Chapter 32 [XVI.]—In What Sense It is Rightly Said That, If We Like, We May Keep God’s Commandments.

The Pelagians think that they know something great when they assert that “God would not command what He knew could not be done by man.” Who can be ignorant of this? But God commands some things which we cannot do, in order that we may know what we ought to ask of Him. For this is faith itself, which obtains by prayer what the law commands. He, indeed, who said, “If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the commandments,” did in the same book of Ecclesiasticus afterwards say, “Who shall give a watch before my mouth, and a seal of wisdom upon my lips, that I fall not suddenly thereby, and that my tongue destroy me not.”202    Ecclus. xxii. 27. Now he had certainly heard and received these commandments: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”203    Ps. xxxiv. 13. Forasmuch, then, as what he said is true: “If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the commandments,” why does he want a watch to be given before his mouth, like him who says in the Psalm, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth”?204    Ps. cxli. 3. Why is he not satisfied with God’s commandment and his own will; since, if he has the will, he shall keep the commandments? How many of God’s commandments are directed against pride! He is quite aware of them; if he will, he may keep them. Why, therefore, does he shortly afterwards say, “O God, Father and God of my life, give me not a proud look”?205    Ecclus. xxiii. 4. The law had long ago said to him, “Thou shalt not covet;”206    Ex. xx. 17. let him then only will, and do what he is bidden, because, if he has the will, he shall keep the commandments. Why, therefore, does he afterwards say, “Turn away from me concupiscence”?207    Ecclus. xxiii. 5. Against luxury, too, how many commandments has God enjoined! Let a man observe them; because, if he will, he may keep the commandments. But what means that cry to God, “Let not the greediness of the belly nor lust of the flesh take hold on me!”?208    Ecclus. xxiii. 6. Now, if we were to put this question to him personally, he would very rightly answer us and say, From that prayer of mine, in which I offer this particular petition to God, you may understand in what sense I said, “If thou wilt, thou mayest keep the commandments.” For it is certain that we keep the commandments if we will; but because the will is prepared by the Lord, we must ask of Him for such a force of will as suffices to make us act by the willing. It is certain that it is we that will when we will, but it is He who makes us will what is good, of whom it is said (as he has just now expressed it), “The will is prepared by the Lord.”209    Prov. viii. 35. Of the same Lord it is said, “The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and his way doth He will.”210    Ps. xxxvii. 23. Of the same Lord again it is said, “It is God who worketh in you, even to will!”211    Phil. ii. 13. It is certain that it is we that act when we act; but it is He who makes us act, by applying efficacious powers to our will, who has said, “I will make you to walk in my statutes, and to observe my judgments, and to do them.”212    Ezek. xxxvi. 27. When he says, “I will make you . . . to do them,” what else does He say in fact than, “I will take away from you your heart of stone,”213    Ezek. xi. 19, and xxxvi. 26. from which used to arise your inability to act, “and I will give you a heart of flesh,”214    Ezek. xxxvi. 26. in order that you may act? And what does this promise amount to but this: I will remove your hard heart, out of which you did not act, and I will give you an obedient heart, out of which you shall act? It is He who causes us to act, to whom the human suppliant says, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth.”215    Ps. cxli. 3. That is to say: Make or enable me, O Lord, to set a watch before my mouth,—a benefit which he had already obtained from God who thus described its influence: “I set a watch upon my mouth.”216    Ps. xxxix. 1.

CAPUT XVI.

32. Magnum aliquid Pelagiani se scire putant, quando dicunt, «Non juberet Deus, quod sciret non posse ab homine fieri.» Quis hoc nesciat? Sed ideo jubet aliqua quae non possumus, ut noverimus quid ab illo petere debeamus. Ipsa est enim fides, quae orando impetrat quod lex imperat. Denique ipse qui dixit, Si volueris, conservabis mandata; in eodem libro Ecclesiastico aliquanto post dicit. Quis dabit in ore meo custodiam, et super labia mea signaculum astutum, ne forte cadam ab eo, et lingua mea perdat me (Id. XXII, 33)? Jam certe mandata acceperat: Cohibe linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolum (Psal. XXXIII, 14). Cum ergo verum sit quod dixit, Si volueris, conservabis mandata: quare quaerit in ore suo dari custodiam; similis ei qui dicit in Psalmo, Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo (Psal. CXL, 3)? Quare non ei sufficit mandatum Dei et voluntas sua; quandoquidem si voluerit, conservabit mandata? Quam multa Dei mandata sunt contra superbiam: jam novit ea; si voluerit, conservabit ea. Quare ergo paulo post dicit, Domine Pater et Deus vitae meae, elationem oculorum ne dederis mihi? Jam dixerat ei lex, Non concupisces (Exod. XX, 17): velit ergo, et faciat quod jubetur; quoniam si voluerit, conservabit mandata. Quare sequitur et dicit, Concupiscentiam averte a me? Contra luxuriam Deus quam multa mandavit: faciat ea; quia si voluerit, conservabit mandata. Quid est quod clamat ad Deum, Ventris appetitio et concubitus ne apprehendat me (Eccli. XXIII, 4-6)? Si haec ei praesenti diceremus, rectissime nobis responderet et diceret: Ex ista oratione mea, qua haec a Deo peto, intelligite quomodo dixerim, Si volueris, conservabis mandata. Certum est enim nos mandata servare, si volumus: sed quia praeparatur voluntas a Domino, ab illo petendum est ut tantum velimus, quantum sufficit ut volendo faciamus. Certum est nos velle, cum volumus: sed ille facit ut velimus bonum, de quo dictum est, quod paulo ante posui, Praeparatur voluntas a Domino (Prov. VIII, sec. LXX); de quo dictum est, A Domino gressus hominis dirigentur, et viam ejus volet (Psal. XXXVI, 23); de quo dictum est, Deus est qui operatur in vobis et velle (Philipp. II, 13). Certum est nos facere, cum facimus: sed ille facit ut faciamus, praebendo vires 0901 efficacissimas voluntati, qui dixit, Faciam ut in justificationibus meis ambuletis, et judicia mea observetis et faciatis. Cum dicit, faciam ut faciatis: quid aliud dicit, nisi, auferam a vobis cor lapideum, unde non faciebatis; et dabo vobis cor carneum, unde faciatis? Et hoc quid est, nisi, Auferam cor durum, unde non faciebatis; et dabo cor obediens, unde faciatis? Ille facit ut faciamus, cui dicit homo, Pone, Domine, custodiam ori meo. Hoc est enim dicere, Fac ut ponam custodiam ori meo: quod beneficium Dei jam fuerat consecutus, qui dixit, Posui ori meo custodiam (Psal. XXXVIII, 2).