Traduction Masquer
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.

Traduction Masquer
La cité de dieu

CHAPITRE II.

DE L’ÉTERNELLE ET IMMUABLE VOLONTÉ DE DIEU.

Les méchants, il est vrai, font beaucoup de choses qui sont contre la volonté de Dieu; mais il est si puissant et si sage qu’il fait aboutir ce qui paraît contredire sa volonté aux fins déterminées par sa prescience. C’est pourquoi, lorsqu’on dit qu’il change de volonté, qu’il entre en colère, par exemple, contre ceux qu’il regardait d’un oeil favorable, ce sont les hommes qui changent, et non pas lui. Leurs dispositions changeantes font qu’ils trouvent Dieu changé. Ainsi le soleil change pour des yeux malades; il était doux et agréable, il devient importun et pénible, et cependant il est resté le même en soi. On appelle aussi volonté de Dieu celle qu’il forme dans les coeurs dociles à ses commandements, et voilà le sens de ces paroles de l’Apôtre : « C’est Dieu qui opère en nous le vouloir même¹». De même que la justice de Dieu n’est pas seulement celle qui le fait juste en soi, mais encore celle qu’il produit dans l’homme justifié, ainsi la loi de Dieu est plutôt la loi des hommes, mais c’est Dieu .qui la leur a donnée. En effet, c’est à des hommes que Jésus-Christ disait: « Il est écrit dans votre loi² » ; et nous lisons encore autre part « La loi de Dieu est gravée dans son cœur³ ». On parle de cette volonté que Dieu forme dans les hommes, quand on dit qu’il veut ce qu’en effet il ne veut pas lui-même, mais ce qu’il fait vouloir aux siens, comme on dit aussi qu’il connaît ce qu’il fait connaître à l’ignorance des hommes. Par exemple, quand l’Apôtre s’exprime ainsi : « Mais maintenant connaissant Dieu, ou plutôt étant connus de Dieu⁴ », il ne faut pas croire que Dieu commençât alors à les connaître, eux qu’il connaissait avant la création du monde; mais il est dit qu’il les connut alors, parce qu’il leur donna alors le don de connaître. J’ai déjà touché un mot de ces locutions dans les livres précédents. Ainsi donc, selon cette volonté par laquelle nous disons que Dieu veut ce qu’il fait vouloir aux autres qui ne connaissent pas l’avenir, il veut plusieurs choses qu’il ne fait pas.

En effet, ses saints veulent souvent, d’une volonté sainte que lui-même inspire, beaucoup de choses qui n’arrivent pas; ils prient Dieu, par exemple, en faveur de quelqu’un, et ils ne sont pas exaucés, bien que ce soit lui qui les ait portés à prier par un mouvement du Saint-Esprit. Ainsi, quand les saints inspirés de Dieu veulent et prient que chacun soit sauvé, nous pouvons dire : Dieu veut et ne fait pas. Mais, si l’on parle de cette volonté qui est aussi éternelle que sa prescience, il a certainement fait tout ce qu’il a voulu au ciel et sur la terre, et non-seulement les choses passées ou présentes, mais même les choses à venir⁵. Or, avant que le temps arrive où il a fixé l’accomplissement des choses qu’il a connues et ordonnées avant tous les temps, nous disons : Cela arrivera quand Dieu voudra. Mais quand nous ignorons non-seulement à quelle époque une chose doit arriver, mais même si elle doit arriver en effet, nous disons: Cela arrivera si Dieu le veut. Ce n’est pas qu’il doive alors survenir en Dieu une volonté qu’il n’avait pas, mais c’est qu’alors arrivera ce qu’il avait prévu de toute éternité dans sa volonté immuable.