Chapter 16.—Why God Makes of Some Sheep, Others Not.

But wherefore does God make these men sheep, and those not, since with Him there is no acceptance of persons? This is the very question which the blessed apostle thus answers to those who propose it with more curiosity than propriety, “O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Does the thing formed say to him that formed it, Wherefore hast thou made me thus?”304    Rom. ix. 20. This is the very question which belongs to that depth desiring to look into which the same apostle was in a certain measure terrified, and exclaimed, “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been His counsellor? Or who has first given to Him, that it should be recompensed to Him again? Because of Him, and through Him, and in Him, are all things: to Him be glory for ages of ages.”305    Rom. xi. 33 ff. Let them not, then, dare to pry into that unsearchable question who defend merit before grace, and therefore even against grace, and wish first to give unto God, that it may be given to them again,—first, of course, to give something of free will, that grace may be given them again as a reward; and let them wisely understand or faithfully believe that even what they think that they have first given, they have received from Him, from whom are all things, by whom are all things, in whom are all things. But why this man should receive, and that should not receive, when neither of them deserves to receive, and whichever of them receives, receives undeservingly,—let them measure their own strength, and not search into things too strong for them. Let it suffice them to know that there is no unrighteousness with God. For when the apostle could find no merits for which Jacob should take precedence of his twin-brother with God, he said, “What, then, shall we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? Away with the thought! For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will show compassion on whom I will show compassion. Therefore it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.”306    Rom. ix. 14 ff. Let, therefore, His free compassion be grateful to us, even although this profound question be still unsolved; which, nevertheless, is so far solved as the same apostle solves it, saying, “But if God, willing to show His wrath, and to demonstrate His power, endured in much patience the vessels of wrath which are fitted to destruction; and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He has prepared for glory.”307    Rom. ix. 22, 23. Certainly wrath is not repaid unless it is due, lest there be unrighteousness with God; but mercy, even when it is bestowed, and not due, is not unrighteousness with God. And hence, let the vessels of mercy understand how freely mercy is afforded to them, because to the vessels of wrath with whom they have common cause and measure of perdition, is repaid wrath, righteous and due. This is now enough in opposition to those who, by freedom of will, desire to destroy the liberality of grace.

16. Sed quare istos homines oves facit, et istos non facit, apud quem non est acceptio personarum (Rom. II, 11)? Ipsa est quaestio, quam beatus Apostolus curiosius quam capacius proponentibus ait, O homo, tu quis es ut respondeas Deo? Numquid dicit figmentum ei qui se finxit, Quare sic me fecisti (Id. IX, 20)? Ipsa est quaestio, quae ad illam pertinet altitudinem, 0621 quam perspicere volens idem apostolus, quodam modo expavit, et exclamavit: O altitudo divitiarum sapientiae et scientiae Dei! quam inscrutabilia sunt judicia ejus, et investigabiles viae ejus! Quis enim cognovit sensum Domini? aut quis consiliarius ejus fuit? Aut quis prior dedit illi, et retribuetur ei? Quoniam ex ipso, et per ipsum, et in ipso sunt omnia: ipsi gloria in saecula saeculorum (Rom. XI, 33-36). Non itaque istam scrutari audeant inscrutabilem quaestionem, qui meritum ante gratiam, et ideo jam contra gratiam defendentes, priores volunt dare Deo, ut retribuatur eis; priores utique dare quodlibet ex libero arbitrio, ut sit gratia retribuenda pro praemio: et sapienter intelligant, vel fideliter credant, etiam quod se putant, priores dedisse, ab illo ex quo sunt omnia, per quem sunt omnia, in quo sunt omnia, percepisse. Cur autem iste accipiat, ille non accipiat, cum ambo non mereantur accipere, et quisquis eorum acceperit , indebite accipiat, vires suas metiantur, et fortiora se non scrutentur (Eccli. III, 22). Sufficiat eis scire quod non sit iniquitas apud Deum. Cum enim nulla merita invenisset Apostolus, quibus Jacob geminum apud Deum praecederet fratrem: Quid ergo dicemus, inquit? numquid est apud Deum iniquitas? Absit. Moysi enim dicit: Miserebor cui misertus ero; et misericordiam praestabo cui misericors fuero. Igitur non volentis, neque currentis, sed miserentis est Dei. Grata sit ergo nobis ejus gratuita miseratio, etiamsi haec profunda insoluta sit quaestio. Quae tamen eatenus solvitur, quatenus eam solvit idem apostolus, dicens: Si autem Deus volens ostendere iram et demonstrare potentiam suam, attulit in multa patientia vasa irae, quae perfecta sunt in perditionem, et ut notas faceret divitias gloriae suae in vasa misericordiae, quae praeparavit in gloriam (Rom. IX, 14-16, 22, 23). Ira quippe non redditur, nisi debita, ne sit iniquitas apud Deum: misericordia vero etiam cum praebetur indebita, non est iniquitas apud Deum. Et hinc intelligunt vasa misericordiae, quam gratuita illis misericordia praebeatur, quod irae vasis cum quibus est eis perditionis causa et massa communis, ira debita et justa rependitur. Haec jam satis sint adversus eos, qui per arbitrii libertatem destruere volunt gratiae largitatem.