Chapter 9 [VI]—Why They May Justly Be Rebuked Who Do Not Obey God, Although They Have Not Yet Received the Grace of Obedience.

“The apostle says,” say they, “‘For who maketh thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received? Now also if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?’30    2 Cor. iv. 7. Why, then, are we rebuked, censured, reproved, accused? What do we do, we who have not received?” They who say this wish to appear without blame in respect of their not obeying God, because assuredly obedience itself is His gift; and that gift must of necessity be in him in whom dwells love, which without doubt is of God,31    1 John iv. 7. and the Father gives it to His children. “This,” say they, “we have not received. Why, then, are we rebuked, as if we were able to give it to ourselves, and of our own choice would not give it?” And they do not observe that, if they are not yet regenerated, the first reason why, when they are reproached because they are disobedient to God, they ought to be dissatisfied with themselves is, that God made man upright from the beginning of the human creation, 32    Eccles. vii. 30. and there is no unrighteousness with God.33    Rom. ix. 14. And thus the first depravity, whereby God is not obeyed, is of man, because, falling by his own evil will from the rectitude in which God at first made him, he became depraved. Is, then, that depravity not to be rebuked in a man because it is not peculiar to him who is rebuked, but is common to all? Nay, let that also be rebuked in individuals, which is common to all. For the circumstance that none is altogether free from it is no reason why it should not attach to each man. Those original sins, indeed, are said to be the sins of others, because individuals derived them from their parents; but they are not unreasonably said to be our own also, because in that one, as the apostle says, all have sinned.34    Rom. iii. 23. Let, then, the damnable source be rebuked, that from the mortification of rebuke may spring the will of regeneration,—if, indeed, he who is rebuked is a child of promise,—in order that, by the noise of the rebuke sounding and lashing from without, God may by His hidden inspiration work in him from within to will also. If, however, being already regenerate and justified, he relapses of his own will into an evil life, assuredly he cannot say, “I have not received,” because of his own free choice to evil he has lost the grace of God, that he had received. And if, stung with compunction by rebuke, he wholesomely bewails, and returns to similar good works, or even better, certainly here most manifestly appears the advantage of rebuke. But yet for rebuke by the agency of man to avail, whether it be of love or not, depends only upon God.

CAPUT VI.

9. «Apostolus,» inquiunt, «ait, Quis enim te discernit? Quid autem habes quod non accepisti? Si autem et accepisti, quid gloriaris quasi non acceperis (I Cor. IV, 7)? Cur ergo corripimur, arguimur, reprehendimur, accusamur? Quid facimus, qui non accepimus?» Qui haec dicunt, extra culpam se videri volunt, in hoc quod non obediunt Deo: quia utique ipsa obedientia munus ejus est; quae necesse est ut sit in eo cui charitas inest, quae sine dubio ex Deo est (I Joan. IV, 7), et dat eam Pater filiis suis. «Hanc,» inquiunt, «non accepimus; quid itaque corripimur, quasi nos eam nobis dare possimus, et nostro arbitrio dare nolimus?» Nec attendunt, si nondum regenerati sunt, primam esse causam, cur objurgati quod sint inobedientes Deo, sibi debeant displicere, quia fecit Deus hominem rectum ab initio 0921 humanae creaturae (Eccle. VII, 30), et non est iniquitas apud Deum (Rom. IX, 14). Ac per hoc prima pravitas qua Deo non obeditur, ab homine est; quia ex rectitudine, in qua eum Deus primitus fecit, sua mala voluntate decidens, pravus effectus est. An vero ideo pravitas ista corripienda non est in homine, quia non ejus propria qui corripitur, sed communis est omnibus? Imo vero corripiatur et in singulis, quod est omnium. Non enim propterea cujusquam non est, quod ab ea nullus immunis est. Peccata quidem ista originalia ideo dicuntur aliena, quod ea singuli de parentibus trahunt: sed non sine causa dicuntur et nostra, quia in illo uno omnes, sicut dicit Apostolus, peccaverunt (Id. V, 12). Corripiatur ergo origo damnabilis, ut ex dolore correptionis voluntas regenerationis oriatur: si tamen qui corripitur filius est promissionis, ut strepitu correptionis forinsecus insonante ac flagellante, Deus in illo intrinsecus occulta inspiratione operetur et velle. Si autem jam regeneratus et justificatus in malam vitam sua voluntate relabitur, certe iste non potest dicere, Non accepi: quia acceptam gratiam Dei suo in malum libero amisit arbitrio. Qui si correptione compunctus salubriter ingemit, et ad similia bona opera vel etiam meliora revertitur; nempe hic apertissime utilitas correptionis apparet. Sed per hominem correptio sive ex charitate sit, sive non sit, tamen ut correpto prosit, non nisi per Deum fit.