The Institution of Christian Religion

If this be received, then shall it be out of controversy that man §6hath not free will to do good works, unless he be holpen by grace, and that by special grace, which is given to the only elect by regeneration. For I do not pass upon these phrenetike men, which babble that grace is offered generally & without difference. But this is not yet made plain, whether he be altogether deprived of power to do well, or whether he have yet some power, although it be but little & weak, which by it self in deed can do nothing, but by help of grace doth also her part.¹ While the Master of the Sentences goeth about to make that plain, he saith there are two sorts of grace necessary for us, whereby we may be made mete to do a good work: the one they call a Working grace, whereby we effectually will to do good: the other a Together working grace, which followeth good will in helping it. In which division this I mislike, that while he giveth to the grace of God an effectual desire of good, he secretly showeth his meaning that man already of his own nature, after a certain manner, desireth good though uneffectually. As Bernard affirming that good will is in deed the work of God yet this he granteth to man, that of his own motion he desireth it good will. But this is far from the meaning of Augustine, from whom yet Lombard would seem to have borrowed this division. In the second part of the division, the doubtfulness of speech offendeth me, ⟨image 88⟩which hath bred a wrong exposition. For they thought that we do therefore work together with the Second grace fo God, because it lieth in our power, either to make void the First grace by refusing it,² or to confirm it by obediently following it. Whereas the author of the book Of the calling of the Gentiles, doth thus express it, that it is free for them that use the judgement of reason, to depart from grace, that it may be worthy reward not to have departed, & that the thing which could not be done but by the working together of the holly ghost, may be imputed to their merits, by whose will it was possible to have not ben done. These two things I had will to note by the way, that now, reader, thou mayest see how much I dissent from the soundest forte of the Schoolmen. For I do much farther differ from the later sophisters, even so much as they be farther gone from the ancient time.