A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 85. Semi-Pelagian Controversy 521of the Apostle [II Cor. 3:5].Canon 8. Whoever asserts that some by mercy, others by freewill, which in all who have been born since the transgression ofthe first man is evidently corrupt, are able to come to the graceof baptism, is proved an alien from the faith. For he asserts thatthe free will of all has not been weakened by the sin of the firstman, or he evidently thinks that it has been so injured that some,however, are able without the revelation of God to attain, by theirown power, to the mystery of eternal salvation. Because the Lordhimself shows how false this is, who declares that not some, butno one was able to come to Him unless the Father drew him [475][John 6:4], and said so to Peter [Matt. 16:17] and the Apostle [ICor. 12:3].The canons that follow are less important. The whole concludeswith a brief statement regarding the points at issue, asfollows:And so according to the above sentences of the Holy Scripturesand definitions of ancient Fathers, by God's aid, we believethat we ought to believe and preach:That by the sin of the first man, free will was so turned asideand weakened that afterward no one is able to love God as heought, or believe in God, or do anything for God, which is good,except the grace of divine mercy comes first to him [Phil. 1:6,29; Ephes. 2:8; I Cor. 4:7, 7:25; James 1:17; John 3:27].…We also believe this to be according to the Catholic faith,that grace having been received in baptism, all who have beenbaptized, can and ought, by the aid and support of Christ, toperform those things which belong to the salvation of the soul, ifthey labor faithfully.But not only do we not believe that some have been predestinatedto evil by the divine power, but also, if there are anywho wish to believe so evil a thing, we say to them, with alldetestation, anathema.