi¬ monia illa ad Christianos non pertinerent? Sane mirum est, cur Dominicus a Soto loco notato scripserit, nullum testimonium ex li¬ bris veteris Testamenti quoad vim obligandi adduci posse Christianis. Nam non solum Apostoli, sed etiam Patres omnes, immo et Theologi omnes testimonia veteris Testa¬ menti allegant ad probanda praecepta mora¬ lia, ut verbi gratia ad probandum usuras esse prohibitas, quis non allegat Psal. xiv. et Ezecb. cap. 18. Adhaec S. Augustinus lib. x. contra Fau¬ stum cap. 2. disertis verbis dicit, servari a Christianis praecepta vitae ex ipsis libris Te¬ stamenti veteris. Et tam ipse, quam alii Pa¬ tres citati capite superiore crebro repetunt, praecepta moralia data Judaeis obligare etiam Christianos. Et nonne in Catechismis, quibus omnis Christianorum Ecclesia utitur, scri¬ buntur decem praecepta ad verbum deprom¬ pta ex cap. 20. Exodi? Denique lex moralis Testamenti veteris, non tantum divina est, sed etiam spiritualis, sancta, justa, bona, ut dicitur ad Rom. vn. et praeterea immacu¬ lata, convertens animas, et illuminans ocu¬ los, ut dicitur in Psal. xvm. denique liber mandatorum Dei, et lex, quae est in aeter¬ num, ut dicitur Baruch iv. quare nulla est ratio, cur non conveniat Christianis, vel cur abrogari debuerit a Christo. Neque contraria argumenta convincunt, sed potius sententiam nostram confirmari! videntur. Nam (quod attinet ad illud) Ego sum Deus tuus, -qui eduxi te de terra /Egypti, nobis etiam convenit, quippe qui fuimus in /Egypto, et ex .Egypto liberati sumus in per¬ sonis patrum nostrorum. Nam qui ex genti¬ litate conversi sumus ad Deum, in radicem bonae olivae inserti sumus, id est, ad popu¬ lum Patriarcharum adjuncti, ut dicit Apo¬ stolus ad Rom. 11. non enim populus Dei ve¬ teris Testamenti extinctus est, sed crevit ex adjunctione gentilium; unde idem Aposto¬ lus I Corinth. x. alloquens Christianos ex gentilibus, dicit : Nolo vos ignorare fratres, quoniam patres nostri omnes sub nube fuerunt , et omnes mare transierunt, etc. Itaque nos su¬ mus Abrahae filii, quos ei Deus promisit, cum ait Genes, xvn. Patrem multarum gen~ tium constitui te (2). De qua re vide plura apud Apostolum ad Rom. hi. et iv. et ad Galat. iv. et apud Augustinum in epist.200. ad Asellicum. Ubi deducit ex Scripturis, Ju¬ daeos, qui secundum carnem ex Sara, et Israel descendunt, et tamen increduli sunt, secundum spiritum esse ramos fractos, et ad Agar, et Esau pertinere : nos autem qui se¬ cundum carnem Judaei non sumus, et tamen in Christum credimus, esse veros Judaeos in spiritum, et ad Saram, et Israel pertinere. Et ibidem dicit,, omnia praecepta legis vete¬ ris moralia, a nobis, qui jam sumus populus Dei, sine dubitatione esse servanda. Praete¬ rea si non fuimus in .■Egypto captivi, fuimus tamen in potestate diaboli, quam servitus illa significabat, et si liberati non sumus ab oneribus duris luti et laterum, liberati tamen sumus ab oneribus longe durioribus pecca¬ torum. Itaque recte nobis quoque Deus di¬ cit : Ego sum Deus tuus, non habebis Deos alienos coram me, etc. Ad illud : Lex et Prophetae usque ad Joan¬ nem, responsio in promptu est. Nam loquitur Dominus de lege prophetante per figuras, non de lege instituente mores hominum. Quod apertius habetur Matthaei xr. Omnes Prophetae et lex usque ad Joannem propheta¬ verunt (3), id est, omnes praedictiones futuri Messiae, sive per verba Prophetarum, sive per figuras et caeremonias legis non ultra Joannem extenduntur, qui fuit novissimus Prophetarum. Itaque locus iste de caeremo- niali lege non de morali intelligi debet. Porro ad Rom. vii. jam supra ostendimus in hujus capitis initio, non abrogari legem, sed reatum legis. Quod vel inde confirmari potest, quod in eodem cap. vii. idem Apo¬ stolus ait : Condelector legi secundum interio¬ rem hominem. Item : Consentio legi, quia bona est. Item : Ego ipse mente servio legi Dei (4). Certe si serviebat legi Dei, non erat mortuus legi, nec lex erat illi mortua, quoad obliga¬ tionem et debitum implendi. Quare initio cap. viii. dicit, lex spiritus vita3 liberavit me a lege peccati et mortis, id est, lex in corde scripta, quo? est charitas, liberavit me a lege scripta in tabulis, quse sine spiritu littera erat occidens. Liberavit autem, quia effecit (ut Q} Rom. XIII, 9: Ep. VI, i; Jacob. U,8.~(2)lCor.X, DGen. XVU, 5 -(3)Mat. XI, 13.-(4) Rom.Vll.22 Tom. VI. 21 314 LIBER IV. mox idem Apostolus subjungit) ut justificatio legis (scriptae nimirum in tabulis) impleretur in nobis. In locis autem ad Galat. m. et ad Hebr. vii. sermo est de lege caeremoniali, ut supra dictum est. Vide quae diximus cap. n. in ex¬ plicatione quinti discriminis legis et Evange- lii. Habemus igitur ex vera Christiana liber¬ tate colligi legis custodiam et opera bona homini Christiano esse maxime necessaria.