Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 1 · Part 29
The Assertion of Luther against Osorius concerning the Sins of the Saints, is defended.
I Come now to Luther, whom you reproach after such an unworthy manner, and with such shameful slanders, yea and lyes so tragically. Why so? to wit, because he durst accuse the Saints themselves of sin; which seems to you so execrable a wickedness, August. of true and false Repeniance, c. 5. Why did the Lord wash the seet of Peter, but because there was a daily sinning, it behoved that there should be a daily remission, &c. Cyprian. But if no man can be without sin, whosoever saith that he is unblameable, is either proud or a fool. Hier. contra Pelag. Dial. 1. But to be perpetually without sin is only in the power of God: Therefore either give an example of one that was always without sin; or if you cannot confess your weakness, and do not set your mouth against Heaven to deceive the Ears of fools, by that which really is, and that which can be.as if no greater reproach could be cast, not only on holy men themselves, but also on the Author and Prince of all Holiness.
You may upon the same account cast reproaches in like manner upon Hierom, Augustin, and Bernard, and other most approved Writers of the Primitive Times: Whom you must either by necessary consequence absolve with Luther, or not condemn Luther without them: Seeing there is none of all these, that thought this Title of Honour should be attributed to any man, but Christ only, that he should be wholly without all stain of sin. No, but Osor. de Iust. lib. 2. p. 35. 36.Luther, say you, pleads that all mortal men, though confirmed in Faith, are yet in a state of sinning, and that sin is lively also in the Saints. even so long as they live by Faith; and also he profeses that the same do sin in every good work. And what hath any man said or done so rightly, but it may be depraved by relating it wrong, especially when calummy makes the Interpretation. That which Luther asserts concerning the sins of the Saints, if the words be suitably weighed with the state of the Question, there is no offence in it. As if it be asked, whether the works of the Regenerate should be called good in this Life, or sins: Luther denies not that the pious deeds of the Regenerate are good; but affirms this very thing, That they are good in the sight of God, and pleasing to him, which comes not How the works of the Regenerate are good and how they are sins. Aug. in primo quinqua. Psal. 31. Believe in him that justifies the ungodly, that your good works may be good, for I should not call them good as long as they come not from a good Root, wherein consists the state of the Controversie.to pass upon the account of the work it self, but upon the account of Faith and a Mediatour, for whose sake the pious endeavours of his own are pleasing to God, and their begun obedience, though it is otherways of its own nature imperfect. Therefore this is not the Controversie, whether the Regenerate by the help of the Grace of God can do any thing in this Life piously and commendably. Neither is this the Controversie, whether the absolute Grace of God in the Regenerate is able to perform this, that their work should be free of all sin. But whether the Grace of God in this flesh, furnishes any of the Regenerate with so great a power of perfecting Aug. de Civiate, lib. 19. cap. 17. Our righteousness it self is so great in this life, that it consists more in the remission of sins, than in the perfection of Vertues. Hieron. in Ezek. lib. 14. cap. 46. It is evident that every man, though he had come to perfection, needs the Mercy of God, &c. Aug. Epistola 31. ad Hieron. Charity whereby we love that which ought to be loved. This is more in some, and less in others, and in others none at all; but the fullest that cannot now be increased as long as a man lives here is in no mau; but as long as it can be increased, that which is less thau it ought to be is faulty, &c. Idem in Psal. 142. No man hath at any time done a good work with as much Charity as he could and ought.Righteousnns, that any work of his is so compleat and perfect, if it be examined according to the Rule of the Divine Law, that it needs no Pardon nor Mediatour. But if it needs Mercy, then it is necessarily joyned with pollution and sin, so that now the Praise belongs to the Mediatour, and not to Man; to Imputation, not to Action; to Grace, not to Merit; to Faith, not to Works; that God accepts of the Works of the Regenerate and most holy men. Neither is the rectitude of our good things any thing else but the forgiveness of God, and the remission of his just severity. Whence the Apostle rightly concludes, that those who are of the Works of the Law (not speaking of evil works, but the most perfect Works) are under the Curse, and upon this account it is true, which Luther says, that a righteous man sins in every good Work. Not that the Work it self being appointed by the Law of God is a sin; but because, according to the saying of Augustin, whatsoever is less than it ought to be, is faulty: From whence it appears evidently, that in this Life there is no Work so perfect, but something is wanting in it, that is there is Sin in it, if it be judged according to the strict rigour of the Law.