Annotation CCCXXXIII

”For he was yet in the loins of [his] father.” — Hebrews 7:10

Whence the beginning of salvation.

Chrysostom, [in] the twelfth homily on the Hebrews, explaining this, seems to attribute the beginning of our salvation to the human will, [with] the divine grace preventing [going before], while he says: “IT BEHOOVES us, namely, first to choose the [things] which are good, and then he himself introduces the [things] which are his own. He does not precede our wills, lest free will be injured; but when we shall have chosen, then he brings us much assistance.” This same [thing] he repeats in very many places. See above, Annotation 101 of the fifth book, and Annotation 184 of this book.