The Christian Conversation

This treatise argues that humans cannot be completely without sin, emphasizing the Christian teaching that all people, including saints, are inherently sinful due to human weakness and frailty, and that only God's grace can support them in avoiding sin.

It refutes the Pelagian assertion that humans can live sinlessly if they simply will to do so, by citing Scripture and theological reasoning to show that perfection in this life is impossible and that all righteousness depends on divine mercy.

Jerome underscores that genuine Christian virtues entail humility, acknowledgment of one's faults, and reliance on God's assistance, and he cautions against overestimating human free will, asserting that true salvation and perfection are ultimately governed by God's unchanging power and grace.