CLEMENS ROMANUS on ORIGINAL SIN & THE IMPOTENCE OF MAN’S FREE WILL

CLEMENS ROMANUS & ...a variety of testimonies, that they held the weakness and disability of man, without the grace of God, to do anything that is spiritually good, yea, even that is morally so;

and that the will of man is sinful, and the root of sin;

and that it is in a state of servitude and bondage to sin, until released by the grace of God:

and as to the necessity of the grace of God to the performance of every good action, Vossius asserts and proves what follows, that the Latin writers who were before the times of Pelagius, clearly acknowledged the necessity of grace;

both the Africans, as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Arnobias;

and the Italians, French,

and others, as Lactantius, Hilary, and Ambrose;

nor can anyone be produced who thought otherwise.”

Again, “They who deny that the Greek fathers understood the doctrine of the necessity of grace, do them a very great injury since they often most plainly assert it. The citations made by him in proof of this, with many others, will be given hereafter.

I conclude with the words of Vincentius Lirinensis:

“Whoever,” says he, “before the profane Pelagius, presumed that there was such a power in free will, as to think the grace of God unnecessary to help it through every act in things what are good? who before his prodigious disciple Caelestius denied, that all mankind are guilty of Adam’s transgression?”

CLEMENS ROMANUS. A. D. 69.

CLEMENS was so far from ascribing vocation, conversion, or sanctification, to the will of man, that he always considers it as the effect and produce of the will of God.

His epistle to the Corinthians begins thus, “The church of God which dwells at Rome, to the church of God which dwells at Corinth, ... ‘to the called and sanctified by the will of God,’ through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He denies that men are called and justified, and come to honor, glory, and greatness, by themselves, or by their own works, but by the will and grace of God;

for thus he expresses himself, “All, therefore, are glorified and magnified, ... not by themselves or their own works of righteous actions, which they have wrought out, but by his will;”

and we also being called by his will in Christ Jesus are justified, ... “‘not by ourselves, nor by our wisdom, or understanding, or piety, or the works which we have done in the holiness of heart,’ but by faith by which God Almighty hath justified all from the beginning, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

CHAPTER 3.