17. Now this election the Apostle demonstrating to be, not of merits going before in good works, but election of grace, saith thus: “And in this time a remnant by election of grace is saved. But if by grace, then is it no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace.”46    Rom. xi. 5, 6 This is election of grace; that is, election in which through the grace of God men are elected: this, I say, is election of grace which goes before all good merits of men. For if it be to any good merits that it is given, then is it no more gratuitously given, but is paid as a debt, and consequently is not truly called grace; where “reward,” as the same Apostle saith, “is not imputed as grace, but as debt.”47    Rom. iv. 4 Whereas if, that it may be true grace, that is, gratuitous, it find nothing in man to which it is due of merit, (which thing is well understood in that saying, “Thou wilt save them for nothing,”48    Psalm lvi. 7, Lat. and LXX. ὑπšρ τοῦ μηθενὸς σὡσεις αὐτούς. But Heb. and E.V. “shall they escape by iniquity?”) then assuredly itself gives the merits, not to merits is given. Consequently it goes before even faith, from which it is that all good works begin. “For the just,” as is written, “shall live by faith.”49    Habak. ii. 4 But, moreover, grace not only assists the just, but also justifies the ungodly. And therefore even when it does aid the just and seems to be rendered to his merits, not even then does it cease to be grace, because that which it aids it did itself bestow. With a view therefore to this grace, which precedes all good merits of man, not only was Christ put to death by the ungodly, but “died for the ungodly.”50    Rom. v. 6 And ere that He died, He elected the Apostles, not of course then just, but to be justified: to whom He saith, “I have chosen you out of the world.” For to whom He said, “Ye are not of the world,” and then, lest they should account themselves never to have been of the world, presently added, “But I have chosen you out of the world;” assuredly that they should not be of the world was by His own election of them conferred upon them. Wherefore, if it had been through their own righteousness, not through His grace, that they were elected, they would not have been chosen out of the world, because they would already not be of the world if already they were just. And again, if the reason why they were elected was, that they were already just, they had already first chosen the Lord. For who can be righteous but by choosing righteousness? “But the end of the law is Christ, for righteousness is to every one that believeth.51    Rom. x. 4 Who is made unto us wisdom of God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”52    1 Cor. i. 30, 31 He then is Himself our righteousness.

CAPUT XX.

17. Electio gratiae praevenit omnia merita bona. Gratia dat merita, non meritis datur. Praevenit fidem. Hanc autem electionem non praecedentium in bonis operibus meritorum, sed electionem gratiae demonstrans Apostolus, sic inquit: Et in hoc tempore reliquiae per electionem gratiae salvae factae sunt. Si autem gratia, jam non ex operibus; alioquin gratia jam non est gratia (Rom. XI, 5 et 6). Haec est electio gratiae, id est, electio qua per Dei gratiam homines eliguntur. Haec est, inquam, electio gratiae, qua omnia bona merita praeveniuntur humana. Si enim ullis bonis meritis datur, jam non gratis datur, sed debita redditur, ac per hoc non vero nomine gratia nuncupatur; ubi merces, sicut idem dicit apostolus, non imputatur secundum gratiam, sed secundum debitum (Id. IV, 4). Si autem ut vera sit gratia, id est, gratuita, nihil invenit in homine, cui merito debeatur; quod bene intelligitur et in eo quod dictum 0621 est, Pro nihilo salvos facies eos (Psal. LV, 8): profecto ipsa dat merita, non meritis datur. Praevenit ergo etiam fidem, ex qua omnia bona opera incipiunt. Justus enim, sicut scriptum est, ex fide vivit (Habac. II, 4). Porro autem gratia non solum adjuvat justum, verum etiam justificat impium. Et ideo etiam cum adjuvat justum, et videtur ejus meritis reddi, nec sic desinit esse gratia; quoniam id adjuvat quod ipsa est largita. Propter hanc itaque gratiam, quae cuncta bona merita humana praecedit, non solum Christus ab impiis occisus est, verum etiam pro impiis mortuus est (Rom. V, 6). Et antequam moreretur, non utique justos, sed justificandos elegit Apostolos, quibus ait, Ego vos de mundo elegi. Quibus enim dixit, De mundo non estis; et ne putarent se nunquam fuisse de mundo, mox addidit, sed ego vos de mundo elegi: profecto ut de mundo non essent, ipsius in eos electione collatum est. Quocirca si per suam justitiam, non per gratiam ejus eligerentur, non de mundo electi essent: quoniam de mundo jam non essent, si jam justi essent. Deinde si propterea sunt electi, quia jam justi erant; ipsi priores jam Dominum elegerant. Quis enim potest esse justus, nisi eligendo justitiam? Finis autem legis Christus, ad justitiam omni credenti (Id. X, 4). Qui factus est nobis sapientia a Deo; et justitia, et sanctificatio, et redemptio: ut, quemadmodum scriptum est, Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur (I Cor. I, 30, 31). Ipse est ergo nostra justitia.