The Treatise of St. Bernard: Concerning Grace and Free Will

Publisher Marketing: The treatise of St. Bernard De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio was written at some time shortly previous to the year 1128, and therefore before the author had attained his thirty-eighth year. St. Bernard, in a letter addressed to Hincmar, Chancellor of the Holy See, which the Benedictine editor dates as circ. an. mcxxviij, refers to the fact that Geoffrey, Bishop of Chartres, had asked him to send Hincmar some of his "opuscula"; he had at the time, so he thought, nothing at hand worthy of Hincmar's attention, but he adds: "Libellum tamell De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio nuper edidi; ilIum uobis libenter mittam, cum uos uelle cognouero" The subject of the treatise was suggested, as is plain from the text itself, as the result of a public, or at any rate semi-public, discussion with some person unknown, in which St. Bernard, in strongly commending the work of grace, had seemed to lay himself open to the charge of unduly minimizing the function of free will. Saint Bernard begins: "It happened once that, when I was publicly commending the grace of God towards me in that in any good work I both recognized that I had been prevented and felt that I was being furthered and hoped for full attainment, by its means, one of the bystanders demanded: What J then is thine own work in the matter, or what recompense or reward dost thou hope for, if so be that God doeth it all? What then, I reply, dost thou advise? Give, saith he, the glory to God Who freely prevented thee, moved thee, originated thy good work, and live worthily for the time to come; so mayest thou prove thyself not ungrateful for benefits already received and not unworthy of receiving benefits in the future. Thou counsellest well, say I, provided only that thy counsel can be followed." The Treatise of St. Bernard Abbot of Clairvaux Concerning Grace and Free Will