Question VI

GRATIAN. But as to what is asked—whether the evil are to be compelled to good?—the answer readily appears. For the ancient people were compelled to the observance of the law by fear of punishments. In the Gospel also the Lord says to his disciples: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him”—that is, serve him in fear—“who can destroy soul and body in Gehenna.” Paul too, when he was persecuting the church of God, was compelled to be converted to God after being blinded on the way. Hence he testified that he was like one untimely born, saying: “But last of all, as though to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” Hence Augustine writes, [epistle 50] to Boniface:

Schismatics say: upon whom did Christ inflict force; whom did he compel? Behold, they have the Apostle Paul. Let them recognize in him Christ first compelling, afterward teaching; first striking, afterward consoling. But it is wonderful how he who entered the Gospel compelled by punishment of the body labored more than all those who were called into the Gospel by the word alone; and the perfect charity of him whom a greater fear compelled to charity casts fear outside. Why, therefore, should the church not compel her lost sons to return, if lost sons compelled others to perish? Although the pious mother embraces more tenderly even those whom they did not compel but only seduced, if through terrifying and salutary laws they are recalled into her bosom, and rejoices much more over them than over those whom she had never lost. § 1. Or does it not pertain to pastoral diligence also to recall to the Lord’s sheepfold, by terrors or even pains of scourges if they should wish to resist, those sheep that were not violently snatched away but, gently and softly seduced, had wandered from the flock and had begun to be possessed by strangers? Likewise: § 2. We show that Paul was compelled by Christ. And so the church imitates her Lord in compelling these persons, she who, before compelling anyone, waited for the prophetic preaching concerning the faith of kings and nations to be fulfilled. § 3. From this too that apostolic sentence is understood not absurdly, where blessed Paul said: “Ready to avenge all disobedience, when first your obedience shall have been fulfilled.” § 4. Hence the Lord himself also first orders guests to be brought to his great supper, and afterward to be compelled. For when his servants had answered him, “Lord, what you ordered has been done, and still there is room,” he said: “Go out into the ways and hedges, and whomever you find compel to enter.” Therefore, in those who were first brought gently, the prior obedience was fulfilled; but in those who are compelled, disobedience is restrained. Likewise: § 5. If, through the power that the church received by divine gift through the religion and faith of kings at the time when she ought, those who are found in the ways and hedges—that is, in heresies and schisms—are compelled to enter, let them not reproach the fact that they are compelled, but attend to that to which they are compelled.

The same to the Donatists, [epistle 166]. “That which had strayed,” says the Lord, “you did not recall; and that which had perished, you did not seek.” God himself does this to you through us: he himself by entreating, he himself by threatening, whether by correction, or by losses, or by labors, or through his hidden admonitions or visitations, or through the laws of temporal powers.

The same in the epistle [48] to Vincentius. You see, as I think, that it is not to be considered that each person is compelled, but what that is to which he is compelled, whether good or evil—not because anyone can be good unwillingly, but, by fearing what he does not wish to suffer, he either abandons the animosity that impedes him or is compelled to recognize the truth that was unknown, so that, fearing, he may either reject the false thing concerning which he was contending or seek the truth that he did not know, and now willingly hold what he did not wish. Likewise: § 1. My opinion at first was that no one was to be compelled to the unity of Christ; that the matter was to be conducted by the word, fought by disputation, and conquered by reason, lest we have feigned Catholics whom we had known as open heretics. But this opinion of mine was overcome not only by the words of those contradicting, but by the examples of those demonstrating. For first my own city was set against me, which, although it was wholly on the side of Donatus, was converted to Catholic unity by fear of the imperial laws, and which we now see detesting the ruin of this animosity of yours in such a way that it is believed never to have been in it. So too many other cities were recalled to me by name, so that from the things themselves I might recognize that even in this cause that which is written can be rightly understood: “Give an occasion to the wise man, and he will be wiser.”

Likewise Gregory to Bishop Maximian. But now, if a peasant shall have been found to possess such great unbelief and obstinacy that he by no means consents to come to the Lord, he is to be burdened with so great a burden of rent that by the very punishment of its exaction he may be compelled to hasten to rectitude. GRATIAN. From all these things it is gathered that the evil are to be compelled to good. § 1. But it is objected that no one is to be compelled to that to which he is compelled without benefit. Yet each person is compelled to good without benefit when God spurns compelled services. Hence the Apostle, when he exhorted the Corinthians to alms, said: “Let each person give according as he has determined in his heart, not from sorrow or from necessity. For God loves a cheerful giver.” From this it is given to be understood that he who gives unwillingly on account of present shame loses both the property and the merit. Likewise, when he rendered the reason why he abstained from expenses, he said: “If I shall have evangelized from necessity, there will be no glory for me.” § 2. Likewise: “If I shall have evangelized unwillingly, a stewardship has been entrusted to me. But if I do this willingly, I have a reward with God.” Likewise, when he wrote to the Galatians that the legal observances are not to be maintained, he said: “If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” From this it appears that he who is under the law—that is, who serves from fear of punishment and not from love of justice—is not led by the Holy Spirit. But if he is not led by the Spirit, he is by no means able to please God. § 3. Likewise: “You did not receive the spirit of servitude again in fear, but you received the spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry: Abba, Father.” From these words it is given to be understood that, even if in the Old Testament men were compelled to good by fear of punishment, nevertheless in the New Testament they are to be invited to faith by freedom alone and love of justice. Hence the former are called servants and sons of the bondwoman, pertaining to Ishmael; the latter are called free and sons of the free woman, pertaining to Isaac. § 4. Likewise John in his epistle: “Fear is not in charity, but perfect charity casts fear outside.” But he who is compelled is led by that fear which is not in charity, which restrains the hands but does not change the mind, by which punishment is feared but the good is not loved. Moreover, without love of the good no one will be able to please God or be numbered among the good. Hence, when the Prophet said, “Your animals will dwell in it,” namely the inheritance, showing how they may arrive at that habitation, he adds: “In your sweetness, which you prepared for the poor,” calling the delight of a good work “sweetness,” by which good is done not from fear of punishment but from delight in justice. Therefore, since without this sweetness the animals do not dwell in the inheritance, it is plain that no one is compelled to good by fear alone except without benefit. For whoever is compelled to good is led by fear alone, not by love; therefore, the evil are not to be compelled to good. § 5. To these things answer is made thus: If the evil were always to tolerate unwillingly the good to which they are compelled, and never serve willingly, they would be compelled to it without benefit. But because it belongs to human nature both to abhor those things that are brought into disuse and to love accustomed things more, the evil are to be restrained from evil by the scourges of tribulations and provoked to good, so that, while through fear of punishment evil is brought into disuse, it may be abhorred, but the good may grow sweet from custom. Hence Augustine on Psalm 127: “When through fear of Gehenna a man restrains himself from sin, a custom of justice is formed, and that which was hard begins to be loved, and fear begins to be excluded by charity, and chaste fear succeeds, concerning which it is said here, by which we fear lest he delay, lest he depart, lest we be without him. The former is useful, but it does not remain eternally as does the latter.”