Let us now see what he thinks of the endeavour and power of Freewill in the carnal. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Rom 8.8 And again; “The mind of the flesh is death.” Rom 8.6 And again, “The mind of the flesh is enmity against God.” Rom 8.7 Again, “It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be.” 727 Let the advocate for Freewill answer me here, how that which is death, which is displeasing to God, which is enmity against God, which is disobedient to God, and which cannot obey Him, can endeavour after good! For he has not been pleased to say, ‘the mind of the flesh is dead, or hostile to God,’ but “it is death itself; it is enmity itself. ” Thus it is impossible for it to be subjected to the law of God, or to please God. As Paul had just said, ‘For what the law could not do, in that it was made weak by the flesh, God has done,’ Rom 8.3 etc. 728
I know, as well you do, Origen’s tale about three sorts of affection. One he calls the flesh; another, the soul; another, the spirit. And of these, the soul is the middle one — what may be turned towards either side, the flesh or the spirit. But these are his own dreams; he only tells, he does not prove them. Paul here calls whatever does not have the Spirit, ‘flesh,’ as I have already shown. 729
So that, those highest virtues of the best of men are ‘in the flesh;’ that is, they are dead, enemies to God, not subject to the law of God, nor capable of being subjected to it, and displeasing to God. For Paul not only says that they are not subjected, but neither can they be subjected. So Christ says in Mat 7.18, “A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit.” And in Mat 12.34, “How can you, being evil, speak good things?” You see here that we not only speak evil, but we cannot speak good. And in another place, he says that we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children. Mat 7.11 But he still denies that we do good, even in the very act of giving good things. For the creature of God (which we give) is good; but we ourselves are not good, nor do we give our good things well. And when saying this, he speaks to all; yes, even to his disciples. So that these twin sentiments of Paul stand good: “The just lives by faith;” and “Whatever is not of faith is sin.” In this, the latter flows from the former. For if there is nothing but faith by which we can be justified, then it is evident that those who do not have faith are not yet justified.
Now, those who are not justified are still sinners; and sinners are corrupt trees, which can do nothing but sin, and bear corrupt fruit. So then, Freewill is nothing but the servant of sin, death, and Satan. It neither does, nor is able to do, or to attempt, anything but evil. 730
SECT. 23. Grace exemplified in Jews being rejected, Gentiles called.
Add that example in chapter x, taken from Isaiah, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have been made manifest to those who did not inquire after me.”
He says these things about the Gentiles; because it has been given to them to know and hear of Christ, when they could not even think of him before, much less seek after him, or prepare themselves for him, by the power of Freewill. It is abundantly plain from this example, that grace comes so truly gratuitously, that not even a thought about it, much less anything of endeavour or pains, precedes its approach. Paul also, when he was still Saul, what did he do by that most exalted degree of Freewill which he possessed? Assuredly, he was revolving the best and most honest things in his mind, if mere reason is inquired of. But see what endeavour of his it is, by which he finds grace: he is not seeking it. No indeed; it by raving like a madman against it, that he receives his portion. On the other hand, speaking of the Jews in the ninth chapter, Paul says that the Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but that Israel which followed after the law of righteousness has not attained to the law of righteousness. Rom 9.30-31 What can any advocate for Freewill mutter against these sayings? The Gentiles, when filled to the full with impiety and all sorts of vices, receive righteousness freely from a pitying God. The Jews, seeking righteousness with the greatest pains and endeavours, are disappointed. Is this not saying that, while endeavouring after the best things, Freewill endeavours in vain; that she rather turns bad into worse; that she stumbles and runs backward? 731 No one can say that they have not tried hard, with the utmost power of Freewill. Paul himself bears this testimony of them in his tenth chapter: “They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Rom 10.2
In the Jews, therefore, none of those excellencies are lacking which we ascribe to Freewill. And yet nothing follows; indeed, the contrary result follows. In the Gentiles, none of those excellencies which we ascribe to Freewill are present; but still the righteousness of God follows. What is this, if not to have it confirmed by the most manifest example of both nations, as well as by the clearest testimony of Paul at the same time, that ‘grace is bestowed freely upon the undeserving, indeed, upon the unworthiest of human beings; while it is not obtained by any pains, endeavours, or performances, great or small, even of the best and most respectable of men, though seeking and following after righteousness with a burning zeal.’ 732
SECT. 24. John a devourer.
Let us also come to John, who is of himself an abundant and able devastator of Freewill. In the very beginning of his Gospel, he ascribes such a blindness to Freewill, that she is not able to see the light of truth — that far is she from having power to endeavour after it. For thus he speaks: “The light shines in darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend it.” And presently: “He was in the world, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” What do you think he means by the world? Would you exclude any man from the number included under this term, if he is not created anew by the Holy Ghost?
Indeed, it is a peculiar use 733 which this Apostle makes of the word ‘world,’ expressing by it the whole race of man, without exception. Whatever he says about the world, therefore, is meant concerning Freewill, as that which is the most excellent thing in man. Now, it is said by this Apostle, ‘that the world did not know the true light. The world hates Christ and his people. The world neither knows, nor sees the Holy Ghost. The whole world lies in wickedness, or in the wicked one. All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. — Do not love the world.’ Again, “You are of the world,” he says. The world cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it that its deeds are evil.” All these and many like sayings, then, are so many proclamations about Freewill; that is, about the principal constituent part which reigns in the world under the empire of Satan. For John says this even about the world, by way of opposition — meaning whatever of the world is not translated into the Spirit. 734 As Christ says to his Apostles., “I have taken you out of the world, and have constituted you,” etc. Joh 15.9
Now, if there were any in the world who strove for good by the power of Freewill — as must be the case if Freewill could really do anything — then John should properly have moderated his expression out of respect to these, that he might not involve them by a general expression in the multitude of crimes, of which he accuses the world. Because he did not do so, it is evident that he charges Freewill with all the crimes with which he charges the world. For whatever the world does, it does by the power of Freewill; that is, by the understanding and the will, the most excellent of its constituent parts. It follows:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God; even to those who believe in his name: who were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Joh 1.12-13)
Having made this division, he rejects from the kingdom of Christ ‘bloods,’ ‘the will of the flesh,’ and ‘the will of man,’ By ‘bloods’ I suppose he means the Jews; that is, those who had a mind
