31.—Remarks on the Tenth Item.

I shall make my next remark with greater satisfaction. In a former section I expressed a fear81    See above, (20). that, when Pelagius said that “a man was able by the help of God’s grace to live without sin,” he perhaps meant by the term “grace” the capability possessed by nature as created by God with a free will, as it is understood in that book which I received as his and to which I replied;82    He refers to Pelagius’ work which Augustin received from Jacobus and Timasius, aud against which he wrote his treatise De Naturâ et Gratiâ. and that by these means he was deceiving the judges, who were ignorant of the circumstances. Now, however, since he anathematizes those persons who hold that “God’s grace and assistance is not given for single actions, but is imparted in the freedom of the will, or in the law and in doctrine,” it is quite evident that he really means the grace which is preached in the Church of Christ, and is conferred by the ministration of the Holy Ghost for the purpose of helping us in our single actions, whence it is that we pray for needful and suitable grace that we enter not into any temptation. Nor, again, have I any longer a fear that, when he said, “No man can be without sin unless he has acquired a knowledge of the law,” and added this explanation of his words, that “he posited in the knowledge of the law, help towards the avoidance of sin,”83    See above, (2). he at all meant the said knowledge to be considered as tantamount to the grace of God; for, observe, he anathematizes such as hold this opinion. See, too, how he refuses to hold our natural free will, or the law and doctrine, as equivalent to that grace of God which helps us through our single actions. What else then is left to him but to understand that grace which the apostle tells us is given by “the supply of the Spirit?”84    Phil. i. 19. and concerning which the Lord said: “Take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”85    Matt. x. 19, 20. Nor, again, need I be under any apprehension that, when he asserted, “All men are ruled by their own will,” and afterwards explained that he had made that statement “in the interest of the freedom of our will, of which God is the helper whenever it makes choice of good,”86    See above, (5). that he perhaps here also held God’s helping grace as synonymous with our natural free will and the teaching of the law. For inasmuch as he rightly anathematized the persons who hold that God’s grace or assistance is not given for single actions, but lies in the gift of free will, or in the law and doctrine, it follows, of course, that God’s grace or assistance is given us for single actions,—free will, or the law and the doctrine, being left out of consideration; and thus through all the single actions of our life, when we act rightly, we are ruled and directed by God; nor is our prayer a useless one, wherein we say: “Order my steps according to Thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”87    Ps. cxix. 133.

31. Dicam etiam aliquid laetius . Superius metuebam (Supra, n. 20), cum diceret Pelagius, adjuvante gratia Dei posse esse hominem sine peccato, ne forte eamdem gratiam possibilitatem diceret esse naturae a Deo conditae cum libero arbitrio, sicut in libro illo est, quem tanquam ejus accepi , cui respondi, et eo modo nescientes judices falleret: nunc vero cum anathematizat eos qui gratiam Dei et adjutorium non ad singulos actus dicunt dari, sed in libero arbitrio esse, vel in lege atque doctrina; satis evidenter apparet, eam illum dicere gratiam, quae in Christi Ecclesia praedicatur, quae subministratione sancti Spiritus datur, ut ad nostros actus singulos adjuvemur: unde et oramus semper adjutorium opportunum, ne inferamur in tentationem. Nec illud jam metuo, ne forte ubi dixit, Non posse esse sine peccato, nisi qui scientiam legis habuerit, atque id ita exposuit, ut ad non peccandum in legis scientiam poneret adjutorium (Supra, n. 2), eamdem legis scientiam Dei gratiam velit intelligi. Ecce anathematizat qui hoc sentiunt: ecce nec naturam liberi arbitrii, nec legem atque doctrinam vult intelligi gratiam, qua per actus singulos adjuvamur. Quid ergo restat, nisi ut eam intelligat quam dicit Apostolus, subministratione Spiritus sancti dari (Philipp. I, 19)? de qua dicit Dominus, Nolite cogitare quomodo aut quid loquamini; dabitur enim vobis in illa hora quid loquamini: non enim vos estis qui loquimini, sed Spiritus Patris vestri qui loquitur in vobis (Matth. X, 19, 20). Nec illud metuendum est, ne forte ubi ait, Omnes voluntate propria regi; idque exposuit, ideo se dixisse, propter liberum arbitrium, cui Deus adjutor est eligenti bona (Supra. n. 5), etiam hic per naturam liberi arbitrii et per doctrinam legis adjutorem dixerit. Cum enim recte anathematizaverit eos qui dicunt gratiam 0339 Dei et adjutorium non ad singulos actus dari, sed in libero arbitrio esse, vel in lege ac doctrina: profecto Dei gratia vel adjutorium ad singulos actus datur, excepto libero arbitrio, vel lege atque doctrina: ac per hoc per singulos actus a Deo regimur, quando recte agimus; nec frustra orantes dicimus, Itinera mea dirige secundum verbum tuum, ne dominetur mihi omnis iniquitas (Psal. CXVIII, 133).