Fulfilling of the Law, Supererogation. 64
Fulfilling of the Law, Supererogation 1) The fathers do affirm the law to be fulfilled, first by imputing the obedience of Christ by faith, and then by beginning to work it, and endeavoring either according to ability, not perfectly, or in the perfection of parts, but not of degrees.
Testimonies: "All the commandments of God are accounted to be fulfilled when whatsoever is not done, is pardoned." Augustine
(Retract. lib. 1, cap. 19). "Then are we just," says Jerome (lib. 1, c. 2, contr. Pelag.), "when we confess ourselves sinners, and our justice consists not in our proper merits, but in the mercies of God." Look at the first book of Bernard's life, cap. 13. "He that believes in Christ," says Theodoret (in Rom. 10), "fulfills the scope of the law." "What will the law do," says Chrysostom (in Rom. 10, Hom. 17), "make a man just? It cannot, for none did ever fulfill it." "He has obtained the perfection of the law," says Sedulius (in Rom. 10), "who believes in Christ. For seeing none is justified by the law, because none has fulfilled the law, faith was set down to satisfy for all omissions in the whole law." "No man ever fulfilled the law," says Cusanus (Excit., lib.
10), "which consists in love, but He alone that came not to dissolve the law, but to fulfill it."
2) Now, that there are two ways of fulfilling the law, properly and perfectly without any breach: one in this present life, and another in the life to come, none that I ever heard of but the schoolmen did never teach. For the ancient doctors do acknowledge no perfection at all in this life, but only that which consists in acknowledging our imperfection and enormities. So says Saint Augustine (cont. 2ep.
Pelag., lib. 3, c. 7): "That virtue which is in a man which is just in this life is called perfect with this proviso, that unto the perfection thereof, there do also belong both a true knowledge and a humble
confession of the imperfection thereof." And in ep. 29, ad Hiero:
"Such charity as cannot be increased in this life, is in no man. And as long as it may be increased, that which is less than it ought to be is of corruption, by reason of which there is not one just man upon earth that does good and sins not. By which corruption it comes to pass that no living man shall be justified in God's sight." And de perfecta justi. resp. ad Ratiocin. 17, he says: "As long as there are any relics of carnal concupiscence remaining, God is not wholly beloved, nor with the whole heart; for the flesh without the soul has no concupiscence."
But in his book, de Spiritu & litera, the last chapter, he seems to hold a contrary opinion. For there he says that here there cannot be so much love of God as is due unto a full and perfect knowledge, this is not for all that to be accounted as a fault. But for the reconciliation of these two places, we must know that there are two sorts of faults: the one when a thing is done directly opposite unto God's will, and by Him forbidden; the other when that is done which God commands, but not altogether with the whole heart as He commands. And this
Augustine speaks not of, but of the other in the latter quotation, and contrariwise, of the former in the first.
"We are not justified by works," says Ambrose (lib. 2, de Jacob, cap.
2), "but by faith, because our carnal infirmity hinders our works."
"The saints themselves," quotes Bernard (in Cant., Serm. 73), "had need to pray for their sins, that they may have salvation through mercy, and not in trusting to their own righteousness." And again, in Cant. 50: "How should that be commanded which could not possibly be fulfilled? Or if you will have it to concern only the affect (of charity), I will not stand in contention with you, so that you grant thus much to me, that it cannot, nor ever shall be fulfilled in this life, by any man."
"We can hardly do one good work," says Radulphus (in Levit., lib. 1, c. 1), "without intermixing of some sin or other with it. And it is to be feared, lest when we look for a complete reward of devotion, the punishment for the fault therewith conjoined be not exacted of us."
3) Supererogation, wherein a good work of counsel done over and beyond the fulfilling of the law is acceptable unto God, was a stranger unto the knowledge of the fathers. For although they say that virginity is offered more than due, and above the laws, and that many do exceed the commandments with their works and perform more in duty than the precepts do bind them to, yet, that the law is so kept, that the keepers are not transgressors, they do not say. I affirm again, they do not say so. But they will have supererogative works done, not that there can be any duty done which is beyond the moral law, but these works they hold may surpass, first the negative part, for so says Chrysostom (Hom. 8, in Rom. 4): "Not to steal or kill is in every man's power, but to believe that God can do that which is otherwise impossible, this requires a mind elevated, and a more vehement affection towards God, for this is a sign of a worthy and noble love. He honors God that keeps His commandments, but he much more that can argue and dispute through his faith. The other obeys God, but this ascribes Him…His glory with greater measure and vehemency."
Second, they held supererogation above external acts, and in this sense Chrysostom (Hom. 3, in 1 Cor.) speaks when he determines that the philosophers had supererogation: "Are not His precepts so easy," quotes he, "that many have gone beyond them by philosophical reason?"
Third, they held it as it exceeds some one commandment. So is Augustine's saying understood of the virgins (Serm. 8, de verb.
Apostl.): "The virgins," quotes he, "did labor for the beauty of the heart. What do You command us? To abstain from adultery; do You command us this? We do perform more in loving You than You command us, that is, in this commandment."
Lastly, as it exceeds a commandment which is common unto other men. "The apostle Paul did spend more," says Augustine (de opera.
Monac., c. 5), "because (as himself witnessed) he warred at his own charges." "Virginity is a voluntary thing," says Optatus (lib. 6, cont.
Parm.), "and not of necessity. Saint Paul gives not any precept, but only counsels us unto virginity." So do some of the other fathers account virginity above the law, that is, above the ordinary observation of the law among other Christians because they thought it to be an angelical state. But yet Athanasius (lib. de incar. Ver.) puts virginity from among the counsels, and in the precepts: "What man," says he, "either in his life or after his death, has been the author of keeping virginity? Yet our Savior Christ, the King of all men, prevailed thus much in these kinds of commandments, that children not being of maturity to receive the discipline of the laws should profess virginity, which is above the laws." And in his apology to Constantine: "That holy and heavenly command of eternal virginity is not kept nor fulfilled happily, but only among us Christians."
4. This kind of supererogation, which the papists now teach, is in some sort reproved by some of the fathers. "None can restore so much as he owes," says Anselm (de concept. Virg., c. 21), "only Christ restored for all that are saved, more than He ought." And Thomas (in 2. 2 quest. 184, art. 3) will have perfection to consist really and essentially in the keeping of the commandments, and instrumentally in the executing of the counsels, and for this purpose alleges the words of abbot Moyses: "Fastings, watchings, etc., are not perfection itself, but the instruments of perfection, because that the end of that