The whole body of Christian religion, by Hieron. Zanchius. Translated out of Latine by D. Ralph Winterton.

CHAP. VIII. What free-will was left unto Man after his Fall.

DOCTRINE I. What we understand by the name of free-will.

SEeing that all men since the Fall and by reason of the Fall of Adam

area 1.1 conceived insinne, and areb 1.2 by nature the children of wrath, having no inclination at all to that which is good, butc 1.3 altogether prone to that which is evil: This is our belief and confession concerning the free-will of a man not regenerate. By the name of free-will, we understand the will of man so to be free; that from it we do not separate the facultie of un∣derstanding, by which we judge, what is good, and what bad; what to be chosen, and what to be re∣fused.

DOCT. II. That the question concerning free-will is two-fold; either concerning the na∣ture, or else concerning the power thereof.

IN the question concerning free-will we distinguish between the power and strength of free-will, and the na∣ture of mans will. The nature we call, the naturall and essentiall pro∣pertie thereof created in it by God, that whatsoever it willeth, whether it be good or bad, it willeth freely, vo∣luntarily, willingly, and free-from all

manner of coaction. By the name of power we understand a power or fa∣cultie either innate, that is by na∣ture; or else conferred, that is of grace, by which we are enabled by our un∣derstanding to know, what is good, and what evil; and by our will to choose the good and refuse the evil.

DOCT. III. That free-will is alwayes free from coaction.

AS therefore the substance of free-will perished not by reason of sinne (for the understanding, and will, and the whole substance of the soul remained) so neither do we be∣lieve that the nature thereof perished, that whatsoever it willeth, as well evil as good, it willeth it freely, and without all manner of coaction. That it is true which Augustine saith, That free-will is alwayes free (that is from coaction) but yet that it is not al∣wayes good.

DOCT. IV. That there are three ranks or sorts of things and actions about which the power of free-will is exercised.

COncerning our power in choos∣ing of good, and refusing evil, we are of this opinion. We distin∣guish good and evil into three kinds those which pertain to the Animall or naturall life, the rationall or hu∣mane life, the divine or Christian life. Of the first kind are those which are common to us almost with beasts, and belong to the soul by which we live and increase, and have sense and motion: Of the second kind are those, which are proper to man, and belong to mans understanding; as Arts as well Mechanicall as liberall, virtues morall and politicall, and last of all sciences of all sorts, and all Philosophie: The third kind con∣tains onely those things which are good, and good actions, which are ordained for the kingdome of God, and a Christian life; As the true knowledge of God, faith, and the ef∣fects thereof, regeneration, obe∣dience,

charitie, and others of the like kind.

DOCT. V. That the power and strength of a man unregenerate is very weak, even in things belonging to this life.

TO say nothing then of the power & strength of man since the Fall, in knowing and desiring such things as make for the preservation of this present life, and living here happily, as also in making choise of them and pursuing after them, if they be offered unto him; and in eschewing and a∣voiding the contrary: To say no∣thing, I say, of this; because it no∣thing belongs to religion and man∣ners (although as concerning even this, dayly experience teacheth us, how great a depravation of judge∣ment and appetite is in man, follow∣ing as a punishment upon the Fall) We believe, that, although by the mercy of God there is yet left some light in mans understanding, partly in discerning between right & wrong, good and bad in humane affaires; and partly in acquiring the know∣ledge

of many things, arts, sciences, and divers other virtues: Yet the light, that is in the understanding, is so little, and the will so depraved, that unlesse the one be enlightened from above, and the other be in∣clined by Gods speciall grace to choose the good propounded and to refuse the bad, he cannot acquire the knowledge of Arts and sciences, and other virtues, which may be in men even unregenerate. And not without cause saith S^t. Augustine,a 1.4 That all the Arts sciences and other virtues, or rather shadowes and resemblances of virtues, which were in the Ro∣manes, and others not converted un∣to the faith, were in them the singu∣lar gifts of God.

DOCT. VI. The Confirmation of the fore-going opinion.

FOr all infidels or unbelievers are not indued with the same or alike equall virtues & sciences: That even from thence it may manifestly appear that they are not the gifts of nature, but the gifts of God added unto na∣ture.

DOCT. VII. That in things belonging unto God and true pietie the unregenerate man can do nothing.

BUt as concerning things belonging unto God; true pietie and reli∣gion and a Christian life, we believe that the mind of an unregenerate man is so blinded, and his heart so depraved, and all his powers and fa∣culties so weak or none at all, that he can neither truely know God, nor the things of God; neither love him, nor desire things pleasing unto him, much lesse obey his will as he ought. For according to the Apostle,a 1.5 The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God; neither can he per∣ceive or understand them: How can he then of himself either will or do any thing?b 1.6 Without me, saith our Saviour, ye can do nothing.

DOCT. VIII. The confirmation of the fore-going opinion.

FOr, even as a man dead to men and nature can perform no ac∣tion

belonging unto men and nature: So neither can he, which isa 1.7 dead to God in trespasses and sinnes, truely know those things which belong un∣to God and true pietie, much lesse can he do them; but he lies rotting and stinking in his sinnes, unless he be delivered from them by the grace of God through Christ, and so be re∣stored again unto life. But all men that are without Christ, and not re∣generated by the Spirit of Christ, are truely dead: and therefore they are truely said to beb 1.8 quickned, to be rai∣sed from the dead, and to be regene∣rated, or born again, whosoever are by faith in Christ delivered from their sinnes, and ingrafted into Christ.

DOCT. IX. Errours condemned.

THerefore we condemne all Pela∣gians, which teach the contrarie, lifting up the power and strength of free-will against the grace of Christ: And we detest and abhorre the opi∣nion of the Manichees and all others, which will have a man to be like a

stock, as if he had no judgement or libertie of will at all in civil mat∣ters.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Psalm. ••1.5.
• b 1.2

  Eph. 2.••.
• c 1.3

  Gen. 6.••.••.21.
• a 1.4

  August. Tom. 7. cont. Iul. Pel. lib. 4. cap. 3.
• a 1.5

  1 Cor. 2.14.
• b 1.6

  Iohn 15.5.
• a 1.7

  P••••. 2.••.
• b 1.8

  Iohn ••.21.