Chapter 6 [III.]—Grace is Not Given According to Merits.

But lest perchance they say that they are aided to this,—that they may “have power to become the sons of God,” but that they may deserve to receive this power they have first “received Him” by free will with no assistance of grace (because this is the purpose of their endeavour to destroy grace, that they may contend that it is given according to our deservings); lest perchance, then, they so divide that evangelical statement as to refer merit to that portion of it wherein it is said, “But as many as received Him,” and then say that in that which follows, “He gave them power to become the sons of God,” grace is not given freely, but is repaid to this merit; if it is asked of them what is the meaning of “received Him,” will they say anything else than “believed on Him”? And in order, therefore, that they may know that this also pertains to grace, let them read what the apostle says: “And that ye be in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which indeed is to them a cause of perdition, but of your salvation, and that of God; for unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”9    Phil. i. 28, 29. Certainly he said that both were given. Let them read what he said also: “Peace be to the brethren, and love, with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”10    Eph. vi. 23. Let them also read what the Lord Himself says: “No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me shall draw him.”11    John vi. 44. Where, lest any one should suppose that anything else is said in the words “come to me” than “believe in me,” a little after, when He was speaking of His body and blood, and many were offended at His discourse, He says, “The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and life; but there are some of you which believe not.”12    John vi. 64. Then the Evangelist added, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed, and who should betray Him. And He said, Therefore I said unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given him of my Father.”13    John vi. 64 ff. He repeated, to wit, the saying in which He had said, “No man can come unto me, except the Father who hath sent me shall draw him.” And He declared that He said this for the sake of believers and unbelievers, explaining what He had said, “except the Father who hath sent me shall draw him,” by repeating the very same thing in other words in that which He said, “except it were given him of my Father.” Because he is drawn to Christ to whom it is given to believe on Christ. Therefore the power is given that they who believe on Him should become the sons of God, since this very thing is given, that they believe on Him. And unless this power be given from God, out of free will there can be none; because it will not be free for good if the deliverer have not made it free; but in evil he has a free will in whom a deceiver, either secret or manifest, has grafted the love of wickedness, or he himself has persuaded himself of it.

CAPUT III.

6. Gratia non secundum merita datur. Sed ne forte dicant, ad hoc esse adjutos, ut haberent potestatem fieri filii Dei; ut autem hanc accipere mererentur, prius eum libero arbitrio, nulla adjuti gratia receperunt: haec est quippe intentio 0553 qua gratiam destruere moliuntur, ut eam dari secundum merita nostra contendant: ne forte ergo hanc evangelicam sententiam sic dividant, ut meritum ponant in eo quod dictum est, Quotquot autem receperunt eum; ac deinde non gratis datam, sed huic merito redditam gratiam in eo quod sequitur, Dedit eis potestatem filios Dei fieri: numquid si quaeratur ab eis, quid sit, receperunt eum, dicturi sunt aliud, nisi, Crediderunt in eum? Ut igitur et hoc sciant ad gratiam pertinere, legant quod ait Apostolus: In nullo expavescatis ab adversariis, quae quidem est illis causa perditionis, vestrae autem salutis: et hoc a Deo; quia vobis donatum est pro Christo, non tantum ut credatis in eum, sed ut etiam patiamini pro eo (Philipp. I, 28, 29). Nempe utrumque dixit esse donatum. Item quod ait, Pax fratribus, et charitas cum fide, a Deo Patre et Domino Jesu Christo (Ephes. VI, 23). Legant etiam quod ipse Dominus ait, Nemo potest venire ad me, nisi Pater, qui misit me, traxerit eum. Ubi ne quisquam putet aliud dictum esse, venire ad me, quam, Credere in me; paulo post cum de suo corpore et sanguine loqueretur, et scandalizati essent plurimi in sermone ejus, ait: Verba quae ego locutus sum vobis, spiritus et vita sunt; sed sunt quidam ex vobis qui non credunt. Deinde subjunxit Evangelista: Sciebat enim Jesus ab initio, qui essent credentes, et quis traditurus esset eum, et dicebat, Propterea dixi vobis, quia nemo potest venire ad me, nisi fuerit ei datum a Patre meo (Joan. VI, 44, 64-66). Sententiam scilicet iteravit qua dixerat, Nemo potest venire ad me, nisi Pater, qui misit me, traxerit eum. Et hoc propter credentes et non credentes se dixisse manifestavit, exponens quod dixerat, Nisi Pater, qui misit me, traxerit eum: idipsum aliis verbis repetendo in eo quod ait, nisi fuerit ei datum a Patre meo. Ille quippe trahitur ad Christum, cui datur ut credat in Christum. Datur ergo potestas ut filii Dei fiant, qui credunt in eum, cum hoc ipsum datur ut credant in eum. Quae potestas nisi detur a Deo, nulla esse potest ex libero arbitrio: quia nec liberum in bono erit, quod liberator non liberaverit; sed in malo liberum habet arbitrium, cui delectationem malitiae vel occultus vel manifestus deceptor insevit , vel sibi ipse persuasit.