22. Now it has been my wish
on this account to say something on this subject, by reason of
certain of our brethren most friendly and dear to us, and without
willful guilt indeed entangled in this error, but yet entangled;
who think, that, when they exhort any to righteousness and piety,
their exhortation will not have force, unless the whole of that,
wherein they would work upon man that man should work, they set in
the power of man, not helped by the grace of God, but put forth by
the alone choice of the free will; as though there can be free will
to perform a good work, unless set free by the gift of God! And
they mark not that this very thing themselves also have by the gift
of God, that with such power they exhort, as to excite the dull
wills of men to enter upon a good life, to enkindle the cold, to
correct such as are in error, to convert such as are turned aside,
to pacify such as are opposed. For thus they are able to succeed in
persuading what they would persuade to, or if they work not these
things in the wills of men, what is their work? wherefore speak
they? Let them leave them rather to their own choice. But if in
them they work these things, what? I pray, doth man, in the will of
man, work so great things by speaking, and doth God work nothing
there by helping? Yea rather, with how great soever power of
discourse man may prevail, as that by skill of discussion, and
sweetness of speech, he in the will of man implant truth, nourish
charity, by teaching remove error, by exhortation remove sloth,
“Neither he who planteth is any thing, nor he who watereth, but
God Who giveth the increase.”2275
For in
vain would the workman use
all means without, unless the Creator should
work secretly within.
I
hope therefore that this letter of mine by the worthy
deed2276
of your
Excellence will soon come into the
hands of such also; on this
account I thought that I ought to say something on this subject.
Next that both you yourself, and whatsoever other
widows shall read
this, or hear it read, may know that you make more advance unto the
love and profession of the good of continence by your own prayers
than by our exhortations; forasmuch as if it be any help to you
that our addresses also are supplied to you, the whole must be
assigned to His grace, “in Whose Hand,” as it is written,
“are both we and our discourses.”
2277
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