# Augustine, "Grace is every way Grace, else it is no way Grace" Source?



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 19, 2012)

Came across this saying as I do a bit of editing on Durham's commentary on Revelation between other projects. I'm not pulling anything up searching except the Durham.
"Grace is every way Grace, else it is no way Grace (according to an ancient saying of Augustine...."
Anyone heard it before? Source?


----------



## VictorBravo (Dec 19, 2012)

The only thing I can find is in his Retractions, chapter 45, where he quotes Paul:




> Now he could not mean to contradict himself in saying, The doers of the law shall be justified, Romans 2:13 as if their justification came through their works, and not through grace; since he declares that a man is justified freely by His grace without the works of the law, intending by the term freely nothing else than that works do not precede justification. For in another passage he expressly says, If by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. Romans 11:6


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 19, 2012)

Do you think you could find it in Latin; I'm having trouble hitting on it; here.
Augustinus Hipponensis - Retractationum libri duo


----------



## VictorBravo (Dec 19, 2012)

Actually, it looks like Chapter 13 according to this:

CHURCH FATHERS: On Rebuke and Grace (St. Augustine)

Maybe I can find the Latin later this evening.


----------



## MW (Dec 19, 2012)

On Grace and Free Will contains the following: "Grace, however, is not bestowed according to men's deserts; otherwise grace would be no longer grace. Romans 11:6. For grace is so designated because it is given gratuitously." It lacks the formal elements of a quotation but would qualify as an allusion.


----------



## VictorBravo (Dec 19, 2012)

In addition to what Matthew pointed out, I keep finding references to the Latin: ""gratia nisi gratis sit non est gratia"", but I can't find any reference in the Retractions or elsewhere.

The interesting thing is everyone says something like, "As Augustine was so fond of saying...." but nobody I can find gives references.


----------



## CharlieJ (Dec 19, 2012)

Here is a somewhat representative sample of the ways in which Augustine expresses this concept. Take your pick.

De gratia Christi et de peccato originali 1.24 (CSEL 42: 144). quomodo est ergo gratia, si non gratis datur? [How then is it grace, if it is not given gratuitously?]

De gratia Christi et de peccato originali 1.34 (CSEL 42: 152). isti autem libero arbitrio sic applicant fidem, ut fidei uidelicet reddi uideatur non gratuita, sed debita gratia, ac per hoc iam nec gratia, *quia nisi gratuita non est gratia*. [But these Pelagians attribute faith to free will in such a way that it seems that grace is rendered to faith not gratuitously, but as something owed, and for this reason it is no longer grace, *because it is not grace unless it is gratuitous.*]

Contra Iulianem 3.2 (PL 44: 702). nouerant uos dicere, gratiam dei secundum merita nostra dari: ut *iam gratia non esset gratia, quia non gratis daretur*, sed secundum debitum redderetur. [They had known that you say that the grace of God is given according to our merits, so that it is no longer grace, because it is not given gratuitously, but repaid as a debt.]

De Praedestinatione Sanctorum 43 (PL 44: 992). nec ullum eorum dari gratis, cum in eis dei *gratia, quae non nisi gratuita est*, praedicetur. [...nor are any of them given freely, although in them is proclaimed the grace of God, which is not [grace] unless gratuitous.]

Epistle 194.19 (CSEL 57: 191). ipsa gratia nuncupatur non ob aliud, nisi quia gratis datur, [...this is called grace for no reason other than that it is given gratuitously...]

In Iohannis Euangelium Tractatus 3.8 (CCL 36: 24). unde uocatur gratia? quia gratis datur. [Whence is it called grace? Because it is given gratuitously.]

In Iohannis Euangelium Tractatus 10.6 (CCL 36: 104). columba non est uenalis; gratis datur, quia gratia uocatur. [The dove is not for sale; it is given gratuitously, because it is called a grace.]

Enarrationes in Psalmos 31.2.7 (CCL 38: 230). si gratia est, gratis datur. [If it is grace, it is given gratuitously.]

Sermones 100.4 (RB 104: 83). si autem gratia est, gratis datur. [But if it is grace, it is given gratuitously.]

Sermones 299.6 (PL 38: 1371). gratia uocatur, quia gratis datur. [It is called grace, because it is given gratuitously.]


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 19, 2012)

Thanks everyone; so maybe it is more a concept in Augustine rather than a formal quotation?


----------



## VictorBravo (Dec 19, 2012)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Thanks everyone; so maybe it is more a concept in Augustine rather than a formal quotation?



From Charlie's list, I can see why they say he is fond of saying it.


----------



## MW (Dec 19, 2012)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Thanks everyone; so maybe it is more a concept in Augustine rather than a formal quotation?



From the list provided, I would be inclined to choose the following:

De gratia Christi et de peccato originali 1.34 (CSEL 42: 152). isti autem libero arbitrio sic applicant fidem, ut fidei uidelicet reddi uideatur non gratuita, sed debita gratia, ac per hoc iam nec gratia, *quia nisi gratuita non est gratia*. [But these Pelagians attribute faith to free will in such a way that it seems that grace is rendered to faith not gratuitously, but as something owed, and for this reason it is no longer grace, *because it is not grace unless it is gratuitous*.]

I notice William Bridge's Works contains an example of the saying with the word "free" instead of "grace," and either would be possible as translations.


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks very much to all. I'll note that while it may be a common generalized saying, the place Matthew picked out seems to be the clearest use in Augustine; or something to that effect.


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Dec 20, 2012)

Does this get to the gist of it; and meet with folks' approval? I'm freely borrowing from your labors:
The saying gratia, nisi gratis sit, non est gratia (“grace, unless it should be free, is not grace”), has often attributed as a common saying of Augustine’s. Durham’s contemporary, Willaim Bridge (1600–1670) says, “It is a good speech of Austin [Augustine], Grace is no way grace, unless it be every way free" (Works {1845} 1.229). That exact Latin phrasing does not occur in Augustine’s Works, but the idea is often expressed; the closest in phrasing perhaps being, “Isti autem libero arbitrio sic applicant fidem, ut fidei videlicet reddi videatur, non gratuita, sed debita gratia: ac per hoc iam nec gratia, quia nisi gratuita, non est gratia.” Christi et de peccato originali, 1.34 (PL 44.377). “But these men [Pelagians] attribute faith to free will in such a way that it seems that grace is rendered to faith not gratuitously, but as something owed, and for this reason it is no longer grace, because it is not grace unless it is gratuitous.”


----------



## CharlieJ (Dec 20, 2012)

I am fine with it, except you are missing "De gratia" at the beginning of the source citation. i.e., it should be _De gratia Christi et de peccato originali_.


----------



## py3ak (Dec 20, 2012)

"has often attributed" should probably be "is often mentioned"


----------



## VictorBravo (Dec 20, 2012)

Hehe, we're all a genuine editorial committee!

Ruben's suggestion is good, or, if you want "attributed," then "has often been attributed to Augustine."


----------

