77. Question I. It is asked here first concerning what he says, that the Jews were murmuring.
1. The Lord knew that the Jews were bound to fall from the doctrine of truth into murmuring: therefore, since he knew the doctrine would not profit them, since he was the physician of salvation, he ought not to have given it.
2. To this point is relevant what is written in Matthew 7: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine"; to this same point, Proverbs 9: He who instructs a scoffer brings injury upon himself: therefore it seems that instruction ought not to be given to such people who fall into detraction.
I respond: As Augustine says in the book On the Gift of Perseverance, the salvation of one good person is to be preferred over many wicked ones; this is drawn from his words. Hence he says in the same place that when we know our teaching benefits the good, even if we know that the wicked are scandalized thereby, we ought not to be silent. Since therefore the teaching on the bread of life was timely and most useful for the good, both for those who were present then and for us who read it, and the occasion presented itself because a wondrous and great feeding had taken place, therefore He did well in teaching, not on account of the wicked, but on account of the good.
Hence it must be resolved that although the Lord was speaking to the wicked, nevertheless He was instructing the good.
78. Question II. Likewise, an inquiry is made about what He says: Everyone who has heard from the Father: not that anyone has seen the Father, etc.
On the contrary: 1. It is established that He speaks here of the seeing and hearing of the intellect itself; but in the intellect sight and hearing do not differ, and he who hears intelligibly sees intelligibly: therefore if the Father is heard interiorly, He is also seen.
2. Furthermore, if you say that it is different: it is certain that to understand is to see; therefore he who hears either understands or does not: if he understands, he sees; if he hears and does not understand, and comes to hearing, then he comes not understanding, like a brute animal.
I respond that vision regards the speaker, but hearing regards the speech. Properly, the speech of God is the inspiration of God, according to how it is understood here. This inspiration is an effect of God in the soul; the soul can know this effect in itself, although it does not fully know from whom it comes. Hence it must be said that it both sees and hears that inspiration, but nevertheless from this it does not follow that it sees God. Hence He most aptly says: Everyone who has heard from the Father, that is, the inspiration proceeding from the Father, and that inspiration, I say, he sees, just as he also hears. But from this it does not follow that he sees the one who inspires, because hearing does not regard Him, but the effect, just as sight does also.
79. Question III. An inquiry is made about what He says: No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.
On the contrary: 1. Drawing is a violent motion; all merit is voluntary: therefore no one merits when he does something while being drawn.
2. Likewise, if one cannot come unless drawn, then it is not in one's power to come to God; and if this is so, then since no one is blameworthy if he does not do what is impossible, no one is blameworthy if he does not come to God.
3. Likewise, since drawing belongs to the whole Trinity, and it is through revelation, which properly belongs to the Son or to the Holy Spirit, how is it attributed to the Father? For it is neither by property nor by appropriation.
I respond: It must be said that to remain in oneself belongs to nature as instituted; to descend or be inclined below oneself belongs to corrupted nature; but to be elevated above oneself belongs to nature sublimated through grace. Hence to stand belongs to nature, to descend to fault, to ascend to grace.
Since therefore nature is corrupted and prone to evil: if it is elevated above itself, there will be not only an elevation, but on account of the inclination to the contrary, a drawing. Since therefore everyone who comes to God is elevated above himself: no one comes unless he is drawn. Therefore he rightly says: No one comes, etc.
1. To the objection about violent motion, it is answered that there is a drawing of exterior coercion, and there is a drawing of inducement: the first involves violence, the second not at all.
Or otherwise: there is a drawing of affection, according to what Augustine says, that the poet says: "His own pleasure draws each one"; and this is both meritorious and demeritorious: and there is a drawing against the will, and by this he does not draw, and of this he does not speak.
2. To the second it must be said that it is not in one's full power to come, but it is in one's power to prepare oneself for divine assistance.
3. As to what he appropriates to the Father, I say that appropriation is made in the Trinity by reason of granting understanding, by reason of removing error, by reason of showing humility. Thus I say that in this third way the Son appropriates to the Father those things which belong to the Trinity, so that he may teach us to be humble: and thus it is clear.
80. Question IV. It is asked concerning what he says: They shall all be teachable by God:
1. Because this is most certainly false in every state.
a. Likewise, how is that true which is said in Joel 2: I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and similarly that of Isaiah: I will make all your children taught by the Lord?
I respond according to Augustine that all is distributed for the kinds of individuals.
But then the authority would avail little for the purpose at hand.
For this reason it is explained otherwise, that those who will be taught will be taught by God, and no one except through him; therefore all teachable. And thus the authority avails for the purpose at hand.