title of its author, but is commonly reported to be the work of Ccelestius, — expressed in these words: " Now how can anybody," asks the author, " become a partaker of the thing from the condition and power of which he is distinctly declared to be a stranger?" Accordingly, the brethren who prepared these objections under- stood him to have said that man's soul and God are of the same nature, and to have asserted that the soul is part of God; for thus they under- stood that he meant that the soul partakes of the 6 See above, 24.
7 See above, 30.
212 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Chap. 66.
same condition and power as God. Moreover, in the last of the objections laid to his charge there occurs this position: " That pardon is not given to penitents according to the grace and mercy of God, but according to their own merits and effort, since through repentance they have been worthy of mercy." Now all these dogmas, and the arguments which were advanced in sup- port of them, were repudiated and anathematized by Pelagius, and his conduct herein was approved of by the judges, who accordingly pronounced that he had, by his rejection and anathema, con- demned the opinions in question as contrary to the faith. Let us therefore rejoice — whatever may be the circumstances of the case, whether Coelestius laid down these theses or not, or whether Pelagius believed them or not — that the injurious principles of this new heresy were condemned before that ecclesiastical tribunal; and let us thank God for such a result, and pro- claim His praises.
CHAP. 66. — THE HARSH MEASURES OF THE PELA- GUNS AGAINST THE HOLY MONKS AND NUNS WHO BELONGED TO JEROME'S CHARGE.
Certain followers of Pelagius are said to have carried their support of his cause after these judicial proceedings to an incredible extent of perverseness and audacity. They are said ' to have most cruelly beaten and maltreated the ser- vants and handmaidens of the Lord who lived under the care of the holy presbyter Jerome, ' He here refers to a letter (32) of Pope Innocent to John, Bishop of Jerusalem. It thus commences: " Plunder, slaughter, incendiary fire, every atrocity of the maddest kind have been deplored by the noble and holy virgins Eustochium and Paula, as having been perpetrated, at the devil's instigation, in several places of your diocese," etc. An epistle by the same writer (33) addressed to Jerome, begins with these words: " The apostle testifies that conten- tion never did any good to the Church."
slain his deacon, and burnt his monastic houses; whilst he himself, by God's mercy, narrowly es- caped the violent attacks of these impious assail- ants in the shelter of a well-defended fortress. However, I think it better becomes me to say nothing of these matters, but to wait and see what measures our brethren the bishops may deem it their duty to adopt concerning such scan- dalous enormities; for nobody can suppose that it is possible for them to pass them over without notice. Impious doctrines put forth by persons of this character it is no doubt the duty of all catholics, however remote their residence, to oppose and refute, and so to hinder all injury from such opinions wheresoever they may happen to find their way; but impious actions it belongs to the discipline of the episcopal authority on the spot to control, and they must be left for punishment to the bishops of the very place or immediate neighbourhood, to be dealt with as pastoral diligence and godly severity may sug' gest. We, therefore, who live at so great a dis- tance, are bound to hope that such a stop may there be put to proceedings of this kind, that there may be no necessity elsewhere of further invoking judicial remedies. But what rather befits our personal activity is so to set forth the truth, that the minds of all those who have been severely wounded by the report, so widely spread everywhere, may be healed by the mercy of God following our efforts. With this desire, I must now at last terminate this work, which, should it succeed, as I hope, in commending itself to your mind, will, I trust, with the Lord's blessing, be- come serviceable to its readers — recommended to them rather by your name than by my own, and through your care and diligence receiving a wider circulation.
A TREATISE ON THE GRACE OF GHRIST, AND ON ORIGINAL SIN.
EXTRACT FROM AUGUSTIN'S "RETRACTATIONS," Book II. Chap. 50, ON THE FOLLOWING TREATISE, "DE GRATIA CHRISTI, ET DE PECCATO ORIGINALI."
" After the conviction and condemnation ' of tlie Pelagian heresy with its authors by the bishops of the Church of Rome, — first Innocent, and then Zosimus, — with tlie co-operation of let- ters of African councils, I wrote two books against them: one On the Grace of Christ, and ' From this it follows that we must refer his books On the Grace of Christ and On Original Sin to the year 418; for it was in this year that the Pelagian heresy was condemned by the pope Zosimus. Somewhat earlier there was held a general council of the bishops of Africa at Carthage, to take measures against the heresy, — the precise date of which council is May ist of this year 418. Augustin, on account of this council, was detained at Carthage, and his stay in that city was longer than usual, as one may learn from the g4th canon of the council, or from the Codex Cajtomtin of the Church of Africa, canon 127, as well as from his epistle (193, sec. i) to Mercator. And it was in this interval of time, before lie started for Mauritania 214 214 the other Oji Oy-iginal Sin. The work began with the following words: ' How greatly we re- joice on account of your bodily, and, above all, because of your spiritual welfare.' " Csesariensis, that he wrote these two books for Albina, Pinianus, and Melania; accordingly, in his Retractations, he places them just pre- vious to the time of his proceedings with Emeritus, which were con- cluded at Csesarea on the 20th of September in this very year 418. Julianus, in his work addressed to Turbanlius. calumniously attacked a passage in the book On the Grace of Christ; the passage is de- fended by Augustin in his work against Julianus, iv. 8. 47, where he mentions this first book, addressed to the holy Pinianns, as he calls him, and gives its title as " Concerning Grace, in opposition to Pela- gius." [Albina, with her son-in-law Pinianus, and her daughter Melania, by whose questions Augustin was led to write this work, constituted an interesting family of ascetics, which had formerly lived in Africa, but at this time were in Palestine; Pinianus at the head of a monastery, and his wife an inmate of a convent. — W.]
CONTENTS OF THE TREATISE "ON THE GRACE OF CHRIST.
AND ON ORIGINAL SIN."
BOOK I.
CHAPTER PAGE 1. Introductory 217 2. Suspicious character of Pelagius' confession as to the necessity of grace for every SINGLE act of OURS 2l8 3. Grace according to the Pelagians 218 4. Pelagius' system of faculties 218 5. Pelagius' own account of the faculties, quoted 218 6. Pelagius and Paul of different opinions 219 7. Pelagius posits God's aid only for our "capacity" 219 8. Grace, according to the Pelagians, consists in the interImal and manifold illumination OF the mind 220 9. The law one thing, grace another. The utility of the law 220 10. What purpose the law subserves 221 11. Pelagius' definition of how God helps us: "He promises us future glory" 221 12. The same continued: "He reveals wisdom" 222 13. Grace causes us to do 222 14. The righteousness which is of God, and the righteousness which is of the law...222 15. He who has keen taught by grace actually comes to Christ 223 16. We need divine aid in the use of our powers. Illustration from sight 223 17. Does Pelagius designedly refrain from openly saying that all good action is from God? 224 18. He discovers the reason of Pelagius' hesitation so to say 224 19. The two roots of action, love and cupidity; and each brings forth its own fruit.. 224 20. How a man makes a good or a bad tree. 224 21. Love the root of all good things; cupidity, of all evil ones 225 22. Love is a good will 225 23. Pelagius' double dealing concerning the ground of the conferrence of grace...225 24. Pelagius places free will at the basis of all turning to God for grace 226 25. God by His wonderful power works in our hearts good dispositions of our will.. 226 26. The Pelagian grace of "capacity" exploded. The Scripture teaches the need of God's help in doing, speaking, and thinking, alike 227 27. What true grace is, and wherefore given. Merits do not precede grace 227 28. Pelagius teaches that Satan may be resisted without the help of the grace of God, 228 29. When he speaks of God's help, he means it only to help us do what without it we still could do 22S 30. What Pelagius thinks is needful for ease of performance is really necessary for THE performance 228 31. Pelagius and Ccelestius nowhere really acknowledge grace 228 32. Why the Pelagians deemed prayers to be necessary. The letter which Pelagius despatched to Pope Innocent with an exposition of his belief 228 33. Pelagius professes nothing on the subject of grace which may not be understood of the law and teaching.. 229 34. Pelagius says that grace is given according to men's merits. The beginning, however, of merit is FAITH; AND THIS IS A GRATUITOUS GIFT, NOT A RECOMPENSE FOR OUR MERITS, 229 35. Pelagius believes that infants have no sin to be remitted in baptism 230 36. Ccelestius openly declares infants to have no original sin 230 37. Pelagius nowhere admits the need of divine help for will and action 230 38. A definition of the grace of Christ by Pelagius 230 39. A letter of Pelagius unknown to Augustin 231 40. The help of grace placed by Pelagius in the mere revelation of teaching 231 41. Restoration of nature understood by Pelagius as forgiveness of sins 231 42. Grace placed by Pelagius in the remission of sins and the example of Christ...231 43. The forgiveness of sins and example of Christ held by Pelagius enough to save the most hardened sinner 232 44. Pelagius once more guards himself against the necessity of grace 232 45. To WHAT purpose Pelagius thought prayers ought to be offered 232 46. Pelagius professes to respect the catholic authors 233 47. Ambrose most highly praised by Pelagius 233 48. Ambrose is not in agreement with Pelagius 233 215 2i6 CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE 49. Ambrose teaches with what eye Christ turned and looked upon Peter 234 50. Ambrose teaches that all men need God's help 234 51. Amkrose teaches that it is God that does for man what Pelagius attributes to free WILL 234 52. If Pelagius agrees with Ambrose, Augustin has no controversy with him 235 53. In what sense some men may be said to live without sin in the present life...235 54. Ambrose teaches that no one is sinless in this world 235 55. Ambrose witnesses that perfect purity is impossible to human nature 236 BOOK II.
CHAPTER PAGE 1. Caution needed in attending to Pelagius' deliverances on infant baptism 237 2. Cgelestius, on his trial at Carthage, refuses to condemn his error; the written statement which he gave to Zosimus 237 3. Part of the proceedings of the council of Carthage against Ccelestius 237 4. Ccelestius concedes baptism for infants, without affirming original sin...238 5. Ccelestius' book which was produced in the proceedings at rome 238 6. Ccelestius the disciple is in this work bolder than his master 239 7. Pope Zosimus kindly excuses him 239 8. Ccelestius condemned by Zosimus 239 9. Pelagius deceived the council in Palestine, but was unable to deceive the church at ROME 239 10. The judgment of Innocent respecting the proceedings in Palestine 240 11. How that Pelagius deceived the synod of Palestine 240 12. A portion of the proceedings of the synod of Palestine in the cause of Pelagius.. 240 13. Ccelestius the bolder heretic; Pelagius the more subtle 241 14. He shows that, even after the synod of Palestine, Pelagius held the same opinions AS Ccelestius on the subject of original sin 241 15. Pelagius by his mendacity and deception stole his acquittal from the synod in Palestine 242 16. Pelagius' fraudulent and crafty excuses 242 17. How Pelagius deceived his judges 242 18. The condemnation of Pelagius 243 19. Pelagius' attempt to deceive the Apostolic See; he inverts the bearings of the controversy 243 20. Pelagius provides a refuge for his falsehood in ambiguous subterfuges 244 21. Pelagius avoids the question as to why baptism is necessary for infants 244 22. Another instance of Pelagius' ambiguity 244 23. What he means by our birth to an "uncertain" life 244 24. Pelagius' long residence at rome 245 25. The condemnation of Pelagius and Ccelestius 245 26. The Pelagians maintain that raising questions about original sin does not endanger the faith 245 27. On questions outside the faith — what they are, and instances of the same...246 28. The heresy of Pelagius and Ccelestius aims at the very foundations of our faith.. 246 29. The righteous men who lived in the time of the law were for all that not under the law, but under grace. The grace of the New Testament hidden under the Old 247 30. Pelagius and Ccelestius deny that the ancient saints were saved by Christ...248 31. Christ's incarnation was of avail to the fathers, even though it had not yet happened 248 32. He shows by the example of Abraham that the ancient saints believed in the incarnation OF Christ 248 33. How Christ is our mediator 249 34. No man ever saved save by Christ 249 35. Why the circumcision of infants was enjoined under pain of so great a punishment. 249 36. The Platonists' opinion about the existence of the soul previous to the body rejected 250 37. In what sense Christ is called "sin"..• 250 38. Original sin does not render marriage evil 250 39. Three things good and laudable in matrimony 251 40. Marriage existed before sin was committed. How God's blessing operated in our FIRST parents "i.. 25I 41. Lust and travail come from sin. Whence our members became a cause of shame.. 252 42. The EVIL of lust ought not to be ascribed to marriage. The three good results of THE nuptial ordinance: offspring, chastity, and the sacramental union 252 43. Human offspring, even previous to birth, under condemnation at the very root. Uses of matrimony undertaken for mere pleasure not without venial fault 252 44. Even the children of the regenerate born in sin. The effect of baptism 253 45. Man's deliverance suited to the character of his captivity 253 46. Difficulty of believing original sin. Man's vice is a beast's nature 254 47. Sentences from Ambrose in favour of original sin 254 48. Pelagius rightly condemned and really opposed by Ambrose 255 J A TREATISE ON THE GRACE OF CHRIST. AND ON ORIGINAL SIN.
BY A UR ELI US AUGUSTIN, BISHOP OF HIPPO; In Two Books, WRITTEN AGAINST PELAGIUS AND CCELESTIUS IN THE YEAR A.D. 418.
BOOK I. ON THE GRACE OF CHRIST.
WHEREIN HE SHOWS THAT PELAGIUS IS DISINGENUOUS IN HIS CONFESSION OF GRACE, INASMUCH AS HE PLACES GRACE EITHER IN NATURE AND FREE WILL, OR IN LAW AND TEACHING; AND, MOREOVER, ASSERTS THAT IT IS MERELY THE " POS- SIBILITY" (as he CALLS it) OF WILL AND ACTION, AND NOT THE WILL AND ACTION ITSELF, WHICH IS ASSISTED BY DIVINE GRACE; AND THAT THIS ASSIST- ING GRACE, TOO, IS GIVEN BY GOD ACCORDING TO MEN's MERITS; WHILST HE FURTHER THINKS THAT THEY ARE SO ASSISTED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF BEING ABLE THE MORE EASILY TO FULFIL THE COMMANDMENTS. AUGUSTIN EXAMINES THOSE PASSAGES OF HIS WRITINGS IN WHICH HE BOASTED THAT HE HAD BESTOWED EXPRESS COMMENDATION ON THE GRACE OF GOD, AND POINTS OUT HOW THEY CAN BE INTERPRETED AS REFERRING TO LAW AND TEACHING, IN OTHER WORDS, TO THE DIVINE REVELATION AND THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST WHICH ARE ALIKE INCLUDED IN "THE TEACHING," — OR ELSE TO THE REMISSION OF SINS; NOR DO THEY AFFORD ANY EVIDENCE WHATEVER THAT PELAGIUS REALLY ACKNOWLEDGED CHRISTIAN GRACE, IN THE SENSE OF HELP RENDERED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF RIGHT ACTION TO NATURAL FACULTY AND INSTRUC- TION, BY THE INSPIRATION OF A MOST GLOWING AND LUMINOUS LOVE; AND HE CONCLUDES WITH A REQUEST THAT PELAGIUS WOULD SERIOUSLY LISTEN TO AMBROSE, WHOM HE IS SO VERY FOND OF QUOTING, IN HIS EXCELLENT EULOGY IN COMMENDATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD.
How greatly we rejoice on account of jour bodily, and, above all, your spiritual welfare, my most sincerely attached brethren and beloved of God, Albina, Pinianus, and Melania," we cannot express in words; we therefore leave all this to ' [See note to the passage from \\\^ Retractations above; and for full accounts, see Smith and Wace's Dictionary of Christian Biog- raphy, under these names. — W. j your own thoughts and belief, in order that we may now rather speak of the matters on which you consulted us. We have, indeed, had to compose these words to the best of the ability which God has vouchsafed to us, while our mes- senger was in a hurry to be gone, and amidst many occupations, which are much more absorb- ing to me at Carthage than in any other place whatever.
ai7 2l8 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
[Book I.
CHAP. 2 [ll.] — SUSPICIOUS CHARACTER OF PELA- GIUS' CONFESSION AS TO THE NECESSITY OF GRACE FOR EVERY SINGLE ACT OF OURS.
You informed me in your letter, that vou had entreated Pelagius to exjjress in writing his con- demnation of all that had been alleged against him; and that he had said, in the audience Of you all: " I anathematize the man who either thinks or says that the grace of God, whereby ' Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- ners,' ' is not necessary not only for ever hour and for every moment, but also for every act of our lives: and those who endeavour to disannul it deserve everlasting punishment." Now, who- ever hears these words, and is ignorant of the opinion which he has clearly enough expressed in his books, — not those, indeed, which he de- clares to have been stolen from him in an incor- rect form, nor those which he repudiates, but those even which he mentions in his own letter which he forwarded to Rome, — would certainly! suppose that the views he holds are in strict i accordance with the truth. But whoever notices what he openly declares in them, cannot fail to { regard these statements with suspicion. Because, although he makes that grace of God whereby Christ came into the world to save sinners to i consist simply in the remission of sins, he can still accommodate his words to this meaning, by alleging that the necessity of such grace for every hour and for every moment and for every action of our life, comes to this, that while we recollect and keep in mind the forgiveness of our past sins, we sin no more, aided not by any supply of power from without, but by the powers of our own will as it recalls to our mind, in every action we do, what advantage has been conferred upon us by the remission of sins. Then, again, whereas they are accustomed to say that Christ has given us assistance for avoiding sin, in that He has left us an example by living righteously and teaching what is right Himself, they have it in their power here also to accommodate their words, by affirming that this is the necessity of grace to us for every moment and for every action, namely, that we should m all our con- versation regard the exam])le of the Lord's con- j versation. Your own fidelity, however, enables I you clearly to perceive how such a profession of opinion as this differs from that true confession of grace which is now the question before us. And yet how easily can it be obscured and dis- guised by their ambiguous statements!
CHAP. 3 [hi.] — GRACE ACCORDING TO THE PELAGIANS.
But why should we wonder at this? For the same Pelagius, who in the Proceedings of the Tim episcopal synod unhesitatingly condemned those who say "that God's grace and assistance are not given for single acts, but consist in free will, or in law and teaching," ^ upon which points we were apt to think that he had expended all his subterfuges; and who also condemned such as affirm that the grace of God is bestowed in pro- portion to our merits: — is proved, notwithstand- ing, to hold, in the books which he has published on the freedom of the will, and which he mentions in the letter he sent to Rome, no other sentiments than those which he seemingly condemned. For I that grace and help of God, by which we are I assisted in avoiding sin, he places either in na- I ture and free will, or else in the gift of the law and teaching; the result of which of course is this, that whenever CJod helps a man, He must be supposed to iielp him to turn away from evil and do good, by revealing to him and teaching him what he ought to do,;' but not with the additional assistance of His co-operation and inspiration of love, that he may accomplish that which he had discovered it to be his duty to do.
CHAP. 4. — PELAGIUS' SYSTEM OF FACULTIES.
In his system, he posits and distinguishes three faculties, by which he says God's commandments are fulfilled, — capacity, iwlitiou, and action: + meaning by " capacity," that by which a man is able to be righteous j by "volition," that by which he wHls to be righteous; by " action," that by which he actually is righteous. The first of these, the capacity, he allows to have been bestowed on us by the Creator of our nature; it is not in our power, and we possess it even against our will. The other two, however, the volition and the action, he asserts to be our own; and he assigns them to us so strictly as to contend that they proceed simply from ourselves. In short, according to his view, God's grace has nothing to do with assisting those two faculties which he will have to be altogether our own, the volition and the action,^ but that only which is not in our own power and comes to us from God, namely the capacity; as if the faculties which are our own, that is, the volition and the action, have such avail for declining evil and doing good, that they require no divine help, whereas that faculty which we have of God, that is to say, the capacity, is so weak, that it is al- ways assisted by the aid of grace.
CHAP. 5 [iV.] — PELAGIUS' OWN ACCOUNT OF THE FACULTIES, QUOTED.
Lest, however, it should chance to be said that we either do not correctly understand what 3 \Vc have in these two clauses an explanation of the terms " law " and " teaching." which Pelagius uses almo.st technically.
■• llhesc three technical terms d^K, posiibilitas, voliiutas, actio. — W.J Chap. 7.]
ON THE GRACE OF CHRIST.
219 he advances, or malevolently pervert to another meaning what he never meant to bear such a sense, I beg of you to consider his own actual words: " We distinguish," says he, " three things, arranging them in a certain graduated order. We put in the first place ' ability; ' in the second, ' volition; ' and in the third, ' actual- ity.' ' The ' ability ' we place in our nature, the ' volition ' in our will, and the ' actuality ' in the effect. The first, that is, the 'ability,' properly belongs to God, who has bestowed it on His crea- ture; the other two, that is, the * volition ' and the ' actuality,' must be referred to man, because they flow forth from the fountain of the will. For his willing, therefore, and doing a good work, the praise belongs to man; or rather both to man, and to God who has bestowed on him the ' capacity ' for his will and work, and who evermore by the help of His grace assists even this capacity. That a man is able to will and effect any good work, comes from God alone. So that this one faculty can exist, even when the other two have no being; but these latter cannot exist without that former one. I am therefore free not to have either a good volition or action; but I am by no means able not to have the capacity of good. This capacity is inherent in me, whether I will or no; nor does nature at any time receive in this point freedom for itself. Now the meaning of all this will be rendered clearer by an example or two. That we are able to see with our eyes is not of us; but it is our own that we make a good or a bad use of our eyes. So again (that I may, by applying a general case in illustration, embrace all), that we are able to do, say, think, any good thing, comes from Him who has endowed us with this ' ability,' and who also assists this ' ability; ' but that we really do a good thing, or speak a good word, or think a good thought, proceeds from our own selves, because we are also able to turn all these into evil. Accord- ingly, — and this is a point which needs frequent repetition, because of your calumniation of us, — whenever we say that a man can live without sin, we also give praise to God by our acknowl- edgment of the capacity which we have received from Him, who has bestowed such ' ability ' upon us; and there is here no occasion for praising the human agent, since it is God's matter alone that is for the moment treated of; for the ques- tion is not about ' willing,' or ' efiecting,' but simply and solely about that which may possibly be."
CH.\P. 6 [v.] — PELAGIUS AND PAUL OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
The whole of this dogma of Pelagius, observe, ■ fT'ie tl ree terms here are, />osse, velU, esse. — W.j is carefully expressed in these words, and none other, in the third book of his treatise in de- fence of the liberty of the will, in which he has taken care to distinguish with so great subtlety these three things, — the "capacity," the "voli- tion," and the " action," that is, the " ability," the " volition," and the " actuality," — that, when- ever we read or hear of his acknowleflging the assistance of divine grace in order to our avoid- ance of evil and accomplishment of good, — whatever he may mean by the said assistance of grace, whether law and the teaching or any other thing, — we are sure of what he says; nor can we run into any mistake by understanding him otherwise than he means. For we cannot help knowing that, according to his belief, it is not our "volition " nor our "action " which is assisted by the divine help, but solely our " capacity " to will and act, which alone of the three, as he affirms, we have of God. As if that faculty were infirm which God Himself placed in our nature; while the other two, which, as he would have it, are our own, are so strong and firm and self-sufficient as to require none of His help! so that He does not help us to will, nor help us to act, but simply helps us to the possibility of willing and acting. The apostle, however, holds the contrary, when he says, " Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." ^.\nd that they might be sure that it was not simply in their being able to work (for this they had already received in nature and in teaching), but in their actual working, that they were divinely assisted, the apostle does not say to them, " For it is God that worketh in you to be able," as if they already possessed volition and operation among their own resources, without requiring His assistance in respect of these two; but he says, " For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to perform of His own good pleas- ure; " 3 or, as the reading runs in other copies, especially the Greek, " both to will and to oper- ate." Consider, now, whether the apostle did not thus long before foresee by the Holy Ghost that there would arise adversaries of the grace of God; and did not therefore declare that God works within us those two very things, even