Tractatus de Gratia Divina Actuali

This indeed must be certain for a Catholic, who knows that a doctrine preached and defined by the Church in any age can only be ancient. But, setting this extrinsic argument aside, the thesis is proved by proper arguments. And 1) it is evident immediately from the testimony of the Fathers of the fifth century, who testify that the Pelagian doctrine is new and that the Catholic doctrine was received from the preceding Fathers. Indeed, Augustine in De gratia et libero arbitrio, c. 4, says: «Such is the Pelagian heresy, not ancient, but arisen not long before our time.» And in Contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum, Bk. IV, c. 8: «Let those be admonished who think that these men (the Pelagians) have something to say, how, before the new empty talk of these men, Catholic bishops followed the divine utterances in these matters, and let them know that by us the right and anciently founded Catholic faith is defended against the recent presumption and perniciousness of the Pelagian heretics.» Celestine in his epistle to the bishops of Gaul says: «Let novelty cease, if such is the case, to assail antiquity; let unrest cease to disturb the peace of the Churches.»

It is established 2) that the common sense of the faithful in the fifth century abhorred the doctrine of Pelagius; but this could not have come to pass unless the flock of Christ had been so instructed by the preceding pastors. Augustine in turn testifies to this in Serm. XXVI, c. 7: «We are often compelled to dispute with you against the new heresy that attempts to rise up... Those disputing against grace in favor of free will caused offense to pious and catholic ears. They began to be dreaded, they began to be avoided as certain ruin, it began to be said of them that they were disputing against grace.» Vincent of Lérins testifies the same in Common., c. 34: «Who ever, before that profane Pelagius, presumed so great a power of free will as not to think the grace of God necessary to assist it in good things through each single act?» The matter was therefore most thoroughly known to all before and after Pelagius.

There exist 3) direct testimonies of the preceding Fathers, of which it suffices to recite some from each side of the Church, the Western and the Eastern. From the Western Church. Clement of Rome in epist. 1 to Corinthians, n. 32, teaches that «all attained glory and increase not by themselves or by the power of their own works, but by the will of God», and in like manner that we obtain justice not by our own power or wisdom, nor by good works done by us with a pure heart, but through faith, by which God sanctified all from the beginning»; and accordingly in n. 38 he forbids the chaste man to be puffed up with pride, since he knows that it is another who bestows continence. Irenaeus, Bk. III, adv. haeres., c. 20, n. 3, says «Paul, announcing the infirmity of man, says: For I know that good does not dwell in my flesh, signifying that the good of our salvation is not from us but from God.»

»The Lord taught that no one can know God unless God teaches, that is, without God, God is not known.»Bk. IV, c. 6, n. 4. And in the same book III, c. 17, n. 2: «The Lord promised to send the Paraclete, who would fit us for God. For just as from dry wheat one mass cannot be made without moisture, nor one bread, so neither could we, being many, become one in Christ Jesus without the water which is from heaven. And just as dry ground, if it does not receive moisture, does not bear fruit, so also we, being at first dry wood, would never bear fruit unto life without the supernal voluntary rain.»

Tertullian, De Anima, c. 21: «A bad tree will not give good fruits if it is not grafted, and a good one will give bad ones if it is not cultivated. And the stones will become sons of Abraham if they are formed into the faith of Abraham. And the offspring of vipers will produce the fruit of penance if they spit out the poisons of malice. This will be the power of divine grace, more powerful indeed than nature, having in us the free power of the will lying subject to it.»

Cyprian (to whom Augustine appeals more than once, as in bk. IV contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum, c. 9) in the Epistle to Donatus: «You yourself know (the wonderful effects of baptism in me), and I do not proclaim them; boasting in one's own praises is an odious thing: although whatever is not ascribed to the power of man, but is proclaimed of the gift of God, can be not a boast but a grateful thing: so that not to sin has begun to be of faith, what before was sin, was of human error. Of God, I say, of God is all that we are able; from there we live, from there we prevail, from there, having received and conceived vigor while still placed here, we foreknow the signs of future things.»

And in bk. III of the Testimoniorum ad Quirinum he teaches that «one must glory in nothing, since nothing is ours.» Which he also proves by testimonies of Scripture: «What do you have that you have not received? etc. No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.»

Arnobius the African, Contra Gentes, bk. II, c. 33: «You place the salvation of your souls in yourselves and trust that you are made gods by your own inward effort. But we promise ourselves nothing from our weakness, looking upon our nature as having no strength and as being overcome by its own affections in every contest of things. You, when once released from the knots of your members you have departed, think that wings will be at hand for you, by which you may proceed to heaven and fly to the stars; we dread so great audacity, nor do we think it to be placed in our own power to seek things above.»

Hilary in Psal. 118, v. 1: «The justifications are many...» and diverse, to be observed in the several kinds of duties; for the keeping of which, unless we are directed by the Lord, we shall always be weak through our nature. We must therefore be aided by his grace and directed, so that we may attain the order of the prescribed justifications ... Nor will anyone be able to attain the eternity of that blessed life by his own merit, unless he is borne forward by the mercies of him who is the Father of mercies. And in Psalm 123, n. 2: «What place of glorying is left to us who remember that all things are from God? If the mercy of God is not needed in all things, let us also claim all things for ourselves, as if they were from ourselves.» Ambrose (of whom Augustine relates several testimonies together with Cyprian in the cited book) in his commentary on Luke, Bk. II, n. 84, says «You see assuredly that everywhere the power of the Lord cooperates with human endeavors, so that no one can build without the Lord, no one can guard without the Lord, no one can begin anything without the Lord.» And in the exposition of the prophet Isaiah (cf. August. in the work now cited, c. 11) he teaches that, because human care without divine aid is weak for healing, it requires God as helper, and that to pray to God is a spiritual grace; for no one says Lord Jesus except in the Holy Spirit. And in the book De fuga seculi, c. 1: «Who is so blessed that he always ascends in his heart? But who can do this without the help of God? in no way indeed» and c. 3: «The law was able to stop the mouth of all, it was not able to convert the mind» and c. 7: «The law condemns the deed, it does not take away malice.»

From the Eastern Church. Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, c. 1: «I glorify Jesus Christ God, who has made you so wise.» But how? gather it from what follows: c. 11: «according to the will (of God) I have been made worthy, not according to my own conscience, but through the grace of God, which I ask to be granted to me entirely, so that through your prayers I may attain God.» And in the epistle to Polycarp, n. 7: «That you devote yourselves to God is both the work of God and yours.» Justin in the Dialogue with Trypho, n. 102, citing the words of the Psalm: You are my God, depart not from me, teaches that we are taught by this prayer «that all ought to hope in God, who created all things, and to seek from him salvation and help.» Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. XIII, n. 8, teaches that the act of faith is a gift of God and to be sought by prayers: «God, entreated by your prayers, will grant to believe both to us who speak the words and to you who hear.» Basil in Psalm 33, v. 3, teaches that «salvation consists not in the power or wisdom of man, but in the grace of God» and in the homily on humility, n. 3, says: «nothing is left to you, O man, of which you can glory; whose glorying and hope is placed in this, that you mortify all your own things and seek the future life in Christ, whose firstfruits we, having them, now live in these things wholly in the grace and gift of God. And it is God who works in us both to will and to accomplish for his good will.» Nazianzen, Orat. XXXVII, al. 31a, n. 31: «When you hear that: It is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy, I judge that the same must be thought by you. For since there are some who, on account of right deeds, are so lifted up in their minds that they ascribe all of it to themselves and attribute nothing to the Creator and author of their wisdom and supplier of all goods, Paul teaches them by these words that right willing itself also stands in need of divine help; nay, to speak more rightly, the will itself also and the choice of those things which are right and joined with duty is a certain divine benefit, flowing from the kindness of God. For it is necessary both that this be in our power and that we be saved through God. Therefore he says not of him who wills, that is, not of him who wills alone nor of him who runs alone, but also of God who shows mercy. Thus since a certain willing itself is from God, with the best right he assigned all to God.» Chrysostom, homil. XII on 1 Cor. IV, nn. 1, 2: «You have nothing of your own, but received from God. Why then do you carry yourself as having what you do not have?… You have received not this or that, but all things that you have. For these right deeds are not yours, but of the grace of God. Even if you speak of faith, it exists from the calling; and if you speak of the remission of sins… from there you received all things. What then, he says, do you have that you have not received? But you acted rightly of yourself: you cannot say this, but you received. And on that account do you exalt yourself and please yourself? For that very reason you ought to be kept within the bounds of modesty. For what has been given is not yours, but his who gave. For if you received, you received from him.» The same, hom. VIII on 1 Tim. III, teaches that all evil things come to pass by our will alone; but all good things from our will and his assistance.

II. Now if these testimonies are compared, it is indeed evident that there is lacking the more distinct manner of proposing the dogma, which is proper to the state of controversy; which defect accordingly also finds a place in the peaceful tradition of other dogmas: as regards the sum of the matter, although the tradition be less distinct, it is clear that the same heads of doctrine which were defended in the fifth century had been handed down from antiquity. For it is evident that the Fathers taught that Christian justice cannot be acquired by the powers implanted in nature, that grace is necessary, and that it is an interior grace of illumination and inspiration, by which God works the very willing itself and bestows faith itself, grace without which the law, or external grace, does not suffice, grace which begins good works in us and works them together with us, so that the works are gifts of God, while evils are only ours, that grace must be obtained by prayers, that all our good is from God, and that in nothing are we to glory, because nothing is ours. But this is the very doctrine of Augustine and of the others in the fifth century. Therefore.