Chapter 73.—He Meets Pelagius with Another Passage from Hilary.
Now even Job himself is not silent respecting his own sins; and your friend,
1315
of course, is justly of opinion that humility must not by any means “be put on the side of falsehood.” Whatever confession, therefore, Job makes, inasmuch as he is a true worshipper of God, he undoubtedly makes it in truth.
1316
Hilary, likewise, while expounding that passage of the psalm in which it is written, “Thou hast despised all those who turn aside from Thy commandments,”
1317
says: “If God were to despise sinners, He would despise indeed all men, because no man is without sin; but it is those who turn away from Him, whom they call
apostates
, that He despises.” You observe his statement: it is not to the effect that no man
was
without sin, as if he spoke of the past; but no man
is
without sin; and on this point, as I have already remarked, I have no contention with him. But if one refuses to submit to the Apostle John,—who does
not himself declare, “If we were to say we
have had
no sin,” but “If we say we
have
no sin,”
1318
—how is he likely to show deference to Bishop Hilary? It is in defence of the grace of Christ that I lift up my voice, without which grace no man is justified,—just as if natural free will were sufficient. Nay, He Himself lifts up His own voice in defence of the same. Let us submit to Him when He says: “Without me ye can do nothing.”
1319
1315
Pelagius, the friend of Timasius and Jacobus.
1316
Job xl. 4, and xlii. 6
.
1317
Ps. cxix. 21, or 118
.
1318
1 John i. 8
.
1319
John xv. 5
.