The Teacher; The Free Choice of the Will; Grace and Free Will

GRACE AND FREE WILL

GRACE AND FREE WILL (De gratia et libero arbitrio) INTRODUCTION DHE TREATISE Grace and Free Will marks the beginning of a new and final phase in Saint Augustine's long . and tireless polemic on the subject of divine grace. Between the years of 412 and 420, he had devoted no fewer than nine works,1 exclusive of pertinent sermons and letters, to a refutation of the Pelagian errors2 and to a defense of the Church's traditional teaching on the necessity and absolute gratuity of grace in the work of man's salvation. In fact, it was largely through his personal efforts and intervention that these errors were condemned by more than two hundred and forty bishops at the Council of Carthage in 418. Later that same year the Council's action was confirmed by Pope Zosimus in his celebrated Epistola Tractoria,3 which was endorsed by nearly the entire episcopate. Although Augustine emerged victorious from the controversy, further difficulties arose later from a new and unexpected source. In the same year that witnessed the condemnation of Pelagianism, Augustine had addressed a letter to the Roman priest Sixtus,4 later Pope Sixtus III, in which he outlined the errors of Pelagius and defended the doctrine that no merit 1 These include the following works: De peccatorum meritis et remissione et de baptismo parvulorum, De spiritu et littera, De natura et gratia, De natura et origine animae, Contra duas epistolas Pe/agianorum , De perfectione iustitiae hominis, De gestis Pelagii, De gratia Christi et de peccato originali, De nuptiis et concupiscentia. 2 The best modern and comprehensive study of Pelagius is that of G. de Plinval, Pelage: ses ecrits, sa vie, et sa reforme (Lausanne 1943). Cf. also J. Ferguson, Pelagius: A Historical and Theological Study (Cambridge 1956). 3 Only fragments of the Epistola survive, including that found in Augustine's letter to Optatus (190.23). 4 Ep. 194. 245 246 SAINT AUGUSTINE whatever is possible without grace, even to the point of asserting that "in crowning our merits, God does nothing more than crown His own gifts." Several years later, probably in 426, a copy of this letter fell into the hands of Florus, a monk of the community at Hadrumetum,5 during a visit to the monastery in his native city of Uzala, presided over by Bishop Evodius.6 A copy of the letter was dictated to Florus who had it brought back to Hadrumetum, while Florus himself went on to Carthage.7 Unknown to the superior, Valentine , the letter was read to uninstructed members of the community . Some denied its authenticity; others opposed its contents as altogether incompatible with their personal efforts in the voluntary practice of virtue. Upon his return to Hadrumetum Florus informed Valentine of the dissension occasioned by Augustine's letter. While the dissenters numbered only five or more, Valentine resolved to restore peace and unity by seeking clarification of the letter. He turned first to Evodius, but when the latter's reply failed to satisfy the monks,8 he addressed himself to a highly respected priest, Sabinus, whose efforts were apparently also unavailing. As a last resort, Valentine permitted two of the monks opposed to Augustine'S teaching, Felix and Cresconius, to journey to Hippo with the controversial letter. While providing them with the necessary funds, he gave them no introductory letters so as not to appear sympathetic to their views. Actually, 5 The present-day city of Sousse in Tunisia. 6 A native of Tagaste, Evodius was present at the death of Monica at Ostia and later became a member of Augustine'S first community at Tagaste. After Augustine's ordination to the priesthood at Hippo in 391, he joined the community established there on property donated for the purpose by Bishop Valerius. In two of Augustine's Dialogues, The Greatness of the Soul and The Free Choice. of the Will, he serves as interlocutor. 7 The main events of this episode are described in two letters of Augustine to Valentine (Epp. 214, 215) ana in Valentine's reply (Ep. 216). 8 The complete text of Evodius' letter, first published by Dom Morin in 1896, was re-edited by him in 1901 (Revue benedictine 18.241-256); this second edition is reprinted in A. Hamman (ed.) , Migne, Patrologia Latina: Supplementum 2 (Paris 1960) 332-334. GRACE AND FREE WILL 247 Valentine, as well as the community at large, acknowledged both the authenticity of the letter and the orthodoxy of its contents. The monks were...