Against the Pelagians

This book can hardly be said to form part of a dialogue. It is rather an argument from Scripture to prove the point of the Augustinian arguer, Atticus. From the fourth chapter onwards it consists, like the last five chapters of Book I., of a chain of Scripture texts, taken from the New Testament and the Prophets, to show the universality of sin, and thus to refute the Pelagian assertion that a man can be without sin if he wills. We shall, therefore, give, as in the previous case, a list of the texts and the first words of them, only giving Jerome’s words where he introduces some original remark of his own, or some noteworthy comment.

The Pelagian begins by reiterating the dilemma: If the commandments are given to be obeyed, then man can be without sin; if he is, by his creation, such that he must be a sinner, then God, not he, is the author of sin. To the argument that sacrifices are enjoined for sins of ignorance, he replies by appealing from the Old Testament to the New, which leads to a discussion (2, 3) on St. Paul’s description of the conflict with sin, in Romans vii. Paul, it is argued, speaks not as a sinner, but as a man, and thus confesses the sinfulness of humanity. That men may be without ingrained vice is possible; that they can be without sin is not. This leads the Augustinian, Atticus, resuming his list of testimonies, to the fact that, though men are found who are righteous as avoiding wickedness (κακία), yet none is without sin (ἀναμάρτητος).

In Psalm xxxii. 5. One who speaks of himself as “holy,” yet confesses his transgression.

Prov. xxiv. 16. Explains this, “The righteous falls, but sins again.”

…xviii. 17, LXX. and Vulgate. A righteous man accuses himself when he begins to speak.

Ps. lviii. 3. Sinners are estranged from the womb; that is, either, as St. Paul says, they sin “after the similitude of Adam”; or, “when Christ, as the firstborn, opened the virgin’s womb”. The heretics refused to acknowledge the mystery, which was prefigured by the Eastern door of the Temple (Ezek. xliv. 2), which closed again when once the High Priest had gone through it.

Job iv. 17–21. Shall mortal man be just with God?

…vii. 1. The life of man is temptation.

20, 21. If I have sinned, what can I do?

If I were righteous, he would not hear me.

29–31. If I wash myself with snow water, etc.

…x. 15. If I be righteous, etc.

…xiv. 4, 5. Who will be free from uncleanliness? Not one.

Man toileth in sorrow.

Job xl. 4. What shall I answer thee?

"Who will boast that he has a clean heart?" which shows at least that the commandments are not easy, as Pelagius says they are.

1 John v. 3. “His commandments are not grievous,” and

Matt. xi. 30. “My yoke is easy,” are true only in comparison with Judaism, and should be compared with

Acts xv. 10. A yoke …which neither our fathers nor we are able to bear.

James iv. 11. “Thou judgest the law,” that is, if you say that the condemnation of sins of ignorance is unreasonable. That we all sin in such ways is evident from

James i. 20. “The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” But anger is constantly condemned as in

Prov. xv. 1, LXX. “Wrath destroys even wise men.”

Eph. iv. 26. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Matt. v. 22. He who is angry…shall be in danger of council.

Eccles. xi. 19. “I am the most foolish of all men.” This is said by Christ in the person of humanity. So

Ps. lxix. 5. “God, Thou knowest my foolishness.” But

1 Cor. i. 25. The foolishness of God is wiser than men.

Ecclus. i. 18. "In much wisdom is much grief," shows the wise man's sense of imperfection.

…viii. 7. “I hated my life,” and

14. “There be righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked;” that is, God sees evil where we do not.

17. “However much a man may labor, yet he shall not find it;” and

…ix. 2, 3. There is one event to all. The heart…is full of evil.

…x. 1. “Dead flies cause the ointment to stink;” That is, almost everyone is defiled by heresy or other faults.

1 Pet. ii. 17, 18. Judgement must begin at the house of God.

6. There are four emotions which agitate mankind, two relating to the present, two to the future; two to good, and two to evil. There is sorrow, called in Greek λύπη, and joy, in Greek χαρά or ἡδονή, although many translate the latter word by voluptas, pleasure; the one of which is referred to evil, the other to good. And we go too far if we rejoice over such things as we ought not, as, for example, riches, power, distinctions, the bad fortune of enemies, or their death; or, on the other hand, if we are tortured with grief on account of present evils, adversity, exile, poverty, weakness, and the death of kindred, all of which is forbidden by the Apostle. And again, if we covet those things which we consider good, inheritance, distinctions, unvaried prosperity, bodily health, and the like, in the possession of which we rejoice and find enjoyment; or if we fear those things which we deem adverse. Now, according to the Stoics, Zeno that is to say and Chrysippus, it is possible for a perfect man to be free from these emotions; according to the Peripatetics, it is difficult and even impossible, an opinion which has the constant support of all Scripture. Hence Josephus, the historian of the Maccabees, said that the emotions can be subdued and governed, not extirpated, and Cicero’s five books of “Tusculan Disputations” are full of these discussions.According to the Apostle, the weakness of the body and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places fight against us. And the same writer tells us that the works of the flesh and the works of the spirit are manifest, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that we do not the things that we would. If we do not what we would, but what we would not, how can you say that a man can be without sin if he chooses? You see that neither an Apostle, nor any believer can perform what he wishes.“Love covereth a multitude of sins,” not so much sins of the past as sins of the present, that we may not sin any more while the love of God abideth in us. Wherefore it is said concerning the woman that was a sinner,“Her sins which are many are forgiven her, for she loved much.” And this shows us that the doing what we wish does not depend merely upon our own power, but upon the assistance which God in His mercy gives to our will.

7. The quotations from Scripture are now continued:

In 1 John i. 5, John i. 7, 8, Matt. v. 14, Christ and the Apostles are called the Light of the world. The world therefore is darkness.

1 Tim. vi. 16. God only hath immortality and is “only wise”; yet others, like the Prince of Tyre (Ezek. xxviii. 3), are wise derivatively. So we are pure, but only by grace. Thus

1 John i. 7. The blood of Christ cleanses us.

Job xxv. 5, 6. The stars are not pure in his sight.

Gal. ii. 16. “By the law no flesh shall be justified;” but

Rom. iii. 1, 24, 28, 30. Being justified freely through His grace, etc.

…vi. 14. Not under the law, but under grace.

…ix. 16. Not of him that willeth, but of God which showeth mercy.

…ix. 30–32. The Gentiles…attained to the righteousness by faith.

…x. 2. Christ is the end of the law to every one that believeth.

8. The Apostle confesses his need of this grace for his work.

1 Cor. i. 1–3. Grace to you from God.

7, 8. That ye come behind in no gift—that no flesh may glory in His sight.

1 Cor. iii. 6–10. Paul planted…but God gave the increase.

If any man thinketh himself to be wise, let him become a fool.

…iv. 4. I know nothing against myself, yet I am not hereby justified.

7. What have ye that ye did not receive?

19. I will come to you, if the Lord will.

9. The Apostle shows also his need of grace himself.

1 Cor. xv. 9, 10. By the grace of God I am what I am, etc.

2 Cor. iii. 4–6. Our sufficiency is of God.

Gal. ii. 16. We have believed, that we might, be justified by faith.

…ii. 21. If righteousness come by the law, Christ is dead for nought.

…iii. 10, 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law.