CHAP. 47.]

1

THE PREACHING OF PEACE.

2

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again." When they preach the gospel of this peace of whom it is predicted, "How beautiful are the feet of those that publish peace, that announce good things!" to us, indeed, every one then begins to be a son of peace who obeys and believes this gospel, and who, being justified by faith, has begun to have peace towards God; but, according to God's predestination, he was already a son of peace. For it was not said, Upon whomsoever your peace shall rest, he shall become a son of peace; but Christ says, "If the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon that house." Already, therefore, and before the announcement of that peace to him, the son of peace was there, as he had been known and foreknown, by-not the evangelist, but—God. For we need not fear lest we should lose it, if in our ignorance he to whom we preach is not a son of peace, for it will return to us again—that is, that preaching will profit us, and not him; but if the peace proclaimed shall rest upon him, it will profit both us and him.

CHAP. 47.-Another interpretation of the apostolic passage, "Who will have all men to be saved.

That, therefore, being ignorant who shall be saved, God commands us to will that all to whom we preach this peace may be saved, and Himself works this in us by diffusing that love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us,may also thus be understood, that God wills all men to be saved, because He makes us to will this; just as "He sent the Spirit of His Son [into our hearts], crying, Abba, Father;"3 that is, making us to cry, Abba, Father! Because, concerning that same Spirit, He says in another place, "We have received the Spirit of adoption, in whom we cry, Abba, Father!" 4 We therefore cry, but He is said to cry who makes us to cry. then, Scripture rightly said that the Spirit was crying by whom we are made to cry, it rightly also says that God wills, when by Him we are made to will. And thus, because by rebuke we ought to do nothing save to avoid any departure from that peace which is towards God, or to induce the return to it of him who had departed, let us do in hope what we do. If he whom we rebuke is a son of peace, our peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to us again.

If,

1 Luke x. 5, 6.

2 Isa. lii. 7.

3 Gal. iv. 6.

4 Rom. viii. 15.

CHAP. 48.-The purpose of rebuke.

Although, therefore, even while the faith of some is subverted, the foundation of God standeth sure, since the Lord knoweth them that are His, still, we ought not on that account to be indolent and negligent in rebuking those who should be rebuked. For not for nothing was it said, "Evil communications corrupt good manners; "1 and, "The weak brother shall perish in thy knowledge, for whose sake Christ died."2 Let us not, in opposition to these precepts, and to a wholesome fear, pretend to argue, saying, "Well, let evil communications corrupt good manners, and let the weak brother perish. What is that to us? The foundation of God standeth sure, and no one perishes but the son of perdition.” [XVI.] Be it far from us to babble in this wise, and think that we ought to be secure in this negligence. For it is true that no one perishes except the son of perdition, but God says by the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel : "He shall surely die in his sin, but his blood will I require at the hand of him who is privy to it." 4

CHAP. 49.-Conclusion.

Hence, as far as concerns us, who are not able to distinguish those who are predestinated from those who are not, we ought on this very account to wish all men to be saved. Severe rebuke should be medicinally applied to all by us that they perish not themselves, or that they may not be the means of destroying others. It belongs to God, however, to make that rebuke useful to them whom He Himself has foreknown and predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. For, if at any time we abstain from rebuking, for fear lest by rebuke a man should perish, why do we not also rebuke, for fear lest a man should rather perish by our withholding it? For we have not greater bowels of love than the blessed apostle who says, "Rebuke those that are unruly; comfort the feeble-minded; support the weak; be patient towards all See that none render to any man evil for evil.” 5

men.

1 1 Cor. xv. 33.

21 Cor. viii. 11.

4 Speculatoris executioner.

3 Ezek. iii. 18.

5 1 Thess. v. 14.

CHAP. 49.] REBUKE TO BE WISELY ADMINISTERED.

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"2

" 3

Where it is to be understood that evil is then rather rendered for evil when one who ought to be rebuked is not rebuked, but by a wicked dissimulation is neglected. He says, moreover, "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear; "1 which must be received concerning those sins which are not concealed, lest he be thought to have spoken in opposition to the word of the Lord. For He says, "If thy brother shall sin against thee, rebuke him between thee and him." Notwithstanding, He Himself carries out the severity of rebuke to the extent of saying, "If he will not hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.' And who loved the weak more than He who became weak for us all, and of that very weakness was crucified for us all? And since these things are so, grace neither restrains rebuke, nor does rebuke restrain grace; and on this account righteousness is so to be prescribed that we may ask in faithful prayer, that, by God's grace, what is prescribed may be done; and both of these things are in such wise to be done that righteous rebuke may not be neglected. But let all these things be done with charity, since, while charity does no sin, it covers the multitude of sins.

' 1 Tim. v. 20.

Matt. xviii. 15.

8 Matt. xviii. 17.

A TREATISE ON THE PREDESTINATION OF

THE SAINTS.

BY AURELIUS AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO.

THE FIRST BOOK.1

ADDRESSED TO PROSPER AND HILARY.

A.D. 428 OR 429.

WHEREIN THE TRUTH OF PREDESTINATION AND GRACE IS DEFENDED AGAINST THE SEMI-PELAGIANS,-THOSE PEOPLE, TO WIT, WHO BY NO MEANS WITHDRAW ALTOGETHER FROM THE PELAGIAN HERESY, IN THAT THEY CONTEND THAT THE BEGINNING OF SALVATION AND OF FAITH IS OF OURSELVES; so THAT IN VIRTUE, AS IT WERE, OF THIS PRECEDENT MERIT, OTHER GOOD GIFTS OF GOD ARE ATTAINED. AUGUSTINE SHOWS THAT NOT ONLY THE INCREASE, BUT THE VERY BEGINNING ALSO OF FAITH IS IN GOD'S GIFT. ON THIS MATTER HE DOES NOT DISAVOW THAT HE ONCE THOUGHT DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT IN SOME SMALL WORKS, WRITTEN BEFORE HIS EPISCOPATE, HE WAS IN ERROR, AS IN THAT EXPOSITION, WHICH THEY OBJECT TO HIM, OF PROPOSITIONS FROM THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. BUT HE POINTS OUT THAT HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONVINCED CHIEFLY BY THIS TESTIMONY, 66 BUT WHAT HAST THOU THAT THOU HAST NOT RECEIVED?" WHICH HE PROVES IS TO BE TAKEN AS A TESTIMONY CONCERNING FAITH ITSELF ALSO. HE SAYS THAT FAITH IS TO BE COUNTED AMONG OTHER WORKS, BY WHICH THE APOSTLE SAYS THAT GOD'S GRACE IS NOT PREVENTED WHEN HE SAYS, 66 NOT OF WORKS. HE DECLARES THAT THE HARDNESS OF THE HEART IS TAKEN AWAY BY GRACE, AND THAT ALL COME TO CHRIST WHO ARE TAUGHT TO COME BY THE FATHER; BUT THAT THOSE WHOM HE TEACHES, HE TEACHES IN MERCY, WHILE THOSE WHOM HE TEACHES NOT, IN JUDGMENT HE TEACHES NOT. THAT THE PASSAGE FROM HIS HUNDRED AND SECOND EPISTLE, QUESTION 2, CONCERNING THE TIME OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION," WHICH IS ALLEGED BY THE SEMI-PELAGIANS, MAY JUSTLY BE EXPLAINED WITHOUT DETRIMENT TO THE DOCTRINE OF GRACE AND PREDESTINATION. HE TEACHES WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRACE AND

1 This Treatise is the first portion of a work, of which the following "De Dono Perseverantiæ " is the second.

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