Cap. 6 Secundo: Corrupted nature cannot haul grace to itself
Second, though we grant that in ethnic people some sparks of natural light remain, and a certain imperfect desire for moral good, still—as the same Salisbury we praised earlier puts it best—those deformed ruins have no inhabitant but the Devil, and of those remnants in the midst of corruption there can be only a corrupted use. Let the adversaries show us even one person since the world began who by good use of nature drew the gift of grace to himself. Speaking morally, it is impossible that an ethnic person in corrupted nature should not set very many obstacles in grace’s way. Far from it that by using natural things well he can haul gratuitous and supernatural gifts to himself.
Aquinas says truly in Contra Gentiles, book 3, page 160: if through a prior disorder free choice has declined to evil, it will not be altogether in its power to present no impediment to grace. So those who think evangelical grace is given to everyone who uses nature’s light rightly and does not oppose an obstacle to grace are dreaming up people in corrupted nature such as it is not credible ever existed, exist now, or ever will. Whatever is objected, no one can remove that obstacle but God—as Bradwardine truly teaches in De causa Dei against Pelagius, book 2, chapter 32.
Latin
Secundo, licet in hominibus Ethnicis agnoscamus manere quasdam scintillas luminis naturalis, & imperfectum quoddam desiderium boni moralis, tamen, ut optime idem, quem antea laudavimus, Sarisburiensis, Quae deformata ista rudera habitatorem non habent nisi Diabolum, harum reliquiarum in media corruptione nisi corruptus usus esse non potest. Dent nobis adversarii vel unum hominem ab orbe condito, qui bono usu naturae pertraxit ad se donum gratiae. Impossibile est (moraliter loquendo) ut ethnicus in statu naturae corruptae non ponat obices quam plurimos gratiae divinae: tantum abest ut bene utendo naturalibus, possit ad se pertrahere gratuita & supernaturalia. Vere Aquinas Contr. Gent. lib. 3. pag. 160, Si per inordinationem praecedentem liberum arbitrium ad malum declinaverit, non erit omnino in potestate nullum impedimentum gratiae praestare. Qui igitur opinantur dari gratiam Evangelicam illis omnibus qui recte utuntur lumine naturae, & obicem gratiae haud opponunt, somniant tales homines in statu corruptae naturae, quales nec fuisse unquam, nec esse, nec fore credibile est. Nam quicquid objiciatur, nullus potest hunc obicem tollere nisi Deus; ut vere docet Bradwardinus de causa Dei, contr. Pelag. lib. 2. cap. 32.