Chapter XIX—(40.) The Ninth Passage.

“This passage, too,” says he, “is quoted by them: ‘It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.’”197    Rom. ix. 16. And he observes that the answer to be given to them is derived from the same apostle’s words in another passage: “Let him do what he will.”198    1 Cor. vii. 36. And he adds another passage from the Epistle to Philemon, where, speaking of Onesimus, [St. Paul says]: “‘Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.’199    Philem. 13, 14. Likewise, in Deuteronomy: ‘Life and death hath He set before thee, and good and evil: . . .choose thou life, that thou mayest live.’200    Deut. xxx. 15, 19. So in the book of Solomon: ‘God from the beginning made man, and left him in the hand of His counsel; and He added for him commandments and precepts: if thou wilt—to perform acceptable faithfulness for the time to come, they shall save thee. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thine hand unto whether thou wilt. Before man are good and evil, and life and death; poverty and honour are from the Lord God.’201    Ecclus. xv. 14–17. So again in Isaiah we read: ‘If ye be willing, and hearken unto me, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye be not willing, and hearken not to me, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken this.’”202    Isa. i. 19, 20. Now with all their efforts of disguise they here betray their purpose; for they plainly attempt to controvert the grace and mercy of God, which we desire to obtain whenever we offer the prayer, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven;”203    Matt. vi. 10. or again this, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”204    Matt. vi. 13. For indeed why do we present such petitions in earnest supplication, if the result is of him that willeth, and him that runneth, but not of God that showeth mercy? Not that the result is without our will, but that our will does not accomplish the result, unless it receive the divine assistance. Now the wholesomeness of faith is this, that it makes us “seek, that we may find; ask, that we may receive; and knock, that it may be opened to us.”205    Luke xi. 9. Whereas the man who gainsays it, does really shut the door of God’s mercy against himself. I am unwilling to say more touching so important a matter, because I do better in committing it to the groans of the faithful, than to words of my own.

CAPUT XIX.

40. «Item dicunt,» inquit, «Non volentis neque currentis, sed miserentis est Dei» (Rom. IX, 16). Quibus «respondendum esse» dicit, «quod idem apostolus alibi de quodam ait: Quod vult faciat (I Cor. VII, 36). Item,» inquit, «ad Philemonem de Onesimo: Quem ego volueram apud me detinere, ut pro te mihi ministraret; sed sine consilio tuo nihil volui facere, ut non quasi ex necessitate bonum tuum esset, sed voluntarium (Philem. 13, 14). Item in Deuteronomio: Vitam et mortem dedit ante faciem tuam, bonum et malum; elige vitam, ut vivas (Deut. XXX, 15, 19). Item apud Salomonem: Deus ab initio constituit hominem, et reliquit eum in manu consilii sui: adjecit ei mandata et praecepta; si voles praecepta, servabunt te, et in posterum fidem placitam facere. Apposuit tibi aquam et ignem, ad quod vis porrige manum tuam. Ante hominem bonum et malum, vita et mors, paupertas et honestas a Domino Deo sunt (Eccli. XV, 14-18). Item apud Isaiam: Et si volueritis et audieritis me, quae bona sunt terrae manducabitis; si autem nolueritis 0314nec obaudieritis me, gladius vos comedet. Os enim Domini locutum est haec» (Isai. I, 19, 20). Hic vero, quantumlibet isti se obtegant, aperiuntur. Declarant enim se contra Dei gratiam vel misericordiam disputare, quam volumus impetrare cum dicimus, Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra; vel, Ne nos inferas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo (Matth. VI, 10, 13). Utquid enim ista orando tanto gemitu petimus, si volentis hominis et currentis, non miserentis est Dei? Non quia hoc sine voluntate nostra agitur, sed quia voluntas non implet quod agit, nisi divinitus adjuvetur. Haec est fidei sanitas, quae nos facit quaerere ut inveniamus, petere ut accipiamus, pulsare ut aperiatur nobis (Luc. XI, 9). Contra istam qui disputat, contra se ipsum claudit ostium misericordiae Dei. Nolo plura dicere de re tanta, quia melius eam committo fidelium gemitibus, quam sermonibus meis.