34.—The Same Continued. On the Works of Unbelievers; Faith is the Initial Principle from Which Good Works Have Their Beginning; Faith is the Gift of God’s Grace.

He will perhaps say to this: “It was not because of his works, but in consequence of his faith, that I said the apostle was worthy of having all those great graces bestowed upon him. His faith deserved this distinction, but not his works, which were not previously good.” Well, then, are we to suppose that faith does not work? Surely faith does work in a very real way, for it “worketh by love.”98    Gal. v. 6. Preach up, however, as much as you like, the works of unbelieving men, we still know how true and invincible is the statement of this same apostle: “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”99    Rom. xiv. 23. The very reason, indeed, why he so often declares that righteousness is imputed to us, not out of our works, but our faith, whereas faith rather works through love, is that no man should think that he arrives at faith itself through the merit of his works; for it is faith which is the beginning whence good works first proceed; since (as has already been stated) whatsoever comes not from faith is sin. Accordingly, it is said to the Church, in the Song of Songs: “Thou shalt come and pass by from the beginning of faith.”100    Cant. iv. 8. Although, therefore, faith procures the grace of producing good works, we certainly do not deserve by any faith that we should have faith itself; but, in its bestowal upon us, in order that we may follow the Lord by its help, “His mercy has prevented us.”101    Ps. lix. 10. Was it we ourselves that gave it to us? Did we ourselves make ourselves faithful? I must by all means say here, emphatically: “It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.”102    Ps. c. 3. And indeed nothing else than this is pressed upon us in the apostle’s teaching, when he says: “For I declare, through the grace that is given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”103    Rom. xii. 3. Whence, too, arises the well-known challenge: “What hast thou that thou didst not receive?”104    1 Cor. iv. 7. inasmuch as we have received even that which is the spring from which everything we have of good in our actions takes its beginning.

34. Hoc forte dicet: Ego non ex operibus, sed ex fide dixi Apostolum dignum fuisse, cui tantae illae gratiae donarentur; non enim opera, quae bona ante non habuit, sed tamen fides ejus hoc meruit. Quid enim, putamus quod fides non operetur? Imo ipsa veraciter operatur, quae per dilectionem operatur (Galat. V, 6). 0341 Quantumlibet autem opera infidelium praedicentur, ejusdem apostoli sententiam veram novimus et invictam, Omne quod non est ex fide, peccatum est (Rom. XIV, 23). Ideo vero saepe dicit, non ex operibus, sed ex fide, nobis justitiam deputari, cum potius fides per dilectionem operetur, ne quisquam existimet ad ipsam fidem meritis operum perveniri, cum ipsa sit initium, unde bona opera incipiunt; quoniam, ut dictum est, quod ex ipsa non est, peccatum est. Hinc et Ecclesiae dicitur in Cantico canticorum, Venies, et transies ab initio fidei (Cant. IV, 8, sec. LXX). Quapropter quamvis bene operandi gratiam fides impetret: ipsam certe fidem ut haberemus, nulla fide meruimus, sed in ea nobis danda, in qua Dominum sequeremur, misericordia ejus praevenit nos (Psal. LVIII, 11). An ipsam nobis nos dedimus, et ipsi nos ipsos fideles fecimus? Prorsus etiam hic clamabo, Ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos (Psal. XCIX, 3). Nihil vero aliud apostolica doctrina commendat, ubi ait: Dico autem per gratiam Dei, quae data est mihi, omnibus qui sunt in vobis, non plus sapere, quam oportet sapere, sed sapere ad temperantiam, sicut unicuique Deus partitus est mensuram fidei (Rom. XII, 3). Hinc est quippe et illud: Quid enim habes quod non accepisti (I Cor. IV, 7)? Quando et hoc accepimus, unde incipit quidquid in nostris actibus habemus boni.