Theological Theses · §2375 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Alvarez: both graces in every devout work, by physical predetermination

Thesis LVI. Diego Alvarez's view differs from all of these. He holds that in every devout work, whether inward or outward, whether it is the first by which we turn to God or any later one, operating and cooperating grace always both take part.

Operating grace is the grace by which God physically predetermines our will to consent to any good work; cooperating grace is the grace by which God works any devout action together with us. Both are needed: God must premove our free choice physically and efficiently to any supernatural act, and he must also act together with that same free choice, which, once premoved by God, moves itself to the good work.

Grace is called operating with regard to the first effect, in relation to which our will is only moved; and cooperating with regard to the second, in which the will, having been moved, moves itself. This is because our will is passive toward the prior motion by which God moves it to supernatural acts, since that motion is produced not actively by our free choice but by God alone, from whom that help of operating grace comes.

The will, moved by God, then actively and freely produces supernatural works, with God's grace acting together with it. So in the first respect God's grace works without us, and in the second we cooperate with it (De auxiliis divinae gratiae, book 9, disputation 81).

Latin

LVI. Ab his omnibus differt sententia Didaci Alvares. Existimat enim ille ad quamcunque piam operationem, sive sit interior, sive sit exterior; sive sit prima illa qua ad Deum convertimur, sive quaelibet alia eam sequens, semper concurrere gratiam operantem, & gratiam cooperantem. Et quidem gratiam operantem esse, per quam Deus Physice praedeterminat voluntatem nostram ad consensum in quodvis bonum opus: cooperantem vero, per quam Deus quamlibet actionem piam nobiscum operatur. Utrumque enim necessarium esse, & ut Deus praemoveat liberum nostrum arbitrium Physice & efficienter ad quemvis actum supernaturalem; & ut concurrat cum eodem libero arbitrio, quod jam a Deo praemotum se movet ad bonum opus. Gratiam autem operantem dici in ordine ad primum effectum, respectu cujus voluntas nostra solum se habet, ut mota: cooperantem vero, in ordine ad secundum, in quo mota se movet. Idque quoniam voluntas nostra in ordine ad motionem praeviam, qua movetur a Deo ad actus supernaturales, habet se passive, cum talis motio non producatur active a nostro libero arbitrio, sed solum a Deo, a quo est auxilium illud operantis gratiae. Et rursus voluntas mota a Deo producit active & libere operationes supernaturales, cum gratia Dei concurrente. Ac proinde gratia Dei, priore illo respectu, operatur sine nobis: posteriore vero illi cooperamur. De Auxiliis divinae gratiae lib. 9. Disp. 81.

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