hereditatis nostræ; meritoria autem: dilectissimus unigenitus suus, Dominus noster Iesus Christus, qui cum essemus inimici, propter nimiam caritatem, qua dilexit nos, sua sanctissima passione in ligno crucis nobis justificationem meruit, et pro nobis Deo Patri satisfecit; instrumentalis item: sacramentum baptismi, quod est sacramentum fidei, sine qua nulli umquam contigit justificatio; demum unica formalis causa est justitia Dei; non qua ipse justus est, sed qua nos justos facit; qua videlicet ab eo donati, renovamur spiritu mentis nostræ, et non modo reputamur, sed vere justi nominamur et sumus, justitiam in nobis recipientes, unusquisque suam secundum mensuram, quam Spiritus Sanctus partitur singulis prout vult et secundum propriam cujusque dispositionem et cooperationem. Quamquam enim nemo possit esse justus, nisi cui merita passionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi communicantur: id tamen in hac impii justificatione fit, dum ejusdem sanctissimæ passionis merito per Spiritum Sanctum caritas Dei diffunditur in cordibus holy Spirit of promise, who is the pledge of our inheritance; [128] but the meritorious cause is his most beloved only-begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when we were enemies, for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us, [129] merited Justification for us by his most holy Passion on the wood of the cross, and made satisfaction for us unto God the Father; the instrumental cause is the sacrament of baptism, which is the sacrament of faith, without which [faith] no man was ever justified; [130] lastly, the alone formal cause is the justice of God, not that whereby he himself is just, but that whereby he maketh us just, that, to wit, with which we, being endowed by him, are renewed in the spirit of our mind, [131] and we are not only reputed, but are truly called, and are just, receiving justice within us, each one according to his own measure, which the Holy Ghost distributes to every one as he wills, [132] and according to each one's proper disposition and co-operation. For, although no one can be just, but he to whom the merits of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ are communicated, yet is this done in the said justification of the impious, when by the merit of that same
eorum, qui justificantur, atque ipsis inhæret: unde in ipsa justificatione cum remissione peccatorum hæc omnia simul infusa accipit homo per Iesum Christum, cui inseritur, fidem, spem et caritatem: nam fides, nisi ad eam spes accedat, et caritas, neque unit perfecte cum Christo, neque corporis ejus vivum membrum efficit: qua ratione verissime dicitur, fidem sine operibus mortuam, et otiosam esse: et in Christo Iesu neque circumcisionem aliquid valere neque præputium, sed fidem, quæ per caritatem operatur. Hanc fidem ante baptismi sacramentum ex apostolorum traditione catechumeni ab ecclesia petunt, cum petunt fidem, vitam æternam præstantem: quam sine spe et caritate præstare fides non potest: unde et statim verbum Christi audiunt: Si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. most holy Passion, the charity of God is poured forth, by the Holy Spirit, in the hearts [133] of those that are justified, and is inherent therein: whence, man, through Jesus Christ, in whom he is ingrafted, receives, in the said justification, together with the remission of sins, all these [gifts] infused at once, faith, hope, and charity. For faith, unless hope and charity be added thereto, neither unites man perfectly with Christ, nor makes him a living member of his body. For which reason it is most truly said, that Faith without works is dead and profitless; [134] and, In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by charity. [135] This faith, Catechumens beg of the Church--agreeably to a tradition of the apostles--previously to the sacrament of Baptism; when they beg for the faith which bestows life everlasting, which, without hope and charity, faith can not bestow: whence also do they immediately hear that word of Christ: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. [136] Itaque veram et Christianam justitiam accipientes, eam ceu primam stolam pro illa, quam Adam sua inobedienta sibi et nobis perdidit, Wherefore, when receiving true and Christian justice, they are bidden, immediately on being born again, to preserve it pure and spotless,
per Christum Iesum illis donatam, candidam et immaculatam jubentur statim renati conservare, ut eam perferant ante tribunal Domini nostri Iesu Christi, et habeant vitam æternam. as the first robe [137] given them through Jesus Christ in lieu of that which Adam, by his disobedience, lost for himself and for us, that so they may bear it before the judgment-seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may have life eternal. Caput VIII. Chapter VIII. Quomodo intelligatur, impium per fidem et gratis justificari. In what manner it is to be understood, that the impious is justified by faith, and gratuitously. Cum vero Apostolus dicit, justificari hominem per fidem et gratis, ea verba in eo sensu intelligenda sunt, quem perpetuus ecclesiæ catholicæ consensus tenuit et expressit: ut scilicet per fidem ideo justificari dicamur, quia fides est humanæ salutis initium, fundamentum et radix omnis justificationis, sine qua impossibile est placere Deo et ad filiorum ejus consortium pervenire: gratis autem justificari ideo dicamur, quia nihil eorum, quæ, justificationem præcedunt, sive fides sive opera, ipsam justificationis gratiam promeretur: si enim gratia est, jam non ex operibus: alioquin, ut idem apostolus inquit, gratia jam non est gratia. And whereas the Apostle saith, that man is justified by faith and freely, [138] those words are to be understood in that sense which the perpetual consent of the Catholic Church hath held and expressed; to wit, that we are therefore said to be justified by faith, because faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation, and the root of all Justification; without which it is impossible to please God, [139] and to come unto the fellowship of his sons: but we are therefore said to be justified freely, because that none of those things which precede justification--whether faith or works--merit the grace itself of justification. For, if it be a grace, it is not now by works, otherwise, as the same Apostle says, grace is no more grace. [140]
Caput IX. Chapter IX. Contra inanem hæreticorum fiduciam. Against the vain confidence of heretics. Quamvis autem necessarium sit credere, neque remitti, neque remissa unquam fuisse peccata, nisi gratis divina misericordia propter Christum: nemini tamen fiduciam, et certitudinem remissionis peccatorum suorum jactanti, et in ea sola quiescenti, peccata dimitti, vel dimissa esse dicendum est, cum apud hæreticos et schismaticos possit esse, imo nostra tempestate sit, et magna contra ecclesiam catholicam contentione prædicetur vana hæc et ab omni pietate remota fiducia. Sed neque illud asserendum est, oportere eos, qui vere justificati sunt, absque ulla omnino dubitatione apud semetipsos statuere, se esse justificatos, neminemque a peccatis absolvi ac justificari, nisi eum, qui certo credat se absolutum et justificatum esse; atque hac sola fide absolutionem et justificationem perfici, quasi qui hoc non credit, de Dei promissis, deque mortis et resurrectionis Christi efficacia dubitet. Nam, sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia, de Christi merito deque sacramentorum virtute et efficacia dubitare debet: sic quilibet, dum se ipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem et But, although it is necessary to believe that sins neither are remitted, nor ever were remitted save gratuitously by the mercy of God for Christ's sake; yet is it not to be said, that sins are forgiven, or have been forgiven, to any one who boasts of his confidence and certainty of the remission of his sins, and rests on that alone; seeing that it may exist, yea does in our day exist, amongst heretics and schismatics; and with great vehemence is this vain confidence, and one alien from all godliness, preached up in opposition to the Catholic Church. But neither is this to be asserted--that they who are truly justified must needs, without any doubting whatever, settle within themselves that they are justified, and that no one is absolved from sins and justified, but he that believes for certain that he is absolved and justified; and that absolution and justification are effected by this faith alone: as though whoso has not this belief, doubts of the promises of God, and of the efficacy of the death and resurrection of Christ. For even as no pious person ought to doubt of the mercy of God, of the merit of Christ, and of the virtue and efficacy of the sacraments, even so
indispositionem respicit, de sua gratia formidare et timere potest; cum nullus scire valeat certitudine fidei, cui non potest subesse falsum, se gratiam Dei esse consecutum. each one, when he regards himself, and his own weakness and indisposition, may have fear and apprehension touching his own grace; seeing that no one can know with a certainty of faith, which can not be subject to error, that he has obtained the grace of God. Caput X. Chapter X. De acceptæ justificationis incremento. On the increase of Justification received. Sic ergo justificati, et amici Dei ac domestici facti, euntes de virtute in virtutem, renovantur, ut apostolus inquit, de die in diem, hoc est, mortificando membra carnis suæ, et exhibendo ea arma justitiæ in sanctificationem; per observationem mandatorum Dei et ecclesiæ, in ipsa justitia per Christi gratiam accepta, cooperante fide bonis operibus, crescunt atque magis justificantur, sicut scriptum est: Qui justus est, justificetur adhuc; et iterum: Ne verearis usque ad mortem justificari; et rursus: Videtis, quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum. Hoc vero justitiæ incrementum petit sancta ecclesia, cum orat: Da Having, therefore, been thus justified, and made the friends and domestics of God, [141] advancing from virtue to virtue, [142] they are renewed, as the Apostle says, day by day; [143] that is, by mortifying the members of their own flesh, [144] and by presenting them as instruments of justice unto sanctification, [145] they, through the observance of the commandments of God and of the Church, faith co-operating with good works, increase in that justice which they have received through the grace of Christ, and are still further justified, as it is written: He that is just, let him be justified still; [146] and again, Be not afraid to be justified even to death; [147] and also, Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. [148] And this increase
nobis Domine fidei, spei, et caritatis augmentum. of justification holy Church begs, when she prays, 'Give unto us, O Lord, increase of faith, hope, and charity.' Caput XI. Chapter XI. De observatione mandatorum, deque illius necessitate et possibilitate. On keeping the Commandments, and on the necessity and possibility thereof. Nemo autem, quantumvis justificatus, liberum se esse ab observatione mandatorum putare debet; nemo temeraria illa et a patribus sub anathemate prohibita voce uti, Dei præcepta homini justificato ad observandum esse impossibilia. Nam Deus impossibilia non jubet, sed jubendo monet et facere quod possis, et petere quod non possis, et adjuvat, ut possis. Cujus mandata gravia non sunt, cujus jugum suave est et onus leve. Qui enim sunt filii Dei, Christum diligunt; qui autem diligunt eum, ut ipsemet testatur, servant sermones ejus, quod utique cum divino auxilio præstare possunt. Licet enim in hac mortali vita quantumvis sancti et justi in levia saltem et quotidiana, quæ etiam venialia dicuntur, peccata quandoque cadant, non propterea desinunt esse justi; nam justorum illa vox est et humilis et verax: Dimitte But no one, how much soever justified, ought to think himself exempt from the observance of the commandments; no one ought to make use of that rash saying, one prohibited by the Fathers under an anathema,--that the observance of the commandments of God is impossible for one that is justified. For God commands not impossibilities, but, by commanding, both admonishes thee to do what thon art able, and to pray for what thou art not able (to do), and aids thee that thou mayest be able; whose commandments are not heavy; [149] whose yoke is sweet and whose burthen light. [150] For, whoso are the sons of God, love Christ; but they who love him, keep his commandments, [151] as himself testifies; which, assuredly, with the divine help, they can do. For, although, during this mortal life, men, how holy and just soever, at times fall into at least light and daily sins, which are also called venial, not therefore do they cease to