Theological Theses · §2520 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Named from the outcome: more grace may convert no one

Thesis LXXXII. On his assumptions, then, efficacious and inefficacious aid are so named from the outcome, and efficacious aid has nothing more in itself than inefficacious aid. It can therefore happen, and often does, that of two people anticipated by equal grace from God one is converted and the other is not.

Indeed it sometimes happens that someone who has received greater aids of grace remains impenitent or neglects to act well, while another, to whom God has granted fewer and lesser aids, truly repents and is eager for good works, because the first refused to use the greater grace God granted him and the second, in his freedom, made good use of the lesser.

It also sometimes happens that of two people in whom grace is efficacious, the one helped by lesser grace acts more fervently and with greater zeal, while the one helped by greater grace acts more sluggishly and slackly.

Latin

LXXXII. Igitur secundum illius hypotheses, auxilium efficax & auxilium inefficax, ab eventu sic denominantur: nec auxilium efficax quicquam in se plus habet quam auxilium inefficax. Adeoque contingere potest & saepe etiam contingit, ut ex duobus aequali gratia Dei praeventis, unus convertatur, alter non convertatur. Quinimo quandoque accidit, ut qui majora gratiae auxilia acceperit, maneat impoenitens, aut negligat bene operari: Ille vero cui Deus pauciora & minora auxilia concesserit, veram poenitentiam agat, & studeat bonis operibus; quia prior uti noluerit gratia illa majore sibi a Deo concessa, alter vero minore gratia, pro sua libertate, bene usus fuerit. Ac etiam aliquando fit, ut ex duobus in quibus gratia efficax est, ille qui minore gratia adjuvatur, ferventius & majore cum zelo operetur; ille vero qui majori, languidius atque remissius.

Report a mistake in this passage