[Rom. 4:1-4 (MPL 114, cols. 481 f.)]
1.“Secundum carmen.” Id est ex operibus legis. Quasi dicat : Dicemus quod fuit justus ex eis?
non, quia si ex carnali observatione est justus, habet gloriam aeternam quae ex
justitia sequitur : sed a se habet earn, non a Deo. Vel, haec justificatio est
in opinione hominum, et non apud Deum. Ad Deum autem habet gloriam : non ergo
ex operibus justificatus est, unde justificatus est? Sequitur et dicit unde,
etc.
3. “Credidit.” Credere, sufficiens causa fuit ei justitiae, et est aliis,
sed tamen qui habet tempus operandi, ei non dabitur merces secundum gratiam
tantum, sed secundum debitum operationis suae; sed ei qui non habet tempus
operandi, si credit, sola fides sufficit ad justitiam, et ita ad salutem
secundum gratiam propositam omnibus, vel secundum quod Deus legem ante posuit.
4. “Ei autem,” etc. Quasi dicat : Abraham est justus ex fide: sed ei qui
operatur ilia carnalia, vel aliqua bona ut gratiam mereatur, si merces est ei,
non est ex gratia, sed ex meriti sui debito. Uli vero qui non facit haec
carnalia vel aliqua bona, sed tantum credit, fides sufficit ad justitiam, et
ita attribuit aliis quod dixit Abraham, scilicet quod si est justus ex
operibus, habet gloriam, sed non apud Deum, et ideo ex fide.
“Secundum gratiam.” Si gratia est, gratis datur seu gratis constat. Nihil
boni fecisti, et datur tibi remissio peccatorum. Attenduntur opera tua
et inveni- untur omnia mala. (Charles P. Carlson, Jr., Justification in Earlier
Medieval Theology [The Hague, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff, 1975], 44-45)
[Rom. 4:1-4 (MPL 114, cols. 481 f.)]
1. “According to the flesh” — that is, from the works of the
Law. It is as though he were saying: Shall we say that he was righteous from
these? No, because if he is righteous by bodily observance, he has eternal
glory, which follows from righteousness; but he has it from himself, not from
God. Or else, this justification is in the opinion of men, and not before God.
But before God he has glory; therefore he was not justified by works. Whence
then was he justified? He goes on and says whence, etc.
3. “He believed.” To believe was a sufficient cause for righteousness
for him, and it is for others as well. Nevertheless, for one who has time to
act, the reward will not be given according to grace alone, but according to
the debt of his action. But for one who does not have time to act, if he
believes, faith alone is sufficient for righteousness, and thus for salvation,
according to the grace proposed to all, or according to the law which God had
previously established.
4. “But to him,” etc. It is as though he were saying: Abraham is
righteous by faith; but for one who performs those bodily works, or some good
deeds in order to earn grace, if there is a reward for him, it is not from
grace, but from the debt of his merit. But for the one who does not do these
bodily works, or any good deeds, but only believes, faith is sufficient for
righteousness; and thus he attributes to others what Abraham said, namely, that
if one is righteous from works, he has glory, but not before God, and therefore
it is by faith.
“According to grace.” If it is grace, it is given freely, or it
stands freely. You have done nothing good, and the remission of sins is given
to you. Your deeds are examined, and all are found to be evil.
