The British theologians at Dort on preliminary effects
Thesis XLVII. Among others, this is the teaching of the British theologians, included in the Acts of the Synod of Dort. Setting out their opinion on the third and fourth articles and dealing with what comes before conversion, they state in their second thesis and those that follow:
'There are certain inward effects that go before conversion or regeneration, which the power of the word and the Spirit rouses in the hearts of people not yet justified, such as knowledge of God's will, a sense of sin, fear of punishment, thoughts of deliverance, and some hope of pardon. Those whom God moves in this way by his Spirit, through the word, he calls and invites to faith and conversion truly and in earnest.
Those whom God so moves he does not abandon, nor does he stop leading them forward on the true road to conversion, until they abandon him by wilful neglect or by refusing this initial grace.'
Latin
XLVII. Haec est inter alios Theologorum Britannorum doctrina, actis Synodi Dordrechtanae inserta. Exponentes enim suam sententiam de articulis tertio & quarto, & agentes de iis quae ad conversionem sunt antecedanea, sic ea de re statuunt thesi secunda & sequentibus, Sunt quaedam effecta interna ad conversionem, sive regenerationem praevia, quae virtute verbi, spiritusque in nondum justificatorum cordibus excitantur; qualia sunt notitia voluntatis divinae, sensus peccati, timor poenae, cogitatio de liberatione, spes aliqua veniae. Quos Deus mediante verbo per spiritum suum hunc in modum afficit, eos ad fidem conversionemque vere, & serio vocat & invitat. Quos ita afficit Deus non deserit nec desistit in vera ad conversionem via promovere, priusquam ab illis per neglectionem voluntariam, aut hujus gratiae initialis repulsam, deseratur.