Venantius Fortunatus, not the least among the writers of the sixth century1, supports this doctrine with equal evidence when, in expounding2 the Lord’s Prayer, he asks in what sense we petition that “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and responds that this is not asked
because anyone could resist the will of God, so that the Almighty would at any time fail to do what he willed; nor because anything can impede him, but that his will may be fulfilled and operate in us, since, because the adversary resists, we cannot fulfill his will unless we are fortified by his protection. But if it is asked what the will of God is, thou hast the Ten Commandments, which were promulgated through Moses by the will of God; thou hast the Son of God, who, knowing the will of the Father, disclosed the things which were hidden and poured into the light those things which were overshadowed. Therefore the will of God is known; excuse will bring no aid. For he who descended from heaven to the earth, what else did he will to be believed to belong to his will except to save? By the redemption he would teach us to follow the ornaments of charity and humility, since he himself also deigned to do this with such charity, with exceeding humility, sincerely … Therefore we must pray that, if we will not to perish, his will may operate in us, according to the Apostle3, who says: “He who works in you both to will and to accomplish, according to the good will.”
Therefore the will which belongs to God first and of himself is the antecedent will of saving, which never appeared more splendidly than when the Son of God descended from heaven to the earth.
But this salvific will neither formerly omitted nor now omits anything among those things which appear necessary and opportune for procuring salvation for men. He gave them a law by which they might be freed from the darkness of ignorance;
he disclosed the hidden things of God that they might become participants in heavenly light; and for them the Only-begotten chose a temple for himself in the Virgin, furnished mercy, and loosed offenses by indulgence, lest any should despair of obtaining salvation. Wherefore he gave power to all that they might avoid everlasting destruction, if they willed. But if some do not avoid it, but fall most miserably into it, this ought to be imputed as a fault to those men themselves, who do not permit the divine will to be fulfilled in themselves and God to work in themselves both to will and to accomplish, according to the good will.