A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

482 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historysin. For not yet was the particular form created and distributedto us, in which we as individuals were to live; but already theseminal nature was there from which we were to be propagated;and this being vitiated by sin, and bound by the chain of death,and justly condemned, man could not be born of man in any otherstate. And thus from the bad use of free will, there originated awhole series of evils, which with its train of miseries conductsthe human race from its depraved origin, as from a corrupt root,on to the destruction of the second death, which has no end, thoseonly being excepted who are freed by the grace of God.(d) Augustine, De Correptione et Gratia, 2. (MSL, 44:917.)[440]Grace and Free Will.Now the Lord not only shows us what evil we should shun, andwhat good we should do, which is all the letter of the law cando; but moreover He helps us that we may shun evil and do good[Psalm 37:27], which none can do without the spirit of grace; andif this be wanting, the law is present merely to make us guiltyand to slay us. It is on this account that the Apostle says: “Theletter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” [II Cor. 3:6]. He, then,who lawfully uses the law, learns therein evil and good, and nottrusting in his own strength, flees to grace, by the help of whichhe may shun evil and do good. But who flees to grace exceptwhen “the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He willshis ways”? [Psalm 37:23.] And thus also to desire the help ofgrace is the beginning of grace.… It is to be confessed, therefore,that we have free choice to do both evil and good; but in doingevil every one is free from righteousness and is a servant of sin,while in doing good no one can be free, unless he have beenmade free by Him who said: “If the Son shall make you free,then you shall be free indeed” [John 8:36]. Neither is it thus,that when any one shall have been made free from the dominion