Chapter 6 [IV.]—God’s Grace to Be Maintained Against the Pelagians; The Pelagian Heresy Not an Old One.

It is, however, to be feared lest all these and similar testimonies of Holy Scripture (and undoubtedly there are a great many of them), in the maintenance of free will, be understood in such a way as to leave no room for God’s assistance and grace in leading a godly life and a good conversation, to which the eternal reward is due; and lest poor wretched man, when he leads a good life and performs good works (or rather thinks that he leads a good life and performs good works), should dare to glory in himself and not in the Lord, and to put his hope of righteous living in himself alone; so as to be followed by the prophet Jeremiah’s malediction when he says, “Cursed is the man who has hope in man, and maketh strong the flesh of his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.”81    Jer. xvii. 5. Understand, my brethren, I pray you, this passage of the prophet. Because the prophet did not say, “Cursed is the man who has hope in his own self,” it might seem to some that the passage, “Cursed is the man who has hope in man,” was spoken to prevent man having hope in any other man but himself. In order, therefore, to show that his admonition to man was not to have hope in himself, after saying, “Cursed is the man who has hope in man,” he immediately added, “And maketh strong the flesh of his arm.” He used the word “arm” to designate power in operation. By the term “flesh,” however, must be understood human frailty. And therefore he makes strong the flesh of his arm who supposes that a power which is frail and weak (that is, human) is sufficient for him to perform good works, and therefore puts not his hope in God for help. This is the reason why he subjoined the further clause, “And whose heart departeth from the Lord.” Of this character is the Pelagian heresy, which is not an ancient one, but has only lately come into existence. Against this system of error there was first a good deal of discussion; then, as the ultimate resource, it was referred to sundry episcopal councils, the proceedings of which, not, indeed, in every instance, but in some, I have despatched to you for your perusal. In order, then, to our performance of good works, let us not have hope in man, making strong the flesh of our arm; nor let our heart ever depart from the Lord, but let it say to him, “Be Thou my helper; forsake me not, nor despise me, O God of my salvation.”82    Ps. xxvii. 9.

CAPUT IV.

6. Sed metuendum est ne ista omnia divina testimonia, et quaecumque alia sunt, quae sine dubitatione sunt plurima, in defensione liberi arbitrii, sic intelligantur, ut ad vitam piam et bonam conversationem, cui merces aeterna debetur, adjutorio et gratiae Dei locus non relinquatur; et audeat miser homo, quando bene vivit et bene operatur, vel potius bene vivere et bene operari sibi videtur, in se ipso, non in Domino gloriari, et spem recte vivendi in se ipso ponere, ut sequatur eum maledictum Jeremiae prophetae dicentis, Maledictus homo qui spem habet in homine, et firmat carnem brachii sui, et a Domino discedit cor ejus (Jerem. XVII, 5). Intelligite, fratres, hoc propheticum testimonium. Quia enim non dixit propheta, Maledictus homo qui spem habet in se ipso; posset alicui videri ideo dictum esse, Maledictus homo qui spem habet in homine, ut nemo habeat spem in altero homine, sed in se. Ut ergo ostenderet sic se admonuisse hominem, ut nec in se ipso haberet spem; propterea cum dixisset, Maledictus homo qui spem habet in homine, mox addidit, et firmat carnem brachii sui. Brachium pro potentia posuit operandi. In nomine autem carnis intelligenda est humana fragilitas. Ac per hoc firmat carnem brachii sui, qui potentiam fragilem atque invalidam, id est humanam, sibi sufficere ad bene operandum putat, nec adjutorium sperat a Domino. 0886 Propterea subjecit , et a Domino discedit cor ejus. Talis est haeresis Pelagiana, non antiqua, sed ante non multum tempus exorta: contra quam haeresim cum fuisset diutius disputatum, etiam ad concilia episcopalia novissima necessitate perventum est; unde vobis, non quidem omnia, sed tamen aliqua legenda direxi. Nos ergo ad bene operandum spem non habeamus in homine, firmantes carnem brachii nostri: nec a Domino discedat cor nostrum; sed ei dicat, Adjutor meus esto, ne derelinquas me, neque despicias me, Deus salutaris meus (Psal. XXVI, 9).