The Humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines/Chapter 9

by Westminster Assembly

Chap. IX.

Of Free-will.

GOD hath indued the Will of man with that naturall liberty, that is neither forced, nor by any absolute necessity of nature determined to do good or evil^[1].

II. Man, in his state of Innocency, had freedom and, power, to will, and to doe that which was good, and well pleasing to God^[2]; but yet, mutably, so that hee might fall from it^[3].

III. Man by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of Will to any spirituall good accompanying salvation^[4]: so as, a naturall man, being altogether averse from that good^[5], and dead in sin^[6], is not able, by his own strength, to convert himselfe, or to prepare himself thereunto^[7].

IV. When God converts a sinnner, and translates him into the state of grace he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin^[8] and by his grace alone, inables him freely to will, and to do that which is spiritually good^[9], yet so, as that by reason of his remaining corruption, he doth not, perfectly, nor onely, will which is good, but doth also will that which is evil^[10].

V. The will of man is made perfectly, and immutably free to good alone, in the state of Glory only^[11].

1. Mat. 17. 12.
   Iam. 1. 14.
   Deut. 30. 19
2. Eccles. 7. 29
   Gen. 1. 25
3. Gen. 2. 17, 17
   Gen. 3. 6
4. Rom. 5. 6
   Rom. 8. 7
   Iohn 15. 5
5. Rom 3. 10, 12
6. Eph. 2. 1, 5
   Col. 2. 13.
7. Ioh. 6. 44, 65
   Eph. 2. 2. 3, 4, 5
   1 Cor. 8. 14.
   Titus 3. 3. 4, 5
8. Col. 1. 13
   Ioh. 8. 34, 36
9. Phil. 2. 13
   Rom. 6. 18, 22
10. Gal. 5. 17
    Rom. 7. 15, 18 19, 21, 23
11. Eph. 4. 13
    Heb. 12. 23
    1 Iohn 3. 2.
    Iude v. 24.