Chapter 27.—The Book of Wisdom Obtains in the Church the Authority of Canonical Scripture.

And since these things are so, the judgment of the book of Wisdom ought not to be repudiated, since for so long a course of years that book has deserved to be read in the Church of Christ from the station of the readers of the Church of Christ, and to be heard by all Christians, from bishops downwards, even to the lowest lay believers, penitents, and catechumens, with the veneration paid to divine authority. For assuredly, if, from those who have been before me in commenting on the divine Scriptures, I should bring forward a defence of this judgment, which we are now called upon to defend more carefully and copiously than usual against the new error of the Pelagians,—that is, that God’s grace is not given according to our merits, and that it is given freely to whom it is given, because it is neither of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy; but that by righteous judgment it is not given to whom it is not given, because there is no unrighteousness with God;—if, therefore, I should put forth a defence of this opinion from catholic commentators on the divine oracles who have preceded us, assuredly these brethren for whose sake I am now discoursing would acquiesce, for this you have intimated in your letters. What need is there, then, for us to look into the writings of those who, before this heresy sprang up, had no necessity to be conversant in a question so difficult of solution as this, which beyond a doubt they would have done if they had been compelled to answer such things? Whence it arose that they touched upon what they thought of God’s grace briefly in some passages of their writings, and cursorily; but on those matters which they argued against the enemies of the Church, and in exhortations to every virtue by which to serve the living and true God for the purpose of attaining eternal life and true happiness, they dwelt at length. But the grace of God, what it could do, shows itself artlessly by its frequent mention in prayers; for what God commands to be done would not be asked for from God, unless it could be given by Him that it should be done.

27. Quae cum ita sint, non debuit repudiari sententia libri Sapientiae, qui meruit in Ecclesia Christi de gradu lectorum Ecclesiae Christi tam longa annositate recitari, et ab omnibus Christianis, ab episcopis usque ad extremos laicos fideles, poenitentes, catechumenos, cum veneratione divinae auctoritatis audiri. Certe enim si de divinarum Scripturarum tractatoribus qui fuerunt ante nos, proferrem defensionem hujusce sententiae, quam nunc solito diligentius atque copiosius contra novum Pelagianorum defendere urgemur errorem; hoc est, gratiam Dei non secundum merita nostra dari, et gratis dari cui datur; quia neque volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis est Dei; justo autem judicio non dari cui non datur, quia non est iniquitas apud Deum (Id. IX, 16, 14): si hujus ergo sententiae defensionem ex divinorum eloquiorum nos praecedentibus catholicis tractatoribus promerem; profecto hi fratres, pro quibus nunc agimus, acquiescerent: hoc enim significastis litteris vestris. Quid igitur opus est ut eorum scrutemur opuscula, qui priusquam ista haeresis oriretur, non habuerunt necessitatem in hac difficili ad solvendum quaestione versari? quod procul dubio facerent, si respondere talibus cogerentur. Unde factum est ut de gratia Dei quid sentirent, breviter quibusdam scriptorum suorum locis et transeunter attingerent: immorarentur vero in eis quae adversus inimicos Ecclesiae disputabant, et in exhortationibus ad quasque virtutes, quibus Deo vivo et vero pro adipiscenda vita aeterna et vera felicitate servitur. Frequentationibus autem orationum simpliciter apparebat Dei gratia quid valeret: non enim poscerentur de Deo quae praecipit fieri, nisi ab illo donaretur ut fierent.