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he could not act rightly. For it is not to be believed, because by it sin also is committed, that God gave it to him for that purpose. Therefore it is sufficient reason why it ought to be given, because a man cannot live rightly without it. But it may be understood even from hence, that it was given for this purpose, because if any one should use it to sin, Divine vengeance is taken upon him. Which would be done unjustly if free-will were not given, not only that we might live rightly, but also that we might sin. For how would vengeance be justly taken upon him, who had used his will for the purpose for which it was given? But now when God punishes a sinner, what does he seem to you to say, except, Why did you not use free-will for the purpose for which I gave it to you, that is, to act rightly? Then how could that good be, by which justice itself is approved in condemning sins and honouring right actions, if man was destitute of free-will? For there could not be either sin, or right action, which was not done with the will. And therefore both the punishment would be unjust, and the reward, if man had not free-will. But there ought to be justice both in the punishment and in the reward, because this is one of the good things which are from God. Therefore God

ought to give free-will to man."--Vol. 1. p. 585.

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"It is not to be feared but that there may be a certain middle life between virtue and sin, and that the sentence of the Judge may be in the middle, between reward and punishment.”—Vol. 1. p. 637.

Having spoken of the light of the sun, and of the eyes of eagles as superior to those of men, he says, "But that light, (in which God dwells) does not feed the eyes of irrational birds, but the pure hearts of those who believe in God, and turn themselves from the love of visible and temporal things, to fulfil his commandments, which all men may do, if they please. "Vol. 1. p. 648.

"If that defect, which is called sin, like a fever, seized a person contrary to his will, the punishment which follows the sinner, and which is called damnation, would appear to be unjust. But now, sin is so far a voluntary evil, that it is by no means sin, unless it be voluntary: and this, indeed, is so clear, that not any of the learned, and no considerable number of the unlearned, dissent from it. Wherefore it must either be denied, that sin is committed; or it must be confessed, that sin is committed with the will. But he does not rightly deny that the soul has sinned, who confesses both that it is corrected by penitence, and that the penitent is pardoned; and that he who perseveres in sin, is condemned by

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the just law of God. Lastly, if we do not act wrongly with the will, no one is to be reproved at all, or admonished; and if you take away these things, the Christian law, and the whole discipline of religion, must necessarily be destroyed. Therefore sin is committed by the will. And because there is no doubt but sin is committed, I perceive that not even this is to be doubted, that souls have free-will. For God judged that his servants would be better, if they served him freely; which would be impossible if they served him, not with the will, but from necessity. "Vol. 1. p. 756.

of

"Water exhibiting externally the sacrament grace, and the Spirit internally operating the benefit of grace, loosing the bond of crime, and restoring the goodness of nature, regenerate the man in one Christ, born of one Adam. "Vol. 2. p. 264.

For

"A child does not lose the grace which he has once received, except by his own impiety, if, as age increases, he becomes so wicked. then he will begin to have his own sins, which may not be taken away by regeneration, but healed by another cure."-Vol. 2. p. 264.

"Nor is free-will taken away, because it is assisted; but it is assisted, because it is not taken away. He who says to God, Be thou my helper,'

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helper (q),' confesses that be is willing to fulfil what he has commanded; but that, in order to enable him, he asks assistance from him who hath commanded."-Vol. 2. p. 545.

"A distinction is to be made between the law and grace. The law commands, grace assists. Neither would the law command, unless there were will; nor would grace assist, if the will were sufficient." Vol. 2. p. 628.-He then quotes several texts, in which both the will, and grace, are acknowledged.

"Two young men, Crescomius and Felix, who say they are of your congregation, have come and related to us that your monastery is disturbed by some dissension, because certain persons among you so preach grace, as to deny the free-will of man; and, which is more grievous, they assert, that in the day of judgement God will not render to every man according to his works. However, they have also declared this, that the greater number of you are not of these opinions; but confess that free-will is assisted by the grace of God, that we may be wise and do what is right; so that when the Lord shall come to render to every man according to his works, he may find our works good, which God prepared that we might walk in them. They who

(9) Ps. 30. v. II,

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who think this, think well. Therefore, I beseech you, brethren, as the Apostle besought the Corinthians, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you (r). For, first, the Lord Jesus, as is written in the Gospel of the Apostle John, did not come to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved (s). But afterwards, as the Apostle Paul writes, God shall judge the world (t); when he shall come, as the whole Church confesses in the Creed, to judge the quick and the dead. If, therefore, there be no grace of God, how does he save the world? And if there be not freewill, how does he judge the world? Wherefore, understand my book or epistle according to this faith, that ye neither deny the grace of God, nor so defend free-will as to separate it from the grace of God; as if you could, by any means think or do any thing according to God without it, which is altogether impossible. For on this account, the Lord, when he spoke concerning the fruits of righteousness, said to his disciples, Without me ye can do nothing' (u).”—Vol. 2. p. 791,

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Speaking of the Pelagian heretics, he says,

(r) I Cor. c. I. v. 10. (t) Rom. c. 3. v.6.

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(s) John, c. 3. v. 17. (u) John, c. 15. V. 5.

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