Taken from Commentaria in epistolas divi Pauli:
[Rom. 4:3 (MPL 181, cols. 644 f.)] Nam qui prius ex fide justificatus est
in conspectu Dei, postea et ex operibus est justificatus etiam in conspectu
homi- num. Unde et Jacobus apostolus in epistola sua contra eos qui nolebant
bene operari, sed de sola fide praesumebant, ipsius Abrahae opera commendavit,
dicens : Vis autem scire, o homo inanis, quoniam tides sine operibus otiosa
est? Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus justificatus est, offerens Isaac
filium suum super altare? Nec est Jacobus in hac sententia contrarius Paulo
dicenti, quia si Abraham ex operibus justificatus est, habet gloriam, sed non
apud Deum, ac per hoc asserenti quia non ex operibus est justificatus. Uterque
enim verum dicit. Paulus quippe, commendans justitiam quippe, commendans justitiam
quae ex fide est, adversus eos qui fidem negligentes, gloriabantur de justitia
quae est ex operibus, dixit Abraham non esse justificatum ex operibus, sed quae
fidem praecederent. Jacobus autem, ut dictum est, adversus illos qui percepta
fide torpebant otio, et putabant se per eamdem fidem, utpote justificatos,
posse salvari, etiam si bona opera non haberent, dixit Abraham ex operibus esse
justificatum, sed quae fidem secuta sunt. Unde ut ostenderet, se non dissentire
a Paulo, sed potius concordare, protinus addidit : Vides quoniam tides
cooperabatur operibus illius, ut ex operibus tides consummata est, et suppleta
est Scriptura, dicens : “Creditit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad
justitiam (Gen. XV)”, et amicus Dei appellatus est. Et adhuc subjecit : Videtis
quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum? Mani- festum est
enim, eum loqui de operibus quae fidem subsequuntur. Quia Paulus sine
praecedentibus operibus dixit, hominem solo fide posse justificari. ... [4:4
(col. 645)] Dixi, quia Abraham justus est ex fide. ... Sed qui sic justificatus
est, non debet deinceps a bonis operibus torpere. Nam ei, qui post fidem quam
gratis acceperit, operatur opera bona, “non imputatur merces”, id est secundum
fidem tantum, sed “secundum debitum” operationis suae. Ita fit ei, qui post
acceptam fidem vivit et bene operatur : non enim aliter a Domino mercedem
percipit. Sed “ei qui non operatur”, id est qui postquam baptizatus est, non
habet tempus operandi, vel propter infirmitatem non potest operari, quanquam
velit, sed absque opere de hac vita rapitur cum fide et bona voluntate, huic
nihil operanti, sed tantummodo “credenti in eum qui justificat impium”, id est
sola tides sufficit ei ad justitiam ... (Charles P. Carlson, Jr., Justification
in Earlier Medieval Theology [The Hague, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff,
1975], 50)
[Rom. 4:3 (MPL 181, cols. 644 f.)] For he who was first justified by
faith before God was afterward also justified by works in the sight of men.
Hence the apostle James too, in his epistle, against those who were unwilling
to do good works but relied on faith alone, commended Abraham’s own works,
saying: “Do you want to know, O empty man, that faith without works is idle?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac
upon the altar?” And James is not contrary in this statement to Paul, who says,
“If Abraham was justified by works, he has glory, but not before God,” and
thereby maintains that he was not justified by works. For both speak truly.
Paul, indeed, commending the righteousness that comes
from faith, against those who, neglecting faith, boasted in the righteousness
that comes from works, said that Abraham was not justified by works, but by
those that preceded faith. James, however, as has been said, against those who,
once faith had been received, grew lazy in idleness, and thought that by that
same faith, since they had been justified, they could be saved even if they did
not have good works, said that Abraham was justified by works, namely by the
works that followed faith. Therefore, to show that he was not in disagreement
with Paul, but rather in agreement, he immediately added: “You see that faith
was working together with his works, and that by works faith was made perfect,”
and the Scripture was fulfilled, saying: “Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15), and he was called the friend of
God. And he added further: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by
faith alone?” For it is clear that he is speaking of works that follow faith.
Paul, by contrast, said that a man can be justified by faith alone, without
preceding works.
[4:4 (col. 645)] I said that Abraham is righteous by faith. But the one
who has been justified in this way ought not afterward grow slack in good
works. For to the one who, after receiving the faith freely given, performs
good works, “the reward is not counted” that is, not according to faith alone,
but according to the debt of his action. Thus it is for the one who, after
receiving faith, lives and does good works: for he does not receive his reward
from the Lord in any other way. But “to the one who does not work,” that is, to
one who, after being baptized, has no time to work, or is unable to work
because of weakness, although he wishes to, but is taken from this life without
works, with faith and good will—this one, who does no work but only “believes
in Him who justifies the ungodly,” that is, faith alone is sufficient for him
unto righteousness ...
