Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of mans free-will after his fall.Liberum arbitrium.
I. What we vnderſtand by the name of free-will.
SIth all men after Adams fall and by his fall are conceiued in ſinne, Eph. 2.3 Gal. 6.5. & 8.21.and are borne the children of vvrath, and proone not vntounto goodneſſe, but exceedingly vntounto wickednes: this is our beleefe and confeſſion concerning the freewill of a man not regenerate. By the name of freewill, wee doe ſo meane the free choiſe of a man, that we doe not yet ſeparate from it, the facultie of the vnderſtanding whereby we iudge & determine vponupon things, as what is good and what is ill, or what is to be choſen and what to be refuſed.
II. That the queſtion is two folde, one concerning the nature, the other concerning the power of freewill.
But wee diſtinguiſh the queſtion concerning the nature of the vvhole freewill, from the queſtion concerning the nature of mans choice. Nature we call, that naturall & eſſentiall proprietie, giuen of god, vntounto the will or choice: whereby, whatſoeuer it willeth, whether good, or ill, the ſame it willeth freelie, with meere accord and conſent, euer voide of all manner of conſtraint. But by the name of power we vnderſtand an abillitie or force giuen vntounto vsus, whereby wee can both diſcerne in the minde, what is good, and what is ill: & alſo in the will, to make choiſe of the one, and refuſe the other.
III. That freewill is alwaies free from conſtraint.
Euen as therefore the ſubſtance of freewill was not loſt by ſinne: (for the vnderſtanding and the will, and the whole ſubſtance of the minde remained) ſo beleeue wee, that the nature thereof was not loſt, but whatſoeuer it willeth yet, as well ill, as good, that it willeth the ſame freelie, and without all conſtraint: as Auguſtine truelie ſaide, free-will is alwaies free (namely from conſtraint) but is not alwaies good.
IV. Three kindes of thinges and actions, vvherein the povver of mans freevvill is occupied.
But of the power to chooſe the good or refuſe the ill, thus wee thinke. Wee diſtinguiſh good and ill into three kindes, that is, in ſuch things as pertain to the animal life, & in ſuch things as pertaine to humane life, and in ſuch as pertaine to the diuine, that is, a chriſtian life. Of the firſt kinde, are ſuch thinges as are in a manner common vntounto vsus with beaſtes, & doe belong vntounto the vegetable and ſenſitiue faculties. In the ſecond kinde are reckened, ſuch thinges as are proper vntounto man, and pertaine to a humaine minde, as are all the artes, aſwell mechanicall as liberall, the morall and politick vertues, laſtlie, all ſciences, and al philoſophie. And the third kinde containeth, onelie thoſe good thinges, and good actions, which are ordained onelie to the kingdome of god, & a chriſtian life: as are the true knowledge of god, faith, and the effects therof, regeneration, obedience, charitie, and other of the ſame ſorte.
V. The povver in a man not regenerate is verie weake, in thoſe things which pertaine to humaine life.
To ſpeak nothing therfore, of mans power after his fall, in knowing, in deſiring, yea (and if occaſion be offred,) in chooſing and following thoſe things, which pertaine to the ſuſtaining of this animall life, and the happie leading thereof, and to eſchewe the contraries, becauſe they belong not to religion and to manners (in which pointe notwithſtanding, dailie experience teacheth vsus howe great an infirmitie both of iudgement and appetite hath taken hold on man) wee beleeue, that although by the merciemercy of God, there is ſome light remaining in mens mindes, partlie for the iudging of what is right and wrong, good and euill in humaine affaires, and partlie for the attaining to the knowledge of diuerſe thinges, of artes and inſtructions, and ſundrie vertues: yet that ſmale light, what ſo it is, is left ſo little in mans minde, and his will ſo depraued, that vnleſſe the minde bee helped by light from heauen, & his will inclined by ſpeciall grace, to chooſe that which is good, and refuſe the ill: men can neither learne the arts truelie and profit by anie inſtructions, nor attaine vntounto anie vertues; although there may be in the vnregenerate neuer ſo manie: euen as Auguſtine not without cauſe did write, that all the learning, or vertues, Tom. 7. con Iul. Pel. lib. 4. cap. 3or rather the images of vertues, which were in the Romaines, and other heathen people, were the ſinguler gifts of god.
VI. A confirmation of the former opinion.
For neither were, nor are, al the infidells indued equallie with the ſame vertues & knowledge: ſo that therby it manifeſtlie appeareth, that theſe were not the giftes of nature, but gifts of god added to nature.
VII. In thoſe thinges vvhichwhich pertaine to god and to true piety, a man not regenerate, can do nothing.
But in things pertaining to God, godlines, religion, and chriſtian life, we beleeue, that the minde of a man not regenerate is ſo darkned, and his heart ſo vnſounde, and all the powers in him ſo extinguiſhed: that hee can neither know god, and the things belonging to god, nor louelove him, and deſire any thing acceptable vntounto him, much leſſe bee obedient to his will, as he ought: 1. Cor. 2.14ſith the Apoſtle ſaith: The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges, that are of god, neither can he know them: how ſhould he therefore will, Ioh. 15.5and performe? and Chriſt ſaith, without me ye can do nothing.
VIII. A confirmation of the former opinion.
For as a man beeing dead vntounto nature and to men, can do none of thoſe things which belong to nature and to man: ſo neither can hee which is dead vntounto god in ſinne, truely know or doe thoſe things which belong vntounto god or true godlineſſe, but ſhall altogether conſume and putrifie in ſinne, vnleſſe he be deliuered out of the ſame with grace by Chriſt, and bee called to life againe. For all mē without Chriſt and not regenerate by Chriſts ſpirit are quite dead, ſo as they are ſaid to bee truely reuiued, raiſed vp, and borne againe, which are deliuered from ſinne by faith in Chriſt, and do ſerue him.
IX. Errors.
Wee therefore condemne all Pelagians, which teach the contrarie, and doe exroll the power of freewill againſt the grace of Chriſt: ſo do we deteſt and accurſe the Manichęs & others, which make man to be but as a block, which hath no iudgement nor any free libertie of will, no not in ciuill cauſes.