Thus, it is said. He hath shown us grace by grace, even as it is said. He has made us righteous by righteousness. " In whom," he says, " we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches is-His grace, which has abounded to us in all wyfe dom and prudence; that He might show to of the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure." In this mystery of His will. He placed the riches of His grace, according to His good pleasure, not according to ours, which could not possibly be good unless He Himself, according to His own good pleasure, should aid it to become so. But when he had said, " According to His good pleasure," he added, " which He purposed in Him," that is, in His beloved Son, "in the dispensation of the fulness of times to restore all things in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are in earth, in Him: in whom also we too have obtained a lot, being predestinated according to His purpose who worketh all things according to the counsel of * Eph. i. 3.
His will; that we should be to the praise of His glory."
CHAP. 37. WE WERE ELECTED AND PREDESTI- NATED, NOT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO BE HOLY, BUT IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT BE SO.
It would be too tedious to argue about the several points. But you see without doubt, you see with what evidence of apostolic declaration this grace is defended, in opposition to which human merits are set up, as if man should first give something for it to be recompensed to him again. Therefore God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, predestinating us to the adoption of children, not because we were going to be of ourselves holy and immaculate, but He chose and predestinated us that we might be so. Moreover, He did this according to the good pleasure of His will, so that nobody might glory concerning his own will, but about God's will towards himself. He did this according to the riches of His grace, according to His good-will, which He purposed in His beloved Son, in whom we have obtained a share, being predestinated according to the purpose, not ours, but His, who w^orketh all things to such an extent as that He worketh in us to will also. Moreover, He worketh according to the counsel of His will, that we may be to the praise of His glory.^ For this reason it is that we cry that no one should glory in man, and, thus, not in himself; but whoever glorieth let him glory in the Lord, that he may be for the praise of His glory. Because He Himself worketh according to His purpose that we may be to the praise of His glory, and, of course, holy and immaculate, for which purpose He called us, predestinating us before the foundation of the world. Out of this. His purpose, is that special calling of the elect for whom He co-worketh with all things for good, because they are called according to His purpose, and " the gifts and calling of God are without repentance."^ CHAP. 38 [XIX.] WHAT IS THE VIEW OF THE PELAGIANS, AND WHAT OF THE SEMI-PELAGIANS, CONCERNING PREDESTINATION.
But these brethren of ours, about whom and on whose behalf we are now discoursing, say, perhaps, that the Pelagians are refuted by this apostolical testimony in which it is said that we are chosen in Christ and predestinated before the foundation of the world, in order that we should be holy and immaculate in His sight in love. For they think that " having received God's commands we are of ourselves by the choice of our free will made holy and immaculate in His sight in love; and since God foresaw 2 Phil. ii. 13.
3 Rom. xi. 29.
Chap. 40.]
that this would be the case," they say, " He therefore chose and predestinated us in Christ ] before the foundation of the world." Although! the apostle says that it was not because He I foreknew that we should be such, but in order that we might be such by the same election of; His grace, by which He showed us favour in His | beloved Son. When, therefore. He predestinated us. He foreknew His own work bv which He makes us holy and immaculate. Whence the Pelagian error is rightly refuted by this testimony. " But we say," say they, " that God did not foreknow anything as ours except that faith by which we begin to believe, and that He chose and predestinated us before the foundation of the world, in order that we might be holy and immaculate by His grace and by His work." But let them also hear in this testimony the words where he says, " We have obtained a lot, being predestinated according to His purpose who worketh all things." ' He, therefore, worketh the beginning of our belief who worketh all things; because faith itself does not precede that calling of which it is said: " For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance; " ^ and of which it is said: " Not of works, but of Him that calleth " ^ (although He might have said, " of Him that believeth " ); and the election which the Lord signified when He said: " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." + For He chose us, not because we believed, but that we might believe, lest we should be said first to have chosen Him, and so His word be false (which be it far from us to think possible), " Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you." Neither are we called because we believed, but that we may believe; and by that calling which is without repentance it is effected and carried through that we should believe. But all the many things which we have said concerning this matter need not be repeated.
CHAP. 39. THE BEGINNING OF FAITH IS GOD'S GIFT.
Finally, also, in what follows this testimony, the apostle gives thanks to God on behalf of those who have believed; — not, certainly, because the gospel has been declared to them, but because they have believed. For he says, " In whom also after ye had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory. Wherefore I also, after I had heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and with reference to all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you." 5 ' Eph. i. II. * John XV. j6.
3 Rom. ix. 12.
Their faith was new and recent on the preaching of the gospel to them, which faith when he hears of, the apostle gives thanks to God on their behalf If he were to give thanks to man for that which he might either think or know that man had not given, it would be called a flattery or a mockery, rather than a giving of thanks. " Do not err, for God is not mocked; " '' for His gift is also the beginning of faith, unless the apostolic giving of thanks be rightly judged to be either mistaken or fallacious. What then? Does that not appear as the beginning of the faith of the Thessalonians, for which, nevertheless, the same apostle gives thanks to (iod when he says, " For this cause also we thank God without ceasing, because when ye had received from us the word of the hearing of God, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh in you and which ye believed "? 7 What is that for which he here gives thanks to God?
Assuredly it is a vain and idle thing if He to whom he gives thanks did not Himself do the thing. But, since this is not a vain and idle thing, certainly God, to whom he gave thanks concerning this work, Himself did it; that when they had received the word of the hearing of God, they received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God. God, therefore, worketh in the hearts of men with that calling according to His purpose, of which we have spoken a great deal, that they should not hear the gospel in vain, but when they heard it, should be converted and believe, receiving it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God.
CHAP. 40 [XX.] — APOSTOLIC TESTIMONY TO THE BEGINNING OF FAFTH BEING GOD'S GIFT.
Moreover, we are admonished that the beginning of men's faith is God's gift, since the aposde signifies this when, in the Epistle to the Colossians, he says, " Continue in prayer, and watch in the same in giving of thanks. Withal praying also for us that (jod would open unto us the door of His word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am in bonds, that I may so make it manifest as I ought to speak." * How is the door of His word opened, except when the sense of the hearer is opened so that he may believe, and, having made a beginning of laith. may admit those things which are declared and reasoned, for the purpose of building up wholesome doctrine, lest, by a heart closed through unbelief, he reject and repel those things which are spoken? Whence, also, he says to the Corinthians: " But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and evident door is 6 Gal.
VI. 7.
' 1 Thess. ii. 13.
8 Col. iv. 2 ff.
5i8 [Chap. 41.
opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." ' What else can be understood here, save that, when the gospel had been first of all preached there by him, many had believed, and there had appeared many adversaries of the same faith, in accordance with that saying of the Lord, " No one cometh unto me, unless it were given him of my Father;"- and, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given "?^ Therefore, there is an open door in those to whom it is given, but there are many adversaries among those to whom it is not given, CHAP. 41. FURTHER APOSTOLIC TESTIMONIES, And again, the same apostle says to the same people, in his second Epistle: " When I had come to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door had been opened unto me in the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus, my brother: but, making my farewell to them, I went away into Macedonia." "* To whom did he bid farewell but to those who had believed, — to wit, in whose hearts the door was opened for his preaching of the gospel? But attend to what he adds, saying, " Now thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place: because we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them who are saved, and in them who perish: to some, indeed, we are the savour of death unto death, but to some the savour of life unto life."5 See concerning what this most zealous soldier and invincible defender of grace gives thanks. See concerning what he gives thanks, — that the apostles are a sweet savour of Christ unto God, both in those who are saved by His grace, and in those who perish by His judgment. But in order that those who little understand these things may be less enraged, he himself gives a warning when he adds the words: " And who is sulficient for these things?" *' But let us return to the opening of the door by which the apostle signified the beginning of faith in his hearers. For what is the meaning of, " Withal praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of the word," ^ unless it is a most manifest demonstration that even the very beginnii)!^ of faith is the gift of God? For it would not be sought for from Him in prayer, unless it were believed to be given by Him. This gift of heavenly grace had descended to that seller of purple " for whom, as Scripture says in the Acts of the.\postles, "The Lord opened her heart, and she gave heed unto the things which were said by Paul; " for she was so called that she might 2 John vi. 56. 5 2 Cor. li. 14 ff. 8 Acts XVI. 14.
3 Luke viii. lo. •> 2 Cor. ii. 16.
believe. Because God does what He will in the hearts of men, either by assistance or by judgment; so that, even through their means, may be fulfilled what His hand and counsel have predestinated to be done, CHAP. 42. OLD TESTAMENT TESTIMONIES.
Therefore also it is in vain that objectors have alleged, that what we have proved by Scripture testimony from the books of Kings and Chronicles is not pertinent to the subject of which we are discoursing: 9 such, for instance, as that when God wills that to be done which ought only to be done by the willing men, their hearts are inclined to will this, — inclined, that is to say, by His power, who, in a marvellous and ineffable manner, worketh in us also to will. ^Miat else is this than to say nothing, and yet to contradict? Unless, perchance, they have given some reason to you for the view that they have taken, which reason you have preferred to say nothing about in your letters. But what that reason can be I do not know. Whether, possibly, since we have shown that God has so acted on the hearts of men, and has induced the wills of those whom He pleased to this point, that Saul or David should be established as king, — do they not think that these instances are appropriate to this subject, because to reign in this world temporally is not the same thing as to reign eternally with God? And so do they suppose that God inclines the wills of those whom He pleases to the attainment of earthly kingdoms, but does not incline them to the attainment of a heavenly kingdom? But I think that it was in reference to the kingdom of heaven, and not to an earthly kingdom, that it was said, " Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies; " '° or, " The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He will will His way; "" or, "The will is prepared by the Lord; " '^ or, "Let our Lord be with us as with our fathers; let Him not forsake us, nor turn Himself away from us; let Him incline our hearts unto Him, that we may walk in all His ways; " '^ or, " I will give them a heart to know me, and ears that hear; " '■♦ or, " I will give them another heart, and a new spirit will I give them." '5 Let them also hear this, " I will give my Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in my righteousnesses; and ye shall observe my judgments, and do them," '^ Let them hear, " Man's goings are directed by the Lord, and how can a man understand His ways?" '^ Let them hear, " Every man seemeth right to himself, but the Lord directeth the hearts." '^ Let them hear, " As many as were ordained to eternal life be- '- Prnv. viii. [see LXX.]. '^ i Kings viii. 57.
■'» Kariich ii. 31. 's Ezek. xi. 19.
"^ Ezek. xxxvi. 27, " Prov. xx. 24. '^ Prov. xxi. 2.
lieved." '- Let them hear these passages, and whatever others of the kind I have not mentioned in wliich God is declared to prepare and to convert men's wills, even for the kingdom of heaven and for eternal life. And consider what sort of a thing it is to believe that God worketh men's wills for the foundation of earthly kingdoms, but that men work their own wills for the attainment of the kingdom of heaven.
CHAP. 43 [XXI.] — CONCLUSION.
I have said a great deal, and, perchance, I could long ago have persuaded you what I wished, and am still speaking this to such intelligent minds as if they were obtuse, to whom even what is too much is not enough. But let them pardon me, for a new question has compelled me to this. Because, although in my former little treatises I had proved by sufficiently appropriate proofs that faith also was the gift of God, there was found this ground of contradiction, viz., that those testimonies were good for this purpose, to show that the increase of faith I Acts xiii. 48.
I Acts xiii. 48.
was God's gift, but that the beginning of faith, whereby a man first of all believes in Christ, is of the man himself, and is not the gift of God, — but that God requires this, so that when it has preceded, other gifts may follow, as it were on the ground of this merit, and these are the gifts of God; and that none of them is given freely, although in them God's grace is declared, which is not grace except as being gratuitous. And you see how absurd all this is. Wherefore I determined, as far as I could, to set forth that this very beginning also is God's gift. And if I have done this at a greater length than perhaps those on whose account I did it might wish, I am prepared to be reproached for it by them, so long as they nevertheless confess that, although at greater length than they wished, although with the disgust and weariness of those that understand, I have done what I have done: that is, I have taught that even the beginning of faith, as continence, patience, righteousness, piety, and the rest, concerning which there is no dispute with them, is God's gift. Let this, therefore, be the end of this treatise, lest too great length in this one may give offence.
A TREATISE ON THE GIFT OF PERSEVERANCE CONTENTS OF THE TREATISE "ON THE GIFT OF PERSEVERANCE."
1. Of the nature of the perseverance here discoursed of 526 2. Faith is the beginning of a Christian man. Martyrdom for Christ's sake is his t.est ending 526 3. God is besought for it, because it is His gift 527 4. Three leading points of the Pelagian doctrine 527 5. The second petition in the Lord's Prayer 528 6. The third petition. How heaven and earth are understood in the Lord's Prayer. 528 7. The fourth petition 528 8. The fifth petition. It is an error of the Pelagians that the righteous are free from sin 528 9. When perseverance is granted to a person, he cannot but persevere 529 10. The gift of perseverance can be obtained by pr.\yer 529 11. Effect of prayer for perseverance 529 12. Of his own will a man forsakes God, so that he is deservedly forsaken of Him.. 529 13. Temptation the condition of man 530 14. It is God's grace both that man comes to Him, and that man does not depart from Him 530 15. Why God willed that He should be asked for that which He might give without prayer 531 16. Why is not grace given according to merit.'' 531 17. The difficulty of the distinction made in the choice of one and the rejection of another 531 18. But why should one be punished more than another.' 531 19. Why does God mingle those who will persevere with those who will not?...531 20. Ambrose on God's control over men's thoughts 532 21. Instances of the unsearchable judgments of God 532 22. It is an absurdity to say that the dead will be judged for sins which they would have committed if they had lived 533 23. Why for the people of Tyre and Sidon, who would have believed, the miracles were not done which were done in other places which did not believe...533 24. It may be objected that the people of Tyre and Sidon might, if they had heard, have believed, and have subsequently lapsed from their faith 534 25. God's ways, both in mercy and judgment, past finding out 334 26. The Manicheans do not receive all the books of the Old Testament, and of the New only those that they choose 535 27. Reference to the " Retractations " 535 28. God's goodness and righteousness shown in all 536 29. God's true grace could be defended even if there were no original sin, as Pelagius Maintains 536 30. Augustin claims the right to grow in knowledge 536 31. Infants are not judged according to that which they are foreknown as likely to DO IF they should LIVE 537 32. The inscrutability of God's free purposes 537 33. God gives both initiatory and persevering grace according to His own will...538 34. The doctrine of predestination not opposed to the advantage of preaching...538 35. What predestination is 539 36. The preaching of the Gospel and the preaching of predestination the two parts of ONE message 539 37. Ears to hear are a willingness to obey 540 38. Against the preaching of predestination the same objections may be alleged as against predestination 540 39. Prayer and exhortation 541 40. When the truth must be spoken, when kept back 541 41. Predestination defined as only God's disposing of events in His foreknowledge...542 42. The adversaries cannot deny predestination to those gifts of grace which they themselves acknowledge, and their exhortations are not hindered by this pre-DESTINATION nevertheless 542 43. Further development of the foregoing argument 543 44. Exhortation to wisdom, though wisdom is God's gift 543 45. Exhortation to other gifts of God in like manner 544 46. A man who does not persevere fails by his own fault 544 47. Predestination is sometimes signified under the name of foreknowledge 544 48. Practice of Cyprian and Ambrose 545 49. Further references to Cyprian and Ambrose 545 50. Obedience not discouraged by preaching God's gifts 546 51. Predestination must be preached 546 52. Previous writings anticipatively refuted the Pelagian heresy 547 54. Beginning and end of faith is of God 547 55. Testimony of his previous writings and letters 548 56. God gives means as well as end 548 57. How predestination must be preached so as not to give offence 549 58. The doctrine to be applied with discrimination 549 59. Offence to be avoided 549 60. The application to the Church in general 549 61. Use of the third person rather than the second 549 62. Prayer to be inculcated, nevertheless 550 63. The testimony of the whole Church in her prayers 550 64. In what sense the Holy Spirit solicits for us, crying, Abba, Father 551 65. The Church's prayers imply the Church's faith 551 66. Recapitulation and exhortation 551 67. The most eminent instance of predestination is Christ Jesus 552 68. Conclusion 552 A TREATISE ON THE GIET OF PERSEAT:RA\XE; BV AURELIUS AUGUSTIN, BISHOP OF HIPPO.
BEING THE SECOND BOOK OF THE TREATISE "ON THE PREDESTINATION OF THE SAINTS."
ADDRESSED TO PROSPER AND HILARY. A.D. 42S OR 429.
IN THE FIRST PART OF THE BOOK HE PROVES THAT THE PERSEVERANCE BY WHICH A MAN PERSEVERES IN CHRIST TO THE END IS GOD's GIFT; FOR THAT IT IS A MOCKERY TO ASK OF GOD THAT WHICH IS NOT BELIEVED TO BE GIVEN BY GOD. MOREOVER, THAT IN THE LOKD's PRAYER SCARCELY ANYTHING IS ASKED FOR BUT PERSEVERANCE, ACCORDING TO THE EXPOSITION OF THE MARTYR CYPRIAN, BY WHICH EXPOSITION THE ENEMIES TO THIS GRACE WERE CONVICTED BEFORE THEY WERE BORN. HE TEACHES THAT THE GRACE OF PERSEVERANCE IS NOT GIVEN ACCORDING TO THE MERITS OF THE RECEIVERS, BUT TO SOME IT IS GIVEN BY GOd's mercy; TO OTHERS IT IS NOT GIVEN, BY HIS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT. THAT IT IS INSCRUTABLE WHY, OF ADULTS, ONE RATHER THAN ANOTHER SHOULD BE CALLED; JUST AS, MOREOVER, OF TWO INFANTS IT IS INSCRUTABLE WHY THE ONE SHOULD BE TAKEN, THE OTHER LEFT. BUT THAT IT IS STILL MORE INSCRUTABLE WHY, OF TWO PIOUS PERSONS, TO ONE IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PERSEVERE, TO THE OTHER IT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN; BUT THAT THIS IS MOST CERTAIN, THAT THE FORMER IS OF THE PREDESTINATED, THE LATTER IS NOT. HE OBSERVES THAT THE MYSTERY OF PREDESTINATION IS SET FORTH IN OUR LORD's WORDS CONCERN-ING THE PEOPLE OF TYRE AND SIDON, WHO WOULD HAVE REPENTED IF THE SA.ME MIRACLES HAD BEEN DONE AMONG THEM WHICH HAD BEEN DONE IN CHORAZIN.
HE SHOWS THAT THE CASE OF INFANTS IS OF FORCE TO CONFIR.M THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION AND GRACE IN OLDER PEOPLE; AND HE ANSWERS THE PASSAGE OF HIS THIRD BOOK ON FREE WILL, UNSOUNDLY ALL^EGED ON THIS POINT BV HIS ADVERSARIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, IN THE SECOND PART OF THIS WORK, HE REBUTS WHAT THEY SAY, TO WIT, THAT THE DEFINITION OF PREDESTINATION IS OPPOSED TO THE USEFULNESS OF EXHORTATION AND REBUKE. HE ASSERTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT IT IS ADVANTAGEOUS TO PREACH PREDESTINATION, SO THAT MAN MAY NOT GLORY IN HIMSELF, BUT IN THE LORD. AS TO THE OBJECTIONS, HOW- * [In some editions and in many MSS. the tide is, On the Benefit 0/ Perseverance, and the book is so cited by Remigius, Florus (or Bede), Hincmar, and others. Probably neither title is authentic. Prosper speaks of it to Hilary as if it simply bore the name of the second book of the Predestination of the Saints. " In the books," he writes, " of Bishop Augustin, of b!ei>seJ memory, which bear the title, On the Predestination 0/ the Saints." — W.]
[Chap. i.
[Chap. i.
EVER, WHICH THEV MAKE AGAINST PREDESTINATION, HE SHOWS THAt THE SAME OBJECTIONS MAY BE TWISTED IN NO UNLIKE MANNER EITHER AGAINST GOd's FORE-KNOWLEDGE OR AGAINST THAT GRACE WHICH THEY ALL AGREE TO BE NECESSARY FOR OTHER GOOD THINGS (wiTH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BEGINNING OF FAITH AND THE COMPLETION OF PERSEVERANCE). FOR THAT THE PREDESTINATION OF THE SAINTS IS NOTHING ELSE THAN GOD's FOREKNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION FOR^ HIS BENEFITS, BY WHICH WHOEVER ARE DELIVERED ARE MOST CERTAINLY DELIVERED. BUT HE BIDS THAT PREDESTINATION SHOULD BE PREACHED IN A HARMONIOUS MANNER, AND NOT IN SUCH A WAY AS TO SEEM TO AN UNSKILFUL MULTITUDE AS IF IT WERE DISPROVED BY ITS VERY PREACHING. LASTLY, HE COMMENDS TO US JESUS CHRIST, AS PLACED BEFORE OUR EYES, AS THE MOST EMINENT INSTANCE OF PREDESTINATION.
CH.^. I [l.] OF THE NATURE OF THE PERSE- VERANCE HERE DISCOURSED OF.
I HAVE now to consider the subject of perseverance with greater care; for in the former book also I said some things on this subject when I was discussing the beginning of faith. I assert, therefore, that the perseverance by which we persevere in Christ even to the end is the gift of God; and I call that the end by which IS finished that life wherein alone there is peril of falling. Therefore it is uncertain whether any one has received this gift so long as he is still alive. For if he fall before he dies, he is, of course, said not to have persevered; and most truly is it said. How, then, should he be said to have received or to have had perseverance who has not persevered? For if any one have continence, and fall away from that virtue and become incontinent, — or, in like manner, if he have righteousness, if patience, if even faith, and fall away, he is rightly said to have had these virtues and to have them no longer; for he was continent, or he was righteous, or he was patient, or he was believing, as long as he was so; but when he ceased to be so, he no longer is what he was. But how should he who has not persevered have ever been persevering, since it is only by persevering that any one shows himself persevering, — and this he has not done? But lest any one should object to this, and say, If from the time at which any one became a believer he has lived — for the sake of argument — ten years, and in the midst of them has fallen from the faith, has he not persevered for five years? I am not contending about words. If it be thought that this also should be called perseverance, as it were for so long as it lasts, assuredly he is not to be said to have had in any degree that perseverance of which we are now discoursing, by which one perseveres in Christ even to the end. And the believer of one year, or of a period as much shorter as may be conceived of, if he has lived faithfully until he died, has rather had this perseverance than the believer of many years' standing, if a