Sentences with phrase «attained by human effort»

In any event, the saints have known that «union,» in the supreme sense intended by the mystics, is not attained by human effort but is (as they say) always a «gift» of God; while contemplation, in the strictest meaning of that term, is only possible for the few who are called to it — although there is an element of contemplation in all prayer, not least in «vocal» prayer, as we shall see.

Not exact matches

This demand is a moral pressure that human nature should be fulfilled, that human effort should be capable of attaining the good, and that the attainment of this good should be accompanied by happiness.

Pelagius taught that humans were born sinless and that through sinless living, could thus attain heaven by our good works and human effort.