CHAP. 68.]

PREDESTINATION OF CHRIST.

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of time; and that He was true or very man, born of human mother in the certain fulness of time; and that His humanity, whereby He is less than the Father, does not diminish aught from His divinity, whereby He is equal to the Father. For both of them are One-are Christ-who, moreover, most truly said in respect of God, "I and the Father are one; and most truly said in respect of the man, "My Father is greater than I."2 He, therefore, who made of the seed of David this righteous man, who never should be unrighteous, without any merit of His preceding will, is the same who also makes righteous men of unrighteous, without any merit of their will preceding; that He might be the head, and they His members. He, therefore, who made that man with no precedent merits of His, neither to deduce from His origin nor to commit by His will any sin which should be remitted to Him, the same makes believers on Him with no preceding merits of theirs, to whom He forgives all sin. He who made Him such that He never had or should have an evil will, the same makes in His members a good will out of an evil one. Therefore, He predestinated both Him and us, because both in Him that He might be our head, and in us that we should be His body, He foreknew that our merits would not precede, but that His doings should.

CHAP. 68.-Conclusion.

3

Let those who read this, if they understand, give God thanks, and let those who do not understand, pray that they may have the inward Teacher, from whose presence comes knowledge and understanding. But let those who think that I am in error, consider again and again carefully what is here said, lest perchance they themselves may be mistaken. And when, by means of those who read my writings, I become not only wiser, but even more perfect, I acknowledge God's favour to me; and this I especially look for at the hands of the teachers of the Church, if what I write comes into their hands, and they condescend to acknowledge it.

1 John x. 30.

2 John xiv. 8.

3 Prov. ii. 6 [LXX.].

Extract from "The Retractations," Book II. chap. 61.

THEN follow four books which I wrote to Boniface, bishop of the Roman Church, in opposition to two letters of the Pelagians, because when they came into his hands he had sent them to me, finding in them an artful mention of my name. This work commences on this wise: "I had indeed known you by the very frequent announcement of fame." [Noveram te quidem famâ celeberrimâ prædicante.]

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FOUR BOOKS

BY AURELIUS AUGUSTINE, BISHOP OF HIPPO.

WRITTEN TO BONIFACE, BISHOP OF THE ROMAN CHURCH, IN OPPOSITION TO TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGIANS. A.D. 420, OR A LITTLE LATER.

BOOK I.

AUGUSTINE REPLIES TO A LETTER SENT BY JULIAN, AS IT WAS SAID, TO ROME; AND FIRST OF ALL VINDICATES THE CATHOLIC DOCTRINE FROM HIS CALUMNIES; THEN DISCOVERS AND CONFUTES THE HERETICAL SENSE OF THE PELAGIANS HIDDEN IN THAT PROFESSION OF FAITH WHICH THE AUTHOR OF THE LETTER OPPOSED TO THE CATHOLICS.

I

CHAP. 1.-Introduction.

HAD indeed known you by the very frequent announcement of fame; and by very numerous and veracious messengers I had learned how you were filled with the grace of God, most blessed and venerable Pope Boniface! But after my brother Alypius saw you even in bodily presence, and, being received by you with all kindness and sincerity, enjoyed at the bidding of affection conversations with you, and living with you, and, although only for a short time, united with you in earnest affection, poured out to your mind both himself and me, and brought back you also to me in his mind, the more assured was your friendship, the greater became in me the conviction of your holiness. For you, who mind not high things, however loftily you are placed, did not disdain to be a friend of the lowly, and to return the love bestowed upon you. For what else is FRIENDSHIP [amicitia],

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which has its name from no other source than love [amore], AND IS NOWHERE FAITHFUL BUT IN CHRIST, in whom alone it can be as well eternal as happy? Whence, also, having received a greater assurance by means of that brother, through whom I have learned to know you more familiarly, I have ventured to write something to your blessedness concerning those things which at this juncture are claiming by a later stimulus the episcopal attention to vigilance, as far as we are able, on behalf of the Lord's flock.

CHAP. 2.-Why heretical writings must be answered.

For later heretics, enemies of the grace of God, which is given by Jesus Christ our Lord to small and great, although they are already shown as needing more openly to be avoided by a manifest disapprobation, still do not cease by their writings to try the hearts of the less cautious and less learned. And these must certainly be answered, lest they should confirm themselves or their friends in that wicked error; even if we were not afraid that they might deceive any of the Catholics by their plausible discourse. But since they do not cease to growl at the entrances to the Lord's fold, and from every side to tear open approaches with a view to tear in pieces the sheep redeemed at such a price; and since the pastoral watch-tower is common to all of us who discharge the office of the episcopate (although you are prominent therein on a loftier height), I do what I can in respect of my small portion of the charge, as the Lord condescends by the aid of your prayers to grant me power, to oppose to their pestilent and crafty writings, healing and defensive writings, so that the madness with which they are raging may either itself be cured, or may be prevented from hurting others.

CHAP. 3.-Why he addresses his book to Boniface.

But these words which I am answering to their two letters, -the one, to wit, which Julian is said to have sent to Rome, that by its means, as I believe, he might find or make as many allies as he could; and the other, which eighteen socalled bishops, sharers in his error, dared to write to Thessalonica, not to any body in general, but to the bishop of

CHAP. 5.] RELATION OF FREE-WILL TO ADAM'S SIN.

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that very place, with a view of tempting him by his craftiness and bringing him over, if it could be done, to his views;-these words which, as I said, I am writing in answer to those two letters of theirs in respect of that argument, I have determined to address especially to your sanctity, not so much for your learning as for your examination, and, if perchance anything should displease you, for your correction. For my brother intimated to me that you yourself condescended to give those letters to him, which could not come into your hands except by the most watchful diligence of my brethren, your sons. And I thank your most sincere kindness to me that you have been unwilling that those letters of the enemies of God's grace should be hidden from me, seeing that in them you have found my name calumniously as well as plainly expressed. But I hope from my Lord God that not without the reward which is in heaven do they tear me with their scurrilous teeth to whom I oppose myself on behalf of the little ones, that they may not be left to be destroyed to the deceitful flatterer Pelagius, but may be presented to be delivered to the truthful Saviour Christ.

CHAP. 4. [11.]—The calumny of Julian concerning the free-will in us taken away by Adam's sin. The Pelagians, as formerly Jovinian, call the Catholics Manichæans.

"Those

Let us now, therefore, reply to Julian's letter. Manichæans say," says he, "with whom now we do not communicate,—that is, the whole of them with whom we differ, -that by the sin of the first man, that is, of Adam, free-will perished; and that no one has now the power of living well, but that all are constrained to sin by the necessity of their flesh." He calls the Catholics Manichæans, after the manner of that Jovinian who a few years ago, as a new heretic, destroyed the virginity of the blessed Mary, and placed the marriage of the faithful on the same level as her sacred virginity. And he did not object this to the Catholics on any other ground than that he wished them to seem to be either accusers or condemners of marriage.

CHAP. 5.-Free choice did not perish with Adam's sin. What freedom did perish.

But by defending free-will they are hastening to a confi