The Institution of Christian Religion

Whereas we said that it is impossible to keep the law, that is in few §5words to be both expounded and proved. For it is wont among the people commonly to be accounted an opinion of great absurdity, so far that Hierome doubted not to pronounce it accursed: what Hierome thought, I do nothing stay upon: as for us, let us search what is truth. I will not here make long circumstances of diverse sorts of possibilities. I call that impossible, which both never had ben, & also is hindered by the ordinance & decree of God, that it never hereafter may be. If we record from the farthest time of memory, I say that there hath none of the holy men, that being clothed with the body of death, hath ever attained to that full perfection of love, to love God with all his heart, with all his mind, with all his soul, with all his power: Again, that there hath ben none that hath not ben troubled with concupiscence. Who can say Nay? I see in deed what manner holy men foolish superstition doth imagine unto us, even such whose pureness the heavenly angels do scarcely countervail: but against both the Scripture & proof of experience. I say also, that there shall none hereafter be, that shall come to the mark of true perfection, unless he be loosed from the burden of his body. For this point there are open testimonies of Scripture.¹ Solomon said, there is not a righteous man upon the earth that sinneth not. And David said: every living man shall not be justified in thy sight. Job in many places affirmeth the same. But Paul most plainly of all:² that the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And by no other reason he proveth that all that are under the law, are subject to the curse. But because it is ⟨image 120⟩written,³ that cursed are all they that do not abide in all the commandments thereof: meaning, or rather taking it as a thing confessed, that no man can abide in them. And what soever is forespoken by the Scriptures, that must be holden for perpetual, yea & necessary. With such subtlety did the Pelagians trouble Augustine, saying that there is wrong done to God, to say that he doth command more than the faithful are able by his grace to perform. Augustine, to avoid their cavillation confessed,