Works 3 part 2/2

But it is said by our adversaries most ineptly and most inconsiderately that through this grace of God nothing is left to free will. For although in little ones passing through baptism most manifestly no work and no appetite of their will exists, and although the liberating regeneration sanctifies very many who indeed use free will, but who, turned away from the true God and spending their life in disgraceful deeds, are sanctified at the very end of their expiring breath—nevertheless, if we consider with a devout gaze that portion of the sons of God which is reserved for works of piety, shall we not find in them free will not destroyed, but reborn? For surely, when it was alone and left to itself, it moved only to its own ruin.

For it had blinded itself, and could not enlighten itself. But now this same will is converted, not overturned; and it has been granted to it to will otherwise, to be wise otherwise, to act otherwise, and to place its safety not in itself, but in the Physician: because it does not yet so perfectly use its health that the things which had harmed it can no longer harm it, or that it can by its own strength refrain from what is unwholesome. Accordingly, the man who was evil in free will, in that very free will has been made good; but evil through himself, good through God;

He who thus reformed him by another beginning into that original honor, so as not only to remit to him the guilt of his evil will and action, but also to grant him to will well, to act well, and to remain in these things. 'For every,' says the apostle James, 'best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, descending from the Father of lights' (James 1:17). He clearly shows what manner of free will it is that is driven by the human spirit, and what manner it is that is governed by God, saying, 'But if you have bitter zeal, and contentions in your hearts, do not glory and be liars against the truth; this is not wisdom descending from above, but earthly, sensual, devilish.'

'For where there is zeal and contention, there is inconstancy and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first indeed chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation' (James 3:14ff.). Whoever, therefore, are zealous for and cleave to these virtues, are illumined not by their own, but by heavenly wisdom: 'For the Lord gives wisdom, and from His face come knowledge and understanding' (Prov. 2:6). And this is their truest glory, if they glory not in themselves, but in the Lord. CHAP. XVIII.

But those things which, concerning fate and concerning two masses and two natures, are bandied about with a most foolish falsehood, to the injury of so great a man, neither burden him at all, in whose books errors of this kind are most copiously demolished; nor do they disturb us, who detest such opinions together with their authors (See Augustine, Book 2 Against Two Epistles of the Pelagians, ch. 6 and 7, and Book 4 Against Julian, ch. 8, in the appendix below, part 2). But let them see how they may strip themselves of the disgrace of this falsehood, who are able to fabricate such absurdities, if those whose ears they abuse will direct a little diligence to coming to know the things which the most excellent minister of grace has discussed:

although those very men who speak these things ought to forestall all the delay of this inquiry, by bringing forth and explaining the books, or by demonstrating any particle of them which the holy man may have put forth as liable, at least through a doubtful sense, to such an interpretation. But they have heard nothing of the sort among us, they have read nothing of the sort: because we know that nothing is done by fate, but that all things are ordered by the judgment of God; nor that out of two masses or two natures, but that out of one mass, which is the flesh of the first man, the one nature of all men has been created and is created, and that this same nature has been laid low through the free will of that first man himself, in whom all have sinned (Rom. 5:12);

nor in any way is it free from the debt of eternal death, unless the grace of Christ has reformed it unto the image of God by a second creation, and has preserved its free will by acting, by inspiring, by aiding, and by going before it even unto the end. EPILOGUE. Wherefore, since your holiness perceives (if only the obscurity of my discourse does not stand in the way) that certain ones complain about us in vain, and that all those inept accusations have been woven together to exasperate and turn away the minds of those whom they wish to persuade of something else: have confidence therefore in the power of the mercy of God, since this contradiction, just as in other parts of the world, so also in these regions will come to rest:

so that the preaching of the foremost man of this time in the Church may be aided even by those by whom at present it is repelled. But you, my most beloved and most venerable brother, if you truly desire to be instructed in these questions, as it is fitting for you to desire, bestow your care upon coming to know the very disputations of blessed Augustine, that in confessing the grace of God you may attain the most purified and most wholesome understanding of evangelical and apostolic doctrine. May the grace of God and the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you at all times, and direct you through the way of truth into eternal life.