下载辰思小说免费APP
AugustineandSt。Thomas，accordingtowhichitisequallytruethatwehavethepowerofresistinggrace，contrarytoCalvin’sopinion，andthat，nevertheless，toemploythelanguageofPopeClementVIIIinhispaperaddressedtotheCongregationdeAuxiliis，"Godformswithinusthemotionofourwill，andeffectuallydisposesofourhearts，byvirtueofthatempirewhichHissuprememajestyhasoverthevolitionsofmen，aswellasovertheothercreaturesunderheaven，accordingtoSt。Augustine。"Onthesameprinciple，itfollowsthatweactofourselves，andthus，inoppositiontoanothererrorofCalvin，thatwehavemeritswhicharetrulyandproperlyours；andyet，asGodisthefirstprincipleofouractions，andas，inthelanguageofSt。Paul，He"workethinusthatwhichispleasinginhissight"；"ourmeritsarethegiftsofGod，"astheCouncilofTrentsays。BymeansofthisdistinctionwedemolishtheprofanesentimentofLuther，condemnedbythatCouncil，namely，that"weco—operateinnowaywhatevertowardsoursalvationanymorethaninanimatethings"；and，bythesamemodeofreasoning，weoverthrowtheequallyprofanesentimentoftheschoolofMolina，whowillnotallowthatitisbythestrengthofdivinegracethatweareenabledtocooperatewithitintheworkofoursalvation，andwhotherebycomesintohostilecollisionwiththatprincipleoffaithestablishedbySt。Paul："ThatitisGodwhoworkethinusbothtowillandtodo。"Infine，inthiswaywereconcileallthosepassagesofScripturewhichseemquiteinconsistentwitheachothersuchasthefollowing："TurnyeuntoGod"—"Turnthouus，andweshallbeturned"—"Castawayiniquityfromyou"—"ItisGodwhotakethawayiniquityfromHispeople"—"Bringforthworksmeetforrepentance"—
"Lord，thouhastwroughtallourworksinus"—"Makeyeanewheartandanewspirit"—"AnewspiritwillIgiveyou，andanewheartwillIcreatewithinyou，"&；c。Theonlywayofreconcilingtheseapparentcontrarieties，whichascribeourgoodactionsatonetimetoGodandatanothertimetoourselves，istokeepinviewthedistinction，asstatedbySt。Augustine，that"ouractionsareoursinrespectofthefreewillwhichproducesthem；
butthattheyarealsoofGod，inrespectofHisgracewhichenablesourfreewilltoproducethem"；andthat，asthesamewriterelsewhereremarks，"Godenablesustodowhatispleasinginhissight，bymakinguswilltodoevenwhatwemighthavebeenunwillingtodo。"Itthusappears，father，thatyouropponentsareperfectlyatonewiththemodernThomists，fortheThomistsholdwiththemboththepowerofresistinggrace，andtheinfallibilityoftheeffectofgrace；ofwhichlatterdoctrinetheyprofessthemselvesthemoststrenuousadvocates，ifwemayjudgefromacommonmaximoftheirtheology，whichAlvarez，oneoftheleadingmenamongthem，repeatssoofteninhisbook，andexpressesinthefollowingterms（disp。
72，n。4）："Whenefficaciousgracemovesthefreewill，itinfalliblyconsents；
becausetheeffectofgraceissuch，that，althoughthewillhasthepowerofwithholdingitsconsent，itneverthelessconsentsineffect。"Hecorroboratesthisbyaquotationfromhismaster，St。Thomas："ThewillofGodcannotfailtobeaccomplished；and，accordingly，whenitishispleasurethatamanshouldconsenttotheinfluenceofgrace，heconsentsinfallibly，andevennecessarily，notbyanabsolutenecessity，butbyanecessityofinfallibility。"Ineffectingthis，divinegracedoesnottrenchupon"thepowerwhichmanhastoresistit，ifhewishestodoso"；itmerelypreventshimfromwishingtoresistit。ThishasbeenacknowledgedbyyourFatherPetau，inthefollowingpassage（Booki，p。602）：。"ThegraceofJesusChristinsuresinfallibleperseveranceinpiety，thoughnotbynecessity；
forapersonmayrefusetoyieldhisconsenttograce，ifhebesoinclined，asthecouncilstates；butthatsamegraceprovidesthatheshallneverbesoinclined。"This，father，istheuniformdoctrineofSt。Augustine，ofSt。Prosper，ofthefatherswhofollowedthem，ofthecouncils，ofSt。
Thomas，andofalltheThomistsingeneral。Itislikewise，whateveryoumaythinkofit，thedoctrineofyouropponents。And，letmeadd，itisthedoctrinewhichyouyourselfhavelatelysealedwithyourapprobation。
Ishallquoteyourownwords："Thedoctrineofefficaciousgrace，whichadmitsthatwehaveapowerofresistingit，isorthodox，foundedonthecouncils，andsupportedbytheThomistsandSorbonists。"Now，tellustheplaintruth，father；ifyouhadknownthatyouropponentsreallyheldthisdoctrine，theinterestsofyourSocietymightperhapshavemadeyouscruplebeforepronouncingthispublicapprovalofit；but，actingonthesuppositionthattheywerehostiletothedoctrine，thesamepowerfulmotivehasinducedyoutoauthorizesentimentswhichyouknowinyourhearttobecontrarytothoseofyourSociety；andbythisblunder，inyouranxietytoruintheirprinciples，youhaveyourselfcompletelyconfirmedthem。Sothat，byakindofprodigy，wenowbeholdtheadvocatesofefficaciousgracevindicatedbytheadvocatesofMolina—anadmirableinstanceofthewisdomofGodinmakingallthingsconcurtoadvancethegloryofthetruth。Letthewholeworldobserve，then，that，byyourownadmission，thetruthofthisefficaciousgrace，whichissoessentialtoalltheactsofpiety，whichissodeartotheChurch，andwhichisthepurchaseofherSaviour’sblood，issoindisputablyCatholicthatthereisnotasingleCatholic，notevenamongtheJesuits，whowouldnotacknowledgeitsorthodoxy。Andletitbenoticed，atthesametime，that，accordingtoyourownconfession，nottheslightestsuspicionoferrorcanfallonthosewhomyouhavesooftenstigmatizedwithit。Forsolongasyouchargedthemwithclandestineheresies，withoutchoosingtospecifythembyname，itwasasdifficultforthemtodefendthemselvesasitwaseasyforyoutobringsuchaccusations。
Butnow，whenyouhavecometodeclarethattheerrorwhichconstrainsyoutoopposethem，istheheresyofCalvinwhichyousupposedthemtohold，itmustbeapparenttoeveryonethattheyareinnocentofallerror；
forsodecidedlyhostilearetheytothis，theonlyerroryouchargeuponthem，thattheyprotest，bytheirdiscourses，bytheirbooks，byeverymode，inshort，inwhichtheycantestifytheirsentiments，thattheycondemnthatheresywiththeirwholeheart，andinthesamemannerasithasbeencondemnedbytheThomists，whomyouacknowledge，withoutscruple，tobeCatholics，andwhohaveneverbeensuspectedtobeanythingelse。Whatwillyousayagainstthemnow，father？Willyousaythattheyarehereticsstill，because，althoughtheydonotadoptthesenseofCalvin，theywillnotallowthatthesenseofJanseniusisthesamewiththatofCalvin？
Willyoupresumetosaythatthisismatterofheresy？Isitnotapurequestionoffact，withwhichheresyhasnothingtodo？Itwouldbehereticaltosaythatwehavenotthepower，ofresistingefficaciousgrace；butwoulditbesotodoubtthatJanseniusheldthatdoctrine？Isthisarevealedtruth？Isitanarticleoffaithwhichmustbebelieved，onpainofdamnation？
Orisitnot，inspiteofyou，apointoffact，onaccountofwhichitwouldberidiculoustoholdthattherewerehereticsintheChurch？Dropthisepithet，then，father，andgivethemsomeothername，moresuitedtothenatureofyourdispute。Tellthem，theyareignorantandstupid—
thattheymisunderstandJansenius。Thesewouldbechargesinkeepingwithyourcontroversy；butitisquiteirrelevanttocallthemheretics。Asthis，however，istheonlychargefromwhichIamanxioustodefendthem，IshallnotgivemyselfmuchtroubletoshowthattheyrightlyunderstandJansenius。AllIshallsayonthepoint，father，isthatitappearstomethat，werehetobejudgedaccordingtoyourownrules，itwouldbedifficulttoprovehimnottobeagoodCatholic。Weshalltryhimbythetestyouhaveproposed。"Tok
