Questions of Religion, Commonplaces · Commonplace 4
The fourth Common place. Of Free will.
The seuententh Question.
Whether men hauehave not fre wil to doe good and euil?
The Answere.
THis Question touching the fréeThe doctrine of free vvill is an arrogante doctrine. wil of man, is the very ground & foundation of that proude and arrogant doctrine concerning the merites of man: as though there were any good in vsus of our owne selues, or as thoughe we were able to doe good fréely, by our owne power, for the which God muste néedes let vsus hauehave eternall life. But yet the holy scripture teacheth vsus an other lesson, how that man cā not do any good thing as of him selfe, neither by all his power accōplish any good. For his vnderstanding and frée will, not being regenerated, is so fowly blotted and defaced in him by his first trāsgression, and so wrapped in sinne and wickednesse, that euen by nature he is caried hedlōg vntounto al manner of euil, so as he is made very vnfit and vnapte to goodnesse. And then what libertie or free wil can be attributed to such a man? S. Paule saith: The wisdome of the fleshe is an enemie to God: neither is it subject to the lavve of God, neither can it be. Read the third Chapter also of his Epistle to the Romanes. But who so euer is borne a newe by grace, throughe the operation of the holy Ghoste, of him is this saying of Christe to bee vnderstanded: He vvhichwhich dothe sinne, is the seruaunte of sinne. But if the same hauehave made you free, then are you free in dede. That is, you are made frée from sinne, the diuel, death and damnation, yt fréely and with good will by the operation of the holy ghost, and not by cōpulsion, you might do ye good thing, which you do. And they whiche are so redéemed and indewed with Christian libertie, they attribute not the good which they doe vntounto their owne power, and frée will, but to the grace of Christe, and to the holy ghost, which worketh the same in them. For Christe saythe in the fiftienth of Jhon. He that abideth in me, and in vvhomeIoan. 15. I abide, he bringeth forthe muche frute, for vvithout me you can doe nothing. And S. Pauls saith, in the second Epistle2. Corin. 3. to the Corint. and third chapter: we are not able to do any good thing of our selues, as of our selues: but all our habilitie thereunto commeth of God. And in1. Corin. 4. an other place he saithe: what hast thou that thou hast not receiued? wherfore if thou hauehave receiued it, why bostest thou as thoughe thou hadste not receyued it? And agayne he sayth: It is giuen to youPhilip. 1. …. in the things appertayning to Chryst, that not onelyonly you shoulde beleeue in him, but also suffer affliction for hys names sake: Likewise he sayth: For it is God that woorketh in you bothe the will and the deede, euen of hys owne good will. And although the faythfull doo all that they doo with a frée spirite, and willing minde, yet neuerthelesse this their fréedome and willingnesse is let and hindered very much through the defectes and infirmities of the flesh, whiche alwayes remayneth with vsus, euen vntounto deathe. Wherefore Paule greatly complayneth, saying: The flesh rebelleth agaynst the spirit, and the spirite agaynst the flesh, so that the things which I would not do, that do I. Touching this matter read more Roma. 7. And yet in this case doo we not attribute vntounto man any more frée will than that which the frée mercy of God worketh, by whose holy spirite he is fréely gouerned & preserued. But as touching the infirmity which dwelleth in vsus, the operation and working of the spirite is hindred and let thereby, so that mans free will can doo nothing that is good, and so that good which it is willing to doo and dothe, is of the frée grace and holy spirite of god. And therfore Paule attributeth not his good workes to hys owne free wil, but to the grace of God, saying: By the grace of God, I am that I am: and hys grace was not in me in vayne, but I labored more than they all, and yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1. Corinth. 15. Marke well that he sayth, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. But touching euill (lyke as wée hauehave sayde already) wée doo it not by compulsion or agaynst our will, but willingly, and that by reason of the corruption which is grafted in our nature. And yet when wee runne headlong to the Deuill, God can lette and stoppe vsus, and giuegive vsus an other manner of mynde, whereby wée may bée stirred and dr…uen, (as it were) to the things wherein before we had no delight.