Beveridge on Article X: Of Free-Will

from heaven to earth ; he fell from the height of happiness to the depth of misery, for he fell from holiness into sin. And ever since man first fell from holiness to sin, he hath been unable to rise again from sin to holiness. Ever since he first chose the evil before the good, he hath been unable to choose the good before the evil. I know that as he was @created at the first with freedom of will, he had power so to choose the good as to refuse the evil, and so to refuse the evil as to choose the good. And I know also, that when he fell from God he did» not quite lose that freedom of his will, for he is

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Quis autem nostrum dicat quod primi hominis peccato perierit libe-

Arr. X. Of Freewill. 275 still a reasonable creature, and¢ wheresoever there is reagon in the understanding there is freedom in the will. But I know withal, that this freedom of will is much corrupted and dege- nerated now since the fall, from what it was before the fall. Then it was free to choose the good as well as the evil; now it is free to choose the evil but not the good: then it was free from sin to holiness; now it is free from holiness to sin: then it could so refuse the evil as to choose the good, and so choose the good as to refuse the evil; but now it ean only so refuse the good as to choose the evil, and so choose the evil as to refuse the good. So that though the fall did not destroy it, yet it corrupted it ; though the will be still 4free, yet not to God, not to grace, not to piety, but only to the world, to sin, and to iniquity. And therefore it is, that as man will- ingly fell into sin at first, so he willingly lies in it still; and the only reason why he doth not rise again to holiness is, e because he will not: nay, he so will not, that of himself he cannot will it. For his will being itself corrupted, it cannot but choose and delight in corruption; and so it must neces- sarily refuse what is good and honest: which necessity doth

rum arbitrium de humano genere? Libertas quidem periit per peccatum, sed illa que in paradiso fuit habendi cum plena immortalitate justitiam, propter quod natura humana divina indiget gratia, dicente Domino, si vos Filius liberaverit, tunc vere liberi eritis, utique liberi ad bene justeque agendum. Nam liberum arbitrium usque adeo in peccatore non periit, ut per illud peccent maxime omnes qui cum delectatione peccant et amore peccati; hoc eis placet quod eis libet: Unde et apostolus, cum essetis, inquit, servi peccati, &c. Aug. contra duas epist. Pelag. 1. 1. [s. vol. X.] ; ,

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d Ex quo enim primus homo na- turam suam voluntarie vitiavit, at- que oppressit infirmitas, nisi divine gratie medicamento preventum in unoquoque homine sanetur atque adjuvetur liberum indesinentur arbi- trium. Est quidem liberum non tamen bonum; est liberum non ta- men sanum; est liberum non tamen justum. Et quanto magis a bonitate, rectitudine, sanitate, justitiaque libe- rum, tanto magis malitic, perversi- tatis, infirmitatis atque iniquitatis mortifera servitute captivum., Ful- gent. de incarn. et grat. Christi, [38.] V. et Cassiodor. in Psal. exvii.

e Nam quod surgere anima per se jam non potest que per se cadere potuit, voluntas in causa est, que corrupti corporis vitiato et vitioso amore languescens, et jacens, amo- rem pariter justitize non admittit. Bernard. super Cantica, serm. 81,

rQ

ART.

276 Of Freewill.

not excuse the will, as the will doth not exclude the necessity ; for indeed it is a willing necessity. As the angels necessarily love God, and yet they love him willingly; so man willingly loves sin, and yet he loves it necessarily, not from any exter- nal but an internal necessity, not forced by others, but allured by himself; his own will being so taken with sin that he cannot but take delight in it, and so averse from holiness that he cannot turn to it.

And this is that which is here said, The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God ; he cannot repent, he cannot believe, he cannot turn to God, nay, he cannot so much as prepare him- self for it; and why cannot he, but because he will not? And certainly if he will not, he cannot; it being impossible he should act any such thing contrary to his will: and therefore if he cannot will it, he cannot do it.

Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ’ pre- venting us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have it. In order to the doing of good it is not only necessary the grace of God should turn our wills to it, but assist our wills in it; it is not only necessary that

f Of God’s preventing us with his grace the Fathers often speak. Qui prevenit nolentem ut velit, subse-

gratiam qua potest elisus surgere, et comitantem qua viam recti queat itineris currere, et subsequentem qua

quitur volentem ne frustra velit. Aug. Quis nostrum dicit consentire proprium esse voluntatis, hoc est, ex propriis viribus ? Non hoc dicimus, sed consentire ad voluntatem per- tinere docemus, postquam preeventa est a Domino et sic accepit consen- tiendi potestatem. Id. de grat. et lib. arbit. c.11. Ipsum inquit velle credere aut converti non potest homo habere, nisi per gratiam preevenien- tem acceperit ut posset. Ibid. c. 15. Bonum propositum quidem adjuvat subsequens gratia, sed nec ipsum esset nisi precederet gratia. Id. contra duas epist. Pelag. 1. 2. [22. vol. X.| Ad has (sacras scripturas) si humilis et mitis accesseris, ibi profecto invenies et prevenientem

valeat ad regni ceelestis beatitudinem pervenire. Fulgent. Epist. [VI. 12.] ad Theodor. de conversione. Pre- venit igitur gratia impium ut fiat justus; subsequitur justum ne fiat Impius: preevenit cecum ut lumen quod non invenit donet ; subsequi- tur videntem ut lumen quod contu- lit servet: preevenit elisum ut sur- gat ; subsequitur elevatum ne cadat: preevenit donans homini bonam vo- luntatem; subsequitur benevolen- tem operando in illo boni operis facultatem. Hoc igitur ista miseri- cordia Dei in homine subsequitur Tes preeveniens ipsa largitur. Id.

e predestinatione, ad Monimum, Lor ltet are

X. Of Freewill. Qry

himself sets us on work, but that himself also worketh with us. Without him we cannot begin a good work, without him we cannot carry it on, and without him too we cannot perfect it. And this is a conclusion that necessarily follows upon the premises. For if we cannot turn ourselves to God, we cannot do any thing that is good without the assistance of God him- self, for we cannot do any thing that is good until we are first turned unto God. But of that hereafter. In the meanwhile here it may suffice to consider, whether it be true indeed that a man cannot turn himself to God, and prepare himself for God, unless he receive grace and power from him.

And truly if it hath pleased my glorious Maker to entrust me with any understanding of his holy scriptures, this must needs be the purport and meaning of them; for what else can we understand by these words, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, John vi. 44? None can come by faith to God the Son, but he that is drawn by the grace of God the Father. Though God doth not drive us to Christ, yet he draws us to hims. He doth not drive us against our wills, but he draws us with our wills, making us a willing people in the day of his power, Psalm ex. 3; and until we be thus made willing by the Father we can never come unto the Son, for no man can come to me except the Father draw him. And certainly this was St. Paul’s opinion also, when he said, Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. ii. 5. If we be not sufficient of ourselves to think a good thought, how can we be able without God to act true faith? Our sufficiency, saith he, is of God ; if we be able to do any thing, it is he that makes us able; if we have any suffi-

& Quid hic dicimus fratres? Si trahimur ad Christum ergo inviti credimus? ergo violentia adhibe- tur? non voluntas excitatur? In- trare quisquam ecclesiam potest no- lens, accedere ad altare potest no- lens, accipere potest sacramentum nolens, credere non potest nisi volens. Aug. in Joh. tract. 26. [2. vol. III. p. ii] Noli te cogitare invitum trahi, trahitur animus et amore. Ibid. [4.] Nemo potest ve- nire ad me, nisi Pater qui misit me

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744. 31-]

278 Of Freewill. Arr.

ciency, it is he that gives it. And therefore also it is that our Saviour saith, He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing, John xv. 5.4 He doth not say, there are some things you cannot do without me, or there are many things you cannot do without me, but, without me you can do nothing, nothing good, nothing pleasing and acceptable unto God : whereas if we could either prepare ourselves [to turn, | or turn ourselves when prepared, without him, we should do much. And to put it out of doubt, the same Spirit tells us elsewhere, For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleaswre’, Philipp. ii. 13. It is he that first enables us to will what we ought to do, and then to do what we will. Both the grace we desire, and ‘ our desire of grace, proceeds from him. Without him we could not have any grace we would, and without him we could not will to have any grace at all. So that I am not only bound to thank him for his bestowing grace upon me, but also for my desiring grace of him: for it is he that worketh in me both to will and to do, both to will and desire, and also to act and exercise grace; or, as it

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i Thus the Syriac translation plain-

ly renders the words, on [aS

— @] QAD Yant pag

y2 SPO OM pAMSA gC] fo oha| <s2 1. e. For God himself

stirs up in you both to will, and also to do what you will. As it is he that enables our hearts to will what to act, so it is he that enables our hands to act what we will.

x That the very first beginnings and desires of grace are from God, the fathers oft inculcate. Ex lege si ea legitime utamur confugimus ad gratiam; quis autem confugit nisi

cum a Domino gressus viri dirigan- tur? at per hoc desiderare auxilium gratiz initium est gratie. Aug. de corrept. et grat. [2. vol. X.] Homi- nis autem propositum bonum adju- vat quidem subsequens gratia, sed nec ipsum esset nisi precederet gratia. Studium quoque hominis quod dicitur bonum quamvis cum esse cceperit adjuvetur gratia, non tamen incipit sine gratia. Aug. con- tra duas epist. Pelag. 1. 2. [22. vol. X.] Quis istam etsi parvam dare coeperit charitatem, nisi ille qui pree- parat voluntatem, et cooperando per- ficit quod operando incipit? Quo- niam ipse ut velimus operatur inci- piens, qui volentibus cooperatur per- ficiens; propter quod ait apostolus, Certus sum quoniam qui operatur in vobis opus bonum perficiet usque in diem Christi Jesu. Ut ergo velimus sine nobis operatur ; cum autem vo- lumus, et sic volumus ut faciamus, nobiscum cooperatur. ‘Tlamen sine illo vel operante ut velimus vel co- operante cum volumus, ad bona pie-

a. vv © —,

x Of Freewill. Q79 is here expressed in this article, it is he that prevents us that we may have a good will, and it is he that worketh with us when we have that good will. And therefore certainly without him we can neither prepare ourselves for conversion, nor con- vert ourselves after preparation, unless we can prepare our- selves without having a good will, or convert ourselves without acting of it: for it is he alone that giveth this good will to us, and it is he that acteth this good will in us, without whom we could not desire it before we have it, nor act it when we have it.

Neither indeed can I in reason see how man should be able to turn himself from sin to holiness, from evil to good, as considering how he is not of himself able to discern betwixt good and evil, but still takes good for evil, and evil for good, Isa. v. 20, his understanding being so darkened that he can see nothing of God in God, nothing of holiness in holiness, nothing of good in good, nothing of evil in evil, nor any thing of sinfulness in sin. Nay, it is so darkened, that he fancies himself to see good in evil, and evil in good, happiness in sin, and misery in holiness. And therefore the apostle tells us, ! The

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grat. et lib. arb. [33.] Hujus gra- tiz adjutorium semper est nobis a Deo poscendum, sed ne ipsum quod poscimus nostris viribus assigne- mus: neque enim haberi potest ipse saltem orationis affectus nisi divi- nitus fuerit attributus. Ut ergo de- sideremus adjutorium gratiz, hoc ipsum quoque opus est gratiz. Ipsa namque incipit infundi ut incipiat posci; ipsa quoque amplius infundi- tur cum poscentibus datur. Ful- gent. Epist. [6. 10.] ad Theodor. Non enim dicat meum esse velle cre- dere, Dei autem gratic est adjuvare, sed dicat gratiz Dei est pine ut sit meum velle credere. Id. de incarnat. et grat. D. N. Jesu Christi. [Epist. 17. 35-]

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280 Of Freewill. Art.

natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. ii. 14. He is so far from looking upon the wisdom of God as wisdom, that he looks upon it as foolishness. either can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. They are above his reach. So that a man may as well read the letter of the scripture without eyes, as receive the mysteries of the scriptures without grace. Now considering that the will always acteth according to the ultimate dictate of the practical understanding, so as to refuse whatsoever the practical understanding brings before it under the ugly dress of evil; and to choose whatsoever it presents to it under the notion of true good; and seeing that the natural understanding presents the will with evil instead of good, and good instead of evil; it must needs follow, that the will of itself cannot refuse but choose what is truly evil, nor choose but refuse what is truly good, unless it should cross the course of nature in choosing what the understanding saith is evil, and refusing what the understanding dictates as good. And therefore .so long as a man is in his natural estate, it is impossible that of himself he should so much as look after any other, seeing he accounts his own present sinful condition to be the best, and that if he should change, he should but change for the worse.

Nay further, suppose the understanding should be so far enlightened as to discern the evil from the good, yet, for all that, it would be impossible for the will of itself to prefer the good before the evil. For though it be a constant rule in natural things for the will to follow the-last conclusive sen- tence of the practical understanding, yet it is not so in spi- rituals. For though the understanding do present God as the chiefest good, and sin as the greatest evil, yet the will cannot of itself embrace the former nor refuse the latter as it ought to do, and that because itself is corrupted as well as the understanding. And therefore should the understanding per- form its office aright, it doth not follow the will should be able to perform its aright too; for then all the fault would be in the understanding, and the will remain as perfect after its corruption as it was in its first creation. But seeing it. cannot

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X. Of Freewill. 281

be denied but that the ™ will is vitiated and depraved as well as the understanding, it must needs be granted that the will is unable to do its duty as well as the understanding. And hence it is that we find in ourselves, that though God is pleased often so far to enlighten our dark understanding as to discover the beauty of holiness and sinfulness of sin to us, yet we cannot but hate and refuse the former, we cannot but receive and love the latter. This is that which St. Paul had the woful experience of : For that which I do I allow not: for that which I would do, that do I not ; but what I hate, that do I. Rom. vii.15. And if it be so after, how much more is it so before conversion ! And therefore it is requisite, in order to our conversion, that the understanding be not only so enlight- ened as to discern the evil from the good, but that our wills be so rectified as to prefer the good before the evil. By | which rectifying, or bringing of the will into its right order again, its liberty is not destroyed” but healed; so that it is

m Hee voluntas (animalis) vaga, incerta, instabilis, imperita, infirma ad efficiendum, facilis ad audiendum, in cupiditatibus czca, in honoribus tumida, curis anxia, suspicionibus in- quieta, glorize quam virtutum avidior, fame quam conscientie diligentior, et per omnem suam experientiam miserior fruendo iis que concupive- rit quam carendo, nihil in suis habet viribus nisi periculi facilitatem, quo- niam voluntas mutabilis que non ab incommutabili voluntate regitur, tanto citius propinquat iniquitati, quanto acrius intenditur actioni. Prosper (al. Ambros.) de vocat. gent. 1. 1. ¢. [6.] Licet insit homini bo- num nolle, tamen nisi donatum non habet bonum velle. Et illud con- traxit natura per culpam hoc reci- pit natura per gratiam. Ibid. c. [25.] And, in his poetical strain, 1. de in- gratis, c. 27. [p. 563.] the same Fa- ther sings thus :

Hine arbitrium per devia lapsum

Claudicat, et cesis conatibus inque ligatis

Motus inest, non error abest: manet ergo voluntas

Semper amans aliquid quo se ferat, et labyrintho

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Vana cupit, vanis tumet et timet, omni- modaque

Mobilitate ruens in vulnera vulnere surgit.

n Qua gratia humanum non au- fertur sed sanatur, non adimitur sed corrigitur, non removetur sed illumi- natur, non evacuatur sed adjuva- tur atque servatur arbitrium, ut in quo infirmitatem homo habuit, in eo habere incipiat sanitatem ; quo erra- bat eodem in viam redeat; in quo ceecus fuit, in eo accipiat lumen; et ubi fuit iniquus, serviens immun- ditiz et iniquitati ad iniquitatem, ibi gratia preventus atque adjutus serviat justitiz in sanctificationem. Fulgent. de incar. et grat. Christ. [Ep. 17. 41.] Ac per hoc sicut lex non evacuatur sed statuitur per fi- dem, quia fides impetrat gratiam qua lex impleatur ; ita liberum arbitrium non evacuatur per gratiam sed sta- tuitur, quia gratia sanat voluntatem

ua justitia libere diligatur. Aug. e spiritu et lit. ad Marcellin. [52. vol. X. p. 114. ]

282 Of Freewill. Arr.

free after as well as before conversion ; yea, free to God and holiness, as it was before free only to sin and wickedness.

And this was the doctrine of the primitive church. St. Au- gustine (in whose days °Pelagius first rose up against this truth) hath writ several volumes to this purpose, out of which I shall pick out only some few sentences for the confirmation of this truth. p* Neither,” saith he, “doth a man begin to be converted or changed from evil to good by the beginnings of faith, unless the free and undeserved merey of God work it in him.” And presently, 1“ So therefore let the grace of God be accounted of, that from the beginning of his good conversion to the end of his perfection, he that glorieth should glory in the Lord. Because as none can begin a good work without the Lord, so none can perfect it without the Lord.”

And elsewhere the same Father saith, ’“ That the grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord (which the true faith and ca- tholic church always holds) translates or converts both small and great from the death of the first man unto the life of the second, not only by blotting out their sins, but also by helping such as can use the liberty of the will not to sin, but to live holily ; so as that unless he do help, we can have no piety or righteousness in word nor in will; for it 2s God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. For who

© Quis unquam ante profanum ium Pelagium tantam virtutem li- beri preesumpsit arbitrii, ut ad hoc in bonis rebus per actus singulos adjuvandum necessariam Dei gra- tiam non putaret. Vincent. Lyrin. adv. heres. 1. 1. c. 34. [p. 108. ]

P Nec omnino incipit homo ex malo in bonum per initium fidei commutari, nisi hoc in illo agat in- debita et gratuita misericordia Dei. Aug. contra duas epist. Pelag. 1. 2. (23. vol. X.]

® Quod gratia Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum (quod

fides vera et catholica tenet semper ecclesia) pusillos cum magnis a morte primi hominis ad vitam se- cundi hominis transfert, non solum peccata delendo verum etiam ad non peccandum recteque vivendum eos, qui jam uti possunt voluntatis arbi- trio, sic adjuvando, ut nisi adjuvet, nihil pietatis atque justitiz sive in opere sive etiam in ipsa voluntate habere possimus: Deus enim operatur in nobis et velle et operart pro bona voluntate. Nam quis nisi qui venit queerere et salvare quod perierat ab illa perditionis massa et contentione discernit ? Unde apostolus inter- rogat dicens, Quis enim te discernit ? Ubi si dixerit homo, Fides mea, vo- luntas mea, bonum opus meum, re- spondetur ei, Quid enim habes quod non accepisti? Aug. Epist. ad Pau- linum. [186. 3. vol. II. |

=” = |

S. Of Freewill. 283

but he that came to seek and to save that which was lost, can make any one differ from that mass of perdition? Where- fore the apostle asketh the question, saying, For who made thee to differ ? Where if any one say, My faith, my will, my good work ; it is answered him, For what hast thou that thou hast not received 2” And again; s“For it is certain we may keep the commandments of God if we will; but because the will is prepared by the Lord, (it seems not by ourselves,) we must ask of him that we may will as much as is sufficient, that willing we might do. It is certain that we do will when ~ we will, but it is he that makes us that we will what is good.” And presently, t“It is certain that we act when we act, but it is he that maketh us to act, affording most effectual strength unto the will.”

And thus Maxentius tells us, ‘‘‘We believe that the natural freewill is able to do no more than to discern and desire carnal or worldly things; which not with God, yet per- haps amongst men may seem glorious: but those things which belong to eternal life, it can neither think, nor will, nor desire, nor perform, but only by the infusion and inward working of the Holy Ghost, which is also the Spirit of Christ.”

Fulgentius hath also many things to this purpose, that it is God that both prepares our hearts for grace, and increaseth that grace in our hearts. *‘ From whence we know,” saith he, “it is from God that we are willing to do good, and that we are able to do good.” And elsewhere, ¥“‘ We have not

s Certum est enim nos servare mandata si volumus: sed quia pre- paratur voluntas a Domino ab illo petendum est ut tantum velimus quantum sufficit, ut volendo, facia- mus. Certum est nos velle cum volumus, sed ille facit ut velimus bonum. Id. de gratia et libero ar- bitrio; ad Valentinum. [32. vol. X.]

t Certum est nos facere cum faci- mus, sed ille facit ut faciamus pree- bendo vires efficacissimas voluntati. Thid.

u Liberum naturale arbitrium ad nihil aliud valere credimus nisi ad discernenda tantum et desideranda carnalia sive secularia; que non

apud Deum sed apud homines pos- sunt fortassis videri gloriosa: ad ea vero que ad vitam eternam perti- nent nec cogitare, nec velle, nec de- siderare, nec perficere posse, nisi per infusionem et inoperationem in- trinsecus Spiritus Sancti, qui est etiam Spiritus Christi. Maxent. Confess. fidei. [Bibl. Max. Patr. vol. IX. p. 537. |

x Unde cognoscimus Dei esse ut bonum facere velimus, et ut bonum facere valeamus. Fulg. de predest. ad Monim. 1. 1. [cap. ix.]

y Non ergo Spiritum Sanctum quia credimus sed ut crederemus accepimus. Forma enim precessit

Arr.

284 Of Freewill.

therefore received the Spirit of God because we do believe, but that we may believe. For the same manner went before in the flesh of Christ, that we should spiritually acknowledge in our faith. For Christ the Sen of God was according to the flesh conceived by the Holy Ghost and born; but that flesh the Virgin could neither conceive nor ever bring forth, unless the Holy Ghost had wrought the rising of the same flesh. And so in the heart of man faith can neither be con- ceived nor increased, unless the Holy Ghost doth both pour it in and nourish it.” And therefore he tells us in another place, “He delivers us not by finding faith in any man, but by giving it.” And presently, *“ But it is clear because, that a man should begin to believe in God, he receiveth from God repentance unto life ; so that he could not believe at all unless he receiveth repentance by the gift of the merciful God. But what is man’s repentance but the changing of the will? God therefore that giveth man repentance doth also change his will.”

The second council of Orange, an. Dom. 529, determined many things to this purpose; amongst the rest they say, b«Tf any man say that mercy is conferred by God upon us believing, willing, desiring, endeavouring, labouring, watching, studying, asking, seeking, knocking, without the grace of God,

in carne Christi quam in nostra fide spiritualiter agnoscamus. NamChris- tus Filius Dei secundum carnem de Spiritu Sancto conceptus et natus est; carnem autem illam nec conci- pere virgo possit aliquando nec pa- Tere, nisi ejusdem carnis Spiritus Sanctus operaretur exortum. Sic ergo in hominis corde nee concipi fides poterit nec augeri, nisi eam Spiritus S. effundat et nutriat. Id. de incarn. et grat. Christi; [ep. XVil. 40. |

z Liberavit autem non in quolibet homine fidem inveniendo sed dando. Ibid. [34.]

a Claret tamen quia ut homo in Deum credere incipiat a Deo accipit penitentiam ad vitam, ita ut omnino credere non possit nisi poenitentiam dono Dei miserantis acceperit. Que est autem peenitentia hominis nisi

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Si quis sine gratia Dei credenti- bus, volentibus, desiderantibus, co- nantibus, laborantibus, vigilantibus, studentibus, petentibus, qurenti- bus, pulsantibus, nobis misericor- diam dicit conferri divinitus, non autem ut credamus, velimus, vel heee omnia sicut oportet agere va- leamus per infusionem et inspira- tionem Spiritus S. in nobis fieri confitetur, et aut humilitati aut obe- dientize humane subjungit gratie adjutorium, nec ut chetidhies et humiles simus ipsius gratie donum esse consensit, resistit Apostolo di- centi, Quid habes quod non accepisti? Et gratia Dei sum id quod sum. Con- cil. Arausic, II, Can, vi. [vol. p. 1099. ]

Of Freewill. 285

but doth not confess that it is only by the infusion and inspi- ration of the Holy Ghost into us that we believe, will, and are able to do all these things as we ought to do, and maketh the help of grace to follow after either man’s humility or obe- dience, nor will grant that it is the gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he resisteth the apostle, saying, What hast thow that thow hast not received 2? and, By the grace of God I am what I am.”

And so the African council too: ¢“ We determine that the sentence against Pelagius and Ccelestius, uttered by the reverend bishop Innocent from the see of the blessed apostle, do remain until they acknowledge by open confession, that the grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord doth help us by single acts, not only to know, but also to do righteousness ; so that without it we can neither have, think, speak, nor do any true and holy piety.” So that we may well conclude this with that of Alcuinus ;. 4“ I could defile myself, but I cannot cleanse myself, unless thou, O Lord Jesu, by the sprinkling of thy blood, dost make me clean:” or that of Ambrosius Ansbertus ; ¢ “It is by God’s preventing grace that we are saved, and it is by his subsequent grace that we are justified ;” so that we cannot turn or prepare ourselves, by our own strength, to faith and calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have it.

Concil. African.

e Constituimus in Pelagium et Ceelestium per venerandum epi- scopum Innocentium de beatissimi Apostoli sede prolatam manere sen- tentiam, donec apertissima confes- sione fateantur gratiam Dei per Jesum Christum Dominum nos- trum, non solum ad cognoscendam verum etiam ad faciendam justi- tiam nos per actus singulos adjuvare ; ita ut sine ila nihil vere sancte- que pietatis habere, cogitare, dicere,

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e Preveniente gratia salvamur subsequente justificamur. Ambros. Ansbert. in Apoc. 1. [ult. vol. X.

p- 441.]

Notes

• Sic itaque Dei gratia cogitetur, ut ab initio bon mutationis sue usque in finem consummationis qui glo- riatur in Domino glorietur. Quia sicut nemo potest bonum inchoare sine Domino, sic nemo perficere sine Domino. Ibid.