§retractationes.1Ad quem scripseram tres libros, quorum titulus est De peccatorum meritis et remissione, ubi diligenter disputatur etiam de baptismo paruulorum, rescripsit mihi se fuisse permotum, quod dixerim fieri posse, ut sit homo sine peccato, si uoluntas eius non desit ope adiuuante diuina, quamuis nemo tam perfectae iustitiae in hac uita uel fuerit uel sit uel futurus sit.
He to whom I had written three books, whose title is On the Merits and Remission of Sins, where there is also a diligent discussion on the baptism of infants, wrote back to me that he was deeply moved because I said that it is possible for a man to be without sin if his will is not lacking, with the help of divine aid, although no one of such perfect justice has either been, is, or will be in this life.
quaesiuit enim, quomodo dixerim posse fieri, cuius rei desit exemplum.
For he asked how I could say that it is possible to happen, when there is no example of this thing.
propter hanc eius inquisitionem scripsi librum, cuius est titulus De spiritu et littera. pertractans apostolicam sententiam, ubi ait: littera occidit, spiritusautem uiuificat.
Because of this inquiry of his, I wrote the book whose title is On the Spirit and the Letter, treating the apostolic sentence where he says: the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
§retractationes.2In quo libro, quantum deus adiuuit, atrociter disputaui contra inimicos gratiae dei, qua iustificatur inpius.
In which book, as far as God helped, I argued fiercely against the enemies of the grace of God, by which the ungodly is justified.
cum autem agerem de obseruationibus Iudaeorum a quibusdam escis secundum ueterem legem abstinentium, dixi: quarundam escarum ceremmoniae.
But when I was treating the observances of the Jews who abstain from certain foods according to the old law, I said: the ceremonies of certain foods.
quod nomen non est in usu sanctarum litterarum.
This noun is not in use in the Holy Scriptures.
ideo tamen mihi congruens uisum est, quod a carendo appellatas ceremonias quasi carimonias memoria tenebam eo, quod obseruantes careant his rebus, a quibus se abstinent.
Nevertheless, it seemed suitable to me because I remembered that ceremonies were named from lacking, as if they were "carimonies," because those who observe them lack those things from which they abstain.
quod si est origo huius nominis, quae abhorret a uera religione, secundum hanc ego non sum locutus, sed secundum istam, quam supra memoraui.
But if there is an origin of this name that is foreign to true religion, I did not speak according to that one, but according to this one which I mentioned above.
§retractationes.3Hic liber sic incipit: Lectis opusculis, quae ad te nuper elaboraui, fili carissime Marcelline.
This book begins thus: Having read the booklets which I recently worked out for you, my dearest son Marcellinus.