Here's a fun little section where Luther continues to deride Erasmus' view on free will:
"You make the power of 'free-will' to be equal in both directions: by its own power, without grace, it can (you tell us) both apply itself to good and turn itself from evil. You do not realise what a mighty power you are ascribing to it by the pronoun 'itself,'...; for you completely exclude the Holy Spirit and all His power as if superfluous and unnecessary. Your definition, therefore, ought to be condemned even by the Sophists; were they not in the blindness of their hatred so mad against me, they would fume rather against your book. But now, because you are attacking Luther, all that you say is holy and catholic...so great is the patience of holy men!
"Not that I say this because I approve of the Sophists' view of 'free-will', but because I think it more tolerable than that of Erasmus; for they approach nearer to the truth than he...since they say that it can do nothing of itself without grace, they are at odds with Erasmus; indeed, they seem to be at odds with themselves, caught in the toils of a merely verbal debate, and more desirous of argument than truth - just as Sophists should be! Suppose a Sophist of the best type were given me, with whom I could talk these things over in private discussion, I should ask for his candid opinion like this: 'If anyone should tell you that a thing was free, which of its own power could only go one way, that is, the bad way - it could indeed go the other way, that is, the good way, but not by its own power, only with the help of another - could you refrain from laughing, my friend?' For on these grounds I shall easily establish that a stone or a log has 'free-will' because it can go up and down; though by its own power, it can only go down, and can only go up with the help of another! ...In this way, the Sophists make 'free-will' free by accident. And, as I said above, we shall end by overturning all usage of words and language...."
How can you not love this guy?! :-)
2 comments:
That is good. Just think if Luther were alive today and involved in the FV controversy, what might he say?
Well, one thing's for sure...he would publicly "duke-it-out" with his opponents and probably avoid all this subversive, under-the-table, behind-the-back, pretend-court stuff!
His boldness and clear-thinking are admirable, but I do sometimes wonder at his tactics. He certainly was used by God to bring about some much needed change in the Church. Even though severe schisms and wounds resulted, I believe these are being healed over time and the Lord is capable and desirous of preserving HIS Own Body, and of teaching us how to bring about change in the Church without defaming the name of Christ!
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