The Doctrine of the Saints' Perseverance

De Correptione & Gratiâ, Cap: 14. Apostolus Judas, cum dicit, ei autem qui potens est, &c: nonne apertissimè ostendit Donum Dei esse Perseverare in Bono usque ad Finem? quid enim aliud sonat qui potest conservare nos sine offensione, & constituere ante conspectum gloriae suoe, immaculatos in Laetitiâ, nisi Perseverantiam Bonam? quis tam insulsè desipiat, ut neget Perseverantiam esse Denum Dei, cùm dicit Sanctissimus Jeremiah, timorem meum dabo in corde eorum ut non recedant à me, &c. I shall add only that one place more out of the same Book, (c: 59.) where both the matter, & manner of the thing in hand, is fully delivered: in hoc loco miseriarum, ubi tentatio est vita hominum super terram, virtus infirmitate perficitur; qaoe virtus? nisi qui gloriatur, ut in domino glorietur, per hoc de ipsa perseverantiâ Boni noluit Deus Sanctos suos in viribus suis, sed in ipso gloriari, qui eis non solùm dat Adjutorium quod Primo homini dedit sine quo non possit persever are si velit, sed in iis etiam operatur & velle: & quoniam non perseverabunt nisi & possint, & velint, perseverandi eis & possibilitas, & voluntas Divinae Gratiae largitate donatur: tantum quippe Spiritu Sancto accenditur voluntas eorum, ut ideò possint quia sic volunt, ideò sic velint, quia Deus operatur ut velint. Nam si tantâ infirmitate hujus vitae ipsis relinquetur voluntas sua, ut in Adjutorio Dei, fine quo perseverare non possent, manerent si vellent, ne Deus in eis operaretur ut velint, inter tot, & tantas tentations, infirmitate suâ succumberet voluntas, & ideò persever are non possent, quia deficientes infirmitate voluntatis non vellent, aut non ita vellent, ut possent. Subventum est igitur infirmitati voluntatis humanae, ut divinâ gratiâ indeclinabiliter, & insuper abilitaèr ageretur, & ideò quamvis infirma non tamen deficiat: It is not possible that any one should deliver his sense more clearly, to the whole of our present Contest, than this holy and learned man hath done, in the words now repeated from him: A gift of God he asserts it to be, (and not an Act or course of our own, whereto we are prompted by certain Considerations, and assisted with such outward means as are also added to us) to the real production of that effect by the efficiency of the Grace of God.

De Correptione & Gratiâ, Cap: 14. Apostolus Judas, cum dicit, ei autem qui potens est, &c: nonne apertissimè ostendit Donum Dei esse Perseverare in Bono usque ad Finem? quid enim aliud sonat qui potest conservare nos sine offensione, & constituere ante conspectum gloriae suoe, immaculatos in Laetitiâ, nisi Perseverantiam Bonam? quis tam insulsè desipiat, ut neget Perseverantiam esse Denum Dei, cùm dicit Sanctissimus Jeremias, timorem meum dabo in corde eorum ut non recedant à me, &c. I shall adde only that one place more out of the same Book, (c: 59.) where both the matter, & manner of the thing in hand, is fully delivered: in hoc loco miseriarum, ubi tentatio est vita hominum super terram, virtus infirmitate perficitur; qaoe virtus? nisi qui gloriatur, ut in domino glorietur, per hoc de ipsa perseverantiâ Boni noluit Deus Sanctos suos in viribus suis, sed in ipso gloriari, qui eis non solùm dat Adjutorium quod Primo homini dedit sine quo non possit persever are si velit, sed in iis etiam operatur & velle: & quoniam non perseverabunt nisi & possint, & velint, perseverandi eis & possibilitas, & voluntas Divinae Gratiae largitate donatur: tantum quippe Spiritu Sancto accenditur voluntas eorum, ut ideò possint quia sic volunt, ideò sic velint, quia Deus operatur ut velint. Nam si tantâ infirmitate hujus vitae ipsis relinquetur voluntas sua, ut in Adjutorio Dei, fine quo perseverare non possent, manerent si vellent, ne Deus in eis operaretur ut velint, inter tot, & tantas tentationes, infirmitate suâ succumberet voluntas, & ideò persever are non possent, quia deficientes infirmitate voluntatis non vellent, aut non ita vellent, ut possent. Subventum est igitur infirmitati voluntatis humanae, ut divinâ gratiâ indeclinabiliter, & insuper abilitaèr ageretur, & ideò quamvis infirma non tamen deficiat: It is not possible that any one should deliver his sense more clearly, to the whole of our present Contest, than this holy and learned man hath done, in the words now repeated from him: A gift of God he asserts it to be, (and not an Act or course of our own, whereto we are prompted by certaine Considerations, and assisted with such outward meanes as are also added to us) to the real production of that effect by the efficiency of the Grace of God.