Tractates on the Gospel of John
82 ST. AUGUSTINE morning fell."^^ Why [is he called] Lucifer? Because, by being illuminated, he gave light. But why did he become darkened?
Because "he stood not in the truth."
(3) Therefore he was before the daystar, before every illuminated being; for he, by whom all who can be illuminated are illuminated, must necessarily be before everyone who has been illuminated.
8. Therefore this follows: "And of his fullness we have all received." What have you received? "And grace for grace." For so go the words of the gospel, as compared with Greek copies. It does not say, and of his fullness we have all received, grace for grace. But it says as follows: "And of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace," that is, we have received in such a way that he wanted us to understand that of his fullness we have received something, and, in addition, grace for grace. For we have received of his fullness, first grace; and again we have received grace, grace for grace.
(2) What grace did we receive first? Faith. Walking in faith, we walk in grace. For how have we merited this? By what previous merits of ours? Let no one pat himself on the back. Let him go back to his conscience, seek out the deepest recess of his thoughts, go back over the course of his actions. Let him not consider what he is if he is now something, but what he was, that he might be something. He will find that he was worthy of nought but punishment. Therefore, if you were worthy of punishment, and there came that one who would not punish sins but would forgive sins, grace was given to you, recompense was not paid.
(3) Why is it called grace? Because it is given gratuitously.^^ For you did not buy with previous merits what you received. Thus the sinner received this first grace, that his sins were forgiven. What did he merit? Let him ask justice; he finds punishment. Let him ask mercy; he finds grace. But this, too, God
37. Augustine seemingly traces the etymology of gratia, "grace," to gratis, "freely," "without recompense"; this is erroneous as gratis is an ablatival adverb from gratia.