Annotation CXCIV

”No man can come to me, except my Father draw him.” — John 6:44

Whether faith is from us. Rom. 10.

The exposition of Augustine, which is had in tractate 26 on John upon this saying, the Master of the Sentences noted, in the second book [of the Sentences], distinction 26, with these words: “It is not to be ignored that Augustine elsewhere seems to signify that faith is from the will; upon that word of the Apostle,¹ ‘With the heart it is believed unto justice,’ thus treating upon John: ‘Therefore the Apostle did not simply say “it is believed,” but “with the heart it is believed” — because a man can [do] the other [things] unwilling, [but] can believe [only if] willing: he can enter the church, and approach the altar, [while] unwilling, but not believe.’ Likewise upon Genesis, where Laban and Bathuel said, ‘Let us call the girl, and ask her will,’ etc., the expositor says: ‘Because faith is of the will, not of necessity.’ To which, answering, we say that these [things] are not to be so taken as [that] faith be understood to come forth from the will of man — since it is properly the gift of God, as the Apostle says, and from it the good merits of man begin. For through this [faith], as Augustine says upon Psalm 67, ‘the impious is justified’ — that is, ‘of an impious [man] a pious [man] is made’ — so that thereafter faith itself begins to work through love: whence all good merits begin. But rather these [things] are said thus for this [reason], that there is no faith except in him who wills to believe — whose good will faith precedes not in time, but in cause and nature. Whence Augustine above congruently said that good will is in those gifts which it does not precede: and it itself [grace] helps those whom it helps, [those] whom it forestalls, while it consents with them unto the effect of good; and it is in them, because in time it is not preceded by them.”

Theophylact, expounding this passage in the commentaries,

—expounding [this passage], he too seems to think that the gift of faith and grace is forestalled by us, and is acquired from the preparation of good will: for there he speaks thus: “The Father draws those who have an aptitude of will; but those who do not make themselves fit, he does not draw to faith — for just as the magnet [attracts] not all [things], but attracts iron alone, so also God indeed makes himself accessible to all, but draws those who [are] more fit and who show forth a familiarity toward him.” Again, at the end of the commentary on Mark, expounding those words, “They went forth [and] preached everywhere, the Lord cooperating,” etc., he says: “See — everywhere our [part] first, then God’s help: for when we work, and shall have given the beginning, the Lord cooperates; and likewise, if we shall not have given [him] occasion, he will not cooperate.” These words of Theophylact, excerpted from various sayings of Chrysostom, ought to be understood in the same manner as those [things] which were expounded by us in [our] comments, Annotation 101 of book 5.