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Augustine of Hippo, A Treatise On Grace And Free Will
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Two letters written by Augustin to Valentinus and the monks of Adrumetum,
On Grace and Free Will, to Valentinus and the Monks with Him
Chapter 1 [I.]—The Occasion and Argument of This Work.
Chapter 4.—The Divine Commands Which are Most Suited to the Will Itself Illustrate Its Freedom.
Chapter 7.—Grace is Necessary Along with Free Will to Lead a Good Life.
Chapter 8.—Conjugal Chastity is Itself the Gift of God.
Chapter 9.—Entering into Temptation. Prayer is a Proof of Grace.
Chapter 10 [V.]—Free Will and God’s Grace are Simultaneously Commended.
Chapter 11.—Other Passages of Scripture Which the Pelagians Abuse.
Chapter 12.—He Proves Out of St. Paul that Grace is Not Given According to Men’s Merits.
Chapter 13 [VI.]—The Grace of God is Not Given According to Merit, But Itself Makes All Good Desert.
Chapter 14.—Paul First Received Grace that He Might Win the Crown.
Chapter 16 [VII.]—Paul Fought, But God Gave the Victory: He Ran, But God Showed Mercy.
Chapter 17.—The Faith that He Kept Was the Free Gift of God.
Chapter 18.—Faith Without Good Works is Not Sufficient for Salvation.
Chapter 19 [VIII.]—How is Eternal Life Both a Reward for Service and a Free Gift of Grace?
Chapter 21 [IX.]—Eternal Life is “Grace for Grace.”
Chapter 23 [XI.]—The Pelagians Maintain that the Law is the Grace of God Which Helps Us Not to Sin.
Chapter 28.—Faith is the Gift of God.
Chapter 29.—God is Able to Convert Opposing Wills, and to Take Away from the Heart Its Hardness.
Chapter 31 [XV.]—Free Will Has Its Function in the Heart’s Conversion But Grace Too Has Its.
Chapter 32 [XVI.]—In What Sense It is Rightly Said That, If We Like, We May Keep God’s Commandments.
Chapter 34.—The Apostle’s Eulogy of Love. Correction to Be Administered with Love.
Chapter 35.—Commendations of Love.
Chapter 36.—Love Commended by Our Lord Himself.
Chapter 37 [XVIII.]—The Love Which Fulfils the Commandments is Not of Ourselves, But of God.
Chapter 39.—The Spirit of Fear a Great Gift of God.
Chapter 42 [XXI]—God Does Whatsoever He Wills in the Hearts of Even Wicked Men.
Chapter 43.—God Operates on Men’s Hearts to Incline Their Wills Whithersoever He Pleases.
Chapter 44 [XXII.]—Gratuitous Grace Exemplified in Infants.
Chapter 46 [XXIV.]—Understanding and Wisdom Must Be Sought from God.
Chapter 3.—Sinners are Convicted When Attempting to Excuse Themselves by Blaming God, Because They Have Free Will.
There are, however, persons who attempt to find excuse for themselves even from God. The Apostle James says to such: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”42 Jas. i. 13–15. Solomon, too, in his book of Proverbs, has this answer for such as wish to find an excuse for themselves from God Himself: “The folly of a man spoils his ways; but he blames God in his heart.”43 Prov. xix. 3. And in the book of Ecclesiasticus we read: “Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away; for thou oughtest not to do the things that He hateth: nor do thou say, He hath caused me to err; for He hath no need of the sinful man. The Lord hateth all abomination, and they that fear God love it not. He Himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of His counsel. If thou be willing, thou shalt keep His commandments, and perform true fidelity. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thine hand unto whether thou wilt. Before man is life and death, and whichsoever pleaseth him shall be given to him.”44 Ecclus. xv. 11–17. Observe how very plainly is set before our view the free choice of the human will.
3. Sed sunt homines qui etiam de ipso Deo se excusare conantur, quibus dicit apostolus Jacobus: Nemo cum tentatur, dicat, Quoniam a Deo tentor . Deus enim intentator malorum est: ipse autem neminem tentat. Unusquisque vero tentatur a concupiscentia sua abstractus et illectus: deinde concupiscentia cum conceperit, parit peccatum; peccatum vero cum consummatum fuerit, generat mortem (Jacobi I, 13-15). Item de ipso Deo se excusare volentibus, respondet liber Proverbiorum Salomonis: Insipientia viri violat vias ejus, Deum autem causatur in corde suo. (Prov. XIX, 3). Et liber Ecclesiasticus dicit: Ne dixeris, Quia propter Dominum recessi: quae enim odit non facias. Ne dixeris, Quia ipse me induxit: non enim opus habet viro peccatore. Omne exsecramentum odit Dominus, et non est amabile timentibus illum. Ipse ab initio fecit hominem, et reliquit eum in manu consilii sui. Si volueris, conservabis mandata, et fidem bonam placiti. Apponit tibi ignem et aquam; ad quodcumque volueris extende manum tuam. In conspectu hominis vita et mors, et quodcumque placuerit dabitur ei (Eccli. XV, 11-18). Ecce apertissime videmus expressum liberum humanae voluntatis arbitrium.