Page:Luther's correspondence and other contemporary letters 1507-1521.djvu/48

 follows not only Augustine's opinion, but that of Cyprian,* Nazianzen,* Rhcticius,* Irenaeus,* Hilary," Olympius,* Inno- cent,^ and Ambrose." Perchance then he will not only under- stand the apostle aright, but will think Augustine deserving a higher opinion than he now does.

I have no hesitation in disagreeing with Erasmus, because in interpreting the Scriptures I consider Jerome as much inferior to Augustine as Erasmus thinks he is superior.* I am not betrayed into approving Augustine because I am an Augustinian, for before I read his books he had no weight with me whatever, but because I see that Jerome, as though on purpose, saw nothing but the historical sense of the Scrip- tures, and, strange to say, interpreted them better in his obiter dicta, as in his epistles, than when he set about to do it in his works.

By no means, therefore, is the righteousness of the law or of works to be understood only of ceremonies, but rather of the whole decalogue. For whatever good is done outside the faith of Christ, even if it makes Fabricii and Reguli, men who were righteous before men, yet it no more savors of justification than do apples of figs.^** For we are not, as Aris- totle thinks, made righteous by doing right, except in appear- ance, but (if I may so express it) when we are righteous in essence we do right. It is necessary that the character be changed before the deeds; Abel pleased before his gifts. But of this elsewhere.

I beg you to do the office of a friend and a Christian and inform Erasmus of this,*^ for as I hope his authority may be


 * t358. His words were edited at Rome 1471* att Venice 1471, and at Paris 1512.

"Gregory of Naztans, t389«

"Lired at the time of Constantine. None of his writings are extant; Luther Imew him only from citations hy Augustine.

•Of Lyons. ti90.

■Of Poitiers. tj^T.

^Spanish Bishop of time of Constantine, known only from Augustine's citations.

'Pope Innocent I (402-17) of whose Epistola ad Concilium Carthaginense Luther is thinking.

•Bishop of Milan, t397*

WThis is a reminiscence of Augustine. Cf. Harnack: History of Dogma. The wdl-known sajring *^that the virtues of the heathen were but splendid vices,'* •ften attributed to Augustine, really first occurs in Descartes' Theodicie. Cf. Dentfle: Lnikgr und Lutherthum, nCf, infrm, no. as.
 * On Luther's opposition of Jerome and Augustine. Humbert, op. cit. p. 260 ff.

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