Cap. VI Arg. 13: major — Augustine: true grace needs absolute predestination (De bono persever. 2)
The major is so clear adversaries are ashamed to say outright that this special election-grace hangs on anything but God's mere sole good pleasure. Augustine wisely weighs it (On the Gift of Perseverance 2): such free grace cannot stand unless absolute predestination stands with it — not hung on prior acts of human choice. Predestination must be preached, he says, so true grace (not given according to our merits) can be defended by impregnable walls. He means not Arminian predestination from foresight of human faith and perseverance, but Pauline — which prepares faith and perseverance for the elect from eternity and gives them in due time. Without that predestination, which Augustine defends through the whole book, he judged true grace cannot be defended.
Latin
Ad Majorem quod attinet, tam clara est, ut pudeat ipsos adversarios aperte asserere hanc specialem electionis gratiam aliunde, quam ex mero et solo Dei beneplacito dependere. At sapienter hoc expendit Augustinus, non posse talem gratuitam gratiam stabiliri, nisi stabiliatur simul absoluta haec praedestinatio, et minime ex praeviis arbitrii humani operationibus suspensa, De bono persever. cap. 2. Praedestinatio, inquit, praedicenda est, ut possit vera Dei gratia, hoc est, quae non secundum merita nostra detur, insuperabili munitione defendi. Praedestinationem autem intelligit, non Arminianam ex praevisione fidei et perseverantiae humanae ortam, sed Paulinam, quae fidem et perseverantiam electis praeparat ab aeterno, donatque tempore opportuno. Sine hac igitur praedestinatione, quam toto illo libro propugnat Augustinus, judicavit veram Dei gratiam non posse defendi.