light." For they who are the sons of God, love Christ; and they who love Him, as He Himself testifies, keep His words; which thing they are able to accomplish with divine help. For, although in this mortal life, men, however holy and just, fall occasionally into light and daily offences, which are called venial, they do not on that account cease to be righteous; for the saying of the just is both humble and true, "Forgive us our debts." Whence it happens, that the righteous ought to think themselves so much the more bound to walk in the way of righteousness, by how much being made free from sin and become the servants of God, they are able to advance in their sober, and righteous, and godly life, through Jesus Christ, by whom they have had access to that grace. For God does not desert those that are justified by His grace, unless He be first deserted by them. Therefore no man ought to flatter himself

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 venalia dicuntur, peccata quandoque cadant, non propterea desinunt esse justi; nam justorum illa vox est, et humilis, et verax : "Dimitte nobis debita nostra." Quo fit, ut justi ipsi eo magis se obligatos ad ambulandum in via justitiæ sentire debeant, quo liberati jam a peccato, servi autem facti Deo, sobrie, juste, et pie viventes, proficere possunt per Christum Jesum, per quem accessum habuerunt in gratiam istam. Deus namque sua gratia semel justificatos non deserit, nisi ab eis prius deseratur. Itaque nemo

For

by faith alone, imagining that he is made heir by faith alone, and will obtain the inheritance, though he suffer not with Christ, that He may be also glorified together: for, as the Apostle speaks, even Christ Himself, "though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered, and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him." which cause the Apostle himself warneth them that are justified, "Know ye not, that they which run in the race run all, but one receiveth the prize? so run that ye may attain." "I, therefore, so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air, but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Likewise the prince of the apostles, Peter, "Give diligence that by good works, ye make your calling

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sibi in sola fide blandiri debet, putans fide sola se hæredem esse constitutum, hæreditatemque consecuturum, etiam si Christo non compatiatur, ut et conglorificetur: nam et Christus ipse, ut inquit Apostolus, cum esset Filius Dei, didicit ex iis, quæ passus est, obedientiam; et consummatus, factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis æternæ." Propterea Apostolus ipse monet justificatos, dicens: "Nescitis quod ii, qui in stadio currunt, omnes quidem currunt, sed unus accipit bravium? sic currite, ut comprehendatis." "Ego igitur sic curro, non quasi in incertum : sic pugno, non quasi aërem verberans, sed castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo, ne forte, cum aliis prædicaverim, ipse reprobus efficiar." Item princeps apostolorum Petrus, "satagite, ut per bona opera certam vestram vocationem, et electionem fa

and election sure; for, if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." Whence it appears, that those persons are opposed to the orthodox doctrine of religion, who say, that a righteous man sinneth, at least venially, in every good work; or, which is more horrible, that he merits eternal punishment by it; the same is to be said of those who declare that the righteous sin in all their works, if, by way of exciting their sloth, and encouraging themselves to run in the race, while they seek first that God may be glorified, they also have regard to the eternal reward; for it is written, "I have inclined my heart to fulfil thy righteousness alway, on account of the reward:" and the apostle says of Moses that "he had respect unto the recompense of reward."

ciatis; hæc enim facientes, non peccabitis aliquando." Unde constat eos orthodoxæ religionis doctrinæ adversari, qui dicunt, justum in omni bono opere saltem venialiter peccare; aut, quod intolerabilius est, pœnas æternas mereri; atque etiam eos, qui statuunt, in omnibus operibus justos peccare, si in illis suam ipsorum socordiam excitando, et sese ad currendum in stadio cohortando, cum hoc, ut in primis glorificetur Deus, mercedem quoque intuentur æternam; cum scriptum sit, "Inclinavi cor meum ad faciendas justificationes tuas propter retributionem." Et de Mose dicat apostolus, quod "respiciebat in remunerationem."

CHAPTER XII.-The rash Presumption of Predestination is to be avoided.

No man also, as long as he is in this life, ought so to presume concerning the hidden mystery of predestination, as certainly to determine that he is of the number of the predestinated: as though it were true, that one who is justified either can no longer sin, or if he sin, ought to promise himself a certainty of repentance: for, except by special revelation, it cannot be known whom God hath chosen for Himself.

Caput XII.-Prædestinationis temerariam Præsumptionem ca

vendam esse.

Nemo quoque, quamdiu in hac mortalitate vivitur, de arcano divinæ prædestinationis mysterio usque adeo præsumere debet, ut certo statuat se omnino esse in numero prædestinatorum ; quasi verum esset, quod justificatus, aut amplius peccare non possit, aut, si peccaverit, certam sibi resipiscentiam promittere debeat; nam, nisi ex speciali revelatione, sciri non potest quos Deus sibi elegerit.

CHAPTER XIII.-Of the Gift of Perseverance.

In like manner concerning the gift of perseverance, of which it is written, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," (which gift

Caput XIII.-De Perseverantiæ Munere.

Similiter de perseverantiæ munere, de quo scriptum est, "Qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit :" (quod quidem

cannot be had but from Him who is able to establish him that standeth, that he may stand perseveringly, and to restore him that falleth,) let no man promise it to himself with any absolute certainty; although all ought to place the utmost reliance on the help of God. For God, unless they be wanting to His grace, as He hath begun a good work in them so will He fulfil it, working in them both to will and to do. Nevertheless, let them that think they stand, take heed lest they fall, and let them work out their salvation with fear and trembling, in watchings, in alms, in prayings, in offerings, in fastings, and in chastity: for, knowing that they have been born again into the hope of glory, and not as yet unto glory itself, they have need to fear concerning the contest which remains, with the flesh, the world, and the devil, in which they cannot be conquerors, unless through the grace of God, they obey the Apostle, who says, "We are debtors,

aliunde haberi non potest, nisi ab eo, qui potens est eum qui stat statuere, ut perseveranter stet, et eum qui cadit restituere,) nemo sibi certi aliquid absoluta certitudine polliceatur; tametsi in Dei auxilio firmissimam spem collocare, et reponere omnes debent. Deus enim, nisi ipsi illius gratiæ defuerint, sicut cœpit opus bonum, ita perficiet, operans velle et perficere. Verumtamen qui se existimant stare, videant ne cadant, et cum timore ac tremore salutem suam operentur in laboribus, in vigiliis, in eleemosynis, in orationibus, et oblationibus, in jejuniis, et castitate: formidare enim debent, scientes quod in spem gloriæ, et nondum in gloriam renati sunt, de pugna quæ superest cum carne, cum mundo, cum diabolo, in qua victores esse non possunt, nisi cum