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VIII.Third, to the blindness of the intellect and the crookedness of the will is added impotence toward beginning, advancing, and perfecting the work of salvation without the grace of the Holy Spirit.With respect to the beginning toward the good, or the first motion of conversion, the human can do nothing from himself (John 6:44; 15:5).With respect to progress, even the regenerate needs the continual help of grace.With respect to the end, perseverance and glory are gifts of God, not our merits.Therefore in this state free choice, unless elevated by grace, is not a principle of salvation but of sin and misery.Of sin itself the following chapter must treat; of the permission of sin, chapter 39; of the obligation to death, chapter 40.
Latin
VIII. Tertio, intellectus caecitati et voluntatis pravitati accedit impotentia ad inchoandum, promovendum, et perficiendum opus salutis sine gratia Spiritus Sancti. Respectu initii ad bonum, seu primi motus conversionis, homo nihil potest ex se (Ioh. 6:44; 15:5). Respectu progressus, etiam regeneratus indiget continua gratiae ope. Respectu finis, perseverantia et gloria dona Dei sunt, non merita nostra. Quapropter in hoc statu liberum arbitrium, nisi a gratia elevetur, non est principium salutis, sed peccati et miseriae. De peccato ipso sequenti capite, de permissione peccati cap. 39, de obligatione ad mortem cap. 40 agendum erit.