Questions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the adversaries of the sameQuestions of religion cast abroad in Helvetia by the aduersaries of the same

The Answer.

The Answere.

This Question touching the free¹ will of man, is the very ground & foundation of that proud and arrogant ⟨p. 44⟩doctrine concerning the merits of man: as though there were any good in us of our own selves, or as though we were able to do good freely, by our own power, for the which God must needs let us have eternal life. But yet the holy scripture teacheth us an other lesson, how that man can not do any good thing as of him self, neither by all his power accomplish any good. For his understanding and free will, not being regenerated, is so foully blotted and defaced in him by his first transgression, and so wrapped in sin and wickedness, that even by nature he is carried headlong unto all manner of evil, so as he is made very unfit and unapt to goodness. And then what liberty or free will can be attributed to such a man? S. Paul saith: The wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God: neither is it subject to the law of God, neither can it be. Read the third Chapter also of his Epistle to the Romans. But who so ever is borne a new by grace, through the operation of the holy Ghost, of him is this saying of Christ to be understanded: ⟨image 55⟩He which doth sin, is the servant of sin. But if the same have made you free, then are you free in deed. That is, you are made free from sin, the devil, death and damnation, that freely and with good will by the operation of the holy ghost, and not by compulsion, you might do the good thing, which you do. And they which are so redeemed and endued with Christian liberty, they attribute not the good which they do unto their own power, and free will, but to the grace of Christ, and to the holy ghost, which worketh the same in them. For Christ saith in the fifteenth of John. He that abideth in me, and in whom²