Cap. III Sol. Rat. 3 close: Augustine — gratuitous election before merits; Hypognost. 6
Finally, this is the very sentence Augustine everywhere defends against the Pelagians: men are elected gratuitously and before all foresight of merits — not only to gifts of grace but also to the kingdom of glory — however they are brought there by the path of good works or merits, as the ancient Fathers usually speak. One place only: From the damnable mass of the human race God foresaw by mercy, not merits, those whom by election of grace he predestined to life (Contra Pelag. Hypognost. 6). So the foresight on which predestination to life rests is not of our merits but of divine mercy, who decreed to elect us from that damnable mass to share eternal life and to adorn us with merits.
Latin
Postremo, dicimus hanc esse ipsissimam sententiam quam Augustinus passim propugnat contra Pelagianos, nimirum, Eligi homines gratuito, & ante omnem praescientiam meritorum, non modo ad dona gratiae, sed etiam ad regnum gloriae: utcunque perducantur ad regnum gloriae per viam bonorum operum, sive meritorum, ut loqui solent antiqui Patres. Unicum tantummodo locum citabo, qui sic se habet, De damnabili humani generis massa Deus praescivit misericordia, non meritis, quos ex electione gratiae praedestinavit ad vitam, Contra Pelag. Hypognost. lib. 6. Ubi videtis praescientiam illam, qua nititur praedestinatio ad vitam, non esse meritorum nostrorum, sed misericordiae Divinae, qui decrevit nos eligere ex massa damnabili ad participationem vitae aeternae, atque meritis ornare.