Augustinian Preparatory Grace versus Semi-Pelagian Preparation
When people criticize preparatory grace as preparationism, they often confuse the Augustinian and Reformed doctrine of preparation with that of the Roman Catholic Church in its semi-Pelagian tendencies. At the heart of Augustinianism is the belief that man is dead in sin (T)and God’s grace sovereignly (UL)and effectively changes the hearts of those he has chosen (I). Augustine analyzed grace as a series of steps from unbelief to glory: preparing grace to give a knowledge of sin, operating grace to create faith, cooperating grace to join with the renewed will to produce good works, and perfecting grace to enable perseverance（P）. God uses his law “to alarm the unrighteous, so that … they may in faith flee for refuge to the grace that justifies,” a justification that takes place “on account of no antecedent merits of his own works.”10 Similarly, Thomas Aquinas said that man cannot prepare himself to receive grace except by the grace of God preparing him, whether that preparation takes place in an instant or step by step over time.[1]
奥古斯丁预备的恩典与半伯拉纠的预备
当人们批评预备恩典为预备主义时，他们常常将奥古斯丁和改革宗的预备教义与半伯拉纠主义倾向的罗马天主教会的教义混为一谈。奥古斯丁主义的核心是相信人死在罪中(T)，而上帝的恩典主权(UL)且有效地改变他所选择的人的心(I)。奥古斯丁将恩典分析为从不信到荣耀的一系列步骤：预备的恩典使人认识罪，运作的恩典创造信心，合作恩典与更新的意志结合产生善行，完善的恩典使人能忍耐(P)。上帝用他的律法“警告不义的人，以便……他们可以凭着信心逃往称义恩典的避难所”，这种称义的发生“是因为他自己的行为没有任何先行的功绩。”10同样，托马斯·阿奎那他说，除非神的恩典预备人，否则人无法预备自己接受恩典，无论这种准备是瞬间发生的，还是随着时间的推移一步步发生的。
[1] Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology: Spirit and Salvation, vol. 3, Reformed Systematic Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 311–312.
