Augustine, Aquinas, and The Council of Orange: A response to David Allen

Returning to David Allen’s book Liberating Romans from Reformed Captivity, I want to follow up on my initial post and analyze the following statement that we find on page 146:

However, a historical look reveals that prior to the Reformation, no one in church history appears to have argued for regeneration preceding faith—not Augustine,[444] not the Council of Orange,[445] and not Aquinas.[446]

This is, to be very honest, something that is difficult to tackle due to the potentially different ways that the earlier church may have discussed regeneration. Let’s begin by letting Dr. Allen tell us what “regeneration” is and then we will follow that up by looking at some statements from each of the references above – Augustine, the Council of Orange, and Aquinas.

David Allen’s definition of “regeneration”

In the Fall 2014 edition of the “Journal for Baptist Theology & Ministry”, Dr. Allen gave a brief, definitional statement of “regeneration”. He stated:

Part of what it means to be “dead” is to be unbelieving. How can one have a new heart (regeneration) apart from faith?

Here, Dr. Allen says that regeneration is when we “have a new heart”. This, of course, calls to mind passages like Ezekiel 11:19 and Ezekiel 36:26. Having this understanding that having a new heart is synonymous with regeneration, let us proceed.

Augustine

In his work On The Predestination of the Saints, after 2 chapters of preliminaries written back to Prosper and Hilary (I will discuss this work in another post as it relates to another statement that Allen made), Augustine wrote what he “ought first to show”. And that was that faith is the gift of God. “As if faith were not given to us by him.” For any person without faith, would Augustine say that God gave them faith only to take it away? Would that faith not follow with justification? This is an act, by God, on the individual to allow them to have faith.

Let’s look now at a few statements from Augustine’s On Grace and Free Will:

I would ask that you note the following as you’re reading the quote below. In discussing Ephesians 2:8-9 he states that “works” refer to things you do which originate in yourself alone. As we are God’s workmanship, this refers to the work God wrought in us to “Create in me a clean heart”. We are a new creation – we have a clean heart, a new heart. Then as we continue reading, Augustine stated that since our “good life” is God’s grace that our eternal life is also the grace of God and that God has gratuitously given it to us.

Why, therefore, does it run, “Not of works, lest any man should boast”? Now, hear and understand. “Not of works” is spoken of the works which you suppose have their origin in yourself alone; but you have to think of works for which God has moulded (that is, has formed and created) you. For of these he says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” Now he does not here speak of that creation which made us human beings, but of that in reference to which one said who was already in full manhood, “Create in me a clean heart, O God;” concerning which also the apostle says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God.” We are framed, therefore, that is, formed and created, “in the good works which” we have not ourselves prepared, but “God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
It follows, then, dearly beloved, beyond all doubt, that as your good life is nothing else than God’s grace, so also the eternal life which is the recompense of a good life is the grace of God; moreover it is given gratuitously, even as that is given gratuitously to which it is given.

And we read the following later in the same work. There is a cause of our faith. In discussing the same verse (Romans 10:14-21), on page 114 David Allen stated that “the cause of faith is said to be the hearing of the word of God.” However, this is not the assertion of Augustine below. Augustine stated that “the spirit of grace, therefore, causes us to have faith.”

For “how,” says he, “shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed?” [Romans 10:14] The spirit of grace, therefore, causes us to have faith, in order that through faith we may, on praying for it, obtain the ability to do what we are commanded. On this account the apostle himself constantly puts faith before the law; since we are not able to do what the law commands unless we obtain the strength to do it by the prayer of faith.

Again, from the same work, we read the following where Augustine asks the perennial question: why do we pray for people to believe “if faith is simply of free will, and is not given by God”? Augustine believes that God turns the will of man to faith. The heart of stone being taken away is what we simply refer to as “regeneration”. Augustine said that God took away man’s heart of stone in order to give faith to men. Augustine refers to the heart of stone being taken away by God so that men can even have a good will to turn to God by faith. This is a pretty clear example of Augustine saying that God has regenerated man by removing the hardened heart and that then God gives man that faith. Remember, for Dr. Allen having a new heart is synonymous with regeneration.

Now if faith is simply of free will, and is not given by God, why do we pray for those who will not believe, that they may believe? This it would be absolutely useless to do, unless we believe, with perfect propriety, that Almighty God is able to turn to belief wills that are perverse and opposed to faith. Man’s free will is addressed when it is said, Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts. But if God were not able to remove from the human heart even its obstinacy and hardness, He would not say, through the prophet, I will take from them their heart of stone, and will give them a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 11:19 That all this was foretold in reference to the New Testament is shown clearly enough by the apostle when he says, You are our epistle, . . . written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 We must not, of course, suppose that such a phrase as this is used as if those might live in a fleshly way who ought to live spiritually; but inasmuch as a stone has no feeling, with which man’s hard heart is compared, what was there left Him to compare man’s intelligent heart with but the flesh, which possesses feeling? For this is what is said by the prophet Ezekiel: I will give them another heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord. Ezekiel 11:19-20 Now can we possibly, without extreme absurdity, maintain that there previously existed in any man the good merit of a good will, to entitle him to the removal of his stony heart, when all the while this very heart of stone signifies nothing else than a will of the hardest kind and such as is absolutely inflexible against God? For where a good will precedes, there is, of course, no longer a heart of stone.

And finally from the same work we read the following. Augustine says that it is actually God who stirs man’s spirit to come to faith. God does through man’s will “whatsoever He wishes to perform through them”.

Both statements to be sure are true, because they both came by their own will, and yet the Lord stirred up their spirit; and this may also with equal truth be stated the other way: The Lord both stirred up their spirit, and yet they came of their own will. For the Almighty sets in motion even in the innermost hearts of men the movement of their will, so that He does through their agency whatsoever He wishes to perform through them — even He who knows not how to will anything in unrighteousness.

From just a few passages in one work by Augustine, I have demonstrated that he taught that a person could not exhibit faith without God first “stirring up their spirit” and first turning their heart of stone to a heart of flesh. In other words, Augustine taught that regeneration precedes faith.

The Council of Orange

Dr. Allen also stated that the Council of Orange (529 AD) did not argue that regeneration preceded faith. But let’s look at a few statements in the Canons. In Canon 5, specifically, we read the affirmation that the Holy Spirit has already begun to ensure that our regeneration and faith will happen because of the actions taking place to allow us to have faith. The Council of Orange made a firm stand that we cannot even begin to have faith without “infusion” or “inspiration” of the Holy Spirit. This is not merely some type of prevenient grace – it is effective. In Canon 3, we read that it’s God’s grace which makes us pray. Canon 4 says that our will to be cleansed from sin comes from the Holy Spirit. Finally, Canon 7 is basically the definition of total depravity – man cannot “make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life” unless through the infusion of the Holy Spirit our hearts are illuminated. And lest we wish to accuse The Council of Orange of universalism, they stated that the Holy Spirit “makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth”. In other words, “all men” who have been illumined by the Holy Spirit will then have faith. This, my friends, is regeneration.

CANON 3. If anyone says that the grace of God can be conferred as a result of human prayer, but that it is not grace itself which makes us pray to God, he contradicts the prophet Isaiah, or the Apostle who says the same thing, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me” (Rom 10:20, quoting Isa. 65:1).

CANON 4. If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit….

CANON 5. If anyone says that not only the increase of faith but also its beginning and the very desire for faith, by which we believe in Him who justifies the ungodly and comes to the regeneration of holy baptism-if anyone says that this belongs to us by nature and not by a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness, it is proof that he is opposed to the teaching of the Apostles, for blessed Paul says, “And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). And again, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). For those who state that the faith by which we believe in God is natural make all who are separated from the Church of Christ by definition in some measure believers.

CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit…

A brief note on the above. In footnote 445 from his statement regarding The Council of Orange, Dr. Allen stated “Canon 5 states that it is by faith one comes to regeneration.” Allen must be referring to the statement “by which we believe in Him who justifies”. But if you’ll note what I placed in bold, the council is actually condemning anyone who denies that “the Holy Spirit amends our will and turning it from unbelief to faith.” I don’t believe that Dr. Allen would argue that prior to our being able to exercise faith that our will is turned by the Holy Spirit so that we then have faith. But this should not surprise us. It is very common for Dr. Allen to assert that a historical figure or document said one thing but then to find out that it’s actually condemning Allen’s belief.

Thomas Aquinas

I will be brief here as I’m not usually in the habit of defending Thomas Aquinas. But to say that he did not hold to regeneration preceding faith is not correct. The following citations are from the First Part of Book Two, Question 113 of his Summa Theologica.

In Article 8, he stated that the “infusion of grace” is the cause and “naturally prior” to “whatever is required” for justification.

On the contrary, The cause is naturally prior to its effect. Now the infusion of grace is the cause of whatever is required for the justification of the ungodly, as stated above (Article [7]). Therefore it is naturally prior to it.

Following this, he then stated that God’s part “is the infusion of grace” – which is turning man’s free will towards God. Aquinas is speaking of “order” here – the first in line is the infusion of grace and then man’s faith.

Now the motion of God the Mover is the infusion of grace, as stated above (Article [6]); the movement or disposition of the moved is the free-will’s double movement; and the term or end of the movement is the remission of sin, as stated above (Article [6]). Hence in their natural order the first in the justification of the ungodly is the infusion of grace; the second is the free-will’s movement towards God.

If we go back to Ariticle 6, as referenced above, we see that grace is the cause of man’s will leading to faith.

The entire justification of the ungodly consists as to its origin in the infusion of grace. For it is by grace that free-will is moved and sin is remitted.

Then, going back to Article 8 we see that this infusion leading to our wills having faith and our sins remitted relate to God’s justification. In all of it, “grace is the cause of the forgiveness of sin and of obtaining of justice”.

And since the infusion of grace and the remission of sin regard God Who justifies, hence in the order of nature the infusion of grace is prior to the freeing from sin. But if we look at what is on the part of the man justified, it is the other way about, since in the order of nature the being freed from sin is prior to the obtaining of justifying grace. Or it may be said that the term “whence” of justification is sin; and the term “whereto” is justice; and that grace is the cause of the forgiveness of sin and of obtaining of justice.

And lastly, from his comments on 2 Corinthians 3:3, Aquinas wrote the following. Men’s hearts were “made receptive as a result of filling and understanding”, and then he quoted Ezekiel 36:26.

It is written not with ink, I say, but with the Spirit of the living God, i.e., by the Holy Spirit, by whom you live and by whose teaching you have been instructed: “In whom you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). He suggests where it is written, when he says, not on tablets of stone, as the Old Law, to exclude hardness; as if to say: not in the stony hearts of the hard-hearted, as the Jews: “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Ac. 7:51); but on tablets of human hearts, i.e., hearts opened by charity, and human, i.e., made receptive as a result of filling and understanding: “I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez. 36:26).

We have read how Augustine, The Council of Orange, and Aquinas each were relating their belief that the infusion of Grace that we receive prior to coming to faith is an active and effectual infusion leading to “all men gladly assenting”. All who received this infusion of Grace through the removal of the heart of stone would then have faith. Certainly the most compelling statements we have read above were those of Augustine where he clearly established his belief that there must first be an act of regeneration (the turning of the heart from stone to flesh) before a man can come to faith. But Augustine’s clarity may be the most detrimental to Dr. Allen’s assertion here because it is Augustinianism that is a chief villain in this story Dr. Allen is presenting.

John 3:7–8 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Ezekiel 11:19 – And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26 – And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

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