Annotatio CCLXIII

”I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated.” — Malachi 1:2, 3

Jerome, in the commentary on Malachi, explaining this, seems not to be far from the opinion of the Pelagians, saying that election and reprobation arise from the foreknowledge of merits,¹ since indeed he writes in this manner: “Moreover, the love and hatred of God arises either from the foreknowledge of things to come, or from works: otherwise we know that God loves all things, and hates nothing of those [things] which he created; but properly he vindicates to his love those who are enemies of the vices, and rebels [against them]; and, on the contrary, he hates those who desire to build up again the [things] destroyed by God.”

See below, Annotation 251 of book 6.