11 October 2015 A.D. 10th of 39 Articles, “Of Free Will”—Lancelot Ridley
11
October 2015 A.D. 10th of 39 Articles, “Of Free
Will”—Lancelot Ridley
Jones,
Thomas R. “An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles.” NewScriptorium. N.d. http://newscriptorium.com/assets/docs/anglican/39-articles/jones39reformers.htm. Accessed 7 Jun 2015.
An
Exposition of the Thirty Nine Articles, By the Reformers: Extracts carefully
and fully selected from the Works of Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, Hooper, Jewel,
Philpot, Pilkington, Coverdale, Becon, Bradford, Sandys, Grindal, Whitgift,
Etc.
Article X—Of
Free-Will.
The condition of Man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and
prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and
calling upon God: wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and
acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we
may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.
Lancelot Ridley, D.D.
– “This place (Phil. 1:3–8,) showeth that we of our own free will, without the
grace of God, are not able to begin any good work, nor to go forth with it, nor
to finish it. ‘For we of ourselves are not able to think any good
thought, as of ourselves, but all our ability is of God.’ (2 Cor. 3).
Then what shall we ascribe to our free will without Christ and without
the grace of God? Surely nothing that is good. Evil cometh of
ourselves, and all goodness of God the Father of lights. (James 1). ... I would
ask one question; whether to assent to the grace of God offered, and to receive
it is good or no? And if it be good, as I trust none will deny, then it
is of God the Father, and not of us. To this question St. Austin maketh
answer and saith, that in outward works, indifferent, neither good nor evil in
themselves, we have a certain free liberty to do them or not to do them; but to
do any thing that is acceptable to God, or meritorious, (as they were wont to
call works pertaining to justification, or to the salvation of a Christian
man,) we cannot do it without the grace of God, nor yet will it, nor assent to
it. ‘Therefore,’ (saith Austin) ‘God without us worketh that we may have
a good will, but when we have that good will, and so will that we perform it,
he worketh with us; yet without him either working in us that we may have a
good will, or working with us when we have that good will, we can avail nothing
towards good works of piety.” – On Phil.
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