Cap. X Ultimum: Major consequence — absolute predestination is mercy’s preparation of grace that leads to glory; Vossius wrongly makes efficacious grace Augustine’s peculiarity
The Major’s consequence needs few words. Whoever grants that efficacious grace is prepared and given from God’s good pleasure to some no worthier than others, and not set apart by any prior good act from those denied the same, cannot—if he would speak consistently—deny absolute election and preterition. What else is absolute predestination but mercy’s preparation of the grace that leads effectively to glory? And what else is reprobation opposite to that but the free denial of preparing such grace? So Gerard Vossius’s view in his Pelagian History, though untrue, is at least consistent with itself when he makes not only absolute predestination but also efficacious grace prepared for some by absolute decree and not for others peculiar to Augustine, not common to the other Orthodox who withstood Pelagius.
Latin
De consequentia Majoris non necesse est ut multis agatur. Nam qui concedit efficacem gratiam ex Dei beneplacito praeparari et donari quibusdam nihilo aliis dignioribus, nec ulla praevia operatione bona distantibus ab illis quibus eadem negatur, is doctrinam absolutae electionis et praeteritionis, si consequenter loqui velit, non potest negare. Quid enim aliud intelligimus per praedestinationem absolutam quam gratiae ad gloriam efficaciter perducentis ex mera misericordia praeparationem? et per reprobationem huic absolutae praedestinationi oppositam, quam talis gratiae ex liberrima Dei voluntate negatam praeparationem? In hoc itaque etsi minime vera, tamen sibi consentanea est doctissimi viri Gerardi Vossii, qui Historiam Pelagianam conscripsit, sententia, quando sicuti doctrinam de absoluta praedestinatione, ita et hanc de efficaci gratia quibusdam ex absoluto Dei decreto praeparata, quibusdam non praeparata, Augustini peculiarem facit, et aliorum Orthodoxorum qui Pelagio restiterunt minime communem.