Good acts precede regeneration strictly, not regeneration widely
Thesis XXXVII. Regeneration taken in the first, stricter sense is preceded by many acts of faith, hope, fear, sorrow for sin, love too, and prayer for God's help. These are undoubtedly good works, acceptable to God, by which a man is prepared, as God has ordained, to receive the gift of the sanctifying and regenerating Spirit. So the grace of regeneration in that strict sense is not needed for doing them.
But without the grace of regeneration taken in the second and wider sense, no one can do anything good. A man cannot possibly act well before God begins to work in him by his grace, to free him from the chains of sin and set him in the liberty of God's children. As already said, the first beginnings of that grace belong to regeneration taken more widely.
Latin
XXXVII. Regeneratio sumpta priori illo & strictiori sensu, praevios habet plures actus fidei, spei, timoris, doloris de peccato, dilectionis quoque, & implorationis auxilii divini, qui proculdubio opera bona sunt & Deo accepta, quibusque homo ex Dei instituto praeparatur ad accipiendum donum spiritus sanctificantis atque regenerantis. Adeoque gratia regenerationis stricto illo sensu sumptae ad illa facienda necessaria non est. Sed sine gratia regenerationis, acceptae posteriori & latiori sensu, nemo quicquam boni operari potest. Nam impossibile est hominem bene agere, priusquam Deus incipiat per gratiam suam in eo operari, ut eum exolvat a peccati vinculis, & in filiorum Dei libertatem asserat. Cujus gratiae prima initia ad regenerationem latius sumptam, ut jam diximus, revocantur.