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The City of God

Chapter 2.--Of the Eternal and Unchangeable Will of God.

It is true that wicked men do many things contrary to God's will; but so great is His wisdom and power, that all things which seem adverse to His purpose do still tend towards those just and good ends and issues which He Himself has foreknown. And consequently, when God is said to change His will, as when, e.g., He becomes angry with those to whom He was gentle, it is rather they than He who are changed, and they find Him changed in so far as their experience of suffering at His hand is new, as the sun is changed to injured eyes, and becomes as it were fierce from being mild, and hurtful from being delightful, though in itself it remains the same as it was. That also is called the will of God which He does in the hearts of those who obey His commandments; and of this the apostle says, "For it is God that worketh in you both to will." ¹ As God's "righteousness" is used not only of the righteousness wherewith He Himself is righteous, but also of that which He produces in the man whom He justifies, so also that is called His law, which, though given by God, is rather the law of men. For certainly they were men to whom Jesus said, "It is written in your law," ² though in another place we read, "The law of his God is in his heart." ³ According to this will which God works in men, He is said also to will what He Himself does not will, but causes His people to will; as He is said to know what He has caused those to know who were ignorant of it. For when the apostle says, "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God," ⁴ we cannot suppose that God there for the first time knew those who were foreknown by Him before the foundation of the world; but He is said to have known them then, because then He caused them to know. But I remember that I discussed these modes of expression in the preceding books. According to this will, then, by which we say that God wills what He causes to be willed by others, from whom the future is hidden, He wills many things which He does not perform.

Thus His saints, inspired by His holy will, desire many things which never happen. They pray, e.g., for certain individuals--they pray in a pious and holy manner--but what they request He does not perform, though He Himself by His own Holy Spirit has wrought in them this will to pray. And consequently, when the saints, in conformity with God's mind, will and pray that all men be saved, we can use this mode of expression: God wills and does not perform,--meaning that He who causes them to will these things Himself wills them. But if we speak of that will of His which is eternal as His foreknowledge, certainly He has already done all things in heaven and on earth that He has willed,--not only past and present things, but even things still future. But before the arrival of that time in which He has willed the occurrence of what He foreknew and arranged before all time, we say, It will happen when God wills. But if we are ignorant not only of the time in which it is to be, but even whether it shall be at all, we say, It will happen if God wills,--not because God will then have a new will which He had not before, but because that event, which from eternity has been prepared in His unchangeable will, shall then come to pass.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput II: De aeterna dei et incommutabili uoluntate.

Multa enim fiunt quidem a malis contra uoluntatem dei; sed tantae est ille sapientiae tantaeque uirtutis, ut in eos exitus siue fines, quos bonos et iustos ipse praesciuit, tendant omnia, quae uoluntati eius uidentur aduersa. ac per hoc cum deus mutare dicitur uoluntatem, ut quibus lenis erat uerbi gratia reddatur iratus, illi potius quam ipse mutantur et eum quodammodo mutatum in his quae patiuntur inueniunt; sicut mutatur sol oculis sauciatis et asper quodammodo ex miti et ex delectabili molestus efficitur, cum ipse apud se ipsum maneat idem qui fuit. dicitur etiam uoluntas dei, quam facit in cordibus oboedientium mandatis eius, de qua dicit apostolus: deus est enim, qui operatur in uobis et uelle. sicut iustitia dei non solum qua ipse iustus est dicitur, sed illa etiam quam in homine, qui ab illo iustificatur, facit, sic et lex eius uocatur, quae potius est hominum, sed ab ipso data; nam utique homines erant, quibus ait Iesus: in lege uestra scriptum est, cum alio loco legamus: lex dei eius in corde eius. secundum hanc uoluntatem, quam deus operatur in hominibus, etiam uelle dicitur, quod non ipse uult, sed suos id uolentes facit; sicut dicitur cognouisse, quod ut cognosceretur fecit, a quibus ignorabatur. neque enim dicente apostolo: nunc autem cognoscentes deum, immo cogniti a deo, fas est ut credamus, quod eos tunc cognouerit deus praecognitos ante constitutionem mundi; sed tunc cognouisse dictus est, quod tunc ut cognosceretur effecit. de his locutionum modis iam et in superioribus libris memini disputatum. secundum hanc ergo uoluntatem, qua deum uelle dicimus quod alios efficit uelle, a quibus futura nesciuntur, multa uult nec facit. multa enim uolunt fieri sancti eius ab illo inspirata sancta uoluntate, nec fiunt, sicut orant pro quibusdam pie sancte que, et quod orant non facit, cum ipse in eis hanc orandi uoluntatem sancto spiritu suo fecerit. ac per hoc, quando secundum deum uolunt et orant sancti, ut quisque sit saluus, possumus illo modo locutionis dicere: uult deus et non facit; ut ipsum dicamus uelle, qui ut uelint isti facit. secundum illam uero uoluntatem suam, quae cum eius praescientia sempiterna est, profecto in caelo et in terra omnia quaecumque uoluit non solum praeterita uel praesentia, sed etiam futura iam fecit. uerum antequam ueniat tempus, quo uoluit ut fieret, quod ante tempora uniuersa praesciuit atque disposuit, dicimus: fiet quando deus uoluerit; si autem non solum tempus quo futurum est, uerum etiam utrum futurum sit ignoramus, dicimus: fiet, si deus uoluerit; non quia deus nouam uoluntatem, quam non habuit, tunc habebit; sed quia id, quod ex aeternitate in eius inmutabili praeparatum est uoluntate, tunc erit.