The Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University

Those that deny infusion by the Holy Spirit, must of necessity deny the Spirit to do anything at all. "By the Spirit's infusing" is an unintelligible expression; but however, let be meant what will, those that say there is no infusion contradict themselves. For they say the Spirit doth something in the soul; that is, he causeth some motion, or affection, or apprehension to be in the soul, that at the same time would not be there without him. Now I hope, that God's Spirit doth he doth; he doth so much as he doth, or he causeth in the soul so much as he causeth, let that be how little soever. So much as is purely the effect of his immediate motion, that is the effect of his immediate motion, let that be what it will; and so much is infused, how little soever that be. This is self-evident.

For suppose the Spirit of God only to assist the natural powers, then there is something done betwixt them: man's own powers do something, and God's Spirit doth something, but only they work together. Now the part that the Spirit doth, how little soever that be, is infused. So that they that deny infused habits own that part of the habit is infused. For they say, the Holy Spirit assists the man in acquiring the habit, so that it is acquired rather sooner than it would be otherwise. So that part of [the] habit is owing to the Spirit—some of the strength of the habit was infused—and another part is owing to the natural powers. Or if you say, not so, but it is all owing to the natural power assisted, how do you mean "assisted"? To act more livelily and vigorously than otherwise? Then that liveliness and vigorousness must be infused, which is a habit and therefore an infused habit; it is grace, and therefore infused grace. Grace consists very much in a principle that causes vigorousness and activity in action; this is infusion, even in the sense of the opposite party. So that if any operation of the Holy Spirit at all is allowed, the dispute is only, how much is infused. The one says, a great deal; the other says, but little.