Chapter 42.—Old Testament Testimonies.

Therefore also it is in vain that objectors have alleged, that what we have proved by Scripture testimony from the books of Kings and Chronicles is not pertinent to the subject of which we are discoursing:137    Hilary’s Letter in Augustin’s Letters, 226, sec. 7. such, for instance, as that when God wills that to be done which ought only to be done by the willing men, their hearts are inclined to will this,—inclined, that is to say, by His power, who, in a marvellous and ineffable manner, worketh in us also to will. What else is this than to say nothing, and yet to contradict? Unless perchance, they have given some reason to you for the view that they have taken, which reason you have preferred to say nothing about in your letters. But what that reason can be I do not know. Whether, possibly, since we have shown that God has so acted on the hearts of men, and has induced the wills of those whom He pleased to this point, that Saul or David should be established as king,—do they not think that these instances are appropriate to this subject, because to reign in this world temporally is not the same thing as to reign eternally with God? And so do they suppose that God inclines the wills of those whom He pleases to the attainment of earthly kingdoms, but does not incline them to the attainment of a heavenly kingdom? But I think that it was in reference to the kingdom of heaven, and not to an earthly kingdom, that it was said, “Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies;”138    Ps. cxix. 36. or, “The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He will will His way;”139    Ps. xxxvii. 23. or, “The will is prepared by the Lord;”140    Prov. viii. [see LXX.]. or, “Let our Lord be with us as with our fathers; let Him not forsake us, nor turn Himself away from us; let Him incline our hearts unto Him, that we may walk in all His ways;”141    1 Kings viii. 57. or, “I will give them a heart to know me, and ears that hear;”142    Baruch ii. 31. or, “I will give them another heart, and a new spirit will I give them.”143    Ezek. xi. 19. Let them also hear this, “I will give my Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in my righteousness; and ye shall observe my judgments, and do them.”144    Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Let them hear, “Man’s goings are directed by the Lord, and how can a man understand His ways?”145    Prov. xx. 24. Let them hear, “Every man seemeth right to himself, but the Lord directeth the hearts.”146    Prov. xxi. 2. Let them hear, “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.”147    Acts xiii. 48. Let them hear these passages, and whatever others of the kind I have not mentioned in which God is declared to prepare and to convert men’s wills, even for the kingdom of heaven and for eternal life. And consider what sort of a thing it is to believe that God worketh men’s wills for the foundation of earthly kingdoms, but that men work their own wills for the attainment of the kingdom of heaven.

42. Frustra itaque etiam illud, quod Regnorum et Paralipomenon Scriptura teste probavimus, cum Deus vult fieri quod non nisi volentibus hominibus oportet fieri, inclinari eorum corda ut hoc velint (I Reg. X, 26, et I Paral. XII, 18), eo scilicet inclinante qui in nobis mirabili modo et ineffabili operatur et velle, ad causam de qua disserimus, non pertinere dixerunt (Supra, in Epist. Hilarii, n. 7). Quid est aliud, nihil dicere, et tamen contradicere? nisi forte cur eis hoc visum sit, rationem vobis aliquam reddiderunt, quam vos in litteris vestris tacere maluistis. Sed quae illa esse possit ignoro. An forte quia ostendimus hoc Deum egisse in cordibus hominum, et ad hoc perduxisse quorum ei placuit voluntates, ut rex constitueretur Saül sive David; ideo haec exempla causae huic convenire non putant, quoniam non hoc est temporaliter regnare in hoc saeculo, quod est in aeternum regnare 0991 cum Deo; ac per hoc existimant ad regna terrena facienda Deum inclinare, ad regnum vero coeleste obtinendum Deum non inclinare quorum voluerit voluntates? Sed puto propter regnum coelorum, non propter regnum terrenum esse dictum, Inclina cor meum in testimonia tua (Psal. CXVIII, 36); vel, A Domino gressus hominis diriguntur, et viam ejus volet (Psal. XXXVI, 23); vel, Paratur voluntas a Domino (Prov. VIII, sec. LXX); vel, Fiat Dominus noster nobiscum, sicut erat cum patribus nostris: non derelinquat nos, nec avertat nos a se; inclinet corda nostra ad se, ut eamus in omnibus viis ejus (III Reg. VIII, 57, 58); vel. Dabo eis cor cognoscendi me, et aures audientes (Baruch II, 31); vel, Dabo eis cor aliud, et spiritum novum dabo eis (Ezech. XI, 19). Audiant etiam illud, Spiritum meum dabo in vobis, et faciam ut in justificationibus meis ambuletis, et judicia mea observetis et faciatis (Id. XXXVI, 27): audiant, A Domino dirigunturgressus viri; mortalis autem quomodo intelligit vias suas (Prov. XX, 24)? audiant, Omnis vir videtur sibimetipsi justus; dirigit autem corda Dominus (Id. XXI, 2): audiant, Crediderunt quotquot erant ordinati in vitam aeternam (Act. XIII, 48). Audiant haec, et alia quaecumque non dixi, quibus ostenditur Deus ad regnum etiam coelorum et ad vitam aeternam parare et convertere hominum voluntates. Cogitate autem quale sit, ut credamus ad constituenda regna terrena hominum voluntates operari Deum, et ad capessendum regnum coelorum homines operari voluntates suas.