§16Hic dicet aliquis: si ex mundo est concupiscentia malorum, per quam fit, ut mala omnia pro eo quod \'ab illis concupiscitur perferant, quo modo ex eorum dicitur uoluntate? quasi uero non et ipsi ex mundo sint, cum ab eis diligitur mundus deserto eo, per quem factus est mundus; seruiunt enim creaturae potius quam creatori, qui est benedictus in saecula.
Here someone will say: if the concupiscence of the wicked, through which it comes to pass that they endure all evils for that which is desired by them, is from the world, how is it said to be from their will? As if indeed they themselves were not also from the world, when the world is loved by them, deserting Him through whom the world was made; for they serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
siue itaque mundi uocabulo Iohannes apostolus dilectores significauerit mundi, uoluntas, quae ex ipsis est, utique ex mundo est; siue mundi nomine caelum et terram et quaecumque in eis sunt, hoc est uniuersam conplexus sit creaturam, uoluntas procul dubio creaturae, quae non est creatoris, ex mundo est.
Therefore, whether by the word "world" the Apostle John meant the lovers of the world, the will which is from themselves is indeed from the world; or whether by the name "world" he encompassed heaven and earth and all things that are in them, that is, the universal creature, the will, without doubt, of the creature which is not of the Creator, is from the world.
propter quod talibus dominus dicit: uos de deorsum estis, ego de sursum sum; uos de hoc mundo estis, ego non sum de hoc mundo. apostolis autem dicit: si de hoc mundo essetis, mundus quod suum est diligeret. sed ne sibi amplius adrogarent, quam eorum mensura poscebat, et hoc, quod eos non esse dixit ex mundo, naturae putarent esse, non gratiae, quia uero, inquit, de mundo non estis, sed ego elegi uos de mundo, propterea odit uos mundus. ergo de mundo erant; nam, ut non essent de mundo, electi sunt de mundo.
For which reason the Lord says to such persons: "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world." But to the Apostles He says: "If you were of this world, the world would love its own." But lest they should arrogate to themselves more than their measure demanded, and think that this, which He said of them not being of the world, belonged to nature and not to grace, He says: "Because indeed you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Therefore they were of the world; for, that they might not be of the world, they were chosen out of the world.
§17Hanc autem electionem non praecedentium in bonis operibus meritorum, sed electionem gratiae demonstrans apostolus sic inquit: et in hoc tempore reliquiae per electionem gratiae saluae factae sunt;
But demonstrating this election not of preceding merits in good works, but the election of grace, the Apostle says thus: "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace.
si autem gratia, iam non ex operibus; alioquin gratia iam non est gratia. haec est electio gratiae, id est electio, qua per dei gratiam homines eliguntur, haec est, inquam, electio gratiae. qua omnia bona merita praeueniuntur humana.
And if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace." This is the election of grace, that is, the election by which through the grace of God men are chosen; this, I say, is the election of grace, by which all human good merits are preceded.
si enim ullis bonis meritis datur, iam non gratis donatur, sed debita redditur, ac per hoc non uero nomine gratia nuncupatur, ubi merces, sicut idem dicit apostolus, non inputatur secundum gratiam, sed secundum debitum.
For if it is given for any good merits, it is no longer freely bestowed, but is rendered as a debt; and through this it is not called by the true name of grace, where reward, as the same Apostle says, is not imputed according to grace, but according to debt.
si autem, ut uera sit gratia, id est gratuita, nihil inuenit in homine, cui merito debeatur — quod bene intellegitur et in eo, quod dictum est: pro nihilo saluos facies eos — profecto ipsa dat merita, non meritis datur.
But if, that grace may be true, that is, gratuitous, it finds nothing in man to which it is due as a merit—which is well understood also in that which is said: "For nothing you shall save them"—assuredly grace itself gives merits, it is not given to merits.
praeuenit ergo etiam fidem, ex qua omnia bona opera incipiunt; iustus enim, sicut scriptum est, ex fide uiuit.
Therefore it precedes even faith, from which all good works begin; for the just, as it is written, lives by faith.
porro autem gratia non solum adiuuat iustum, uerum etiam iustificat inpium.
Furthermore, grace not only assists the just, but also justifies the ungodly.
et ideo etiam cum adiuuat iustum et uidetur eius meritis reddi, nec sic desinit esse gratia, quoniam id adiuuat, quod est ipsa largita.
And therefore, even when it assists the just and seems to be rendered to his merits, not even so does it cease to be grace, since it assists that which it has itself bestowed.
propter hanc itaque gratiam, quae cuncta bona merita humana praecedit, non solum Christus ab inpiis occisus est, uerum etiam pro inpiis mortuus est.
Therefore, because of this grace, which precedes all human good merits, not only was Christ slain by the ungodly, but He also died for the ungodly.
et antequam moreretur, non utique iustos, sed iustificandos elegit apostolos, quibus ait: ego uos de mundo elegi. quibus enim dixit: de mundo non estis, et, ne putarent se numquam fuisse de mundo. mox addidit: sed ego uos de mundo elegi, profecto, ut de mundo non essent, ipsius in eos electione conlatum est.
And before He died, He chose the Apostles, not indeed as already just, but to be justified, to whom He said: "I have chosen you out of the world." For to those to whom He said: "You are not of the world," and, lest they should think they had never been of the world, immediately added: "but I have chosen you out of the world," surely, that they might not be of the world was conferred upon them by His election of them.
quocirca si per suam iustitiam, non per gratiam eius eligerentur, non de mundo electi essent, quoniam de mundo iam non essent, si iam iusti essent.
Wherefore, if they were chosen through their own justice, and not through His grace, they would not have been chosen out of the world, because they would no longer be of the world, if they were already just.
deinde propterea sunt electi, quia iam iusti erant; ipsi priores iam dominum elegerant.
Next, if they were chosen for this reason, because they were already just, they themselves had first chosen the Lord.
quis enim potest esse iustus, nisi eligendo iustitiam? finis autem legis Christus ad iustitiam omni credenti, qui factus est nobis sapientia a deo et iustitia et sanctificatio et redemptio, ut, quemadmodum scriptum est, qui gloriatur in domino glorietur. ipse est ergo nostra iustitia.
For who can be just, except by choosing justice? But the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to everyone that believes, who of God is made unto us wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption, that, according as it is written: "He that glories, let him glory in the Lord." He, therefore, is our justice.