REFUTATION V. – REFUTATION OF THE HERESY OF PELAGIUS.
1. It is not my intention here to refute all the errors of Pelagius concerning Original Sin and Free Will, but only those concerning Grace. In the historical part of the work (Chap, v, art. ii, n. 5), I have said that the principal heresy of Pelagius was, that he denied the necessity of Grace to avoid evil, or to do good, and I there mentioned the various subterfuges he had recourse to, to avoid the brand of heresy, at one time saying that Grace and Free Will itself was given us by God; again, that it is the law teaching us how to live; now, that it is the good example of Jesus Christ; now, that it is the pardon of sins; again, that it is an internal illustration, but on the part of the intellect alone, in knowing good and evil, though Julian, his disciple, admitted Grace of the Will also; but neither Pelagius nor his followers ever admitted the necessity of Grace, and have even scarcely allowed that Grace was necessary to do what is right more easily, and they always denied that this Grace was gratuitous, but said it was given us according to our natural merits. We have, therefore, two points to establish : first, the necessity, and next, the gratuity of
Grace.
OF THE NECESSITY OF GRACE
2. It is first proved from that saying of Jesus Christ : “No man can come to me, except the Father who hath sent me draw him” (John, vi, 44). From these words alone it is clear that no one can perform any good action in order to eternal life without internal Grace. That is confirmed by another text : ” I am the vine, you the branches : he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing” (John, xv, 5). Therefore, Jesus Christ teaches that of ourselves we can do nothing available to salvation, and, therefore, Grace is absolutely necessary for every good work, for otherwise, as St. Augustine says, we can acquire no merit for eternal life : ” Ne quisquam putaret parvum aliquem fructum posse a semetipso palmitem ferre, cum dixisset hic, fert fructum multum, non ait, sine me parum, potestis facere; sed, nihil potestis facere : sive ergo parum, sive multum, sive illo fieri non potest, sine quo nihil fieri potest.” It is proved, secondly, from St. Paul (called by the Fathers the Preacher of Grace), who says, writing to the Philippians : ” With fear and trembling work out your salvation, for it is God who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish according to his good-will” (Phil, ii, 12, 13). In the previous part of the same chapter he exhorts them to humility : “In humility let each esteem others better than themselves,” as Christ, who, he says, ” humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death;” and then he tells them that it is God who works all good in them. He confirms in that what St. Peter says : ” God resisteth the proud, but to the humble he giveth grace” (I. Peter, v, 5). In fine, St. Paul wishes to show us the necessity of Grace to desire or to put in practice every good action, and shows that for that we should be humble, otherwise we render ourselves unworthy of it. And lest the Pelagians may reply, that here the Apostle does not speak of the absolute necessity of Grace, but of the necessity of having it to do good more easily, which is all the necessity they would admit, see what he says in another text : ” No man can say, the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost” (I. Cor. xii, 3). If, therefore, we cannot even mention the name of Jesus with profit to our souls, without the grace of the Holy Ghost, much less can we hope to work out our salvation without Grace.
3. Secondly St. Paul teaches us that the grace alone of the law given to us is not, as Pelagius said, sufficient, for actual Grace is absolutely necessary to observe the law effectually : ” For if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain” (Gal. ii, 21). By justice is understood the observance of the Commandments, as St. John tells us : ” He that doth justice is just” (I. John, iii, 7). The meaning of the Apostle, therefore, is this : If man, by the aid of the law alone, could observe the law, then Jesus Christ died in vain; but such is not the case. We stand in need of Grace, which Christ procured for us by his death. Nay, so far is the law alone sufficient for the observance of the Commandments, that, as the Apostle says, the very law itself is the cause of our transgressing the law, because it is by sin that concupiscence enters into us : ” But sin taking occasion by the Commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. And I lived some time without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived” (Rom. vii, 8, 9). St. Augustine, explaining how it is that the knowledge of the law sooner renders us guilty than innocent, says that this happens (1), because such is the condition of our corrupt will, that, loving liberty, it is carried on with more vehemence to what is prohibited than to what is permitted. Grace is, therefore, that which causes us to love and to do what we know we ought to do, as the Second Council of Carthage declares : ” Ut quod faciendum cognovimus, per Gratiam præstatur, etiam facere dirigamus, atque valeamus.” Who, without Grace, could fulfil the first and most important of all precepts, to love God ?
(1) St. Augus. l. de Spir. S. et litt.
“Charity is from God” (I. John, iv, 7). ” The charity of God is poured forth into our hearts by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us” (Rom. v, 5). Holy charity is a pure gift of God, and we cannot obtain it by our own strength. ” Amor Dei, quo pervenitur ad Deum, non est nisi a Deo,” as St. Augustine says (2). Without Grace how could we conquer temptations, especially grievous ones ? Hear what David says : ” Being pushed, I was overturned, that I might fall, but the Lord supported me” (Psalms, cxvii, 13). And Solomon says : ” No one can be continent (that is, resist temptations to concupiscence), except God gave it” (Wisdom, viii, 21). Hence, the Apostle, speaking of the temptations which assault us, says : ” But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us” (Rom. viii, 37). And again, ” Thanks be to God, who always maketh us to triumph in Christ” (II. Cor. ii, 14). St. Paul, therefore, thanks God for the victory over temptations, acknowledging that he conquers them by the power of Grace. St. Augustine (3) says, that this gratitude would be in vain if the victory was not a gift of God : ” Irrisoria est enim ilia action gratiarum, si ob hoc gratiæ aguntur Deo, quod non donavit ipse, nec fecit.” All this proves how necessary Grace is to us, either to do good or avoid evil.
4. Let us consider the theological reason for the necessity of Grace. The means should always be proportioned to the end. Now, our eternal salvation consists in enjoying God face to face, which is, without doubt, a supernatural end; therefore, the means which conduce to this end should be of a supernatural order, likewise. Now, every thing which conduces to salvation is a means of salvation; and, consequently, our natural strength is not sufficient to make us do anything, in order to eternal salvation, unless it is elevated by Grace, for nature cannot do what is beyond its strength, and an action of a supernatural order is so. Besides our weak natural powers, which are not able to accomplish supernatural acts, we have the corruption of our nature, occasioned by sin, which even is a stronger proof to us of the necessity of Grace.
(2) St. Augus. l. 4, con. Julian, c. 3. (3) St. Augus. loc. cit. ad Corinth