Grace and the Commands of the Law

Your inquiry once more raises a question of no small size. I know that its explanation cannot be taught to the inexperienced or understood by them. Still, as far as I can, I will try to set it out in words and explain it briefly, if only your minds will follow up and act on what we say. For whatever is known not by teaching but by experience cannot be taught by one who has no experience of it; and in the same way it cannot be grasped or taken in by the mind of one who has not laid the foundation by similar effort and training. So I think we must first look rather carefully into what the purpose or meaning of the law is, and what the system and perfection of grace are, so that from this we may come to understand the dominion of sin and how to drive it out. [a]

The law chiefly commands people to seek the bonds of marriage, saying: “Blessed is he who has offspring in Zion and a household in Jerusalem”; and, “Cursed is the barren woman who has not borne.” Grace, on the other hand, invites us to the purity of lifelong chastity and the undefiled state of blessed virginity, saying: “Blessed are the barren, and the breasts that have not nursed”; and, “Whoever does not hate father and mother and wife cannot be my disciple”; and this from the apostle: “It remains that those who have wives be as though they had none.” The law says: “You shall not delay to offer your tithes and firstfruits.” Grace says: “If you would be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor.” The law does not forbid retaliation for wrongs and vengeance for injuries, saying: “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Grace wants our patience proved by the doubling of the injuries and blows offered to us, and bids us be ready to endure twice as much loss, saying: “If anyone strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other also; and if anyone would go to law with you and take away your coat, give him your cloak as well.” The one decrees that we should hate our enemies; the other, that we should love them, so much so that we ought always to pray to God even for them.