Le Blanc holds the latter — grace-persuasion presupposes faith already in the heart
Le Blanc’s earlier theses already took the Perkins–Ames side — and he still holds it.
Persuasion that I am reconciled and received into grace is secondary/accidental, not primary/essential.
Without special revelation it is only the conclusion of a syllogism: living faith working through love → reconciled; I find such faith in myself → therefore reconciled.
So the persuasion presupposes faith already in the heart — it cannot be faith’s essence.
Latin
C. Et nos quoque Thesibus editis annis superioribus posteriorem illam sententiam amplexi sumus, & omnino tenendam esse existimamus. Quod enim ista fiducia qua quis certo statuit, & sibi persuadet, se Deo esse reconciliatum, & ab eo per Christum in gratiam receptum, non sit actus fidei primarius & essentialis, sed solum secundarius atque accidentalis, evidenter probari & demonstrari potest. Quippe nemo potest istud vere & legitime sibi persuadere, & apud se certo statuere, quin prius in se animum reflectens, & propriam conscientiam discutens atque examinans, veram vivamque fidem, ex contentis ejus in Scriptura notis, in se agnoverit atque perceperit. Nam talis persuasio, absque revelatione quadam speciali & extraordinaria, vera esse non potest, quin sit conclusio talis Syllogismi, Qui credit in Christum fide viva & operante per dilectionem Deo reconciliatus est, & ab eo per Christum in gratiam receptus. At dum ego propriam conscientiam excutio, agnosco in me talem fidem. Ergo sum Deo reconciliatus, & ab eo per Christum in gratiam receptus. Ac proinde haec persuasio praesupponit fidem jam in corde existentem, & sic non potest ejus essentiam constituere.