§ 160. VICTOl r OF SLMI-AUGUSTINIAIJISM. 867
at a sjiiod of Valence (Yalencia), held the same year, but otherwise unknown.'
The synod of Orange, for its Augnstinian decisions in anthropology and soteriology, is of great importance. But as the chapters contain many repetitions (mostly from the Bible and the Avorks of Augustine and his followers), it will sufBce to give extracts containing in a positive form the most important propositions.__
Chap. 1. The sin of Adam has not injured the body only, but also the soul of man.
2. The sin of Adam has brought sin and death upon all mankind.
3. Grace is not merely bestowed when we pray for it, but grace itself causes us to pray for it.
5. Even the beginning of faith, the disposition to believe, is effected by grace.
9. All good thoughts and works are God's gift.
10. Even the regenerate and the saints need continually the divine help.
13. What God loves in us, is not our merit, but his own gift.
13. The free will weakened'' in Adam, can only be restored through the grace of baptism.
16. All good that we possess is God's gift, and therefore no one should boast.
18. Unmerited grace precedes meritorious works.^
19. Even had man not fallen, he would have needed divine grace for salvation.
23. When man sins, he does his own wil. , when he does good, he executes the will of God, yet voluntarily.
* The Acts of the synod of Valence, in the metropolitan province of Vienne, held in the same year or in 530, have been lost. Pagi, and the common view, place this synod after the synod of Orange, Hefele, on the contrary (ii. 718), befori it. But we have no decisive data.
* " Arbitrium voluntatis in primo homine infirmatum^'' (not "amissum").
^ There are then meritorious works. " Debetur merces bonis operibus, si fiant^ Bed gratia quae non debetur praecedit, ut fiant." Chap. 18 taken from Augustine's Opus imperf. c. Jul. i, c. 133 and from the Sentences of Prosper Aquitanus, n. 29? But, on the other hand, Augustine also says: " Merita nostra sunt Dei munera,"
868 THIRD PERIOD. A.D. 311-590.
25. The love of God is itself a gift of God.
To these chapters the synod added a Creed of anthropology and soteriology, which, in opposition to Semi-Pelagianism, contains the following five propositions : '
' In the Latin original, the Epilogus reads as follows (Aug. Opera, torn, r, Appendix, f. 159 sq.):
" Ac sic secundum suprascriptas sanctarum scripturarum sentontias vel antiquorum patrum definitiones hoc, Deo propitiante, et prjedicare debemus et credere, quod per pcccatum primi hominis ita inclinatum et attenuatum fuorit liberum arbitriuiu, lit nullus postea aut diligere Deum sicut oportuit, aut credere in Deum, aut operari propter Deum quod bonum est, possit, nisi gratia eum et niisericordia divina praevenerit. Unde Abel justo et Noe, et Abraliae, et Isaac, et Jacob, et orani antiquorura sanctorum multitudini illam prseclaram lideiji, quam in ipsorum laude praedicat apostolus Paulus, non per tonum naturae, quod prius in Adam datum luerat, sed per gr;itiam Dei credimus fuisse collatam. Quam gratiara etiam post adventum Domini omnibus qui baptizari desiderant, non in libero arbitrio haberi, sod Chrisli novimus simul et credimus largitate conferri, secundum illud quod jam supra dictum est, et quod praedicat Paulus apostolus: Vobis donatum est pro Christo non aolum ut in eum credatis^ sed etiam ut pro illo patiamini (Phil. i. 29); et illud: DeiM qui cnepit in vobls bonum ojnis, perjiciet usque in diem Domini nostri Jesu Christi (Pliil. i. 6) ; et illud : Gra^ tia salvi facli estls per fidem, et hoc non ex vobis, Dei enim donum est (Ephes. ii. 8)* et quod de se ipso ait apostolus : Misericordiam consecuins sum ut fidells essem (1 Cor. vii. 29); non dixit quia eram, sed ut essem; et illud: Quid habes quod non accepisti ? (1 Cor. iv. '7) ; et illud : Omne datum bonum et oinne donum perfectum de sursum est, descendens a Patre luminum (Jac. i. 17); et illud: Nemo hnbet quidquam loni, nisi illi datum fuerit de super (Joann. iii. 23). Iimumerabilia sunt sanctarum scripturarum tcstimonia qu^-B possunt ad probaiidam gratiam proferri, sed brevitatis studio pnetermissa sunt, quia et revera cui pauca non sufflciunt plura non proderunt.
" Hoc etiam secundum fidem catholicam credimus, quod accepta per baptismum gratia, omnes baptizati, Christo auxiliante et coiiperante, quae ad salutem animaa pertinent, possint ct debeant, si fideliter laborare voluerint, adimplcre.
" Aliquos vero ad malum divina potestate priedoslinatos esse non solum non credimus, sed etiam si sunt, qui tantum malum credere vclint, cum omni detestationc illis anathema dieimus.
" Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus, quod in omin opere bono non nos incipimus et postea per Dei misericordiam adjuvamur, sod ipse nobis, nullis prsecedentibus bonis meritis, et fidem et amorem sui prius inspirat, ut et baptismi sacramonta fideliter requiramus, et post baptismum cum ipsius adjutorio ea qua) sibi sunt placita implore possimus. Unde nianifostisLJime credendum est, quod et illiua latronis, quem Dominus ad paradisi patriam rcvocavit, et Cornelii centurionis, ad quem angelus Domini missus est, et Zachsei, qui ipsura Dominuin suscipere meruit, ilia tam admirabilia fides non fuit de natura, sed divina) largitatis donum.
" Et quia definitionera antiquorum patrum nostramfiue, (|ua) suprascnpta est uon solum religiosis, sed etiam laicis medicamcutum esse, et desideramu:. et cupimua