Chapter 33.—The Third Rule of Tichonius.

46.  The third rule relates to the promises and the law, and may be designated in other terms as relating to the spirit and the letter, which is the name I made use of when writing a book on this subject.  It may be also named, of grace and the law.  This, however, seems to me to be a great question in itself, rather than a rule to be applied to the solution of other questions.  It was the want of clear views on this question that originated, or at least greatly aggravated, the Pelagian heresy.  And the efforts of Tichonius to clear up this point were good, but not complete.  For, in discussing the question about faith and works, he said that works were given us by God as the reward of faith, but that faith itself was so far our own that it did not come to us from God; not keeping in mind the saying of the apostle:  “Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”198    Eph. vi. 23.  But he had not come into contact with this heresy, which has arisen in our time, and has given us much labor and trouble in defending against it the grace of God which is through our Lord Jesus Christ, and which (according to the saying of the apostle, “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you”199    1 Cor. xi. 19.) has made us much more watchful and diligent to discover in Scripture what escaped Tichonius, who, having no enemy to guard against, was less attentive and anxious on this point, namely, that even faith itself is the gift of Him who “hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”200    Rom. xii. 3.  Whence it is said to certain believers:  “Unto you it is given, in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”201    Phil. i. 29.  Who, then, can doubt that each of these is the gift of God, when he learns from this passage, and believes, that each of them is given?  There are many other testimonies besides which prove this.  But I am not now treating of this doctrine.  I have, however, dealt with it, one place or another, very frequently.

CAPUT XXXIII. Regula tertia Tichonii. Liber de Spiritu et Littera.

46. Tertia regula est de Promissis et Lege, quae alio modo dici potest de spiritu et littera, sicut nos eam appellavimus, cum de hac re librum scriberemus . Potest etiam sic dici, de gratia et mandato. Haec autem magis mihi videtur magna quaestio quam regula, quae solvendis quaestionibus adhibenda est. Haec est quam non intelligentes Pelagiani, vel condiderunt suam haeresim, vel auxerunt. Laboravit in ea dissolvenda Tichonius bene, sed non plene. Disputans enim de fide et operibus, opera nobis dixit a Deo dari merito fidei; ipsam vero fidem sic esse a nobis, ut nobis non sit a Deo. Nec attendit Apostolum dicentem, Pax fratribus et charitas cum fide a Deo Patre et Domino Jesu Christo (Ephes. VI, 23). Sed non erat expertus hanc haeresim, quae nostro tempore exorta, multum nos, ut gratiam Dei quae per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum est, adversus eam defenderemus, exercuit; et secundum id quod ait Apostolus, Oportet haereses esse, ut probati manifesti fiant in vobis (I Cor. XI, 19), multo vigilantiores diligentioresque reddidit, ut adverteremus in Scripturis sanctis, quod istum Tichonium minus attentum, minusque sine hoste sollicitum fugit, etiam ipsam scilicet fidem donum illius esse qui ejus mensuram unicuique partitur (Rom. XII, 3). Ex qua sententia quibusdam dictum est, Vobis donatum est pro Christo, non solum ut in eum credatis, verum etiam ut pro eo patiamini (Philipp. I, 29). Unde quis dubitet utrumque esse Dei donum, qui fideliter atque intelligenter audit utrumque donatum? Plura sunt et alia testimonia quibus id ostenditur: sed hoc nunc non agimus; alibi autem atque alibi saepissime ista egimus.