19. [XVIII.]—The Two Roots of Action, Love and Cupidity; And Each Brings Forth Its Own Fruit.

Concerning this “capacity,” Pelagius thus writes in the first book of his Defence of Free Will: “Now,” says he, “we have implanted in us by God a capacity for either part.42    [The technical phrase is possibilitas utriusque partis.—W.] It resembles, as I may say, a fruitful and fecund root which yields and produces diversely according to the will of man, and which is capable, at the planter’s own choice, of either shedding a beautiful bloom of virtues, or of bristling with the thorny thickets of vices.” Scarcely heeding what he says, he here makes one and the same root productive both of good and evil fruits, in opposition to gospel truth and apostolic teaching. For the Lord declares that “a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit;”43    Matt. vii. 18. and when the Apostle Paul says that covetousness is “the root of all evils,”44    1 Tim. vi. 10. he intimates to us, of course, that love may be regarded as the root of all good things. On the supposition, therefore, that two trees, one good and the other corrupt, represent two human beings, a good one and a bad, what else is the good man except one with a good will, that is, a tree with a good root? And what is the bad man except one with a bad will, that is, a tree with a bad root? The fruits which spring from such roots and trees are deeds, are words, are thoughts, which proceed, when good, from a good will, and when evil, from an evil one.

CAPUT XVIII.

19. De qua possibilitate Pelagius in libro primo pro Libero Arbitrio ita loquitur: «Habemus autem,» inquit, «possibilitatem utriusque partis a Deo insitam, velut quamdam, ut ita dicam, radicem fructiferam atque fecundam, quae ex voluntate 0370 hominis diversa gignat et pariat, et quae possit ad proprii cultoris arbitrium, vel nitere flore virtutum, vel sentibus horrere vitiorum.» Ubi non intuens quid loquatur, unam eamdemque radicem constituit bonorum et malorum, contra evangelicam veritatem doctrinamque apostolicam. Nam et Dominus nec arborem bonam dicit posse facere fructus malos, nec malam bonos (Matth. VII, 18): et apostolus Paulus cum dicit radicem malorum omnium esse cupiditatem (I Tim. VI, 10), admonet utique intelligi radicem bonorum omnium charitatem. Unde si duae arbores, bona et mala, duo sunt homines, bonus et malus, quid est bonus homo, nisi voluntatis bonae, hoc est, arbor radicis bonae? et quid est homo malus, nisi voluntatis malae, hoc est, arbor radicis malae? Fructus autem harum radicum atque arborum, facta sunt, dicta sunt, cogitata sunt, quae bona de bona voluntate procedunt, et mala de mala.