believe, but rather of law in the absolute sense, a fact which may clearly be inferred from the fundamental principles that they uphold.4
[print edition page 144]
These principles have been carefully and accurately explained by Peter Canisius (De Verbi Dei Corruptelis, Bk. I, chap. xi), by Salmerón (on the Epistle to the Galatians, Disp. xiv) and by Cardinal Bellarmine (De Iustificatione, Bk. IV, chap. i) where the latter cites, among other blasphemies pronounced by Luther, the following, from one of Luther’s sermons: ‘Let us beware of sins, but far more of laws, and good works; and let us give heed only to the promise of God and to faith.’ [Bellarmine] furthermore relates that [these heretics] interpret Christian liberty as consisting in the just man’s freedom from the duty of fulfilling the law before God, so that all works are indifferent to him, that is to say, neither prescribed nor forbidden.
They base their view partly upon their own errors, partly upon certain misinterpreted Scriptural passages.
The principal basis of that view is their denial of true justice5 and of the necessity of works for the attainment of justice. For they say that men are justified solely through their acceptance by God, and through the lack of any extrinsic imputation [of sin] by Him; a state attained by every person who firmly believes that his sins have been forgiven him, or rather, are not imputed to him, because of Christ’s merits. Furthermore, they say that this faith suffices for salvation, whatever works a man may do. From this basic argument, it necessarily follows that a just man, as conceived by them, is not bound by any law, provided he remains steadfast in the faith; since, whatever works he may perform while believing that they are not imputed to him, he does not incur any punishment, nor are his acts imputed to him as sin. Thus, these heretics would not seem to deny that men are bound by law, in such a way as to imply in their denial that works opposed to law are not sins; on the contrary, they teach that, from other standpoints, all the works of the just are sinful, that it is impossible even for the just to fulfil the law of God, and similar doctrines which presuppose that law has binding force and is a rule for such works. They assert, then, that this obligation is morally removed (so to speak) or rendered ineffective, by that faith of theirs; since [such faith] renders one not liable to punishment,6
[print edition page 145]
and since, by reason of it, one’s deed does not appear as evil in the sight of God, even though it may in itself be evil.
Another basis for their view is derived from a certain false distinction made between the law and the Gospel, which we shall consider below, when we treat of the law of grace.7 And as for the Scriptural testimony on which they make a show of reliance, that will be discussed in the following Chapter.8
3. The Faith teaches that all men in this life are subject to law. But the true Catholic belief is that all men in this life are subject to law to such an extent, that they are bound to obey it, and become legal culprits in the sight of God, if they do not voluntarily observe the law. This is a certain conclusion, and one of faith, defined in the Council of Trent ([Sixth Session,] Chap. xi and canons 18, 19 and 20), where the Council particularly mentions the just and the perfect, since it lays down a doctrine specifically in opposition to heretics. But it does not omit the general doctrine, for it makes this statement: ‘Moreover, no one, howsoever truly he may have been justified, should consider himself free from the obligation to observe the commandments.’ If, then, no one is exempted from that obligation, all men in this world are certainly subject to laws.
The truth of this conclusion may be proved inductively, as follows: from the beginning of their creation men were subject to natural law and, furthermore, Adam and Eve were subject to a prohibition against eating of the tree of knowledge, even though they were just and in a state of innocence. Moreover, it is manifest that, after the fall, and before the advent of Christ, the Jews were under the written law and the rest of mankind, under natural law (to omit human laws for the time being from our discussion). Such is the explicit teaching of Paul (Romans, Chaps. i and ii), who shows that the Jews as well as the Gentiles were transgressors of the law; the former, of the written law, and the latter, of the natural law, which they manifested as being written in their hearts whenever they observed any part of it. And these laws were not less binding upon the just than upon the unjust, since they were laid down for all without distinction.
[print edition page 146]
Moreover, the natural law is binding essentially and intrinsically, both before and after the states of justice or injustice; but the written law had its inception among the just, inasmuch as it was given to the whole of that faithful people, which included Moses, Aaron, and many other just persons, while the law of circumcision had even before that time been given to Abraham, who was just.
4. Subsequently to the advent of Christ, however, there have been no just persons outside of the Church; and therefore, with regard to the men who are entirely outside of it, we can only say that the unbelieving Gentiles are bound by that same natural law, since no dispensation [therefrom] has been granted to them, nor has any grace been imparted to them. Furthermore, it is certain that they are bound to accept the faith and the law of Christ, as He Himself testifies, when He says (Matthew, Chap. xxviii [, vv. 19, 20]): ‘Going [therefore], teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’
As to the Jews, it is also manifest that they are bound by natural law, and subject to the same precept as the Gentiles with respect to receiving baptism and accepting the faith and the law of Christ; a fact which Mark made sufficiently clear, saying (Mark, Chap. xvi [, vv. 15, 16]): ‘preach the Gospel to every creature.… he that believeth not’ (that is to say, believeth not with a living faith that works through charity)9 ‘shall be condemned.’ Furthermore, those Jews, although they are no longer bound in actual fact by the written law, since it has been abrogated, nevertheless sin through a faulty conscience when they fail to observe it; for Paul (Galatians, Chap. v [, v. 3]) testifies,10 ‘to every man circumcising himself, that he is a debtor to do the whole law’.
5. Wicked Christians are bound by the law of the Gospel. I come now to the Church of Christ, to which the words of the heretics especially refer, and in that body, I distinguish the wicked from the good, or just.
[print edition page 147]
As to the wicked, it is manifest that they are bound by the law, seeing that they are wicked for this very reason, namely, that they fail to observe the law. The heretics will perhaps assert that these persons are sinners, not for the simple reason that they fail to observe the commandments, but because they thus fail while they are without faith; that is to say, because they have not a firm faith, while acting contrary to the law, that such evil works are not imputed to them and do not cause them to lose the goodwill and favour of God in which they consider that their justness rests. But this error may easily be refuted by means of the words of Christ, Who, in the sentence of condemnation of the bad Christians (Matthew, Chap. xxv [, vv. 41 et seq.]), condemns them, not because they have not believed, nor because while disobeying the precepts, they have lacked faith in the non-imputation [of sin against them], but simply because they have not performed the works of mercy and because, accordingly, they have failed to observe the law of mercy and charity. This point has been discussed by Augustine, in the works (De Fide et Operibus, Chap. xv and De Octo Dulcitii Quaestionibus, Chap. [Qu.] i) in which he amasses a number of other Scriptural passages as testimony confirming the position in question. At present, however, it is not necessary to dwell at length upon this phase of the subject, either; for with respect to these baptized evildoers, also, the heretics do not deny that such persons are subject to the law, but [merely] err in their mode of explanation, a matter of which we shall treat presently, and more fully, in the treatises on Grace and Faith.11
6. It remains, then, to speak of the just among the faithful. Some of these persons may be baptized only in desire and may be said to be of the Church in this sense,
