Augustine of Hippo

For even Job himself is not silent concerning his own sins, and certainly our friend [Hilary] is right in his judgment that humility can by no means be placed on the side of falsehood. Therefore, whatever Job confesses, since he is a true worshiper of God, he undoubtedly confesses it sincerely. And Hilary, when he explains the verse of the psalm, in which it is written, "You have despised all them that fall off from your judgments," says, "For if God were to despise sinners, the judgments would indeed despise everyone, for no one is without sin. But he despises those who fall away from him, who are called apostates." Notice how he does not say that no one was without sin, as if he were speaking of people of the past, but no one is without sin. On this point, as I have said, I have no quarrel. But if someone does not yield to the apostle John, who does not himself say, "if we say that we had no sin," but, "If we say that we have no sin," how will he be ready to yield to Bishop Hilary? I raise my voice in the defense of the grace of Christ, without which no one is justified, as though the free will of our nature were sufficient. Indeed, it is Christ who raises his voice in defense of this; let us submit to him when he says, "Without me you can do nothing."

After those words on which we have been commenting, Paul continues and says, "Now the law entered in that sin might abound," but this does not apply to the sin that is derived from Adam, of which he said above: "Death reigned through one." Clearly, we must understand by it either the natural law that was known in those ages among all who had the use of reason or the written Law that was given by Moses but that could not give life or set people free "from the law of sin and death" that came down from Adam. Rather, it added an increase of transgression: "For where there is no law," says the same apostle, "neither is there transgression." Since there is a law in human reason, written by nature in the heart of everyone who enjoys the use of free will, and this law suggests that a person do no evil to another that he would not wish to suffer himself, therefore, according to this law all are transgressors, even those who have not received the law given by Moses, of whom the psalmist says, "I have accounted all the sinners of the earth liars." Not all the sinners of the earth have transgressed against the law given by Moses, but unless they had committed some transgression they would not be called liars, "for where there is no law, neither is there transgression."

For the first covenant, which was made with the first man, is just this: "In the day ye eat thereof, ye shall surely die." Whence it is written in the book called Ecclesiasticus, "All flesh waxeth old as doth a garment. For the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shall die the death." Now, as the law was more plainly given afterward, and the apostle says, "Where no law is, there is no prevarication," on what supposition is what is said in the psalm true, "I accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators," except that all who are held liable for any sin are accused of dealing deceitfully (prevaricating) with some law?If on this account, then, even the infants are, according to the true belief, born in sin, not actual but original, so that we confess they have need of grace for the remission of sins, certainly it must be acknowledged that in the same sense in which they are sinners they are also prevaricators of that law which was given in Paradise, according to the truth of both scriptures, "I accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators," and "Where no law is, there is no prevarication." And thus, because circumcision was the sign of regeneration, and the infant, on account of the original sin by which God's covenant was first broken, was not undeservedly to lose his generation unless delivered by regeneration, these divine words are to be understood as if it had been said, Whoever is not born again, that soul shall perish from his people, because he hath broken my covenant, since he also has sinned in Adam with all others.

The grace of God, then, being known, which alone frees from transgression, which is committed through knowledge of the law, he says, in prayer, "Fix with nails my flesh in Your fear" [Psalm 119:120]. For this some Latin interpreters have literally rendered the Greek καθήλωσον, which that language has expressed in one word. Some have preferred to render by the word confige, without adding clavis; and while they thus desire to construe one Latin by one Greek word, have failed to express the full meaning of the Greek καθήλωσον, because in confige nails are not mentioned, but καθήλωσον cannot be taken but of nails, nor can "fix with nails" be expressed without using two words in Latin....Hath he added, "For I have feared Your judgments"? What means, "Fix me in Your fear: for I have feared"? If he had already feared, or if he was now fearing, why did he still pray God to crucify his flesh in His fear? Did he wish so much additional fear imparted to him as would suffice for crucifying his flesh, that is, his carnal lusts and affections; as though he should say, Perfect in me the fear of You; for I have feared Your judgments? But there is here even a higher sense, which must, as far as God allows, be derived from searching the recesses of this Scripture: that is, in the chaste fear of You, which abides from age to age, let my carnal desires be quenched; "For I have feared Your judgments," when the law, which could not give me righteousness, threatened me punishment....For the inclination to sin lives, and it then appears in deed, when impunity may be hoped for. But when punishment is considered sure to follow, it lives latently: nevertheless it lives. For it would rather it were lawful to sin, and it grieves that what the law forbids, is not lawful; because it is not spiritually delighted with the blessing of the law, but carnally fears the evil which it threatens. But that love, which casts out this fear, fears with a chaste fear to sin, although no punishment follow; because it does not even judge that impunity will follow, since from love of righteousness it considers the very sin itself a punishment. With such a fear the flesh is crucified; since carnal delights, which are forbidden rather than avoided by the letter of the law, are overcome by the delight in spiritual blessings, and also when the victory is perfected are destroyed.

Ain

There has to be a distinction between the law and grace. The law knows how to command; grace, how to help. The law would not command if there were no free will, nor would grace help if the will were sufficient. We are commanded to have understanding when the Scripture says, “Do not become like the horse and the mule that have no understanding,” yet we pray to have understanding when it says, “Give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.” We are commanded to have wisdom when it says, “You fools, be wise at last,” but we pray to have wisdom when it says, “If any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach.” We are commanded to have continence when it says, “Be prepared for action,” but we pray to have continence when it says, “As I knew that no one could be continent except God gave it, and this also was a point of wisdom to know whose gift it was, I went to the Lord and besought him.” Finally, not to be too lengthy in listing all the rest, we are commanded not to do evil when it says, “Decline from evil,” but we pray not to do evil when it says, “We pray the Lord that you do no evil.” We are commanded to do good when it says, “Decline from evil and do good,” but we pray to do good when it says, “We cease not to pray for you, asking,” and among other things that he asks he mentions, “That you may walk worthy of God in all things pleasing, in every good work and good word.” As then we acknowledge the part played by the will when these commands are given, so let him acknowledge the part played by grace when these petitions are offered.

"Your testimonies are wonderful: therefore has my soul searched them" [Psalm 119:129]. Who counts, even by their kinds, the testimonies of God? Heaven and earth, His visible and invisible works, declare in some manner the testimony of His goodness and greatness; and the very ordinary and accustomed course of nature, whereby the seasons are rapidly revolved, in all things after their kinds, however temporal and perishable, however held cheap through our constant experience of them, give, if a pious thinker give heed to them, a testimony to the Creator. But which of these is not wonderful, if we measure each not by its habitual presence, but by reason? But if we venture to bring all nature within the comprehensive view of one act of contemplation, does not that take place in us which the prophet describes, "I considered Your works, and trembled"? [Habakkuk 3:2] Yet the Psalmist was not terrified in his wonder at creation, but rather said that this was the reason that he ought to search it, because it was wonderful. For after saying, "Your testimonies are wonderful," he adds, "therefore has my soul searched them;" as if he had become more curious from the difficulty of thoroughly searching them. For the more abstruse are the causes of anything, the more wonderful it is...

"When your word goes forth," he says, "it gives light, and makes His little ones to understand" [Psalm 119:130]. What is the little one save the humble and weak? Be not proud therefore, presume not in your own strength, which is nought; and you will understand why a good law was given by a good God, though it cannot give life. For it was given for this end, that it might make you a little one instead of great, that it might show that you had not strength to do the law of your own power: and that thus, wanting aid and destitute, you might fly unto grace, saying, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.". ..Let all be little ones, and let all the world be guilty before You: because "by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified" in Your sight; "for by the Law is the knowledge of sin," etc. [Romans 3:19-21] These are Your wonderful testimonies, which the soul of this little one has searched; and has therefore found, because he became humbled and a little one. For who does Your commandments as they ought to be done, that is, by "faith which works through love," [Galatians 5:6] save love itself be shed abroad in his heart through the Holy Spirit? [Romans 5:5]