On Rebuke and Grace 14–16

Let men, then, allow themselves to be rebuked when they sin, and let them not argue from rebuke against grace, nor from grace against rebuke; for just punishment is due to sin, and just rebuke belongs to it, which is applied as medicine even if the health of the sick man is uncertain: so that if the one rebuked belongs to the number of the predestined, rebuke may be a wholesome medicine to him; but if he does not belong, rebuke may be a penal torment to him. Under this uncertainty, then, it must be applied out of love, since its outcome is unknown; and for him to whom it is applied we must pray that he may be healed. But when men through rebuke either come or return to the way of righteousness, who works salvation in their hearts but he who, whoever plants and waters, and whoever works in the fields or among the shrubs, gives the increase, God, whom, when he wills to save, no human choice resists? For to will or not to will is in the power of the one who wills or does not will in such a way that it does not hinder the divine will nor overcome his power. For even concerning those who do what he does not will, he himself does what he wills. And what is written, that he “wills all men to be saved,” though not all are saved, can be understood in many ways, some of which we have mentioned in other works of ours; but here I will say one. It is said, “He wills all men to be saved,” in such a way that all the predestined are to be understood, because every kind of men is among them. Just as it was said to the Pharisees, “You tithe every herb,” where nothing is to be understood but every herb they had; for they did not tithe every herb in the whole world. According to this manner of speaking it is said, “As I too please all men in all things.” Did he who said this please even his many persecutors? But he pleased every kind of men that the church of Christ was gathering, whether those already placed within it or those to be brought into it. There is, then, no doubt that human wills cannot resist the will of God, who has done whatever he willed in heaven and on earth, and who has even made the things that are to be, so as to prevent him from doing what he wills; since even concerning the very wills of men he does what he wills, when he wills. Unless perhaps (to mention a few out of many) when God willed to give the kingdom to Saul, it was so in the power of the Israelites to submit to that man or not to submit, which was certainly placed in their will, that they were able even to resist God. Yet he did this only through the wills of those men themselves, without doubt having the most omnipotent power of inclining human hearts where he pleased. For thus it is written: “And Samuel sent the people away, and each went to his own place; and Saul went to his house in Gibeah; and there went with Saul the mighty men whose hearts the Lord had touched. And the pestilent men said, ‘How shall this man save us?’ And they despised him and brought him no gifts.” Will anyone say that any of those whose hearts the Lord touched so that they went with him would not have gone with Saul, or that any of the pestilent men, whose hearts he did not touch so that they did this, went? Again, of David, whom the Lord established in the kingdom with more prosperous success, we read thus: “And David went on advancing and growing great, and the Lord was with him.” When this had been said first, a little later it is said: “And the Spirit clothed Amasai, the chief of the thirty, and he said: We are yours, O David, and will be with you, son of Jesse. Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for God has helped you.” Could this man oppose the will of God, and not rather do the will of him who worked in his heart through his Spirit, with whom he was clothed, that he should will, say, and do this? Again a little later the same Scripture says: “All these men of war, setting the battle in array with a peaceable heart, came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel.” Certainly these made David king by their own will. Who does not see this? Who would deny it? For they did not do it without heart or without good will, they who did it with a peaceable heart; and yet he did this in them who works in the hearts of men whatever he wills. That is why Scripture put first, “And David went on advancing and growing great, and the Lord almighty was with him.” And therefore the Lord almighty, who was with him, led these to make him king. And how did he lead them? Did he bind them with any bodily chains? He acted within, held their hearts, moved their hearts, and drew them by their own wills, which he himself worked in them. If, then, when God wills to set up kings on earth, he has the wills of men more in his power than they themselves have their own, who else makes rebuke wholesome and correction take place in the heart of the one rebuked, so that he may be established in the heavenly kingdom?

Let the brothers who are subject, then, be rebuked by those set over them with rebukes coming from love, differing according to the difference of faults, either milder or severer. For even that which is called condemnation, which the bishop's judgment imposes, than which there is no greater punishment in the church, can, if God wills, turn out and profit as a most wholesome rebuke. For we do not know what may happen on the following day; nor is anyone to be despaired of before the end of this life; nor can God be contradicted, so that he may not look on him and give repentance, and, accepting the sacrifice of a troubled spirit and a contrite heart, absolve him from the guilt of a condemnation however just, and himself not condemn the condemned man. Yet pastoral necessity requires, lest dread contagions creep through many, that the diseased sheep be separated from the healthy; perhaps to be healed by that very separation by him to whom nothing is impossible. For since we do not know who belongs to the number of the predestined and who does not, we ought to be so moved by the affection of love as to will all to be saved. This indeed comes about when we try to bring each one, as they come our way and we are able to do it with them, to this: that, being justified by faith, they may have peace with God; which the Apostle too was preaching when he said, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were exhorting through us; we beseech you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.” For what is it to be reconciled to him but to have peace with him? On account of this peace the Lord Jesus himself also said to his disciples: “Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house’; and if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you.” When those of whom it was foretold, “How beautiful are the feet of those who announce peace, who announce good things!”, preach this peace, each one begins to be a son of peace to us when he has obeyed and believed this gospel, and, justified by faith, has begun to have peace with God; but according to the predestination of God he was already a son of peace. For it is not said, “Upon whom your peace rests, he will become a son of peace,” but, “If a son of peace is there,” he says, “your peace will rest upon that house.” Already, then, before this peace was announced to him, a son of peace was there, as he who knew and foreknew him, not the evangelist but God, knew. It belongs to us, then, who do not know who is a son of peace or is not, to make no exception and to make no distinction, but to will all to be saved to whom we preach this peace. Nor need we fear that we shall lose it if the one to whom we preach is not a son of peace, without our knowing it; for it will return to us, that is, this preaching will profit us and not him; but if the peace preached rests upon him, it will profit both us and him. Since, then, God commands us, who do not know who will be saved, to will all to whom we preach this peace to be saved, and he himself works this in us by pouring out this love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us, it can also be understood in this way that God wills all men to be saved: because he makes us will it; just as he sent the Spirit of his Son crying, “Abba, Father,” that is, making us cry. For of that same Spirit he says in another place, “We have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry, Abba, Father.” We, then, cry; but he is said to cry who brings it about that we cry. If, then, Scripture rightly said that the Spirit cries, by whom it is brought about that we cry, it rightly says too that God wills, by whom it is brought about that we will. And therefore, since in rebuking too we ought to aim at nothing else than that there be no departing from this peace which is with God, or that one who had departed may return to it, let us do what we do without despair. If the one we rebuke is a son of peace, our peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to us. Although, then, even while the faith of some is being overturned, the firm foundation of God stands, since the Lord knew those who are his, we ought not on that account to be lazy and negligent in rebuking those who are to be rebuked. For not in vain was it said, “Evil conversations corrupt good morals,” and, “The weak brother for whom Christ died will perish through your knowledge.” Let us not argue against these precepts and this wholesome fear by saying, “Let evil conversations corrupt good morals, and let the weak man perish: what is that to us? The firm foundation of God stands, and no one perishes but the son of perdition.”

Far be it from us to prattle such things and believe that we should be secure in this negligence. For it is true that no one perishes but the son of perdition; but God says through the prophet Ezekiel, “He indeed dies in his sin, but his blood I will require at the hand of the watchman.” Therefore, as far as concerns us, who cannot distinguish the predestined from those not predestined, and for this reason ought to will all to be saved, a severe rebuke must be applied by us as medicine to all, lest they perish or lest they destroy others; but it is God's part to make it useful to those whom he himself foreknew and predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. For if sometimes we do not rebuke for fear that someone may perish from it, why do we not also rebuke for fear that someone may perish the more from not being rebuked? For we do not bear greater bowels of love than the blessed Apostle, who says: “Rebuke the unruly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all; see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone.” Here it is to be understood that evil is rather rendered for evil if one who ought to be rebuked is not rebuked, but neglected through wicked dissimulation. He also says: “Rebuke those who sin before all, so that the rest may have fear.” This is to be taken of those sins that are not hidden, lest he be thought to have spoken against the Lord's saying. For he says: “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him between you and him alone.” Yet he too carries the severity of rebuke so far as to say, “If he does not listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” And who loved the weak more than he who became weak for all, and was crucified for all out of that very weakness? Since this is so, neither does grace forbid rebuke, nor does rebuke deny grace; and therefore righteousness is to be commanded in such a way that grace, by which what is commanded may be done, is asked of God in faithful prayer; and both are to be done in such a way that just rebuke is not neglected. But let all these things be done with love; since love neither commits sin, and covers a multitude of sins.