Green on Article X: Of Free-Will

The expression “ working with us ” was altered in 1571 from “ working in us ” of the previous English versions. This change, though slight, is significant, since it brings into prominence the fact that man is not so utterly depraved but that he is able to co-operate with God.

§ 2 .—OBJECT.

This Article is really supplementary to the last, stating clearly the necessity of Divine grace, which was denied by the Pelagians and Anabaptists.

[…]

“Nobis contra illos progrediendum est, qui tantum in libero arbitrio roboris et nervorum ponunt, ut eo solo sine alia speciali Chris ti gratia recte ab hominibus vivi posse constituant.”

In the case of this Article the title scarcely corresponds to the contents. “ Of the Necessity of Divine Grace ” would be a more suitable heading.

§ 3. — EXPOSITION.

(1.) Man’s Incapacity for Good since the Fall.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God.

In other words, man in his natural state is in a condition of slavery to sin (Rom. vii. 14; viii. 8. Cf. S. John viii. 34).

We should keep in mind the distinction in the technical language of theology between 4 liberum arbitrium ’ and 4 voluntas.’ 4 Liberum arbitrium ’ signifies the power of freely choosing. 4 Voluntas ’ denotes an act of will, the determination of the 4 liberum arbitrium * in a particular direction.

S. Augustine, whose writings had great influence with the Reformers, gives the following account of man’s will. The 4 liberum arbitrium ’ was —

(i.) At Creation a media vis,1 capable of being inclined either to good or to evil, but coloured with good.

(ii.) Since the Fall it has been captivatum , and hence in the power of sin.

(iii.) But through the work of Christ it is now liberatvm , so that by His grace it may be again turned in the direction of good.

Statements of other formularies of the Reformation period should be compared with the wording of our Article : —

Augsburg Confession, Art. XVIII. :

“ De libero arbitrio docent, quod humana voluntas habeat ali- quam libertatem ad efficiendam civilem justitiam, et deligendas res rationi subjectas. Sed non habet vim sine Spiritu Sancto effi-

1 See “ De Spiritu et Littera,” Cap. xxxiii.

So

ciendao justitiae Dei sen justitiae spiritualis, quia animalis homo, non percipit ea, quae sunt Spiritus Dei.”

Saxon Confession, Art. Y. :

“ Sed homo nequaquam potest se liberare a peccato, et morte aeterna, viribus naturalibus : sed haec liberatio et conversio hominis ad Deum, et novitas spiritualis, fit per Filium Dei vivi- ficantem nos Spiritu suo Sancto.”

French Confession, Art. IX. :

[…]

Second Helvetic Confession, Art. IX. :

“Non sublatus est quidem homini intellectus, non erepta ei voluntas, et prorsus in lapidem vel truncum est commutatus : caeterum ilia ita sunt immutata et imminuta in homine, ut non possint amplius quod potuerunt ante lapsum. Intellectus enim obscuratus est : voluntas vero ex libera, facta est voluntas serva.”

Westminster Confession, IX. 3 :

“ Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”

The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church as laid down at the Council of Trent is as follows (Session VI., Jan. 1547): —

“Declarat synodus … oportere, ut unusquisque agnoscat et fateatur, quod cum omnes homines in praevaricatione Adae inno- centiam perdidissent, facti immundi … usque adeo servi erant peccati … tametsi in eis liberum arbitrium minime exstinctum esset, viribus licet attenuatum et inclinatum.”

Accordingly the Council anathematises those who say that the ‘ liberum arbitrium ’ is ‘ extinctum ’ and has become ‘ figmentum/ c titulum sine re.’ 1 The Council further lays down that free¬ will without grace cannot make man righteous; that -there is no justification without Divine grace. The necessity of preventing grace is also strongly asserted ; and they are anathematised who affirm that the free-will of man, when it has been roused and called, does not co-operate with God’s grace, but is passive.

1 Luther had affirmed at Heidelberg (1518) in one of his ‘ Paradoxes k that free-will after original sin ‘res est de solo titulo’ — a matter of name only, without any corresponding reality.

(2.) The Necessity of Divine Grace in order that Man

wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ pre¬ venting us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will. (See I Cor. ii. 14; xii. 3-)

Man can neither form good resolutions apart from God’s grace, nor carry them out by his own unassisted strength. There must be : —

(a) The grace of God “ Preventing” i.e., going before : the very first desire to turn to God must come from Him (S. John vi. 44; Acts xvi. 14; Phil. ii. 13).

( b ) The grace of God “ Co-operating f i.e., working together with man’s will, so that our better self is strengthened, but not superseded (Phil. ii. 13).

Note that the Article expressly speaks of the grace of God ‘ by Christ ’ (quae per Christum est). Cf. Phil. iv. 13.

All spiritual benefits which God confers upon men He confers through Christ alone, Whose merits extend to all men, in all ages of the world (Rev. xiii. 8).

The teaching of our Article is opposed to —

(a) Pelagianism, which said that man’s condition by nature is such that he can keep God’s commandments if he will, without any special Divine assistance.

Cf. Augsburg Confession, Art. XVIII. :

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(b) Calvinism, according to which Divine grace, where it is really given, is irresistible, so that those who are saved are saved of necessity, their own will being superseded. (See the quotations given from Calvin in the notes on Art. XVI.

§ 3-)

Cf. First Baptist Confession, § 23 :

“All those that have this precious faith wrought in them by the Spirit can never finally nor totally fall away.”

L

[After Art. X., in 1553, came an Article on Grace, which was omitted in 1563. It ran thus: —

The grace of Christ, or the holie Ghost by him geuen, dothe take awaie the stonie liarte, and geueth an harte of flesh e. And although those that haue no will to good thinges, he maketh them to wil, and those that would euil thinges, he maketh them not to wille the same : Yet neuerthelesse he en- forceth not the wil. And ther- fore no man when he sinneth can excuse himself as not wortliie to he blamed or condemned, by alleging that he sinned unwillinglie, or by compulsion.

Gratia Christi, seu Spiritus Sanc- tus qui per eundem datur, cor lapi- deurn aufert, et dat cor carneum. Atque licet ex nolentibus quae recta sunt, volentes faciat ; et ex volen- tibus prava, nolentes reddat, volun- tati nihilominus violentiam nullam infert. Et nemo hac de causa cum peccaverit, seipsum excusare potest, quasi nolens aut coactus peccaverit, ut earn ob causam accusari non mereatur aut damnari.]