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And so these are somehow mixed up and indiscriminately confused, so
that among many persons, which depends on the other is involved in great
questionings, i.e., does God have compassion upon us because we have shown
the beginning of a good will, or does the beginning of a good will follow
because God has had compassion upon us? For many believing each of these
and asserting them more widely than is right are entangled in all kinds of
opposite errors. For if we say that the beginning of free will is in our
own power, what about Paul the persecutor, what about Matthew the publican,
of whom the one was drawn to salvation while eager for bloodshed and the
punishment of the innocent, the other for violence and rapine? But if we
say that the beginning of our free will is always due to the inspiration of
the grace of God, what about the faith of Zaccheus, or what are we to say
of the goodness of the thief on the cross, who by their own desires brought
violence to bear on the kingdom of heaven and so prevented the special
leadings of their vocation? But if we attribute the performance of virtuous
acts, and the execution of God's commands to our own will, how do we pray:
"Strengthen, O God, what Thou hast wrought in us;" and "The work of our
hands stablish Thou upon us?" We know that Balaam was brought to curse
Israel, but we see that when he wished to curse he was not permitted to.
Abimelech is preserved from touching Rebecca and so sinning against God.
Joseph is sold by the envy of his brethren, in order to bring about the
descent of the children of Israel into Egypt, and that while they were
contemplating the death of their brother provision might be made for them
against the famine to come: as Joseph shows when he makes himself known to
his brethren and says: "Fear not, neither let it be grievous unto you that
ye sold me into these parts: for for your salvation God sent me before
you;" and below: "For God sent me before that ye might be preserved upon
the earth and might have food whereby to live. Not by your design was I
sent but by the will of God, who has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord
of all his house, and chief over all the land of Egypt." And when his
brethren were alarmed after the death of his father, he removed their
suspicions and terror by saying: "Fear not: Can ye resist the will of God?
You imagined evil against me but God turned it into good, that He might
exalt me, as ye see at the present time, that He might save much
people." And that this was brought about providentially the blessed
David likewise declared saying in the hundred and fourth Psalm: "And He
called for a dearth upon the land: and brake all the staff of bread. He
sent a man before them: Joseph was sold for a slave." These two then;
viz., the grace of God and free will seem opposed to each other, but really
are in harmony, and we gather from the system of goodness that we ought to
have both alike, lest if we withdraw one of them from man, we may seem to
have broken the rule of the Church's faith: for when God sees us inclined
to will what is good, He meets, guides, and strengthens us: for "At the
voice of thy cry, as soon as He shall hear, He will answer thee;" and:
"Call upon Me," He says, "in the day of tribulation and I will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." And again, if He finds that we are
unwilling or have grown cold, He stirs our hearts with salutary
exhortations, by which a good will is either renewed or formed in us.
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