Глава XIII

Nature is also not grace 25. Who will be so deaf to the apostolic voice, who will be so unreasonable, or rather, insane, who, not knowing what he is saying, will dare to call the law grace, if the one who knew what he was saying exclaims: You, justifying yourself by the law, have fallen from grace? So, if the law is not grace, since in the matter of fulfilling the law this law itself cannot help, but [only] grace [helps], then will nature really be grace? After all, the Pelagians also dare to say that nature is grace - [that nature] in which we are created in such a way that we have a rational mind, thanks to which we are able to think. We were created [in this nature] in the image of God, to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. But this is not at all the grace that the apostle calls [coming] through faith in Jesus Christ. After all, it is clear that we have this nature in common even with the wicked and infidels, and the grace [that comes] through faith in Jesus Christ is characteristic only of those who have this very faith. For not everyone has faith 138. Finally, just as to those who, desiring to be justified by the law, fell from grace, the apostle rightly says: If righteousness is from the law, then Christ died in vain, 139 so he can also, considering that the grace that faith in Christ imparts and receives is our nature, it is quite fair to say: “If righteousness is from nature, then Christ died in vain.” For the law was already here - and did not justify, nature was already here - and did not justify, and therefore Christ did not die in vain, but for the purpose that the law would be fulfilled by Him who said: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill 140, and nature, destroyed by Adam, was restored by Him who said that He came to seek and save what was lost 141. The forefathers, who loved God, already believed in His coming. Grace is more than just remission of sins 26. They also say [our opponents] that the grace of God, given through faith in Jesus Christ, being neither law nor nature, is only capable of remitting previous sins, but not of preventing future ones or overcoming attackers. But if this were true, then in the Lord’s Prayer, having said: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we would not have added: And do not lead us into temptation 142. After all, first we ask that sins be left to us, and then that they be removed from us or overcome by us. There would be no need to ask Heavenly Father for this if we could accomplish it by the power of human will. So I urge and very much ask Your Love that you read the book of Blessed Cyprian, which he wrote on the Lord’s Prayer, and having read, to the extent that the Lord grants His help, you will understand and confirm it in your memory. Here you will see that he appeals to the free decision of those whom he strengthens by the presentation of his speech, [and he appeals in this way], which shows the need to ask in prayer even what the law proposes for fulfillment. The latter would be done completely in vain if only human will were enough for such things, without any Divine help. De gratia et libero arbitrio (CPL 352). Translation based on the publication: Patrologiae Cursus Completus. Series Latina. Accurante J.-P. Migne. Paris, 1845. T. 44, Col. 881–912.