Praefatio
Salutation to Abbot William
Bernard addresses his letter to William, abbot of Saint Theoderic.
To Lord William, Abbot of Saint Theoderic, from Brother Bernard.
Occasion and Aim of the Work
Bernard explains that he has completed a short treatise on grace and free choice with the help of grace.
A short work on grace and free choice, which I recently undertook — as you know — on that occasion, and have completed as best I could, with that same grace assisting me.
Humble Self-Doubt
Bernard expresses concern that he may have treated great matters unworthily or repeated what others have already said.
I'm afraid, though, that I may be found to have spoken of great matters in a less than worthy way, or to have gone back over things already handled by others pointlessly.
Request for Private Review
Bernard asks William and his community to read and judge the work privately before any public release.
So read it first by yourselves, and judge it alone: if it's brought before the public, perhaps the writer's rashness will be put on display more than the reader's love will be built up.
Invitation to Correct and a Promise of Wisdom
Bernard invites correction of obscure passages and cites Sirach 24:31 on the eternal life promised to those who explain wisdom.
But if you find it useful to be made public, then, should you notice anything expressed too obscurely — something that could have been said more plainly in a difficult matter, while keeping a fitting brevity — don't hesitate either to correct it yourselves or to hand it back to me for correction, if you don't want to be cheated of that promise of Wisdom, which says: Those who explain me will have eternal life (Eccli. XXIV, 31).1 XXIV, 31).
Read the original Latin
Domno GUILLELMO abbati Sancti-Theoderici, frater BERNARDUS.
Opusculum de gratia et Libero Arbitrio, quod illa, qua scitis, occasione nuper aggressus sum; eadem gratia adjuvante peregi ut potui. Vereor autem, ne aut grandia minus digne locutus inveniar, aut pertractata a pluribus superfluo retractasse. Proinde illud legite primus, et si judicatis, solus: ne si proferatur in medium, magis forte scriptoris publicetur temeritas, quam lectoris aedificetur charitas. Quod si palam fieri utile probaveritis, tunc si quid obscurius dictum adverteritis, quod in re obscura, servata congrua brevitate, dici planius potuisset, non sit vobis pigrum aut emendare per vos, aut mihi resignare emendandum, si fraudari non vultis promissione illa Sapientiae, quae ait: Qui elucidant me, vitam aeternam habebunt (Eccli. XXIV, 31) .
Notes
- 1 ↩The quotation is from Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 24:31. Final resolution of the source anchor belongs to a later stage.
De gratia et libero arbitrio (On Grace and Free Choice) companion
Grace works through practice — so practice
Bernard's conclusion frees you to show up daily without anxiety. Chosen Portion makes showing up simple and free.
Bernard's teaching that grace and human consent cooperate is enacted every time a reader freely opens their daily portion in Chosen Portion.
- One 10-minute devotional portion every day, no guesswork
- Read Bernard and other classics in modern English, portion by portion
- A consistent daily rhythm that treats effort as cooperation, not earning