Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Grace and Free Choice · Book I: On Grace
Chapter 11: That the division of special help into sufficient and efficacious is to be conceded
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio, Book I. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Concerning the fifth partition — which is of grace, both stirring and aiding, into sufficient grace and efficacious — there are two questions. The former, whether this partition is to be admitted; the latter, whence the efficacy of grace is taken, or what efficacious grace properly is.
As to the former question: the heretics of our time are compelled altogether to repudiate that partition, since with them those who are moved by God necessarily act well, and those who are not moved cannot act well; and hence every motion of God is efficacious, none merely sufficient. Calvin, book 2 of the Institutes, chapter 3, §10: “Grace moves the will,” says he, “not in the manner delivered and believed for many ages — that it should afterward be of our election either to obey the motion or to withstand it — but by effecting it efficaciously.” Nor does he acknowledge any other grace, as can be perceived from that section and those following. The same partition without doubt the Pelagians also repudiated — they, namely, who judged free choice itself to be a sufficient help for coming to salvation, and acknowledged no other more powerful grace, as can be understood from Augustine, book 2 against the two epistles of the Pelagians, last chapter. For the refuting of both heresies we judge this partition necessary; and we shall also briefly confirm it.
First, then, that a truly sufficient help of God was present to some who nevertheless were not in fact converted — and hence that that help was not efficacious — is manifestly gathered from the sacred writings. Isaias 5, thus speaks the Lord: ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and ye men of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard. What is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? was it that I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it hath brought forth wild grapes? They whom the Lord reprehends without doubt did not have that efficacious grace which is refused by no hard heart; for if they had had it, they would certainly have brought forth good fruit. But if they had not had sufficient grace, through which they could truly and properly be converted, the Lord would not truly say: What ought I to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done? For it would be answered: after thou hadst planted the vineyard, and desiredst to bear fruit from it, thou oughtest to have applied to it all the things which were necessary that it might be able to bear fruit; but how didst thou apply all things necessary, if sufficient culture failed it, and it did not truly have what was required for bearing fruit? And then, to what purpose would the Lord say, I looked that it should bring forth grapes, if he had not given it the faculty of budding, and all things necessary for bringing forth grapes? We must confess, then, that those men had a help of God plainly sufficient for conversion, and for setting up a life pleasing to God.
A like place is had in Matthew 23: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not? They of whom the Lord complains had not efficacious grace; for if they had had it, they would without doubt have willed to be gathered under the Lord's wings. Nor yet did they lack the necessary and sufficient grace by which they could will what God willed; otherwise Christ would not say: I would have gathered thy children, and thou wouldest not. For how did he will, and so will that he complains of the unwilling, if those whom he knew could not will of themselves he did not help, that they might be able to will? That also which we read, Acts 7, You always resist the Holy Ghost, signifies plainly enough that good desires are inspired into some, and so inspired that they can be converted, and that nevertheless they will not be converted. For if good desires were not inspired into those Jews, how did they resist the Holy Spirit? If they could not resist, why are they so sharply arraigned by St. Stephen? The Apostle Paul also shows the same, when he says, Romans 2: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and patience, and longsuffering? Knowest thou not, that the benignity of God leadeth thee to penance? For why, I pray, should God wait for the penance of those to whom he had not given sufficient help for conversion? Is he perchance ignorant that no one can be converted and do penance save he to whom he himself has furnished the strength? Finally — to pass over many other like places — in Apocalypse 3 the Lord says: Behold, I stand at the gate, and knock. If any man shall… open to me the door, I will come in to him. Either, then, they at whose heart the Lord knocks have sufficient help for opening, or they have not: if they have, we have what we would; if they have not, why, I beseech, does the Lord knock? Is he ignorant that they cannot open? Would not he be a fool who should knock at a neighbor's door if he knew for certain there was no one within who could open? We have therefore from the divine writings that to some is given sufficient help to whom efficacious is not given.
And we can demonstrate from the same sacred writings that to some is granted an efficacious help, through which they are infallibly converted. For John 6, the Lord says: Every one that hath heard of the Father, and hath learned, cometh to me. But if everyone who hears and learns of the Father comes to Christ, there is none who hears and learns who does not come; there is therefore a certain voice of the Father speaking within in the heart, which infallibly persuades. That voice we name efficacious grace. The same is proved by those words of the Lord, John 10, concerning his sheep: and no man shall pluck them out of my hand — for therefore shall no man pluck them out of his hand, because he will give them efficacious grace, through which they may be infallibly converted, and persevere even to the end. To the same pertains that of the Apostle, Romans 8: whom he called, them he also justified. For he speaks of those called according to purpose; for a little before he had said: all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints; and presently: For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated… And whom he predestinated, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And so, though many be called who do not answer, nor are justified, yet they who are called according to purpose all answer and are justified; and therefore of these the Holy Spirit pronounces absolutely: whom he called, them he also justified. That calling according to purpose, which no one called contemns, is efficacious grace. Hence also, Ezechiel 36, the Lord says: I will put my spirit in the midst of you: and I will cause you to walk in my commandments — where, because the discourse is of efficacious grace, the Lord does not say, I will cause that you may be able to walk in my commandments, but: I will cause you to walk. And the Lord saying, I will cause you to walk, who will dare to suspect the contrary — that perchance it will come to pass that they walk not, or, what is the same, that they will not to walk in the commandments, whom God confirms shall walk?
Now let us prove the same partition, which we have briefly proved from the Scriptures, by the testimonies of St. Augustine. And first we have sufficient but not efficacious grace in the book of Eighty-three Questions, question 68, in these words: “To that supper which the Lord in the Gospel says was prepared, neither did all who were called will to come, nor could they who came have come unless they were called. And so neither ought they who came to attribute it to themselves — for they came being called; nor ought they who would not come to attribute it to another, but only to themselves — since, that they might come being called, was in their free will.” And: “Therefore, though one may attribute to himself that, being called, he came, he cannot… as he had no merit of reward that he should be called, so he begins the merit of punishment when, being called, he has neglected to come.” And in the same place he asserts that Pharao, before he was hardened, was called and could have come; but because he would not, he merited the hardening. From this testimony we have two things. One is, that not every calling is efficacious, because many called do not come. The other, that all the called have sufficient help for coming; for Augustine says that they are justly punished who, being called, neglect to come, because they could come — since this was in their free will, to come or not to come, after they had received through the divine calling the strength for coming. For that the calling — the internal, namely — is a certain grace and furnishes strength to the will, the same Augustine teaches more clearly in book 1 to Simplicianus, question 2, when he says thus: “Esau would not, and ran not; but even if he had willed and had run, he would have arrived by the help of God, who by calling would have bestowed even the willing and the running, had he not by contemning the calling become reprobate. For in one way God bestows that we will; in another he bestows what we have willed. That we will, he has willed to be both his and ours — his by calling, ours by following; but what we have willed he alone bestows, that is, the power to act well and to live always blessedly.” Here we hear that God by calling bestows that we will and run, and that our willing is God's and ours — God's by calling, ours by following; here also we see, by Augustine's judgment, that Esau could have willed and run, and yet did not will and did not run — and hence had sufficient grace, but not efficacious. The same he openly teaches in the book On Rebuke and Grace, chapter 7, where he teaches that all the justified can persevere if they will — which is also defined in the Council of Orange, canon 25, and of Trent, session 6, chapter 13. From which it follows that all the justified have sufficient help for persevering; but because in fact not all persevere, it follows that not all have efficacious help.
We have, then, sufficient grace in Augustine; let us show also efficacious grace. Book On Grace and Free Choice, chapter 5: “That Paul should be called from heaven, and converted by so great and most efficacious a calling, was the grace of God alone; for his merits were great, but evil.” Book On the Predestination of the Saints, chapter 8: “This grace,” says he, “is refused by no hard heart; for it is given for this very end, that the hardness of the heart may first be taken away.” And in the book On Rebuke and Grace, chapter 12, he says that to the elect it is given not only that they may be able to persevere if they will, but also that they will, and most certainly persevere.
Let reason also come last, by which the proposed partition may be confirmed: for if no truly sufficient grace be given, three inconveniences follow. The first, that the first man would not have fallen by his own fault. For the first man had not efficacious grace for persevering — for he did not persevere; either, then, he had sufficient grace by which he could stand, or he had not: if he had, it is what we say; if he had not, certainly he did not fall by his own fault, as St. Augustine rightly gathers in the book On Rebuke and Grace, chapter 9 [al. 11] — for that cannot be ascribed to fault which could in no way be avoided. The second, that God will seem to desert his friends before he is deserted by them. For when some just man sins, certainly he had not efficacious grace for resisting the sin — for if he had had it, he assuredly would not have sinned; but if he had not even sufficient grace by which he could resist, how was he not deserted by God before he himself deserted God? And that it is absurd that the friends of God be destitute of necessary help before they themselves, by falling, desert God, Augustine witnesses, book On Nature and Grace, chapter 26, and tractate 2 [al. 3] on John; and Prosper, in the seventh response to the objections of Vincentius; and before them Chrysostom, homily 80 on John; and after them the Council of Trent, session 6, chapters 11 and 13. But some are wont to answer that God is not said to desert when he does not give the help of living well, but when he is turned away from someone's friendship; and that in this manner he does not desert unless he be first deserted — though at his own pleasure he furnish or deny that help. But the Council of Trent (to omit other things meanwhile) most openly teaches that God does not desert because he does not deny help: for it says that they who live piously, justly, and soberly can advance in good, because God deserts not, unless deserted, session 6, chapter 11; and again, that all the just ought to place a most firm hope in the help of God, because, unless they themselves fail his grace, God will not fail them. But if there were no help but the efficacious, we could not place this hope in God, since we daily see such help fail many just men before they themselves desert God — otherwise they would never sin. The third inconvenience is that no one could truly say he has not done as much good as he could; nor would anyone deservedly reprehend himself for not having cooperated with the grace of God as much as he could and ought. For if there be no grace but the efficacious, there will be no grace which is ever in any part resisted; and thereby each man will never do anything less than that to which divine grace moves him. But assuredly all the saints are wont to accuse themselves of negligence and sloth, and confess with groaning that they have not cooperated with grace as was fitting.
And now, that besides sufficient grace there is also given efficacious grace can be confirmed even by this single argument: that, efficacious grace being taken away, the foundation of divine predestination is taken away. “For predestination,” as St. Augustine says, book On the Predestination of the Saints, chapter 10, “is the preparation of grace; but grace, the donation itself.” But the preparation of sufficient grace is common even to the reprobate. Further, predestination is not preparation alone, but the foreknowledge and preparation of the benefits of God by which most certainly are delivered whosoever are delivered, as the same Augustine teaches, book On the Gift of Perseverance, chapter 14; God therefore knows that there are certain benefits by which someone will be infallibly delivered, and he prepares them if that one pertains to the number of the elect; and that is efficacious grace, through which someone is infallibly delivered. If there are any arguments which can be objected against this partition, they will be more easily solved in the following disputation.
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in sufficiens et efficax. De quiuta partitione, quae est gratiae, tum excitantis, tum adjuvantis, in gratiam suffi¬ cientem, et efficacem : Dua; sunt quaestio¬ nes. Prior est, an b*c partitio admittenda sit ; posterior, unde sumatur efficacia gratiae, si¬ ve quid proprie sit gratia efficax. Quod ad priorem quaestionem attinet, eam partitionem haeretici nostri temporis omnino repudiare coguntur, cum apud eos, qui a Deo moventur, necessario bene agant ; qui non moventur, non possint bene agere ; ac per hoc omnis Dei motio sit efficax, nulla sufficiens. Calvinus lib. ii. Institut. cap. 3. §. 10: « Voluntatem, inquit, movet gratia, non qualiter multis saeculis traditum est, et creditum, ut nostrae postea sit electionis, motioni aut obtemperare, aut refragari ; sed illam efficaciter efficiendo. » Nec aliam agnoscit gratiam, ut ex ea sectione, et se¬ quentibus perspici potest. Eamdem partitionem sine dubio Pelagiani quoque repudiabant, quippe qui existima¬ bant, ipsum liberum arbitrium esse suffi¬ ciens auxilium perveniendi ad salutem, ne¬ que aliam agnoscebant potentiorem gratiam, ut ex Augustino intelligi potest, lib. r. contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum cap. ultirn. Ad utramque hceresim refutandam necessariam (3) I Corinth. XI), 31. CAPI T \1. esse arbitramur hanc partitionem , quam etiam breviter confirmabimus. Primum igitur auxilium Dei vere sufficiens adfuisse nonnullis, qui tamen reipsa con¬ versi non sunt, ac per hoc auxilium illud ef¬ ficax non fuisse, manifesto colligitur ex sacris litteris. Isaue v. sic loquitur Dominus : Habi¬ tatores Jenisalem, et viri Juda, judicate inter me et vineam meum , quid est quod ultra . debui facere e i nex mere, et non feci ei ? An quod ex- pectavi ut faceret uvgs, et fecit labruscas (1). Ili, quos Dominus reprehendit, sine dubio non habuerunt gratiam illam efficacem, qure a nullo duro corde respuitur ; nam si habuis¬ sent, fructum bonum utique fecissent . Si vero sufficientem gratiam, per quam vere et proprie converti possent, non habuis¬ sent, non vere diceret Dominus : Quid ultra debui facere vineae meae, et non feci? Respon¬ deretur enim, posteaquam vineam plantasti, et ex ea fructum ferre cupiebas, debuisti ea omnia circa illam adhibere, quae necessaria erant, ut ea fructum facere posset ; quomodo autem omnia necessaria adhibuisti, si defuit illi sufficiens cultura, nec habuit vere qme requirebantur ad fructum faciendum? Deinde quorsum diceret Dominus : Expe- ctavi ut faceret uvas, si non dedisset ei facul¬ tatem germinandi, et omnia necessaria ad proferendas uvas ? Oportet igitur ut fateamur, habuisse illos homines auxilium Dei plane sufficiens ad conversionem, et ad vitam Deo gratam instituendam. Similis locus habetur Matth. xxm. : Je¬ nisalem, Jenisalem, qux occidis Prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti? (2). De quibus queritur Dominus, non habuerunt gratiam efficacem ; si enim habuissent, vo¬ luissent sine dubio sub alas Domini congre¬ gari. Nec tamen caruerunt gratia necessaria et sufficienti, qua possent velle quod Deus volebat, alioqui non diceret Christus : Volui congregare filios tuos et noluisti. Quomodo enim voluit, et ita voluit ut 'queratur de no¬ lentibus, si cos, quos sciebat per se non pos¬ se velle, non juvit ut possent velle? Illud etiam quod legimus , Actor, vn : Vos semper Spiritui, sancto resistitis, satis aperte significat quibusdam inspirari bona desideria, et ita inspirari, ut converti pos¬ sint : et tamen cos nolle converti. Nam si non inspirabantur Judajis illis bona deside¬ ria, quomodo resistebant Spiritui sancto? si non poterant resistere, cur a sancto Stepha- no tam acriter arguuntur? Apostolus quoque Paulus idem ostendit, cum ait ad Itoman. ii : An divitias bonitatis ejus et patientix, et loganirnitatis Contemnis ? ignoras , quia benignitas Dei ad poenitentiam te adducit ? Cur enim qweso, Deus ad poenitentiam ex- pcctaret, quibus non dedisset sufficiens auxilium ad conversionem ? ignorat fortasse, neminem posse converti, et poenitentiam agere, nisi cui vires ipse praebuerit ? Denique, ut alia multa similia loca praeter¬ eam, Apocal. ni Dominus ait : Ego sto ad ostium et pulso, si quis aperuerit mihi, intrabo ad eum (5). Vel igitur ii, ad quorum cor Do¬ minus pulsat, habent sufficiens auxilium ape¬ riendi, vel non habent; si habent, est quod volumus ; si non habent, cur, obsecro; Domi¬ nus pulsat? an ignorat eos aperire non posse? an stultus non esset, qui ostium vicini pul¬ saret, si certo sciret, neminem intus esse, qui aperire posset ? Habemus igitur ex divi¬ nis litteris, dari quibusdam sufficiens auxi¬ lium, quibus non datur efficax. Possumus autem ex iisdem sacris litteris demonstrare, quibusdam concedi efficax auxilium, per quod infallibiliter convertan¬ tur. Nam Joan. vi, Dominus ait : Omnis qui audivit a Patre et didicit, venit ad me (6). Quod si omnis qui audit et discit a Patre, venit ad Christum, nullus est qui audiat et discat, qui non veniat; est igitur queedam vox Patris intus in corde loquens, quai infallibifcr per¬ suadet. Istam vocem, efficacem gratiam no¬ minamus. Idem probant illa verba Domini Joan. x. de ovibus suis : Et non rapiet ens quisquam de manu mea (7), ideo enim non rapiet eas quisquam de manu ejus, quia da¬ bit illis gratiam efficacem, per quam infalli¬ biliter convertantur, et in linem usque per¬ severent. Eodem pertinet illud Apostoli ad Rom. vm : Quos vocavit, hos et justificavit (8). Loquitur enim de vocatis secundum propositum, nam paulo ante dixerat : Omnia cooperantur in bo¬ num his, qui secundum propositum vocati sunt sandiALt mox: Nam quos prxseivit, hos et prx- destinavit ; quos praedestinavit , hos et vocavit; quos vocavit, hos et justificavit . Itaque licet (I) Isai, V, 3. - (2) Matth. XXIII, 37. - (3) Act. VII. 51. -(4) Rora. II, 4. - (5) Apo. III, 20. - (G) Joan. VI, 45. - (7) Joan. X, 28. - (8) Rom VIII, 30. 32G UBER I. multi sint vocati, qui non respondent, nec justificantur, tamen qui vocantur secundum propositum, omnes respondent justificantur. Et ideo de his absolute pronuntiat Spiritus sanctus : Quos vocari/., hos et justificavit : ista vocatio secundum propositum, quam nullus vocatus contemnit, gratia est efficax. Hinc etiam Ezechiel. xxxvi. Dominus di¬ cit : Spiritum meum ponam in medio vestri, et faciam ut in prxceptis meis ambuletis (1), ubi, quia de gratia efficaci sermo est, non dicit Dominus, faciam ut in pra?ceptis meis ambu¬ lare possitis, sed : Faciam ut ambuletis. Di¬ cente autem Domino : Faciam ut ambuletis , quis contra suspicari audebit, forte futurum esse, ut non ambulent, aut quod est idem, ambulare nolint in praeceptis, quos Deus am¬ bulaturos esse confirmat? Jam vero camdem partitionem, quam ex Scripturis breviter probavimus, S. Augusti¬ ni testimoniis comprobemus, ac primum suf¬ ficientem gratiam, sed non efficacem habe¬ mus in lib. lxxxiii. quaestionum, quaest. GS. in illis verbis : « Ad illam ccenam, quam Domi¬ nus dicit in Evangelio praeparatam, nec om¬ nes qui vocati sunt, venire voluerunt, neque illi qui venerunt, venire possent, nisi voca¬ rentur. Itaque nec illi debent sibi tribuere, qui venerunt, quia vocati venerunt, nec illi qui noluerunt venire, debent alteri tribuere, sed tantum sibi, quoniam ut venirent vocati, erat in eorum libera voluntate ; propterea etsi quisquam sibi tribuit, quod vocatus ve¬ nit, sicut non habuit meritum praemii ut vo¬ caretur, sic inchoat meritum supplicii, cum vocatus venire neglexerit. » Et ibidem asse¬ rit Pharaonem, antequam induraretur, fuisse vocatum, et potuisse venire ; sed quia noluit, meruisse obdurationem. Ex hoc testimonio habemus duo. Unum est, non omnem voca¬ tionem esse eflicanem, quia multi vocati non veniunt. Alterum, omnes vocatos habere sufficiens auxilium ad veniendum. Nam ideo juste puniri eos dicit Augustinus, qui vocati venire negligunt, quia venire poterant, cum esset hoc in eorum libera voluntate, ut veni¬ rent aut non venirent, posteaquam per voca¬ tionem divinam veniendi vires acceperant. Nam quod vocatio, interna videlicet, sit gra¬ tia qua?dam et vires praibeat voluntati, idem Augustinus clarius docet lib. i, ad Simplicia- num, quaest. 2. cum sic ait : « Noluit Esau et non cucurrit, sed et si voluisset et cucur¬ risset, Dei adjutorio pervenisset, qui etiam velle et currere vocando praestaret, nisi vo¬ catione contempta reprobus fieret. Aliter enim Deus praestat ut velimus, aliter praestat quod voluerimus : ut velimus enim et suum esse voluit et nostrum, suum vocando, nos¬ trum sequendo ; quod autem voluerimus solus praestat, id est, posse bene agere et semper beate vivere. » Hic audimus, Deum vocando praestare ut velimus et curramus, et nostrum velle, esse Dei et nostrum, Dei vocando, nostrum se¬ quendo ; hic etiam videmus ex Augustini sententia, Esau potuisse velle et currere, et tamen non voluisse et non cucurrisse, ac per hoc habuisse gratiam sufficientem, sed non efficacem : idem aperte docet in libro de cor¬ reptione et gratia cap. 7. ubi docet, omnes justificatos posse perseverare si volunt; quod etiam definiturin Concilio Arausicanocan. 23. ct Tridentino sess. 6. c. 13. Ex quo sequitur, omnes justificatos habere auxilium sufficiens ad perseverandum; quia vero re ipsa non omnes perseverant, sequitur non omnes habe¬ re auxilium efficax. Habemus igitur in Augustino gratiam suf¬ ficientem ; ostendamus etiam gratiam effica¬ cem, libro de gratia et libero arbitrio cap. o : a Ut Paulus de coelo vocaretur, et tam ma¬ gna et efficacissima vocatione converteretur, gratia Dei erat sola, quia ejus merita erant magna, sed mala. » Libro de praedestinatio¬ ne Sanctorum cap. 8 : « Ilaec, inquit, gratia a nullo duro corde respuitur, ideo quippe tribuitur, ut cordis duritia primitus aufera¬ tur. » Et libro de correptione et gratia, cap. 12. dicit, electis non solum dari, ut perseve¬ rare possint, si velint ; sed etiam dari ut ve¬ lint, et certissime perserverent. Accedat ultimo etiam ratio, qua proposita partitio confirmetur, nam si non detur gra¬ tia aliqua vere sufficiens, tria sequuntur in¬ commoda. Primum, quod primus homo non sua culpa cecidisset, nam non habuit primus homo gratiam efficacem ad perseverandum, non enim perseveravit; vel igitur habuit suf¬ ficientem gratiam, qua stare posset, vel non habuit; si habuit, est quod nos dicimus ; si non habuit, certe non sua culpa cecidit, ut sanctus Augustinus recte colligit libro de cor¬ reptione et gratia cap. 9 ; non enim culpa? adseribi potest, quod nullo modo vitari po¬ tuit, * (1) Ezecli. XXXVI, 27. CAPUT XII. Alterum, quod videbitur Deus amicos suos deserere, antequam deseratur ab eis, nam cum justus aliquis peccat, certe non habuit gratiam efficacem ad resistendum peccato ; si enim habuisset, utique nonpeccasset, quod si nec sufficientem quidem habuit qua posset resistere, quomodo non fuit a Deo desertus, antequam ipse Deum desereret? Absurdum autem esse amicos Dei destitui necessa¬ rio adjutorio, antequam ipsi Deum cadendo deserant, testatur Augustinus libro de natu¬ ra et gratia cap. 26. et tract. 2. in Joaa. et Prosper in resp. 7. ad objectiones Vincentia- nas, et ante eos Chryrostomus homil. 80. in Joan.et post eos Concilium Tridentinum ses- sion. 6. cap. 11. et cap. 13. Sed solent aliqui respondere, Deum non dici deserere, quando nondat auxilium bene vivendi, sed quando ab amicitia alicujus avertitur, et hoc modo non deserere, nisi prius deseratur ; licet pro arbitrio suo auxi¬ lium illud praebeat, aut deneget. At Concilium Tridentinum (ut alia interim omittamus) apertissime docet, Deum non de¬ serere, quia non denegat auxilium ; dicit enim eos qui pie, juste et sobrie vivunt, in bono posse proficere, quia Deus non deserit, nisi desertus, sess. 6. cap. 11 ; et rursus debe¬ re omnes justos firmissimam spem in Dei auxilio collocare, quia nisi ipsi ejus gratiae desint, Deus ipsis non deerit ; at si nullum esset auxilium efficax, non possemus hanc spem in Deo collocare, cum quotidie videa¬ mus tale auxilium multis justis deesse ante¬ quam ipsi Deum deserant, alioqui numquam peccarent. Tertium incommodum est, quod nemo po¬ terit vere dicere se non fecisse tantum boni, quantum potuit ; neque ullus se merito repre¬ henderet, quod gratiae Dei non sit coopera¬ tus, quantum potuit et debuit. Nam si nulla sit gratia efficax, nulla erit gratia, cui ulla ex parte unquam resistatur, ac per hoc unus¬ quisque nihil unquam minus aget, quam id sit, ad quod eum gratia divina movet. At certe sancti omnes se ipsi negligentiae et ignaviae accusare solent, ac non se coopera¬ tos esse gratiae, ut par erat, cum gemitu con¬ fitentur. Jam vero, praeter sufficientem gratiam, dari etiam gratiam efficacem, vel unico illo argumento confirmari potest, quia sublata gratia efficaci, tollitur fundamentum divinae praedestinationis : « Praedestinatio enim, ut ait S. Augustinus libro de praedestinatione 327 Sanctorum cap. 10, est gratiae praeparatio, gratia vero ipsa donatio. » At praeparatio gratiae sufficientis communis est etiam re¬ probis. Deinde praedestinatio non est sola prae¬ paratio, sed praescientia et praeparatio bene¬ ficiorum Dei, quibus certissime liberantur, quicumque liberantur, ut idem Augustinus docet libro de bono perseverantiae cap. 14 ; novit igitur Deus quaedam esse beneficia, quibus aliquis infallibiliter liberabitur, et ea praeparat, si is ad numerum pertinet electo¬ rum, illa autem est gratia efficax, per quam aliquis infallibiliter liberatur. Si qua sunt ar¬ gumenta quae contra hanc partitionem objici possint, ea facilius in sequenti disputatione solventur. CAPUT XII. In qua re sit gratiae efficacia.