The Institution of Christian Religion

But if the authority of the fathers do move us, they have in deed continually the word in their mouth: but they do withal declare, how much they esteem y• use of it.¹ First of all Augustine, which sticketh not to call it Bond will. In one place he is angry with them that deny free will but he declareth his chief reason why, when he saith only, Let not any man be so bold to deny the freedom of will, that he go about to excuse sin. But surely in an other place he confesseth, that the ⟨p. 9⟩will of man is not free without the holy ghost, for as much as it is subject to lusts that do bind and conquer it.² Again, that when will was overcome with sin whereinto it fell, nature began to want freedom.³ Again, that man having ill used his free will, lost both himself and it. Again Free will is become captive, that it can do nothing toward righteousness. Again, that it can not be free, which the grace of God hath not made free. Again,⁴ that the justice of God is not fulfilled when the law commandeth, and man doth as of his own strength, but when the holy ghost helpeth, and mans will not free, but made free by God, obeyeth. And of all these things he shortly rendereth a cause, when in an other place he writeth, that man received great force of free will when he was created,⁵ but he lost it by sinning. Therefore in an other place, after that he had showed that free will is stablished by grace, he sharply inveigheth against them that take it upon them without grace.⁶ Why therefore (saith he) dare wretched men either be proud of freewill before that they be made free,⁷ or of their own strength if they be already made free? And they mark not that in the very name of Freewill, is mention of freedom.