Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 1 · Part 28
The Assertion of Osorius, whereby he proves that there can be no Reconciliation to God, unless all the Relicks of Sin be utterly cut off.
BUT perhaps some Osorian will Another Calumny of Osorius against Luther.here again object; Though dissimilitude doth not divide the connexion of friendship; but yet things that are so different, that they are opposed to one another by a mutual repugnancy, it cannot by any means be, that those things should be joyned together; of which sort are Virtue and Vice, Righteousness and Sin, Love and Hatred. Therefore seeing God is altogether so just in his own Nature, that he cannot but hate Sin; and on the contrary, Man is so wholly drowned in sin, that in every good work, according to the Opinion of Luther, the Saints themselves also do sin, in this so great dissimilitude of things that are opposite to one another; how can it be that Infinite Holiness can be joyned by any Communion with Man, if he is such a one as Luther describes him? For so Osorius, from things well said by Luther, but badly understood by him, and worse wrested for the occasion of cavilling, doth very ill argue, not because it is true, but because it seems so to him. But let us first oppose the frivolous Objection; and then let us take Luther's part, as well as we can, against the cruel Incursions of his Adversaries, And first indeed it cannot be denied that Iustice and Sin are repugnant to one another by the most contrary Romans 1.opposition. Likewise we must confess that it is no less true, that all impurity of sin is hateful and abominable to God: For the Anger of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who ditain the Truth in unrighteousness; as the Apostle speaks very evidently. Which being so, what remains then, but that the Life of the Godly should either be free of all sin in this World, as Osorius contends; or if that cannot be, as Luther affirms, all must be liable to the A Confutation of the Cavil. All Iudgment is committed to the Son, Iob. 3. Luke 10.Wrath of God. I answer with the Apostle Paul; That indeed would follow, unless there comes a Mediatour, who may interpose himself against the Anger of God in the sinners behalf; who may satisfie for sin, who may obtain pardon, who may mollifie the rigour of Iustice; yea, who may transpose all the Iudgment given against the guilty upon himself, and that now he himself may be Iudge of the Cause, who is the forgiver of the Crime. For so we hear in the Gospel; My Father judgeth no man, but hath given all Iudgment to the Son. And again; All things are delivered unto me by Father. All which benefits, seeing we receive from Christ, the most bountiful Mediatour, in such plenty as exceeds all belief, there is no cause, O Osorius, why in such great abundance of grace, you should press us with such strict weights of Iustice, as if we were now under the Law, and not under Grace? But how much more agreeable would it be both to your Duty, and Salvation, that you should by a submission common to you and us, give place to the Grace of God, and acknowledge the benefits of the Mediatour, and apply your self with all gratitude of mind to his everlasting praises, that are worthy to be celebrated through all Generations.
Therefore that we may expedite a matter not very difficult in a few words: Whereas you say sin is hateful to God, nothing is Sin is one thing, and a man that is a sinner is another thing in the sight of God.more true. But it is one thing to speak of sin, and another thing to speak of Man that is a sinner; he indeed hates sin, and the Physician also hates the disease, but yet not so, that he should destroy the diseased person, but that he should heal him. Concerning which thing, if you do not trust me, hear Augustin; he is not a God that condemns some sins, and justifies Aug. Tract. 41. in Iobannem.and praises other sins: He praises none, but hates all, as a Physician hates the disease, and by curing endeavours to drive away the disease: So God by his Grace procures that sin is consumed Sin is diminished in this life, but not taken away.in us. But how is it consumed? It is diminished in the life of them that are going on to Perfection: it shall be consumed in the life of the perfect, &c.