Chapter 23.—Those Who are Called According to the Purpose Alone are Predestinated.

For this reason the apostle, when he had said, “We know that to those who love God He worketh all things together for good,”—knowing that some love God, and do not continue in that good way unto the end,—immediately added, “to them who are the called according to His purpose.”87    Rom. viii. 28. For these in their love for God continue even to the end; and they who for a season wander from the way return, that they may continue unto the end what they had begun to be in good. Showing, however, what it is to be called according to His purpose, he presently added what I have already quoted above, “Because whom He did before foreknow, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called,” to wit, according to His purpose; “and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.”88    Rom. viii. 29. All those things are already done: He foreknew, He predestinated, He called, He justified; because both all are already foreknown and predestinated, and many are already called and justified; but that which he placed at the end, “them He also glorified” (if, indeed, that glory is here to be understood of which the same apostle says, “When Christ your life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory”89    Col. iii. 4.), this is not yet accomplished. Although, also, those two things—that is, He called, and He justified—have not been effected in all of whom they are said,—for still, even until the end of the world, there remain many to be called and justified,—nevertheless, He used verbs of the past tense, even concerning things future, as if God had already arranged from eternity that they should come to pass. For this reason, also, the prophet Isaiah says concerning Him, “Who has made the things that shall be.”90    Isa. xlv. 11. Whosoever, therefore, in God’s most providential ordering, are foreknown, predestinated, called, justified, glorified,—I say not, even although not yet born again, but even although not yet born at all, are already children of God, and absolutely cannot perish. These truly come to Christ, because they come in such wise as He Himself says, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will not cast out;”91    John vi. 37. and a little after He says, “This is the will of the Father who hath sent me, that of all that He hath given me I shall lose nothing.”92    John vi. 39. From Him, therefore, is given also perseverance in good even to the end; for it is not given save to those who shall not perish, since they who do not persevere shall perish.

23. Propter hoc Apostolus cum dixisset, Scimus quoniam diligentibus Deum omnia cooperatur in bonum; sciens nonnullos diligere Deum, et in eo bono usque in finem non permanere, mox addidit, his qui secundum propositum vocati sunt. Hi enim in eo quod diligunt Deum, permanent usque in finem; et qui ad tempus inde deviant, revertuntur, ut usque in finem perducant, quod in bono esse coeperunt. Ostendens autem quid sit secundum propositum vocari, mox addidit ea quae jam supra posui, Quoniam quos ante 0930 praescivit, et praedestinavit conformes imaginis Filii ejus, ut sit ipse primogenitus in multis fratribus: quos autem praedestinavit, illos et vocavit, scilicet secundum propositum; quos autem vocavit, ipsos et justificavit; quos autem justificavit, ipsos et glorificavit (Rom. VIII, 28-30). Illa omnia jam facta sunt, praescivit, praedestinavit, vocavit, justificavit; quoniam et omnes jam praesciti ac praedestinati sunt, et multi jam vocati atque justificati: quod autem posuit in fine, illos et glorificavit (siquidem illa gloria est hic intelligenda, de qua idem dicit, Cum Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc et vos cum illo apparebitis in gloria [Coloss. III, 4]), nondum factum est. Quamvis et illa duo, id est, vocavit et justificavit, non in omnibus facta sint, de quibus dicta sunt; adhuc enim usque in finem saeculi multi vocandi et justificandi sunt: et tamen verba praeteriti temporis posuit de rebus etiam futuris, tanquam jam fecerit Deus, quae jam ut fierent ex aeternitate disposuit. Ideo de illo dicit et propheta Isaias, Qui fecit quae futura sunt (Isai XLV, sec. LXX). Quicumque ergo in Dei providentissima dispositione praesciti, praedestinati, vocati, justificati, glorificati sunt, non dico etiam nondum renati, sed etiam nondum nati, jam filii Dei sunt, et omnino perire non possunt. Hi vere veniunt ad Christum; quia ita veniunt, quomodo ipse dicit, Omne quod dat mihi Pater, ad me veniet; et eum qui venit ad me, non ejiciam foras. Et paulo post, Haec est, inquit, voluntas ejus qui misit me Patris, ut omne quod dedit mihi non perdam ex eo (Joan. VI, 37, 39). Ab illo ergo datur etiam perseverantia in bono usque in finem: neque enim datur, nisi eis qui non peribunt; quoniam qui non perseverant peribunt.