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Article XVIII: Of Free Will.
Of
Free Will they teach that man's will has some
liberty to choose
civil righteousness, and to work things subject to
reason. But it has no
power, without the
Holy Ghost, to work the
righteousness of
God, that is,
spiritual righteousness; since the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2,14; but this righteousness is wrought in the heart when the Holy Ghost is received through
the Word. These things are said in as many words by
Augustine in his
Hypognosticon, Book III: We grant that all men have a free will, free, inasmuch as it has the judgment of reason; not that it is thereby
capable, without God, either to begin, or, at least, to complete aught in things pertaining to God, but only in works of this life, whether good or evil. "Good" I call those works which spring from the good in nature, such as, willing to labor in the field, to eat and drink, to have a friend, to clothe oneself, to build a house, to marry a wife, to raise cattle, to learn diverse useful arts, or whatsoever good pertains to this life. For all of these things are not without
dependence on the
providence of God; yea, of Him and through Him they are and have their being. "
Evil" I call such works as willing to
worship an
idol, to commit
murder, etc.
They condemn the
Pelagians and others, who teach that without the Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to
love God above all things; also to do the
commandments of God as touching "the substance of the act." For, although
nature is able in a manner to do the
outward work, (for it is able to keep the hands from
theft and
murder,) yet it cannot produce the inward motions, such as the
fear of God,
trust in God,
chastity,
patience, etc.