Chapter 2 [II.]—He Proves the Existence of Free Will in Man from the Precepts Addressed to Him by God.

Now He has revealed to us, through His Holy Scriptures, that there is in a man a free choice of will. But how He has revealed this I do not recount in human language, but in divine. There is, to begin with, the fact that God’s precepts themselves would be of no use to a man unless he had free choice of will, so that by performing them he might obtain the promised rewards. For they are given that no one might be able to plead the excuse of ignorance, as the Lord says concerning the Jews in the gospel: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”40    John xv. 22. Of what sin does He speak but of that great one which He foreknew, while speaking thus, that they would make their own—that is, the death they were going to inflict upon Him? For they did not have “no sin” before Christ came to them in the flesh. The apostle also says: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold back the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him are from the creation of the world clearly seen—being understood by the things that are made—even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are inexcusable.”41    Rom. i. 18–20. In what sense does he pronounce them to be “inexcusable,” except with reference to such excuse as human pride is apt to allege in such words as, “If I had only known, I would have done it; did I not fail to do it because I was ignorant of it?” or, “I would do it if I knew how; but I do not know, therefore I do not do it”? All such excuse is removed from them when the precept is given them, or the knowledge is made manifest to them how to avoid sin.

CAPUT II.

2. Revelavit autem nobis per Scripturas suas sanctas, esse in homine liberum voluntatis arbitrium. Quomodo autem revelaverit, commemoro vos, non humano eloquio, sed divino. Primum, quia ipsa divina praecepta homini non prodessent, nisi haberet liberum voluntatis arbitrium, quo ea faciens ad promissa praemia perveniret. Ideo enim data sunt, ut homo excusationem de ignorantia non haberet: sicut Dominus dicit in Evangelio de Judaeis, Si non venissem et locutus eis fuissem, peccatum non haberent: nunc autem excusationem non habent de peccato suo (Joan. XV, 22). De quo peccato dicit, nisi de illo magno, quod praesciebat eorum futurum quando ista dicebat, id est, quo eum fuerant occisuri? Neque enim nullum habebant peccatum, antequam Christus venisset in carne ad eos. Item dicit Apostolus: Revelatur ira Dei de coelo in omnem impietatem et injustitiam hominum eorum, qui veritatem in iniquitate detinent: quia quod notum est Dei, manifestum est in illis; Deus enim illis manifestavit. Invisibilia enim ejus, a creatura mundi, per ea quae facta sunt, intellecta conspiciuntur; sempiterna quoque virtus ejus ac divinitas, ut sint inexcusabiles (Rom. I, 18-20). 0883 Quomodo dicit inexcusabiles, nisi de illa excusatione qua solet dicere humana superbia, Si scissem, fecissem; ideo non feci, quia nescivi? aut, Si scirem, facerem; ideo non facio, quia nescio? Haec eis excusatio tollitur, quando praeceptum datur, vel scientia non peccandi manifestatur.