On Grace and Free Will 21–24

Who would not tremble at these divine judgments, by which God does in the hearts even of evil men whatever he wills, yet rendering to them according to their merits? Rehoboam the son of Solomon rejected the wholesome counsel of the elders, which they had given him not to deal harshly with the people, and preferred to follow the words of his contemporaries, answering threateningly those to whom he ought to have answered gently. Where did this come from, if not from his own will? But as a result the ten tribes of Israel withdrew from him and set up another king for themselves, Jeroboam, so that the will of an angry God might be done, which he had also foretold would come to pass. For what does Scripture say? “And the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” Clearly this came about through the will of man in such a way that the turn was nevertheless from the Lord. Read the books of Chronicles, and you will find written in the second book: “And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabs who bordered on the Ethiopians; and they went up into the land of Judah and ravaged it, and took all the property that was found in the king's house.” Here it is shown that God stirs up enemies to lay waste the lands that he judges deserving of such punishment. Yet did the Philistines and Arabs come to ravage the land of Judah without their own will, or did they come by their own will in such a way that it is written falsely that the Lord stirred up their spirit to do this? On the contrary, both are true: they came by their own will, and yet the Lord stirred up their spirit. It can also be said this way: the Lord stirred up their spirit, and yet they came by their own will. For the Almighty works in the hearts of men even the movement of their will, so as to do through them what he himself has willed to do through them, he who knows no way of willing anything unjustly. What is it that the man of God said to King Amaziah: “Let not the army of Israel go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, with all the sons of Ephraim; for if you think you will prevail with them, God will put you to flight before your enemies; for God has power either to help or to put to flight”? How does the power of God help some in war by giving them confidence and put others to flight by sending fear upon them, unless because he who has done whatever he willed in heaven and on earth works also in the hearts of men? We read what Joash king of Israel said when he sent a messenger to King Amaziah, who wanted to fight with him. For after some other things he said: “Now stay at home. Why do you provoke trouble, so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” Then Scripture added: “But Amaziah did not listen; for it was from God that he should be delivered into their hands, because they had sought the gods of Edom.” See how God, wishing to punish the sin of idolatry, worked this in the heart of the one with whom he was certainly justly angry, that he should not listen to wholesome advice, but despising it should go to war, where he fell with his army. Through the prophet Ezekiel God says, “And if the prophet goes astray and speaks, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.” In the book of Esther it is written (she was a woman of the people of Israel who in the land of captivity had become the wife of the foreign king Ahasuerus): in her book, then, it is written that when she had to intercede for her people, whom the king had ordered to be slaughtered wherever they were in his kingdom, she prayed to the Lord; for great necessity compelled her to dare to go in to him against the king's order and against her own rank. And see what Scripture says: “And he looked at her like a bull in the onrush of his indignation, and the queen was afraid, and her colour changed as she fainted, and she bowed herself upon the head of her maid who went before her; and God turned him, and changed his indignation into gentleness.” It is written also in the Proverbs of Solomon: “Like a rush of water, so is the king's heart in the hand of God; wherever he wills, he will turn it.” And in the hundred and fourth psalm it is said of the Egyptians what God did to them: “And he turned their heart to hate his people, to deal deceitfully with his servants.” See also what is written in the apostolic letters; in the Epistle of the apostle Paul to the Romans: “Therefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, to uncleanness.” Again a little later: “For this reason God gave them up to shameful passions.” Again a little later: “As they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do what is not fitting.” And in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians he says of some: “Because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved, therefore God will send them a working of error, that they may believe a lie, so that all may be judged who did not believe the truth but consented to iniquity.” By these and similar testimonies of the divine oracles, which it would take too long to mention all of, it is shown clearly enough, I think, that God works in the hearts of men to incline their wills wherever he wills, whether to good things according to his mercy or to evil things according to their merits, by his judgment, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, but always just. For it ought to be fixed and immovable in your hearts that there is no iniquity with God. And therefore, when you read in the writings of truth that men are deceived by God, or that their hearts are dulled or hardened, do not doubt that their evil merits went before, so that they suffered these things justly; lest you run into that proverb of Solomon, “The folly of a man spoils his ways, but in his heart he blames God.” But grace is not given according to men's merits; otherwise grace is no longer grace; for it is called grace because it is given gratis. If, then, he is able, whether through angels good or evil, or in any other way, to work even in the hearts of the wicked according to their merits, whose wickedness he did not make, but which was either drawn by origin from Adam or grew through their own will, what wonder is it if through the Holy Spirit he works good in the hearts of his elect, he who has worked so that those very hearts should become good from evil?

But let men imagine whatever good merits they think come before, so that they may be justified by the grace of God, not understanding, when they say this, that they are saying nothing else than that they deny grace. But, as I said, let them imagine what they will about adults; about little children, certainly, the Pelagians find nothing to answer. Children have no will at all in receiving grace, whose merit they could say went before; and moreover we even see them struggling against it with tears when they are baptized and receive the divine sacraments, which would be imputed to them as a great sin of ungodliness if they already used free choice; and yet grace takes hold even of those who struggle against it, most plainly with no good merit going before; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. And sometimes this grace is bestowed on the children of unbelievers, when by the hidden providence of God they come in some way into the hands of godly people; and sometimes the children of believers do not obtain it, some obstacle arising so that help cannot be brought to them in their danger. These things happen through the hidden providence of God, whose judgments are inscrutable and his ways unsearchable. Consider what the Apostle said before he said this. For he was dealing with Jews and Gentiles when he wrote to the Romans, that is, to Gentiles, and he says: “For just as you once did not believe God, but have now obtained mercy through their unbelief, so they too have now not believed, through the mercy shown to you, that they too may obtain mercy; for God has shut up all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.” And when he had considered what he had said, marvelling at the certain truth but great depth of his statement, how God shut up all in unbelief that he might have mercy on all, as if doing evil so that good might come, he at once cried out and said: “O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, and his ways unsearchable!” For perverse men, not considering these inscrutable judgments and unsearchable ways, quick to find fault and unfit to understand, thought and kept boasting that the Apostle was saying, “Let us do evil, that good may come.” Far be it that the Apostle should say this! But men who did not understand thought this was being said when they heard what the Apostle said: “The law came in, that the offence might abound; but where the offence abounded, grace superabounded.” But grace certainly does this, that those who have done evil now do good; not that they should persevere in evil and think that good is rendered to them. So they ought not to say, “Let us do evil, that good may come,” but, “We have done evil, and good has come; let us now do good, so that in the world to come we may receive good for good, we who in this world receive good for evil.” That is why it is written in the Psalm, “Of mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord.” So first the Son of Man did not come into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him: this is for mercy's sake; but afterwards he will come for judgment, to judge the living and the dead. Yet even in this time salvation itself does not take place without judgment, though a hidden one; therefore he says, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

Refer it, then, to the hidden judgments of God when you see, in one and the same case, which all little children have, drawing hereditary evil from Adam, that help is brought to this one so that he is baptized, while help is not brought to that one, so that he dies in that very bondage; that this one, after baptism, is left in this life, whom God foreknew would be ungodly, while that one, after baptism, is snatched from this life, “lest wickedness should change his understanding.” And do not in these cases ascribe injustice or folly to God, with whom is the fountain of righteousness and wisdom; but, as I urged you from the beginning of this discourse, walk in what you have attained, and God will reveal this also to you, if not in this life, certainly in the other; for there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. When, then, you hear the Lord saying, “I the Lord have deceived that prophet,” and what the Apostle says, “He has mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardens,” believe that in the one whom he permits to be deceived or hardened his evil merits went before; but in the one on whom he has mercy, acknowledge faithfully and without doubting the grace of God, who renders not evil for evil but good for evil. Nor should you on this account take free choice away from Pharaoh, because in many places God says, “I have hardened Pharaoh,” or, “I have hardened,” or, “I will harden Pharaoh's heart.” For it does not follow that Pharaoh himself did not harden his own heart. For this too is read of him, when the dog-fly was taken away from the Egyptians, as Scripture says: “And Pharaoh made his heart heavy at this time also, and would not let the people go.” And so both God hardened by just judgment, and Pharaoh himself by free choice. Be certain, then, that your labour will not be in vain if, advancing in your good purpose, you persevere to the end. For God, who now does not render to those whom he sets free according to their works, will then render to each according to his works. God will certainly render evil for evil, because he is just; and good for evil, because he is good; and good for good, because he is good and just; only evil for good he will not render, because he is not unjust. He will render, then, evil for evil, punishment for unrighteousness; and he will render good for evil, grace for unrighteousness; and he will render good for good, grace for grace.

Read this book again and again, and if you understand it, give thanks to God; but where you do not understand, pray that you may understand; for the Lord will give you understanding. Remember that it is written: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and does not reproach, and it will be given him.” This is the wisdom that comes down from above, as the apostle James himself says. But reject from yourselves, and pray that there may not be in you, that wisdom which he condemned when he said: “But if you have bitter zeal, and there are quarrels among you, this is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is zeal and contention, there is instability and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first chaste, then peaceable, modest, easily persuaded, full of mercy and good fruits, beyond price, without pretence.” What good, then, will he not have who has asked for and obtained this wisdom from the Lord? And from this understand grace; for if this wisdom were from ourselves, it would not be from above, nor would it have to be asked of God himself who created us. Brothers, pray for us too, that we may live soberly and godly and righteously in this world, awaiting that blessed hope and the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.