Chapter IX: Of Free-will. De libero arbitrio.
Of Free-will. De libero arbitrio.
I. God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that
[1260] is neither forced nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to good or evil. [1261] I. Eam humanæ voluntati naturalem Deus indidit libertatem, ut nec cogatur unquam, neque absoluta ulla naturæ necessitate ad bonum aut malum determinetur. [1262] II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which is good and well-pleasing to God, but yet mutably, so that he might fall from it. [1263] II. Homo in statu innocentiæ libertatem habuit ac potentiam, quod bonum erat Deoque gratum volendi agendique; [1264] mutabiliter tamen, ita ut illa potuerit excidere.
[1265] III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; [1266] so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, [1267] and dead in sin, [1268] is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. [1269] III. Homo per lapsum suum in statum peccati, potentiam omnem quam habuerat voluntas ejus ad bonum aliquod spirituals et saluti contiguum amisit penitus; [1270] adeo sane ut naturalis homo, utpote ab ejusmodi bono abhorrens prorsus, [1271] ac in peccato mortuus, [1272] non possit unquam suis ipsius viribus convertere semet, sed ne quidem ad conversionem se vel præparare.
[1273] IV. When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, [1274] and by his grace alone enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; [1275] yet so IV. Quandocunque Deus convertit ac in statum gratiæ transfert peccatorem, eundem eximit naturali sua sub peccato servitute, [1276] solaque gratia sua potentem reddit ad spirituale bonum volendum præstandumque; [1277] ita tamen ut propter
as that, by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but doth also will that which is evil. [1278] manentem adhuc in eo corruptionem, bonum nec perfecte velit; neque id tantummodo, verum etiam quandoque malum. [1279]
V. The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only. [1280] V. Voluntas humana perfecte ac immutabiliter libera ad bonum solum redditur non nisi in statu gloriæ.
[1281]