AugustineandSt。Thomas，accordingtowhichitisequallytruethatwehavethepowerofresistinggrace，contrarytoCalvin’sopinion，andthat，nevertheless，toemploythelanguageofPopeClementVIIIinhispaperaddressedtotheCongregationdeAuxiliis，\"Godformswithinusthemotionofourwill，andeffectuallydisposesofourhearts，byvirtueofthatempirewhichHissuprememajestyhasoverthevolitionsofmen，aswellasovertheothercreaturesunderheaven，accordingtoSt。Augustine。\"Onthesameprinciple，itfollowsthatweactofourselves，andthus，inoppositiontoanothererrorofCalvin，thatwehavemeritswhicharetrulyandproperlyours；andyet，asGodisthefirstprincipleofouractions，andas，inthelanguageofSt。Paul，He\"workethinusthatwhichispleasinginhissight\"；\"ourmeritsarethegiftsofGod，\"astheCouncilofTrentsays。BymeansofthisdistinctionwedemolishtheprofanesentimentofLuther，condemnedbythatCouncil，namely，that\"weco—operateinnowaywhatevertowardsoursalvationanymorethaninanimatethings\"；and，bythesamemodeofreasoning，weoverthrowtheequallyprofanesentimentoftheschoolofMolina，whowillnotallowthatitisbythestrengthofdivinegracethatweareenabledtocooperatewithitintheworkofoursalvation，andwhotherebycomesintohostilecollisionwiththatprincipleoffaithestablishedbySt。Paul：\"ThatitisGodwhoworkethinusbothtowillandtodo。\"Infine，inthiswaywereconcileallthosepassagesofScripturewhichseemquiteinconsistentwitheachothersuchasthefollowing：\"TurnyeuntoGod\"—\"Turnthouus，andweshallbeturned\"—\"Castawayiniquityfromyou\"—\"ItisGodwhotakethawayiniquityfromHispeople\"—\"Bringforthworksmeetforrepentance\"—
\"Lord，thouhastwroughtallourworksinus\"—\"Makeyeanewheartandanewspirit\"—\"AnewspiritwillIgiveyou，andanewheartwillIcreatewithinyou，\"&；c。Theonlywayofreconcilingtheseapparentcontrarieties，whichascribeourgoodactionsatonetimetoGodandatanothertimetoourselves，istokeepinviewthedistinction，asstatedbySt。Augustine，that\"ouractionsareoursinrespectofthefreewillwhichproducesthem；
butthattheyarealsoofGod，inrespectofHisgracewhichenablesourfreewilltoproducethem\"；andthat，asthesamewriterelsewhereremarks，\"Godenablesustodowhatispleasinginhissight，bymakinguswilltodoevenwhatwemighthavebeenunwillingtodo。\"Itthusappears，father，thatyouropponentsareperfectlyatonewiththemodernThomists，fortheThomistsholdwiththemboththepowerofresistinggrace，andtheinfallibilityoftheeffectofgrace；ofwhichlatterdoctrinetheyprofessthemselvesthemoststrenuousadvocates，ifwemayjudgefromacommonmaximoftheirtheology，whichAlvarez，oneoftheleadingmenamongthem，repeatssoofteninhisbook，andexpressesinthefollowingterms（disp。
72，n。4）：\"Whenefficaciousgracemovesthefreewill，itinfalliblyconsents；
becausetheeffectofgraceissuch，that，althoughthewillhasthepowerofwithholdingitsconsent，itneverthelessconsentsineffect。\"Hecorroboratesthisbyaquotationfromhismaster，St。Thomas：\"ThewillofGodcannotfailtobeaccomplished；and，accordingly，whenitishispleasurethatamanshouldconsenttotheinfluenceofgrace，heconsentsinfallibly，andevennecessarily，notbyanabsolutenecessity，butbyanecessityofinfallibility。\"Ineffectingthis，divinegracedoesnottrenchupon\"thepowerwhichmanhastoresistit，ifhewishestodoso\"；itmerelypreventshimfromwishingtoresistit。ThishasbeenacknowledgedbyyourFatherPetau，inthefollowingpassage（Booki，p。602）：。\"ThegraceofJesusChristinsuresinfallibleperseveranceinpiety，thoughnotbynecessity；