Tractatus de vera et legitima concordia liberi arbitrii creati cum auxiliis gratiae Dei

It seemed good to pursue this treatise under the apostolic theme: May the God of peace fit you in every good, that you may do his will, working in you what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ (Heb. 13:20-21). In this theme, as in a certain pregnant principle, I understand to be contained all things which are to be treated concerning the true concord of the human will with the divine. For in these words are contained both man's free choice and God's free choice. God's indeed in that the Apostle desires that God fit men in every good. For if there were no free choice in God, Paul's desire and prayer would be vain. Then man's free choice is abundantly enough explained in that he says, that you may do his will—and the more so because in the preceding clause there had gone before: I beseech you the more to do this. At last the efficacy of the help of God's grace is expressed in that it is said, working in you what is pleasing before him. Thus man's free choice is fitted by God to do freely what pleases God, and nevertheless God himself makes man do. This concord is insinuated in that it is said, God of peace, suggesting that the Lord is powerful to make such peace and concord.

Now indeed, that we may proceed distinctly in this treatise, not with a mind to contend, but rather to teach the truth of this matter as we received it from the teaching of St. Augustine and St. Thomas and the other fathers, let us divide this meditation into three chief parts:

The first will turn on establishing the definition of free choice and of free action.

Then in the second part, we shall discuss the efficacy of God's actual grace, what it is and whence it has it.

Lastly, in the third part we shall explain how this concord is possible without injury, indeed with the perfection of free choice.