A learned friend of mine and I had a long conversation years ago on the fact that Pelagianism and Semipelagianism were two of the three most common heresies in Great Britain.
Both heresies deny the need for grace. Semipelagianism defines the idea that the special souls of the elect get special graces.
Semipelagianism also denies Original Sin and the effects of Original Sin. All people are given the graces necessary for salvation, which is the teaching of the Church. But, this grace is gratuitous in that God gives us grace. The problem comes into the minds of Catholics who do not understand that God knows in His Perfect Will and in His Permissive Will who will respond to His grace and who will not.
Garrigou-Lagrange notes three areas which are basic to all the teachers in the Catholic Church, gleaned from the various councils which helped to define predestination.
(1) "Predestination to the first grace is not because God foresaw our naturally good works, nor is the beginning of salutary acts due to natural causes; (2) predestination to glory is not because God foresaw we would continue in the performance of supernatural meritorious acts apart from the special gift of final perseverance; (3) complete predestination in so far as it comprises the whole series of graces from the first up to glorification, is gratuitous or previous to foreseen merits."
Now, SS. Thomas Aquinas and Augustine interpret these points as such. The first point may be understood as "To the man who does what he can with the help of actual grace, God does not refuse habitual grace."
On the second point, they understand that the grace of final perseverance is "intrinsically efficacious" and here is a quote from the Council of Orange--"God's help is always to be sought even for the regenerated and holy, that they may come to a happy end, or that they may continue in the performance of good works."
The Council of Trent notes, on the grace of final perseverance, that it is a "gift which cannot be obtained from any other than from Him who is able to establish him who standeth that he standeth perseveringly, and to restore he who falleth." It is the grace of complete gratuity.
The Council of Trent warns us all: "No one, moreover, so long as he is in this mortal life, ought so far to presume as regards the secret mystery of divine predestination as to determine for certain that he is assuredly among the number of the predestined; as if it were true that he who is justified either cannot sin any more, or if he do sin, that he ought to promise himself an assured repentance. For except by special revelation it cannot be known whom God hate chosen unto Himself."
We work out our salvation in fear and trembling.
To be continued...
