Theological Theses · §1714 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Pure-nature man would be as ignorant and weak as fallen man, and outwardly worse off, lacking Adam's tradition and the promise of Christ

So with regard to the inner powers of the soul, there would be as much ignorance in pure nature, as much weakness in thinking, judging and living well, and as much proneness to sin, as we experience in fallen nature. With regard to outward things there would be more.

The sense objects that stir up desire would be the same, and besides that, the evil counsel and example of wicked men would then urge men to evil more strongly. For in fallen nature the ease of sinning could be softened by what had come down by tradition from the head of the race to his descendants: the knowledge of God and of the virtues that had been given to Adam, the memory of God's promises and threats, the recollection of the former state and of the fall, and the promise of the coming Christ with the hope of his redemption.

So on this score blindness, a more widespread corruption of morals, and the tendency to sin would apparently have been greater in pure nature.

Latin

XXI. Ac proinde quantum ad internas animi vires, tantam in pura natura futuram ignorantiam, beneque cogitandi, judicandi, & vivendi infirmitatem, peccandique pronitatem, quantam in natura lapsa experimur. Quantum ad externa vero majorem. Nam praeterquam quod objecta sensibilia concupiscentiam excitantia essent eadem, mala pravorum hominum consilia, & exempla potentius tunc ad malum provocarent. Nam cognitio Dei virtutumque quae Adamo communicata fuerat, & memoria promissionum & comminationum Dei, priorisque status & praeteriti lapsus recordatio, & promissio venturi Christi, cum spe redemptionis ejus, quae per traditionem a capite in posteros diffusa promanarunt; peccandi facilitatem in natura lapsa mitigare potuerunt, ut hac in parte caecitas, corruptio morum generalior, peccandique pronitas in pura natura proclivior futura fuisse videatur.

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