Theological Theses · §2303 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

In what sense the Protestants deny free choice for moral good

Thesis XLIII. If someone asks whether man in the state of fallen nature is free, without grace, to choose moral good and keep God's commandments, the Protestants answer no. So most of them deny that free choice remained in man after sin with regard to moral good.

All they mean by this, though, is that by his fall man became the slave and captive of sin, and his choice lost the freedom that is opposed to the bondage of sin. The freedom essential to an intellectual agent still remained in him, the freedom from which man's choice, considered absolutely, is called free.

Latin

XLIII. Quod si quis quaerat An homo in statu naturae lapsae, sine gratia, sit liber ad bonum morale eligendum, & praecepta Dei servanda? ad hoc negative respondent Protestantes: adeoque eorum plurimi negant post peccatum in homine mansisse liberum arbitrium respectu boni moralis. Non aliud tamen per hoc sibi volunt, quam hominem per suum lapsum factum esse servum & captivum peccati, ejusque arbitrium privatum esse ea libertate quae servituti peccati opponitur: licet in eo manserit libertas illa quae essentialis est agenti intellectuali, & a qua hominis arbitrium absolute consideratum liberum denominatur.

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