The Enchiridion 67
67 Faith Without Works is Dead, and Cannot Save a Man PL 40, 263
It is believed, moreover, by some, that men who do not abandon the name of Christ, and who have been baptized in the Church by His baptism, and who have never been cut off from the Church by any schism or heresy, though they should live in the grossest sin and never either wash it away in penitence nor redeem it by almsgiving, but persevere in it persistently to the last day of their lives, shall be saved by fire; that is, that although they shall suffer a punishment by fire, lasting for a time proportionate to the magnitude of their crimes and misdeeds, they shall not be punished with everlasting fire. But those who believe this, and yet are Catholics, seem to me to be led astray by a kind of benevolent feeling natural to humanity. For Holy Scripture, when consulted, gives a very different answer. I have written a book on this subject, entitled Of Faith and Works, in which, to the best of my ability, God assisting me, I have shown from Scripture, that the faith which saves us is that which the Apostle Paul clearly enough describes when he says: “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.” But if it worketh evil, and not good, then without doubt, as the Apostle James says, “it is dead, being alone.” The same apostle says again, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” And further, if a wicked man shall be saved by fire on account of his faith alone, and if this is what the blessed Apostle Paul means when he says, “But he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire;” then faith without works can save a man, and what his fellow-apostle James says must be false. And that must be false which Paul himself says in another place: “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners; shall inherit the kingdom of God.” For if those who persevere in these wicked courses shall nevertheless be saved on account of their faith in Christ, how can it be true that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Refelluntur qui putabant fideles omnes, quantumlibet scelerate vixissent, salvandos per ignem. Creduntur autem a quibusdam etiam ii qui nomen Christi non relinquunt, et ejus lavacro in Ecclesia baptizantur, nec ab ea ullo schismate vel haeresi praeciduntur, in quantislibet sceleribus vivant, quae nec diluant poenitendo, nec eleemosynis redimant, sed in eis usque ad hujus vitae ultimum diem pertinacissime perseverent, salvi futuri per ignem; licet pro magnitudine facinorum flagitiorumque diuturno, non tamen aeterno igne puniri. Sed qui hoc credunt, et tamen catholici sunt, humana quadam benevolentia mihi falli videntur: nam Scriptura divina aliud consulta respondet. Librum autem de hac quaestione conscripsi, cujus titulus est, de Fide et Operibus; ubi secundum Scripturas sanctas, quantum Deo adjuvante potui, demonstravi, eam fidem salvos facere, quam satis evidenter expressit Paulus apostolus, dicens: In Christo enim Jesu neque circumcisio quidquam valet, neque praeputium, sed fides quae per dilectionem operatur . Si autem male et non bene operatur, procul dubio, secundum apostolum Jacobum, mortua est in semetipsa. Qui rursus ait: Si fidem dicat se quis habere, opera autem non habeat, numquid poterit fides salvare eum (Jacobi II, 17, 14)? Porro autem si homo sceleratus propter fidem solam per ignem salvabitur, et sic est accipiendum quod ait beatus Paulus, Ipse autem salvus erit, sic tamen quasi per ignem; poterit ergo salvare sine operibus fides, et falsum erit quod dixit ejus coapostolus Jacobus: falsum erit et illud quod idem ipse Paulus dixit, Nolite, inquit, errare; neque fornicatores, neque idolis servientes, neque adulteri, neque molles, neque masculorum concubitores, neque fures, neque avari, neque ebriosi, neque maledici, neque rapaces regnum Dei possidebunt . Si enim etiam in istis perseverantes criminibus, tamen propter fidem Christi salvi erunt, quomodo in regno Dei non erunt?