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013 - Sections 146-155 Discussion Part III-b · Bondage of the Will

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  Speaker 1: Sections one hundred forty six through one hundred fifty five
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  Speaker 1: of the Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther, translated
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  Speaker 1: by Henry Cole. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: Discussion third part continued, section one hundred forty six, the
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  Speaker 1: state of the case therefore being Thus Paul speaks openly
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  Speaker 1: with full confidence and authority, saying, but now the righteousness
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  Speaker 1: of God is manifest without the Law, being witnessed by
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  Speaker 1: the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God,
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  Speaker 1: which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and
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  Speaker 1: upon all them that believe in Him, For there is
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  Speaker 1: no difference. For all have sinned and are without the
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  Speaker 1: glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through
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  Speaker 1: the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath
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  Speaker 1: set forth to be a propitiation for sin through faith
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  Speaker 1: in His blood, and so forth Romans three twenty two
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  Speaker 1: through twenty six. Here Paul speaks forth very thunderbolts against
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  Speaker 1: free will. First, he saith, the righteousness of God without
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  Speaker 1: the Law is manifested. Here he marks the distinction between
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  Speaker 1: the righteousness of God and the righteousness of the Law
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  Speaker 1: because the righteousness of faith comes by grace without the law.
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  Speaker 1: His saying without the law can mean nothing else but
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  Speaker 1: that Christian righteousness exists without the works of the law,
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  Speaker 1: inasmuch as the works of the law aveil nothing and
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  Speaker 1: can do nothing towards the attainment douneto it, as he
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  Speaker 1: afterwards saith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified
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  Speaker 1: by faith without the deeds of the law Romans three
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  Speaker 1: twenty eight. The same also he had said before by
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  Speaker 1: the deeds of the law, shall no flesh be justified
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  Speaker 1: in his sight Romans three twenty From all which it
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  Speaker 1: is most clearly manifest that the endeavor and desire of
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  Speaker 1: free will are a nothing at all. For if the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God exists without the law law, and without
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  Speaker 1: the works of the law, how shall it not much
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  Speaker 1: rather exist without free will, Especially since the most devoted
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  Speaker 1: effort of free will is to exercise itself in moral
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  Speaker 1: righteousness or the works of that law from which its
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  Speaker 1: blindness and impotency derive their assistance. This word without therefore
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  Speaker 1: abolishes all moral works, abolishes all moral righteousness, abolishes all
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  Speaker 1: preparations unto grace. In a word, scrape together everything you
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  Speaker 1: can as that which pertains to the ability of free will,
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  Speaker 1: And Paul will stand invincibly saying, the righteousness of God
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  Speaker 1: is without it. But to grant that free will can,
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  Speaker 1: by its endeavor, move itself in some direction, we will say,
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  Speaker 1: unto good works, or unto the righteousness of the civil
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  Speaker 1: or moral law. Yet it is not moved toward the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God. Nor does God in any respect allow
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  Speaker 1: its devoted effort to be worthy unto the attainment of
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  Speaker 1: this righteousness. For He saith that his righteousness availeth without
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  Speaker 1: the works of the law. If therefore it cannot move
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  Speaker 1: itself unto the attainment of the righteousness of God, what
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  Speaker 1: will it be profited if it move itself by its
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  Speaker 1: own works and endeavors unto the attainment of if it
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  Speaker 1: were possible the righteousness of angels. Here I presume the
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  Speaker 1: words are not obscure or ambiguous, nor is any place
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  Speaker 1: left for tropes of any kind. Here Paul distinguishes most
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  Speaker 1: manifestly the two righteousnesses, assigning the one to the law,
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  Speaker 1: the other to grace, and declares that the latter is
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  Speaker 1: given without the former and without its works, and that
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  Speaker 1: the former justifies, not nor avails anything without the latter.
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  Speaker 1: I should like to see, therefore, how free will can
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  Speaker 1: stand or be defended against these scriptures Section one hundred
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  Speaker 1: forty seven. Another thunderbolt is the apostle saith that the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God is manifested and avails unto all and
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  Speaker 1: upon all them that believe in Christ, and that there
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  Speaker 1: is no difference Romans three twenty one through twenty two.
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  Speaker 1: Here again he divides, in the clearest words, the whole
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  Speaker 1: race of men into two distinct divisions. To the believing,
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  Speaker 1: he gives the righteousness of God, but takes it from
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  Speaker 1: the unbelieving. Now, no one, I suppose, will be madman
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  Speaker 1: enough to doubt whether or not the power or endeavor
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  Speaker 1: of free will be a something that is not faith
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  Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. Paul then denies that anything which is
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  Speaker 1: not this faith is righteousness before God. And if it
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  Speaker 1: be not righteousness before God, it must be sin. For
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  Speaker 1: there is with God no medium between righteousness and sin,
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  Speaker 1: which can be, as it were, a neuter neither righteousness
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  Speaker 1: nor sin. Otherwise the whole argument of Paul would amount
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  Speaker 1: to nothing, for it proceeds wholly upon this distinct devis
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  Speaker 1: vision that whatever is done and carried on by men
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  Speaker 1: must be in the sight of God, either righteousness or sin.
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  Speaker 1: Righteousness if done in faith, sin if faith be wanting
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  Speaker 1: with men, indeed things pass. Thus, all cases in which men,
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  Speaker 1: in their intercourse with each other neither owe anything as
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  Speaker 1: ado nor do anything as a free benefit, are called
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  Speaker 1: medium and neuter. But here the ungodly man sins against God,
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  Speaker 1: whether he eat or whether he drink, or whatever he do,
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  Speaker 1: because he abuses the creature of God by his ungodliness
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  Speaker 1: and perpetual ingratitude, and does not, at any one moment
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  Speaker 1: give glory to God from his heart Section one hundred
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  Speaker 1: forty eight. This also is no powerless thunderbolt, where the
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  Speaker 1: apostle says all have sinned and are without the glory
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  Speaker 1: of God. For there is no difference Romans three twenty three.
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  Speaker 1: What I pray you could be spoken more clearly. Reduce
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  Speaker 1: one of your free will workmen, and say to me,
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  Speaker 1: does this man sin in his endeavor? If he does
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  Speaker 1: not sin, why does not Paul accept him? Why does
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  Speaker 1: he include him? Also? Without difference? Surely he that saith
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  Speaker 1: all accepts no one in any place, at any time,
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  Speaker 1: in any work or endeavor. If therefore you accept any
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  Speaker 1: man for any kind of devoted desire or work. You
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  Speaker 1: make Paul a liar because he includes that free will, workmen,
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  Speaker 1: or striver among all the rest, and in all that
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  Speaker 1: he saith concerning them. Whereas Paul should have had some
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  Speaker 1: respect for this person and not have numbered him among
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  Speaker 1: the general herd of sinners. There is also that part
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  Speaker 1: where he saith that they are without the glory of God.
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  Speaker 1: You may understand the glory of God here two ways,
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  Speaker 1: actively and passively. For Paul writes thus from his frequent
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  Speaker 1: use of Hebraisms, the glory of God, understood actively is
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  Speaker 1: the glory by which God glories in us. Understood passively,
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  Speaker 1: it is that glory by which we glory in God.
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  Speaker 1: But it seems to me proper to understand it now passively.
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  Speaker 1: So the faith of Christ is, according to the Latin,
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  Speaker 1: the faith which Christ has, but according to the hebrew
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  Speaker 1: the faith of Christ is the faith which we have
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  Speaker 1: in Christ. So also the righteousness of God signifies, according
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  Speaker 1: to the Latin, the righteousness which God has, but according
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  Speaker 1: to the Hebrews, it signifies the righteousness which we have
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  Speaker 1: from God and before God. Thus also the glory of
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  Speaker 1: God we understand according to the Latin, not according to
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  Speaker 1: the Hebrew, and receive it as signifying the glory which
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  Speaker 1: we have from God and before God, which may be
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  Speaker 1: called our glory in God. And that man glories in God,
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  Speaker 1: who knows to a certainty that God has a favor
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  Speaker 1: unto him and deigns to look upon him with kind regard,
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  Speaker 1: and that whatever he does pleases God, and what does
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  Speaker 1: not please him is borne with by him and pardoned.
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  Speaker 1: If therefore the endeavor or desire of free will be
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  Speaker 1: not sin but good before God, it can certainly glory,
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  Speaker 1: and in that glorying say with confidence this pleases God.
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  Speaker 1: God favors this. God looks upon and accepts this, or
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  Speaker 1: at least bears with it and pardons it. For this
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  Speaker 1: is the glorying of the faithful in God. And they
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  Speaker 1: that have not this are rather confounded before God. But
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  Speaker 1: Paul here denies that these men have this, saying that
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  Speaker 1: they are all entirely without this glory. This also experience
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  Speaker 1: itself proves put the question to all the exercises of
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  Speaker 1: free will to a man, and see if you can
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  Speaker 1: show me one who can honestly and from his heart
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  Speaker 1: say of any one of his devoted efforts and endeavors,
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  Speaker 1: this pleases God. If you can bring forward a single one,
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  Speaker 1: I am ready to acknowledge myself overthrown and to cede
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  Speaker 1: to you the palm. But I know there is not
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  Speaker 1: one to be found. And if this glory be wanting,
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  Speaker 1: so that the conscience dares not say, to a certainty
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  Speaker 1: and with confidence this pleases God, it is certain that
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  Speaker 1: it does not please God. For as a man believes, so,
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  Speaker 1: it is unto him, because he does not, to a
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  Speaker 1: certainty believe that he pleases God, which nevertheless it is
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  Speaker 1: necessary to believe, for to doubt of the favor of
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  Speaker 1: God is the very sin itself of unbelief, because He
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  Speaker 1: will have it believed with the most assuring faith, that
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  Speaker 1: He is favorable. Therefore, I have convinced them, upon the
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  Speaker 1: testimony of their own conscience, that free will, being without
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  Speaker 1: the glory of God, is with all its powers, its
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  Speaker 1: devoted strivings and endeavors, perpetually under the guilt of the
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  Speaker 1: sin of unbelief. And what will the advocates of free
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  Speaker 1: will say to that which follows being justified freely by
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  Speaker 1: His grace Romans three twenty four. What is the meaning
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  Speaker 1: of the word freely, What is the meaning of by
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  Speaker 1: His grace? How will merit and endeavor accord with freely
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  Speaker 1: given righteousness? But perhaps they will say here that they
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  Speaker 1: attribute to free will a very little indeed, and that
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  Speaker 1: which is by no means the merit of worthiness meritum condignum. These, however,
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  Speaker 1: are mere empty words. For all that is sought for
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  Speaker 1: in the defense of free will is to make place
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  Speaker 1: for merit. This is manifest for the diatribe has throughout
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  Speaker 1: argued and expostulated. Thus, if there be no freedom of will,
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  Speaker 1: how can there be place for merit? And if there
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  Speaker 1: be no place for merit, how can there be place
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  Speaker 1: for reward? To whom will a reward be assigned? If
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  Speaker 1: justification be without merit? Paul here gives you an answer
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  Speaker 1: that there is is no such thing as merit at all,
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  Speaker 1: but that all who are justified are justified freely. That
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  Speaker 1: is that this is ascribed to no one but to
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  Speaker 1: the grace of God. And when this righteousness is given,
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  Speaker 1: the kingdom and life eternal are given with it. Where
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  Speaker 1: is your endeavoring now? Where is your devoted effort? Where
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  Speaker 1: are your works? Where are your merits of free will?
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  Speaker 1: Where is the prophet of them all put together, you
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  Speaker 1: cannot here make as a pretense obscurity and ambiguity. The
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  Speaker 1: facts and the works are most clear and most plain.
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  Speaker 1: But be it so that they attribute to free will
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  Speaker 1: a very little? Indeed, yet they teach us that by
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  Speaker 1: that very little we can attain unto righteousness and grace.
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  Speaker 1: Nor do they solve that question. Why does God justify
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  Speaker 1: one and leave another in any other way than by
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  Speaker 1: asserting the freedom of the will and saying, because the
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  Speaker 1: one endeavors and the other does not. And God re
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  Speaker 1: word towards the one for his endeavoring, and despises the
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  Speaker 1: other for his not endeavoring, lest if he did otherwise,
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  Speaker 1: he should appear to be unjust. And notwithstanding all their pretense,
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  Speaker 1: both by their tongue and pen, that they do not
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  Speaker 1: profess to attain unto grace by the merit of worthiness
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  Speaker 1: meritum condignum, nor call it the merit of worthiness, yet
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  Speaker 1: they only mock us with a term and hold fast
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  Speaker 1: their tenet all the while. For what is the amount
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  Speaker 1: of their pretense that they do not call it the
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  Speaker 1: merit of worthiness, if, nevertheless, they assign unto it all
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  Speaker 1: that belongs to the merit of worthiness, saying that he,
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  Speaker 1: in the sight of God attains unto grace who endeavors,
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  Speaker 1: and he who does not endeavor does not attain unto it.
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  Speaker 1: Is this not plainly making it to be the merit
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  Speaker 1: of worthiness? Is it not making God a respector of works,
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  Speaker 1: of merits and of persons to say that one is
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  Speaker 1: devoid of grace from his own fault because he did
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  Speaker 1: not endeavor after it, but another, because he did endeavor
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  Speaker 1: after it, has attained unto grace unto which he would
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  Speaker 1: not have attained if he had not endeavored after it.
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  Speaker 1: If this be not the merit of worthiness, then I
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  Speaker 1: should like to be informed what it is that is
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  Speaker 1: called the merit of worthiness. In this way, you may
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  Speaker 1: play a game of mockery upon all words, and say
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  Speaker 1: it is not indeed the merit of worthiness, but is
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  Speaker 1: in effect the same as the merit of worthiness. The
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  Speaker 1: thorn is not a bad tree, but is in effect
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  Speaker 1: the same as a bad tree. The fig is not
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  Speaker 1: a good tree, but is in effect the same as
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  Speaker 1: a good tree. The diatribe is not indeed impious, but
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  Speaker 1: says and does nothing. But what is impious? Section one
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  Speaker 1: hundred forty nine it has happened to these asserters of
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  Speaker 1: free will according to the old proverb, striving dire Scylla's
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  Speaker 1: rock to shun, they gainst charybdis headlong run for devotedly
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  Speaker 1: striving to dissent from the Pelagians, they begin to deny
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  Speaker 1: the merit of worthiness, Whereas by the very way in
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  Speaker 1: which they deny it, they establish it more firmly than
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  Speaker 1: ever they deny it by their word and pen, but
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  Speaker 1: establish it in reality, in heart sentiment. And thus they
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  Speaker 1: are worse than the Pelagians themselves, And that on two accounts. First,
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  Speaker 1: the Pelagians plainly, candidly, and ingenuously asserted the merit of worthiness,
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  Speaker 1: thus calling a boat a boat and a fig a fig,
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  Speaker 1: and teaching what they really think. Whereas our free will friends,
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  Speaker 1: while they think and teach the same thing, yet mock
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  Speaker 1: us with lying words and false appearances, as though they
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  Speaker 1: dissented from the Pelagians, when the fact is quite contrary.
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  Speaker 1: So that with respect to their hypocrisy they seem to
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  Speaker 1: be the Pelagian's strongest opposers, But with respect to the
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  Speaker 1: reality of the matter and their heart tenant, they are
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  Speaker 1: twice dipped Pallagians and next, under this hypocrisy, they estimate
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  Speaker 1: and purchase the grace of God at a much lower
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  Speaker 1: rate than the Pallagians themselves. For these assert that it
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  Speaker 1: is not a certain little something in us by which
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  Speaker 1: we attain unto grace, but whole, full, perfect, great and
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  Speaker 1: many devoted efforts and works, whereas our friends declare that
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  Speaker 1: it is a certain little something almost in nothing, by
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  Speaker 1: which we deserve grace. If therefore there must be error,
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  Speaker 1: they err with more honesty and less pride, who say
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  Speaker 1: that the grace of God is purchased at a great price,
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  Speaker 1: and who account it dear and precious, than those who
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  Speaker 1: teach that it may be purchased at that which is
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  Speaker 1: very little and inconsiderable, and who account it cheap and contemptible.
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  Speaker 1: But however, Paul pounds both in pieces, in one mortar
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  Speaker 1: by one word, where he saith that all are justified freely,
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  Speaker 1: and again that they are justified without the law and
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  Speaker 1: without the works of the law. And he who asserts
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  Speaker 1: that the justification must be free in all who are justified,
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  Speaker 1: leaves none excepted who work, deserve, or prepare themselves. He
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  Speaker 1: leaves no work which can be called merit of congruity
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  Speaker 1: or merit of worthiness. And by the one hurling of
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  Speaker 1: this thunderbolt he dashes in pieces both the Pallagians, with
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  Speaker 1: their whole merit and the Sophists, with their very little merit.
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  Speaker 1: For a free justification allows of no workmen, because a
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  Speaker 1: free gift and a work preparation are manifestly in opposition
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  Speaker 1: to each other. Moreover, the being justified through grace will
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  Speaker 1: not allow of respect unto the worthiness of any person.
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  Speaker 1: As the Apostle saith also afterwards Chapter eleven, if by
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  Speaker 1: grace then it is no more of works. Otherwise grace
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  Speaker 1: is no more grace Romans eleven six, he saith the
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  Speaker 1: same also now to him that worketh is the reward,
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  Speaker 1: not reckoned of grace but of debt Romans four four.
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  Speaker 1: Wherefore my Paul stands an invincible destroyer of free will,
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  Speaker 1: and lays prostrate two armies by one word. For if
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  Speaker 1: we be justified without works, all works are condemned, whether
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  Speaker 1: they be very little or very great. He accepts none,
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  Speaker 1: but thunders alike against all Section one hundred fifty. Here
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  Speaker 1: you may see the yawning inconsiderateness of all our friends,
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  Speaker 1: and what it profits a man to rely upon the
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  Speaker 1: ancient fathers who have been approved through the series of
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  Speaker 1: so many ages. Were they not also all alike blind
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  Speaker 1: to nay? Rather, did they not disregard the most clear
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  Speaker 1: and most manifest words of Paul? Pray, what is there
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  Speaker 1: that can be spoken clearly and plainly in defense of
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  Speaker 1: grace against free will? If the argument of Paul be
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  Speaker 1: not clear and plain? He proceeds with a glow of
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  Speaker 1: argument and exalts grace against works, And that in words,
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  Speaker 1: the most clear and most plain, saying that we are
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  Speaker 1: justified freely, and that grace is no more grace if
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  Speaker 1: it be sought by works. Thus most manifestly excluding all
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  Speaker 1: works in the matter of justification, to the intent that
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  Speaker 1: he might establish grace only and free justification. And yet
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  Speaker 1: we in all this light still seek after darkness. And
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  Speaker 1: when we cannot ascribe unto ourselves great things and all things,
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  Speaker 1: we endeavor to ascribe unto ourselves a something in degree,
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  Speaker 1: a very little, merely that we might maintain our tenant
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  Speaker 1: that justification through the grace of God is not free
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  Speaker 1: and without works. As though he who declares that greater
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  Speaker 1: things and all things profit us, nothing unto justification does
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  Speaker 1: not much more deny that things in degree and things
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  Speaker 1: very little profit us nothing. Also, particularly when he has
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  Speaker 1: settled the point that we are justified by grace alone,
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  Speaker 1: without any works whatever, and therefore without the law itself,
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  Speaker 1: in which are comprehended all works great and little, works
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  Speaker 1: of congruity and works of worthiness. Go now then, and
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  Speaker 1: boast of the authorities of the ancients, and depend on
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  Speaker 1: what they say, all of whom you see, to a
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  Speaker 1: man disregarded Paul, that most plain and most clear teacher,
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  Speaker 1: and as it were, purposely shunned this morning star, yea,
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  Speaker 1: this sun, rather because being wrapped up in their own
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  Speaker 1: carnal reason, they thought it absurd that no place should
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  Speaker 1: be left to merit Section one hundred fifty one. Let
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  Speaker 1: us now bring forward that example of Abraham, which Paul
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  Speaker 1: afterwards adduces. If saith he Abraham were justified by works
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  Speaker 1: he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For
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  Speaker 1: what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was
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  Speaker 1: a funded unto him for righteousness Romans four two three.
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  Speaker 1: Mark here again I pray you the distinction of Paul,
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  Speaker 1: where he is showing the two full righteousness of Abraham
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  Speaker 1: the one is of works that is moral and civil,
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  Speaker 1: but he denies that he was justified by this before God,
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  Speaker 1: even though he were justified by it before men. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: by that righteousness he hath whereof to glory before men,
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  Speaker 1: but is all the while himself without the glory of God.
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  Speaker 1: Nor can any one here say that they are the
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  Speaker 1: works of the law or of ceremonies, which are here condemned.
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  Speaker 1: Seeing that Abraham existed so many years before the Law.
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  Speaker 1: Paul plainly speaks of the works of Abraham and those
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: his best works, for it would be ridiculous to dispute
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: whether or not any one were justified by evil works.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: If therefore Abraham be righteous by no works whatever, and
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: if both he himself and all his works be left
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: under sin, unless he be clothed with another righteousness, even
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: with the righteousness of faith. It is quite manifest that
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: no man can do anything by works towards his becoming righteous,
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: and moreover that no works, no devoted efforts, no endeavors
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: of free will avail anything in the sight of God,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: but are all judged to be ungodly, unrighteous, and evil.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: For if the man himself be not righteous, neither will
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: his works or endeavors be righteous, and if they be
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: not righteous, they are damnable and merit wrath. The other
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: righteousness is that of faith, which consists not in any works,
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: but in the favor and imputation of God through grace
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: and mark. How Paul dwells upon the word imputed, how
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: he urges it, repeats it, and inculcates it. Now saith
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: he to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: of grace, but of death. But to him that worketh not,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: But believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: is counted for righteousness Romans four four through five. According
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: to the purpose of the gift of God. Then he
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: adduces David, saying the same thing concerning the imputation through grace.
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: impute sin, and so forth Romans four six through eight.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: In this chapter he repeats the word impute above ten times.
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: In a word, he distinctly sets forth him that worketh
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: and him that worketh not, leaving no medium between them.
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: He declares that righteousness is not imputed to him that worketh,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: but asserts that righteousness is imputed to him that worketh not.
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: If he believe, here is no way by which free will,
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: with its devoted efforts and endeavors, can escape or get off.
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: It must be numbered with him that worketh, or with
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: him that worketh not. If if it be numbered with
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: him that worketh, you hear that righteousness is not imputed
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: unto it. If it be numbered with him that worketh not.
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: But believeth in God, righteousness is imputed unto it. And
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: then it will not be the power of free will,
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: but the new creature by faith. But if righteousness be
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: not imputed unto it, being him that worketh, then it
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: becomes manifest that all its works are nothing but sin,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: evils and impieties before God. Nor can any sophist here
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: snarl and say that although man be evil, yet his
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: work may not be evil. For Paul speaks not of
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: the man simply, but of him that worketh, to the
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: very intent that he might declare in the plainest words,
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: that the works and devoted efforts themselves of man are condemned,
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: whatever they may be, by what name soever they may
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: be called, or under what formsoever they may be done.
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: He here also speaks of good works, because the points
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: of his argument are justification and merits. And when he
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: speaks of him that worketh, he speaks of all workers,
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: and of all their works, but more especially of their
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: good and meritorious works. Otherwise, his distinction between him that
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: worketh and him that worketh not will amount to nothing
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: Section one hundred fifty two. I here omit to bring
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: forward those all powerful arguments drawn from the purpose of grace,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: from the promise, from the force of the law, from
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: original sin, and from the election of God, of which
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: there is no one that would not of itself utterly
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: overthrow free will. For if grace come by the purpose
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: of God or by election, it comes of necessity, and
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: not by any devoted efforts or endeavor of our own,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: as I have already shown. Moreover, if God promised grace
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: before the law, as Paul argues here and in his
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: Epistle to the Galatians, also, then it does not come
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: by works or by law law, otherwise it would be
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: no longer a promise. And so also faith, if works
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: were of any avail, would come to nothing, by which
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: nevertheless Abraham was justified before the law was given again,
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: as the law is the strength of sin, and only
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: discovers sin, but does not take it away. It brings
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the conscience in guilty before God. This is what Paul
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: means when he saith the law worketh Wrath Romans four fifteen.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: How then can it be possible that righteousness should be
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: obtained by the law? And if we derive no help
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: from the law, how can we derive any help from
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: the power of free will alone? Moreover, since we all
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: lie under the same sin and damnation of the one man, Adam,
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: how can we attempt anything which is not sin and damnable?
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: For when he saith all, he accepts no one, neither
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: the power of free will, nor any workman, whether he
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: work or work, not, attempt or attempt not, he must
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: of necessity be included among the rest in the all.
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: Nor should we sin or be damned by that one
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: sin of Adam if the sin were not our own?
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: For who could be damned for the sin of another,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: especially in the sight of God? Nor is the sin
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: ours by imitation or by working? For this would not
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: be the one sin of Adam, because then it would
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: not be the sin which he committed, but which we
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: committed ourselves. It becomes our sin by generation. But of
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: this in some other place original sin itself therefore will
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: not allow of any other power in free will but
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: that of sinning and going on unto damn nation. These arguments,
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: I say I omit to bring forward, both because they
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: are most manifest and most forcible, and because I have
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: touched upon them already. For if I wished to produce
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: all those parts of Paul which over throw free will,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: I could not do better than go through it with
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: a continued commentary on the whole of his epistle, as
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: I have done on the third and fourth chapters on
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: which I have dwelt. Thus, particularly that I might show
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: all our free will friends their yawning in considerateness, whoso
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: read Paul in these all clear parts, as to see
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: anything in them but these most powerful arguments against free will,
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: And that I might expose the folly of that confidence
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: which they place in the authority and writings of the
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: ancient teachers, and leave them to consider with what force
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: the remaining most clear arguments must make against them, if
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: they should be handled with care and judgment Section one
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: hundred fifty three. As to myself, I must confess I
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: am more than astonished that when Paul so often uses
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: those universally applying words, all none, not not one without
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: Thus they are all gone out of the way. There
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: is none that doeth good, know not one. All are
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: sinners and condemned by the one sin of Adam. We
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: are justified by faith without the law, without the works
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: of the law. So that if any one wished to
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: speak otherwise, so as to be more intelligible, he could
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: not speak in words more clear and more plain. I
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: am more than astonished. I say, how it is that
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: words and sentences contrary and contradictory to these universally applying
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: words and sentences have gained so much ground? Which say,
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: some are not gone out of the way, are not unrighteous?
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: Are not evil? Are not sinners? Are not condemned? There
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: is something in man which is good and which endeavors
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: after good. As though that man, whoever he be, who
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: endeavors after good, were not comprehended in this one word,
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: all or none or not, I could find nothing, even
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: if I wished it to advance against Paul, or to
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: reply in contradiction to him. But should be compelled to
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: acknowledge that the power of my free will, together with
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: its endeavors, is comprehended in those alls and nuns of
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: whom Paul here speaks, if that is, no new kind
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: of grammar or new manner of speech were introduced. Moreover,
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: if Paul had used this mode of expression once, or
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: in one place only, there might have been room for
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: imagining a trope, or for taking hold of and twisting
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: some detached terms. Whereas he uses it perpetually, both in
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: the affirmative and in the negative, and so expresses his
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: sentiments by his argument and by his distinctive division in
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: every place and in all parts. That not the nature
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: of his words only in the current of his language,
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: but that which follows, and that which precedes the circumstances,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: the scope, and the very body of the whole disputation
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: all compels to conclude, according to common sense, that the
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: meaning Paul is that out of the faith of Christ
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: there is nothing but sin and damnation. It was thus
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: that we promised we would refute free will, so that
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: all our adversaries should not be able to resist which
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: I presume I have affected, even though they shall not
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: so far acknowledge themselves vanquished as to come over to
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: my opinion or to be silent, for that is not
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: in my power that is the gift of the Spirit
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: of God Section one hundred fifty four. But however, before
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: we hear the evangelist John, I will just add the
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: crowning testimony from Paul, and I am prepared if this
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: be not sufficient to oppose Paul to free will by
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: commenting upon him throughout where he divides the human race
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: into two distinctive divisions, flesh and spirit, he speaks, thus,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: they that are after the flesh do mind the things
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: of the flesh. But they that are after the Spirit
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: do mind the things of the spirit Romans eight five,
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: As Christ also does. That which is born of the
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: Spirit is spirit. John three six. That Paul here calls
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: all carnal who are not spiritual is manifest both from
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: the division itself and the opposition of spirit to flesh,
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: and from the very words of Paul himself, where he adds,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: but ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: is none of his Romans eight nine. What else is
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: the meaning of But ye are not in the flesh,
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: of Christ dwell in you, but that those who have
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: not the spirit are necessarily in the flesh. And if
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: any man be not of Christ, what else is he
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: but of Satan. It is manifest therefore that those who
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: you are devoid of the spirit are in the flesh
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: and under Satan. Now let us see what his opinion
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: is concerning the endeavor and the power of free will
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: in the carnal who are in the flesh, they cannot
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: please God. Again, the carnal mind is death. Again, the
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: carnal mind is enmity against God. And again it is
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: be Romans eight five through eight. Here let the advocate
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: for free will answer me, how can that endeavor towards good?
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: Which is death, which cannot please God, which is enmity
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: against God, which is not subject to God and cannot
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: be subject to him. Nor does Paul mean to say
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: that the carnal mind is dead and inimical to God,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: but that it is death itself, enmity itself, which cannot
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: possibly be subject to the law of God or please him,
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: as he had said just before, For what the law
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: could not do, and that it was weak. Through the
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: flesh God did, and so forth Romans eight three. But
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: I am very well acquainted with that fable of origin
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: concerning the threefold affection, the one of which he calls flesh,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: the other soul, and the other Spirit, making the soul
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: that medium affection vertible either way towards the flesh or
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: towards the spirit. But these are merely his own dreams.
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: He speaks them forth only, but does not prove them.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: Paul here calls everything flesh that is without the spirit,
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: as I have already shown. Therefore, those most exalted virtues
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: of the best men are in the flesh. That is,
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: they are dead and at enmity against God. They are
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be,
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: and they please not God. For Paul does not only
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: say that such men are not subject, but that they
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: cannot be subject. So also Christ saith and evil tree
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: cannot bring forth good fruit Matthew seven seventeen. And again,
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: how can ye, being evil, speak that which is good?
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: Matthew twelve thirty four. Here you see we not only
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: speak that which is evil, but cannot speak that which
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: is good. And though he saith in another place, that
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: we who are evil know how to give good gifts
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: unto our children Matthew six eleven. Yet he denies that
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: we do good even when we give good gifts, because
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: those good gifts which we give are the creatures of God.
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: But we ourselves, not being good, cannot give those good gifts. Well.
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: For he is speaking unto all men, nay even unto
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: his own disciples. So that these two sentiments of Paul,
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: that the just man liveth by faith Romans one seventeen,
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: and that whatsoever is not of faith is sin Romans
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: fourteen twenty three stand confirmed, the latter of which follows
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: from the former. For if there be nothing by which
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: we are justified but faith only, it is evident that
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: those who are not of faith are not justified. And
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: if they be not justified, they are sinners. And if
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: they be sinners, they are evil trees, and can do
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: nothing but sin and bring forth evil fruit. Wherefore, free
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: will is nothing but the servant of sin, of death
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: and of satan, doing nothing and being able to do
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: or attempt nothing but evil Section one hundred fifty five.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: Add to this that example Romans ten twenty four, taken
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: out of Isaiah. I was found of them that sought me,
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: not I was made manifest unto them that asked not
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: for me. He speaks this with reference to the Gentiles,
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: that it was given unto them to hear and know Christ,
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: when before they could not even think of Him, much
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: less seek him or prepare themselves for him, by the
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: power of free will. From this example, it is sufficiently
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: evident that grace comes so free that no thought concerning it,
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: or attempt or a desire after it precedes. So also Paul,
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: when he was Saul, what did he do by that
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: exalted power of free will? Certainly, in respect of reason
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: he intended that which was best and most meritoriously good.
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: But by what endeavors did he come unto grace? He
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: did not only not seek after it, but received it,
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: even when he was furiously maddened against it. On the
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: other hand, he saith of the Jews. The Gentiles, which
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: followed not after righteousness, have attained unto the righteousness which
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: of righteousness, hath not attained unto the law of righteousness
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: Romans nine thirty through thirty one. What has any advocate
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: for free will to mutter against this. The Gentiles, when
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: filled with ungodliness and every vice, received righteousness freely from
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: a mercy showing God, while the Jews, who followed after
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: righteousness with all their devoted effort and endeavor, are frustrated.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: Is this not plainly saying that the endeavor of free
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: will is all in vain, even when it strives to
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: do the best, and that free will of itself can
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: only fall back and grow worse and worse. Nor can
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: any one say that the Jews did not follow after
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: righteousness with all the power of free will. For Paul
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: himself bears this testimony of them, that they had a
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: zeal of God. But not according to knowledge Romans ten too. Therefore,
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: nothing which is attributed to free will was wanting to
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: the Jews, and yet it attained unto nothing, nay, unto
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: the contrary of that after which they strove. Whereas there
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: is nothing in the Gentiles which is attributed to free will,
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: and they attained unto the righteousness of God. And what
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: is this but a most manifest example from each nation,
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: and a most clear testimony of Paul, proving that grace
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: is given freely to the most undeserving and unworthy, and
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: is not attained unto by any devoted efforts, endeavors, or works,
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: either small or great, of any man, be they the
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: best and most meritorious, or even of those who have
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: sought and followed after righteousness with all the ardor of zeal.
• 38:36
  Speaker 1: End of Section one hundred fifty five