A Treatise on the Spirit and the Letter 52
52 Grace Establishes Free Will PL 44, 233
Do we then by grace make void free will? God forbid! Nay, rather we establish free will. For even as the law by faith, so free will by grace, is not made void, but established. For neither is the law fulfilled except by free will; but by the law is the knowledge of sin, by faith the acquisition of grace against sin, by grace the healing of the soul from the disease of sin, by the health of the soul freedom of will, by free will the love of righteousness, by love of righteousness the accomplishment of the law. Accordingly, as the law is not made void, but is established through faith, since faith procures grace whereby the law is fulfilled; so free will is not made void through grace, but is established, since grace cures the will whereby righteousness is freely loved. Now all the stages which I have here connected together in their successive links, have severally their proper voices in the sacred Scriptures. The law says: “Thou shall not covet.” Faith says: “Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.” Grace says: “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Health says: “O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.” Free will says: “I will freely sacrifice unto Thee.” Love of righteousness says: “Transgressors told me pleasant tales, but not according to Thy law, O Lord.” How is it then that miserable men dare to be proud, either of their free will, before they are freed, or of their own strength, if they have been freed? They do not observe that in the very mention of free will they pronounce the name of liberty. But “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” If, therefore, they are the slaves of sin, why do they boast of free will? For by what a man is overcome, to the same is he delivered as a slave. But if they have been freed, why do they vaunt themselves as if it were by their own doing, and boast, as if they had not received? Or are they free in such sort that they do not choose to have Him for their Lord who says to them: “Without me ye can do nothing;” and “If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed?”
An evacuetur liberum arbitrium per gratiam. Liberum ergo arbitrium evacuamus per gratiam? Absit: sed magis liberum arbitrium statuimus. Sicut enim lex per fidem , sic liberum arbitrium per gratiam non evacuatur, sed statuitur. Neque enim lex impletur nisi libero arbitrio: sed per legem cognitio peccati, per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum, per gratiam sanatio animae a vitio peccati, per animae sanitatem libertas arbitrii, per liberum arbitrium justitiae dilectio, per justitiae dilectionem legis operatio. Ac per hoc, sicut lex non evacuatur, sed statuitur per fidem, quia fides impetrat gratiam, qua lex impleatur: ita liberum arbitrium non evacuatur per gratiam, sed statuitur, quia gratia sanat voluntatem, qua justitia libere diligatur. Omnia haec quae velut catenatim connexi, habent voces suas in Scripturis sanctis. Lex dicit: Non concupisces . Fides dicit: Sana animam meam, quoniam peccavi tibi . Gratia dicit: Ecce sanus factus es, jam noli peccare, ne quid tibi deterius contingat . Sanitas dicit: Domine Deus meus, exclamavi ad te, et sanasti me . Liberum arbitrium dicit: Voluntarie sacrificabo tibi . Dilectio justitiae dicit: Narraverunt mihi injusti delectationes, sed non sicut lex tua, Domine . Utquid ergo miseri homines aut de libero arbitrio audent superbire antequam liberentur, aut de suis viribus, si jam liberati sunt? Nec attendunt in ipso nomine liberi arbitrii utique libertatem sonare. Ubi autem spiritus Domini, ibi libertas . Si ergo servi sunt peccati, quid se jactant de libero arbitrio? A quo enim quis devictus est, huic et servus addictus est . Si autem liberati sunt, quid se jactant velut de opere proprio, et gloriantur quasi non acceperint? An ita sunt liberi, ut nec illum velint habere Dominum, qui eis dicit, Sine me nihil potestis facere ; et, Si vos Filius liberaverit, tunc vere liberi eritis ?