Augustine: Earlier Writings (continued)
TO SIMPLICIAN— ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS 391 elected us before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). I do not see how that could be except by the way of foreknowledge. But here, when he says "Not of works but of him that calleth," he wants us to understand that it is not by election through merits, but by the free gift of God, so that no man may exult in his good works. "By the grace of God are we saved; and that not of ourselves; for it is the gift of God, not of works that no man should glory" (Eph. 2:8).
7. But the question is whether faith merits a man's justification, whether the merits of faith do not precede the mercy of God; or whether, in fact, faith itself is to be numbered among the gifts of grace. Notice that in this passage when he said, "Not of works," he did not say, "but of faith it was said to her. The elder shall serve the younger." No, he said, "but of him that calleth." No one believes who is not called. God calls in his mercy, and not as rewarding the merits of faith. The merits of faith follow his calling rather than precede it. "How shall they believe whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom. 10:14). Unless, therefore, the mercy of God in calling precedes, no one can even believe, and so begin to be justified and to receive power to do good works. So grace comes before all merits. Christ died for the ungodly. The younger received the promise that the elder should serve him from him that calleth and not from any meritorious works of his own. So the Scripture "Jacob have I loved" is true, but it was of God who called and not of Jacob's righteous works.
8. What then of Esau, of whom it is written that "he shall serve the younger," and "Esau have I hated"? How could he have merited this by evil deeds of his own doing, since these things were spoken before he was born, and before he had done aught of good or evil? Possibly, just as Jacob received the promise without any meritorious acts of his own, so Esau was hated though he had done no evil to merit hatred. If God predestined Esau to serve his younger brother because he foreknew the evil works that he was to do, he must also have predestined Jacob to be served by his elder brother because he foreknew his future good works. In that case it would be false to say that it was not of works. If it is true that it was not of works—and that is proved by the fact that it was said before they were born and before they had done any works at all—or of faith—for again, similarly, there could be no faith in children not yet born —how did Esau deserve to be hated before he was born? That God made one he was to love is unquestionably true. But it is