Augustine of Hippo

In his own words on 2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 19:7

  Do not doubt that this duty of ours is a part of religion because God, "with whom there is no iniquity," whose power is supreme, who not only sees what each one is but also foresees what he will be, who alone cannot err in his judgment because he cannot be deceived in his knowledge, nevertheless acts as the Gospel expresses it, "He makes his sun to rise on the good and bad, and rains on the just and unjust."

  LETTER 153

• 2 Chronicles 21:16-17

  Just read the books of Paralipomenon and this is what you will find written in the second book: "And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who border on the Ethiopians. And they came up to the land of Judah and wasted it, and they carried away all substance that was found in the king's house." Here we have a clear indication of how God stirs up enemies to lay waste those countries that he judges to be deserving of such punishment. And yet, was it not of their own will that the Philistines and Arabs came to lay waste the country of Judah? Or did they so come of their own will that the Scripture lies where it tells us that the Lord stirred up their spirit to do so? On the contrary. Both statements are true because they did come of their own will and God did stir up their spirit. The same thing could also be expressed by saying that God both stirred up their spirit and that they came nevertheless of their own will. For the Almighty, who cannot possibly will anything unjust, is able to set in motion even the inclinations of their will in human hearts in order to accomplish through these people whatever he wishes to achieve through their agency.

  ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 21.42

• 2 Chronicles 25:7-8

  For the Almighty sets in motion even in the innermost hearts of people the movement of their will, so that he does through their agency whatsoever he wishes to perform through them—even he who knows not how to will anything in unrighteousness. What, again, is the purport of that which the man of God said to King Amaziah: "Let not the army of Israel go with you; for the Lord is not with Israel, even with all the children of Ephraim: for if you shall think to obtain with these, the Lord shall put you to flight before your enemies: for God has power either to strengthen or to put to flight"? Now, how does the power of God help some in war by giving them confidence and put others to flight by injecting fear into them, except it be that he who has made all things according to his own will, in heaven and on earth, also works in human hearts? We read also what Joash, king of Israel, said when he sent a message to Amaziah, king of Judah, who wanted to fight with him. After certain other words, he added, "Now stay at home; why do you challenge me to your hurt, that you should fall, you and Judah with you?" Then the Scripture has added this sequel: "But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might be delivered into their hands, because they sought after the gods of Edom." Behold, now, how God, wishing to punish the sin of idolatry, wrought this in this man's heart, with whom he was indeed justly angry, not to listen to sound advice but to despise it and go to the battle in which he with his army was routed.

  ON GRACE AND FREE WILL 42 [21]

• 2 Chronicles 25:20

  Is not sin also punishment for sin where Amaziah, king of Judah, did not wish to hear the good advice of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, not to go to war? We read, "Amaziah would not listen to him because it was the Lord's will that he should be delivered into their hands, because they sought the god of Edom." We can recount many other events clearly showing that from a hidden judgment of God comes perversity of heart, with the result that refusal to hear the truth leads to commission of sin, and this sin is also punishment for preceding sin. For to believe a lie and not believe the truth is indeed sin, but it comes from the blindness of heart that by a hidden but just judgment of God is also punishment for sin.

  AGAINST JULIAN 5.3.12

• 2 Chronicles 30:12

  For who is "drawn," if he was already willing? And yet no man comes unless he is willing. Therefore he is drawn in wondrous ways to will, by Him who knows how to work within the very hearts of men. Not that men who are unwilling should believe, which cannot be, but that they should be made willing from being unwilling. That this is true we do not surmise by human conjecture, but we discern by the most evident authority of the divine Scriptures. It is read in the books of the Chronicles: "Also in Judah, the hand of God was made to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes in the word of the Lord." … Did the men of God who wrote these things-nay, did the Spirit of God Himself, under whose guidance such things were written by them-assail the free will of man? Away with the notion! But He has commended both the most righteous judgment and the most merciful aid of the Omnipotent in all cases. For it is enough for man to know that there is no unrighteousness with God. But how He dispenses those benefits, making some deservedly vessels of wrath, others graciously vessels of mercy,-who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counsellor? If, then, we attain to the honour of grace, let us not be ungrateful by attributing to ourselves what we have received. "For what have we which we have not received?"

  AGAINST TWO LETTERS OF THE PELAGANS 37-38