Libero arbitrio nihil derogari per gratiam, neque pertentationem.
The Dignity of the Willing Soul
The rational creature's free will mirrors divine freedom, making willing consent necessary for salvation, yet grace works by drawing and transforming the will without destroying its freedom.
By this dignity, then — as has been said — the Creator uniquely marked out the rational creature with a special prerogative: just as he himself existed by his own right and by his own will, not by necessity, inasmuch as he was good, so too the rational creature would exist, in a certain sense, by its own right in this respect — since only by its own will would it either become evil and be justly condemned, or remain good and be mercifully saved. Not that its own will could be enough to bring it salvation, but that it would in no way attain salvation without its own will. No one, after all, is saved against their will. For what is read in the Gospel — 'No one comes to me unless my Father has drawn him' (John 6:44) — and again in another passage, 'Compel them to come in' (Luke 14:23) — nothing stands in the way: for whether it seems to be drawing or compelling to salvation, it is the kind Father who wills all people to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). yet he judges no one worthy of salvation whom he has not first proven willing (2 Tim. 2:4). This is what he intends when he terrifies or strikes: to make willing people, not to save unwilling ones — so that while he changes the will from evil to good, he shifts its orientation but does not take away its freedom.
Drawn, Not Dragged Against Our Will
Grace does not force the will against its desire, as shown by images of being led while blind or weary, Paul's journey to Damascus, and the Bride's longing to be drawn.
And yet we're not always drawn against our will: after all, no one who's blind or weary is saddened when he's being led.1 And Paul was led by the hand to Damascus — and certainly not against his will (Acts 9:8). Above all, he longed to be drawn, and this is what he earnestly begged for in the Song of Songs: "Draw me after you," he says; "let us run to the fragrance of your perfumes" (Song of Songs2 1:3).
The Weight That Does Not Destroy Freedom
Temptation, the corrupt body, and the flesh's law may press upon the will, yet free choice remains intact because consent cannot be taken away.
Then, from the passage written in the next place: Each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire (James 1:14). And again: The body that is corrupted weighs down the soul, and this earthly dwelling presses down the mind as it thinks about many things (Wisdom of Solomon 9:15). And likewise this passage from the Apostle: I find another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive into the law of sin that is in my members (Romans 7:23). All these things can be thought to compel the will and to seize away freedom. But no matter how many temptations press upon someone from within or without, the will will always certainly remain free, insofar as free choice is concerned. For it will freely judge by its own consent, which is in no way diminished. Yet insofar as it concerns the decision or the pleasure of the flesh, while desire struggles against the misery of this life, the will does feel less free; but it is not altogether evil as long as it does not consent to evil. Finally, Paul — who complains that he is being dragged captive into the law of sin — undoubtedly does so from a less than full freedom of decision. Yet he boasts that his consent is sound and that even now, in what is good, for the greater part he keeps it free: 'No longer I,' he says, 'do that.' On what do you base this confidence, Paul?
A Single Eye, A Free Consent
Paul's divided experience shows that even when the flesh resists, the inner self delights in God's law and the believer stands uncondemned in Christ.
Since — he says — I agree with the law of God, because it is good; and again: For I delight in the law of God according to the inner self (Rom.✦ XX, 16, 22). When the eye is single, it presumes the whole body will be bright.✦ Truly, consent may be drawn by sin, or held captive by misery, yet it does not hesitate to declare itself free in what is good. And so, trusting, he confidently concludes: Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom.✦ VIII, 1).
Read the original Latin
Hac sane dignitatis, ut dictum est, praerogativa rationalem singulariter creaturam Conditor insignivit, quod quemadmodum ipse sui juris erat, suaeque ipsius voluntatis non necessitatis erat quod bonus erat: ita et illa quoque sui quodammodo juris in hac parte existeret, quatenus nonnisi sua voluntate, aut mala fieret, et juste damnaretur; aut bona maneret, et merito salvaretur. Non quod ei propria posset sufficere voluntas ad salutem; sed quod eam nullatenus sine sua voluntate consequeretur. Nemo quippe salvatur invitus. Nam quod legitur in Evangelio: Nemo venit ad me, nisi Pater meus traxerit eum (Joan. VI, 44) ; item in alio loco: Compelle intrare (Luc. XIV, 23) ; nihil impedit: quia profecto quantoscunque trahere, vel compellere videatur ad salutem benignus Pater, qui omnes vult salvos fieri (I Tim. II, 4) ; nullum tamen judicat salute dignum, quem ante non probaverit voluntarium. Hoc quippe intendit, cum terret aut percutit, ut faciat voluntarios, non salvet invitos: quatenus dum de malo mutat voluntatem in bonum, transferat, non auferat libertatem.
Quanquam tamen non semper inviti trahimur: nec enim caecus aut fessus contristatur cum trahitur. Et Paulus ad manus tractus est Damascum, utique non invitus (Act. IX, 8) . Trahi denique specialiter volebat , quae et hoc ipsum magnopere flagitabat in Canticis: Trahe me, inquit, post te; in odorem curremus unguentorum tuorum (Cantic. I, 3) .
Deinde quod e regione scriptum est: Unusquisque tentatur a propria concupiscentia abstractus et illectus (Jac. I, 14,) ; et illud: Corpus quod corrumpitur, aggravat animam, et deprimit terrena inhabitatio sensum multa cogitantem (Sap. IV, 15) ; et item illud Apostoli: Invenio aliam legem in membris meis repugnantem legi mentis meae, et captivum me ducentem in legem peccati, quae est in membris meis (Rom. VII, 23) ; haec omnia putari possunt cogere voluntatem, et praeripere libertatem. At vero quantislibet quis intus forisve tentationibus urgeatur, libera profecto semper, quantum ad arbitrium spectat, voluntas erit: libere quippe de suo nihilo minus consensu judicabit. Quantum autem pertinet ad consilium, sive complacitum, carnis interim concupiscentia, vitaeque miseria reluctante, minus quidem se liberam sentit: sed prorsus non malam, dum malo non consentit. Denique Paulus, qui captivum se in legem peccati trahi conqueritur, haud dubium quin ex minus plena libertate consilii: consensum tamen sanum, atque in bono quoque jam ex magna parte se habere liberum gloriatur, Jam non ego, inquiens, operor illud. Unde hoc confidis, o Paule?
Quoniam consentio, inquit, legi Dei, quoniam bona est; et rursum: Condelector enim legi Dei secundum interiorem hominem (Rom. XX, 16, 22) . Oculo existente simplici, totum corpus lucidum esse praesumit. Sane consensu tractum licet peccato, vel captivum miseria, liberum se in bono profiteri non dubitat. Unde et fidens generaliter infert: Nihil ergo damnationis est his qui sunt in Christo Jesu (Rom. VIII, 1) .
Scripture echoes
- ↩Rom.7.16;Rom.7.22 — But if what I do not will, this I do, I agree with the law, that it is good. Rom.7.22 — For I delight in the law of God, according to the inner person.
- ↩Matt.6.22 — The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.
- ↩Rom.8.1 — Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Notes
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