Epilogue to the Council of Orange

The following is the epilogue to the Second Council of Orange, together with an AI translation (source of Latin is Hefele):

Ac sic secundiun suprascriptas sanctarum Scripturarum sententias vel antiquorum patrum definitiones hoc Deo propitiante et prsedicare debemus et credere, quod per peccatum primi hominis ita inclinatum et attenuatum fuerit liberum arbitrium, ut nullus postea aut diligere Deum sicut opportuit, aut credere in Deum, aut operari propter Deum quod bonum est possit, nisi eum gratia misericordiae divinae praevenerit. Unde et Abel justo et Noe et Abrahae, et Isaac et Jacob et omni antiquorum patrum multitudini illam praeclaram fidem, quam in ipsorum laude praedicat Apostolus Paulus, non per bonum natures quod prius in Adam datum fuerat, sed per gratiam Dei credimus fuisse collatam. 

And thus, according to the aforementioned sentences of the Holy Scriptures or the definitions of the ancient Fathers, with God being propitious, we must preach and believe that through the sin of the first man, free will was so inclined and weakened that no one thereafter can either love God as he ought, or believe in God, or act for God's sake in what is good, unless the grace of divine mercy precedes him. Therefore, we believe that to Abel the righteous, and to Noah, and to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to the whole multitude of ancient fathers, that excellent faith, which the Apostle Paul proclaims in their praise, was not conferred through the natural goodness which was first given in Adam, but through the grace of God.

Quam gratiam etiam post adventum domini omnibus qui baptizari desiderant, non in libero arbitrio haberi, sed Christi novimus simul et credimus largitate conferri, secundum illud quod saepe jam dictum est et quod saepe jam dictum est et quod praedicat Paulus apostolus : Vobis donatum est pro Christo non solum ut in eum credatis, sed etiam, ut pro illo patiamini (Phil. i. 29) ; et illud : Deus qui ccepit in vobis bonum opus, perficiet usque in diem domini nostri Jesu Christi (Phil. i. 6); et illud: Or alia, salvi facti estis per fidem, et hoc non ex vobis, dei enim donum est (Eph. ii. 8); et quod de se ipso ait apostolus : Misericordiam consecutus sum, ut fidelis essem (1 Cor. vii. 25); non dexit quia eram sed ut essem ; et illud : Quid habes quod non accepistii. (1 Cor. iv. 7); et illud: Omne datum bonum et omnc donum perfectum desursum est, descendens a patre luminum (Jac. i. 17); et illud : Nemo habet quidquam nisi illi datum fuerit desuper (Joann. iii. 27). 

We also know and believe that this grace, even after the coming of the Lord, is not held in free will for all who desire to be baptized, but is conferred through the generosity of Christ, according to what has been often said and what the Apostle Paul preaches: 'For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him' (Philippians 1:29); and this: 'He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus' (Philippians 1:6); and this: 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God' (Ephesians 2:8); and what the apostle says of himself: 'I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power' (1 Corinthians 7:25); not because I was [faithful], but so that I might be [faithful]; and this: 'What do you have that you did not receive?' (1 Corinthians 4:7); and this: 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights' (James 1:17); and this: 'A person can receive only what is given them from heaven' (John 3:27).

Innumerabilia sunt sanctorum scripturarum testimonia quae possunt ad probandam gratiam proferri sed brevitatis studio praetermissa sunt, quia et revera cui pauca non sufficiunt plura non proderunt. Hoc etiam secundum fidem Catholicam credimus, quod accepta per baptismum gratia omnes baptizati, Christo auxiliante et co-operante, quae ad salutem animse pertinent, possint et debeant, si fideliter laborare voluerint adimplere. Aliquos vero ad malum divina potestate praedestinatos esse non solum non credimus, sed etiam si sunt qui tantum malum credere velint, cum omni detestatione illis anathema dicimus. Hoc etiam salubriter profitemur et credimus, quod in omni opere bono non nos incipimus et postea per Dei misericordiam adjuvamur sed ipse nobis nullis praecedentibus bonis meritis et fidem et amorem sui prius inspirat, ut et baptismi sacramenta fideliter requiramus, et post baptismum cum ipsius adjutorio ea quae sibi sunt placita implere possimus. Unde manifestissime credendum est quod et illius latronis, quern dominus ad paradisi patriam revocavit, et Cornelii centurionis ad quern angelus Domini missus est, et Zacchaei qui ipsum dominum suscipere meruit, ilia tarn admirabilis fides non fuit de natura, sed divinaa largitatis donum. Et quia definitionem antiquorum patrum nostramque, quae suprascripta est, non solum religiosis, sed etiam laicis medicamentum esse et desideramus et cupimus, placuit, ut earn et illustres ac inagnifici viri, qui nobiscum ad praefatam festivitatem convenerunt, propria manu subscriberent. 

There are innumerable testimonies of the holy scriptures that can be brought forward to prove grace, but they have been omitted for the sake of brevity, because indeed, if a few are not sufficient for someone, more will not be beneficial. We also believe this according to the Catholic faith, that after receiving grace through baptism, all baptized, with the help and cooperation of Christ, can and should fulfill what is necessary for the salvation of the soul, if they want to work faithfully. We not only do not believe that some are predestined to evil by divine power, but also, if there are those who want to believe such great evil, we say anathema to them with all detestation. We also healthily profess and believe that in every good work, it is not us who begin and are then helped by God's mercy, but He Himself first inspires in us faith and love for Him, without any preceding good merits, so that we may faithfully seek the sacraments of baptism, and after baptism, with His help, fulfill what is pleasing to Him. Therefore, it is most clearly to be believed that the admirable faith of the thief whom the Lord called back to the paradise of heaven, of Cornelius the centurion to whom the angel of the Lord was sent, and of Zacchaeus who was worthy to receive the Lord Himself, was not from nature, but was a gift of divine generosity. And because we desire and wish the definition of the ancient fathers and ours, which is written above, to be not only a remedy for the religious but also for the laity, it was pleasing that the illustrious and magnificent men, who came together with us for the aforementioned celebration, should also subscribe to it with their own hand.

Soteriology 101 and the First Eight Canons of the Council of Orange

The Canons of the Council of Orange (Anno Domini 529)(as found here)

CANON 1. If anyone denies that it is the whole man, that is, both body and soul, that was "changed for the worse" through the offense of Adam's sin, but believes that the freedom of the soul remains unimpaired and that only the body is subject to corruption, he is deceived by the error of Pelagius and contradicts the scripture which says, "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:20); and, "Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey?" (Rom. 6:126); and, "For whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved" (2 Pet. 2:19).

CANON 2. If anyone asserts that Adam's sin affected him alone and not his descendants also, or at least if he declares that it is only the death of the body which is the punishment for sin, and not also that sin, which is the death of the soul, passed through one man to the whole human race, he does injustice to God and contradicts the Apostle, who says, "Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

CANON 3. If anyone says that the grace of God can be conferred as a result of human prayer, but that it is not grace itself which makes us pray to God, he contradicts the prophet Isaiah, or the Apostle who says the same thing, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me" (Rom 10:20, quoting Isa. 65:1).

CANON 4. If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit, he resists the Holy Spirit himself who says through Solomon, "The will is prepared by the Lord" (Prov. 8:35, LXX), and the salutary word of the Apostle, "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

CANON 5. If anyone says that not only the increase of faith but also its beginning and the very desire for faith, by which we believe in Him who justifies the ungodly and comes to the regeneration of holy baptism-if anyone says that this belongs to us by nature and not by a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness, it is proof that he is opposed to the teaching of the Apostles, for blessed Paul says, "And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). For those who state that the faith by which we believe in God is natural make all who are separated from the Church of Christ by definition in some measure believers.

CANON 6. If anyone says that God has mercy upon us when, apart from his grace, we believe, will, desire, strive, labor, pray, watch, study, seek, ask, or knock, but does not confess that it is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we have the faith, the will, or the strength to do all these things as we ought; or if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).

CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).

CANON 8. If anyone maintains that some are able to come to the grace of baptism by mercy but others through free will, which has manifestly been corrupted in all those who have been born after the transgression of the first man, it is proof that he has no place in the true faith. For he denies that the free will of all men has been weakened through the sin of the first man, or at least holds that it has been affected in such a way that they have still the ability to seek the mystery of eternal salvation by themselves without the revelation of God. The Lord himself shows how contradictory this is by declaring that no one is able to come to him "unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), as he also says to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 16:17), and as the Apostle says, "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).