Theological Theses · §2440 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Jansenists: in the state of innocence grace was only sufficient

Thesis II. They hold that grace sufficient in the sense just described was given to angels and to human beings when they were created. In their view God gave both what they needed to act rightly, but left it to their free choice whether to make use of those aids.

In that first state of unfallen creatures efficacious grace had no place, since neither humans nor angels needed it before the fall. So although the blessed angels did persevere in good after receiving grace from God, that is no reason to say they had efficacious grace; theirs was merely sufficient. Conversely, the apostate angels and our first parents lacked no aid of God's grace that was needed for them to persevere in good.

Latin

II. Gratiam, quae ratione jam dicta sufficiens esset, Angelis & hominibus in eorum creatione tributam esse volunt. Utrisque, scilicet, ex eorum sensu, Deus dedit auxilia necessaria ad bene agendum, sed in eorum libero arbitrio reliquit, ut auxiliis istis uterentur, vel non uterentur. In primo vero illo creaturae integrae statu locum non habuit gratia efficax, ut quae nec hominibus, nec angelis, ante lapsum necessaria esset. Ac proinde, licet in Beatis Angelis gratiam a Deo acceptam secuta sit in bono perseverantia, propterea tamen non debent dici habuisse gratiam efficacem, sed sufficientem duntaxat. Et ex adverso Angelis Apostatis, ac primis hominibus nullum gratiae Dei auxilium defuit, necessarium ad hoc ut in bono perseverarent.

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