Fathers

Two Dissertations · §118

Cap. 6 Arg. 8 Secundo close: Ep. 107, Prosper, Fulgentius—vivifying grace not seized by native liberty

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Our last Augustine witness is Epistle 107. Against the Pelagians he lists twelve catholic sentences; the fourth is, We know God's grace is not given to all. And lest anyone claim Christ's death made this grace prepared and offered to everyone, had or missed only as people choose to take or refuse it, sentences five and six shut that door too—more on that shortly. From Augustine we come to Prosper. In the Genoese Excerpts, answer to doubt 7: when the word of truth is preached, some believe willingly and some do not—but only because God has opened some hearts and not others. That is to say, the grace of faith is given to some and denied to others. Answer to the eighth doubt: of Tyre and Sidon what can we say but that it was not given them to believe? Why denied—let them tell if they can. Prosper asserts two things: the gift of faith is denied to some, and the reason is unsearchable. In On the Ungrateful 6 he sets out the Pelagian error: that without choosing persons, law or Christ's grace wills to save every human, and the Caller's gift is so laid open that anyone can reach it by his own liberty and strength. Chapter 10 paints the Semi-Pelagian colors; chapter 11 rejects them: Tell us how you prove Christ's grace passes by none of all who are born. For Prosper, to defend grace given to all is a strand of Pelagian poison. Hear Fulgentius. On the Truth of Predestination: the holy Fathers, holding apostolic truth, knew for certain—and left it in books—that God's grace is not given generally to all. A little later: no one can desire, ask, or even know that grace unless he first receives it from God. Again: do not think God's grace is given to all. Not all have faith; some do not receive God's charity so as to be saved. That they neither believe nor love the Lord is the fault of the human will, which, until divine gift-grace changes it, either fails to understand God's commands or despises them once understood. What could be plainer? Vivifying grace is not given to all, and no one has it unless it is given from above. Clearer still, On the Incarnation and Grace of Jesus Christ, p. 89: God who prepares the will is the One who gives it. If he has not given that will by his grace, a person can never will to believe in God—because grace does not find the will ready; it works the will in the person. So the Fathers who warred on Pelagians and Semi-Pelagians speak with one voice: vivifying, saving grace is not given to all; the spoiled will that lacks it can by its own fault scorn grace and push away what is offered in outward means; but it cannot, by right of native liberty, snatch this life-giving grace and drag it to itself.

Latin

Ultimum testimonium quod ex Augustino afferimus, erit illud quod exstat Epistola 107, ubi recenset contra Pelagianos duodecim sententias ad fidem catholicam pertinentes, quarum quarta est, Scimus gratiam Dei non dari omnibus hominibus. Ne autem quis obtendat, morte Christi id effectum esse ut omnibus praeparetur et offeratur haec gratia, quamvis habeatur aut non habeatur prout homines eam accipere aut non accipere voluerint, hoc etiam sententia quinta et sexta excluditur: Qua de re plura mox dicemus. Ab Augustino ad Prosperum descendamus. Ad Excerpta Genuens. Resp. ad dub. 7. dicit, Cum verbum veritatis praedicatur, alios voluntate credere, alios non credere; sed cum illorum corda Deus aperuerit, illorum autem non aperuerit. Quod perinde est ac si dixisset, gratiam fidei dari quibusdam, negari aliis. Et Resp. ad dub. octavum, De Tyriis et Sidoniis quid aliud possumus dicere quam, non esse eis datum ut crederent? Quare autem hoc eis negatum fuerit, dicant si possunt, &c. Duo asserit Prosper: unum, Quod donum fidei negetur quibusdam hominibus; alterum, Quod causa cur negetur sit inscrutabilis. Denique, in libro De Ingratis, cap. 6. tanquam Pelagianorum errorem proponit, Quod sine dilectu seu lex seu gratia Christi omnem hominem salvare velit; donumque vocantis sic sit propositum ut nullus non possit ad illud libertate sua proprioque vigore venire. Dein Semipelagianorum sententiam depingit, hisce coloribus, Cap. 10; quam capite 11. rejicit hisce verbis: Dic, unde probes quod gratia Christi nullum omnino hominem de cunctis qui generantur praetereat? Prospero igitur habetur Pelagianae virulentiae fibra, si quis gratiam omnibus datam defendat. Fulgentium jam audiamus. Is in libro De verit. praedest. haec habet: Sancti Patres, Apostolicae praedicationis tenentes veritatem, certissime cognoverunt, cognoscendaque libris reliquerunt, gratiam Dei non omnibus hominibus generaliter dari. Paulo post: Ipsam gratiam nullus hominum desiderare vel poscere, sed nec cognoscere poterit, nisi eam prius a Deo accipiat. Idem ibidem: Non ergo putemus gratiam Dei omnibus hominibus dari. Non enim omnium est fides, et quidam charitatem Dei non recipiunt ut salvi fiant: In quibus tamen, ut non credant, neque diligant Dominum, humanae voluntatis est vitium, quae, quandiu gratia Divini muneris non mutatur, aut praecepta Dei non intelligit, aut intellecta contemnit, &c. Quid apertius, quam, si Fulgentius audiatur, gratiam vivificantem non dari omnibus a Deo, nec posse ab ullo haberi cui non desuper data fuerit? Si clariora desiderentur, addo illud ex libro De incarnat. et grat. Jesu Christi, pag. 89: Deus qui voluntatem praeparat, ipse eam donat. Quam si Deus per suam gratiam homini non dederit, nunquam potest homo in Deum velle credere, quia ipsam voluntatem gratia non invenit, sed operatur in homine. Videtis esse concordem eorum Patrum sententiam, qui Pelagianis et Semipelagianis bellum indixerunt: Gratiam vivificantem et salutiferam non dari omnibus hominibus; ac voluntatem vitiatam cui non datur, posse quidem suo vitio gratiam fastidire, et in mediis externis oblatam repellere; non posse autem hanc vivificam gratiam pro jure innatae suae libertatis arripere, et ad se pertrahere.

About this text

John Davenant — Dissertationes duae from the 1650 Cambridge Latin. Honest partial through De praedestinatione Cap. 1 subject tip; Cap. 1 mid-Thesis and remainder remain; De praedestinatione Cap. 1 Prolegomena IV distinguishing conditions tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Variae (Pelagian opening) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Scholastici / Vasquez Arg. 1 tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 2 praescientia tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 3 (1 Cor. 2:9) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 4 (2 Tim. 2:21) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 5 (1 Tim. 2:4) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 6 (James 2:5) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. II Arg. 7 (Apoc. 3:11) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 1 (common inefficacious will) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 2 (Vasquez physical vs moral media) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 3 (king/prize / victory foresight) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 4 (optimum modus / crown of justice) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 5 (acceptor personarum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 6 (misericordia/congruitas) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 7 (equal disposition) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 8 (few saved / major part) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 9 (Stephen / glory from others' sins) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 10 (mere beneplacitum / Predestinati) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III reprobation ratio (foresight of sin) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 12 (efficacious election / free choice) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 13 (hortation/prayer) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. III Rat. 14 (decree/execution conformity) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arminianorum open tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 1 Sol tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 7 (τρόπος; Rom. 9:22) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 8 (ordo exsecutionis) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. IV Arg. 9 (Christus fundamentum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 1 (amor ad salutem) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 2 (actualis vitae datio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 3 (qualis existens) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 4 (justitiae satisfactio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 5 (natura vitae aeternae) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 6 (Christus a decreto) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 7 (Evangelium invertitur) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. V Obj. 8 (arcana/revelata) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI (Orthodoxa sententia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 2 (gratia specialis) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 3 (Scripturae) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 4 (vocatio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 5 (adjutorium) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 7 (inconveniens) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 8 (perseverantia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 9 (unica ratio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 10 (abyssus) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 11 (efficacia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 12 (segregativum) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VI Arg. 13 (pura gratia) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VII open (reprobatio) tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VII Junius trifariam tip; De praedestinatione Cap. VIII open (adversariorum) tip; Cap. VIII peccata-causa tip; Cap. VIII fewer-reprobates tip; Cap. VIII Argentina tip; Cap. VIII dives-misericordia tip; Cap. VIII Corvinus tip into Cap. IX; Cap. IX Ab Adae tip; Cap. IX Ab Adae Christus omnibus+Minor tip; Cap. IX Arg. 3 Sol tip; Cap. IX vocatione Evangelica tip; Cap. IX vocatione Sol cont. tip; Cap. IX Arg. 6 Sol cont. tip.

English follows locked 1650 Cambridge Latin of De morte Christi Cap. 1-6 opening (origin + Thesis 1 + Cap. 2 Rat. 1-ultima + Cap. 3 Satisfit through Obj. 17 + Cap. 4 Thesis 2 tip through Mem. 1 close + Cap. 4 Mem. 2 through Mem. 3 tip + Cap. 4 Mem. 3 possible-faith through Thesis 2 close + Cap. 5 Thesis 3 tip through Mem. 2 Scripture close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Rat. 1-4 + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Fathers tip + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Huberiana objections tip through Obj. 3 Solut close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 elect-from-eternity objections tip through Obj. 3 Solut close + Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Scripture elect objections tip through Cap. 5 thesis close + Cap. 6 opening tip through Arg. 1 close before Arg. 2), reconstructed from the Internet Archive PDF (pdftotext + tesseract) of the Roger Daniel folio with DjVu OCR check. The 1683 reprint was not used as copy-text. No modern English was copied.

Witnesses

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