A Treatise on Nature and Grace 30
30 Sin is Removed by Sin PL 44, 261
He no doubt shows some acuteness in handling, and turning over and exposing, as he likes, and refuting a certain statement, which is made to this effect, that “it was really necessary to man, in order to take from him all occasion for pride and boasting, that he should be unable to exist without sin.” He supposes it to be “the height of absurdity and folly, that there should have been sin in order that sin might not be; inasmuch as pride is itself, of course, a sin.” As if a sore were not attended with pain, and an operation did not produce pain, that pain might be taken away by pain. If we had not experienced any such treatment, but were only to hear about it in some parts of the world where these things had never happened, we might perhaps use this man’s words, and say, It is the height of absurdity that pain should have been necessary in order that a sore should have no pain.
Peccatum peccato tollitur. Sanandi ordinem coelestis medicus non ab aegroto accipit, sed a se ipso. Justis quae causa timendi. Acute sane tractat et versat, et quantum sibi videtur redarguit atque convincit quod eis dicitur, etiam necessarium fuisse homini ad auferendam superbiae vel gloriae occasionem, ut absque peccato esse non posset. Absurdissimum quippe et stultissimum putat, peccatum fuisse ne peccatum esset, quoniam et ipsa superbia utique peccatum est: quasi non et ulcus in dolore est, et sectio dolorem operatur, ut dolor dolore tollatur. Hoc si experti non essemus, et in aliquibus terris ubi ista nunquam contigerant, audiremus, sine dubio utique deridentes, fortassis etiam verbis hujus uteremur et diceremus, Absurdissimum est dolorem necessarium fuisse, ne ulceris dolor esset.