Theological Theses · §2601 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Conversion the work of the Spirit alone, without denying vital acts

Thesis XIX. None of this conflicts with what the same theologians say: that a person's conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit alone, and that in conversion the human will is purely passive.

They do not mean by this to deny that the acts of faith, hope, fear and love that make up true conversion to God are living acts freely produced by a person's will. They mean that the will's natural powers count for nothing at all toward producing those acts, and others like them. Nor can the will, from those natural powers of its own, cooperate in any way with the divine grace that converts a person, or add anything of its own to it, when the Holy Spirit, through the word heard, sets about changing and renewing the will and supplying it with new strength.

Latin

XIX. Neque his repugnat quod dicunt iidem Theologi, conversionem hominis esse unius & solius Spiritus Sancti opus, & hominis voluntatem in conversione pure passive se habere. Nec enim per id negare intendunt actus fidei, spei, timoris, & amoris, in quibus vera ad Deum conversio consistit, esse actus vitales ab hominis voluntate libere elicitos, sed hoc, ad actus istos eliciendos; aliosque similes nihil prorsus valere naturales voluntatis vires; nec voluntatem ulla tenus ex naturalibus illis suis viribus gratiae divinae quae hominem convertit cooperari posse, neque illam quicquam ex suo tribuere, quum Spiritus Sanctus per verbum auditum illam immutare atque innovare aggreditur, & novas vires illi sufficere.

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