Глава V

Twelve provisions against the Pelagians 16. So, since by the grace of Christ we are Catholic Christians: 1. We know that those who have not yet been born have not done anything good or evil in their lives, 50 and they come into misfortunes of this life not because of some merits of some previous life, for they cannot have any such special life for each; but they, being carnally born of Adam, from their very birth have in themselves the infection of ancient death and can be freed from the punishment of eternal death brought upon them by righteous condemnation, which from one passes on to all, only by being reborn by grace in Christ 51 . 2. We know that God's grace is not given to infants or adults according to our merits. 3. We know that for adults it is given for every action (ad singulos actus). 4. We know that it is not given to all people, and to those who are given it, it is given not at all according to the merits of their deeds, and also not according to the merits of the will of those to whom it is given; this is most obvious in infants 5. We know that to those to whom it is given, it is given freely (gratuita), by the mercy of God. 6. We know that to those to whom it is not given, it is not given according to the righteous judgment of God. 7. We know that we will all appear at the judgment seat of Christ 52 so that each will receive according to what he did while living in the body, good or bad, 53 and not according to what he would have done if he had lived longer. 8. We know that infants also will receive good or evil according to what they have done while living in the body. And they did this not on their own, but with the help of those, thanks to whose answers, spoken in their place, we can say that the infants rejected the devil and believed in God. Therefore, they are among the believers, belonging [to those about whom it is said] in the saying of the Lord, who says: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. And to those who did not accept this sacrament, what follows happens: And whoever does not believe will be condemned 54. So, and they, as I have already said, if they die at this young age, then, undoubtedly, they [are judged] according to what they did while living in the body, that is, for the time that they lived in the body, when they believed or did not believe through the lips of those who brought them [for baptism], when they were or were not baptized, when they ate or did not eat the Flesh of Christ, when they drank or did not drink His Blood 55 - they are judged according to what they did while living in the body, and not according to what they would have done if they had lived here longer. 9 . We know that blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, 56 and what they would have done had they lived longer has nothing to do with them. 10. We know that those who believe in the Lord with their hearts 57 do so of their own free will and decision. 11. We know that we, being already believers, act in accordance with the right faith when we pray to God for those who do not want to believe, so that they will desire it. 12. We know that it is right and true that we should give and always give thanks to God for those of them who believed, [considering it] His good deed. These Twelve Points Contain the True Doctrine of Grace 17. I think you understand that in these [positions], about which I said that we know, I did not want to mention everything related to the Catholic faith, but [said] only about what concerns the question of the grace of God, about which we are discussing, namely: does this grace precede the human will or follows it, that is, to express this even more clearly, is grace given to us because we desire, or through it God makes it so that we wish. So, if you, brother, together with us, recognize these twelve propositions, which I said that we know as relating to the right and Catholic faith, then I thank God - and I would not thank Him truly if the grace of God did not make you recognize them. And if you recognize them, then we don’t need any more dispute on this issue. CPL 262 Translation based on the edition: Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Accurante J.-P. Migne. Paris, 1845. T. 33. Col. 978–989. Places with discrepancies were verified with the publication: Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum. Vindobonae, 1911.Vol. 57. R. 403–425 You might be interested in: