LIV. It is refuted, and first the hypotheses upon which it rests are refuted

When I consider this manner of thinking and opining, I cannot sufficiently marvel at the incredible force of prejudices, nor can I prevail upon myself to believe that Quesnel—although thoroughly Jansenist, yet learned and sagacious—did not see how greatly foreign to the truth were the things concerning universal grace asserted by the author of the work On the Calling which he was endeavoring to persuade his readers.

For, I. to begin from the hypotheses in which he trusts and upon which he constructs the whole mass of the disputation, there are altogether two. One of them is that no universal grace except external grace was approved by Augustine and Prosper; but the other, that both taught that it is the endowment and implanted character of true and interior grace that it is never without the good work in view of which it is divinely dispensed. Quesnel urges these hypotheses and, relying upon them, contends that this one way of reconciling the author of the work On the Calling with Augustine and Prosper lies open: if it be said that no other universal grace was admitted by him than external grace, which is contained in the testimony of the universality of things. He then proceeds to illustrate this by bringing forward several passages of the same author¹.

But of what kind is each hypothesis: certain, probable, or, on the contrary, wholly fallacious and deviant from the truth? I shall not be lengthy, nor shall I dispute at greater length concerning the incidental question. Yet I shall observe what can suffice: that the distinguished theologians

Denis Petau², Juan Martínez de Ripalda³, Joseph Tricassinus⁴, Alphonse Le Moyne⁵, Scipione Maffei⁶, Bernard Desirant⁷, and⁸ Jean Le Porcq have proved by decisive arguments that Augustine and Prosper are eminent among the vindicators of universal interior grace, and that no head of doctrine is more abhorrent from the opinion of each than that which Quesnel ascribes to them: that every interior grace of Christ the Savior is always joined with that work toward which it moves and prepares.

Certainly the author of On the Calling, among other things⁹, has these most lucid words¹⁰:

We believe this more abundant grace to be benign in such a manner that we by no means judge it to be violent, as though whatever is done in saving men were accomplished by the will of God alone, since even to little children aid is given through the obedience of another’s will. Indeed, that grace of God is principally preeminent in every justification: persuading by exhortations, admonishing by examples, terrifying by dangers, giving understanding, inspiring counsel, and illuminating the heart itself and imbuing it with the affections of faith. But the will of man also is subjoined and conjoined to it, which was excited for this by the aforesaid aids: that it might cooperate in itself with the divine operation, and begin to exercise unto merit that which it conceived from the supreme seed unto zeal; having it from its own mutability if it fails, and from the assistance of grace if it advances.

This assistance is applied to all through innumerable modes, whether hidden or manifest; and that it is rejected by many belongs to their own wickedness, but that it is received by many belongs both to divine grace and to human will. Therefore, whether we consider the beginnings or the advances of the faithful, or perseverance even unto the end, there will occur no genus, no species, of any virtue which is possessed either without the gift of divine grace or without the consent of our will. For grace itself, by every kind of healing and assisting, brings this about: that in him whom it calls it may first prepare for itself a will receptive of and a handmaid to its gifts. For the virtue of the unwilling is nothing; nor can faith or hope or charity be asserted to be present in those whose good consent is estranged from them.

But if this consent could not be estranged—indeed, if it were not frequently estranged—then, the author proceeds¹¹, no one among the faithful would ever have withdrawn from faith; concupiscence would have conquered no one; sadness would have crushed no one; irascibility would have vanquished no one; the patience of no one would have been broken; and no one would have neglected the grace conferred upon him. So great is the goodness of God toward all, and so great the aids of mercy by which he both prevents and assists all. But¹², because these things can occur on account of the implanted mutability of the will, and because the descent into consent to such temptations is all too easy and precipitous, that voice of the Lord ought never to cease sounding in the ears of the faithful which says¹³ to the Apostles: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”

Therefore, since each hypothesis assumed by Quesnel departs most vehemently from the truth of the matter, it is easy to judge what must be thought of the thesis by which he teaches that the grace whose perpetual universality the author of On the Calling confirms is external.