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condemn wicked men and devils to be punished without end.

ARTICLE XVIII. - OF FREE WILL.

Concerning free will our churches teach, that the human will possesses
some liberty for the performance of civil duties, and for the choice of
those things lying within the control of reason. But it does not possess
the power, without the influence of the Holy Spirit, of being just
before God, or yielding spiritual obedience: for the natural man
receiveth not the things which are of the Spirit of God: but this is
accomplished in the heart, when the Holy Spirit is received through the
word.

The same is declared by Augustine in so many words: "We confess that all
men have a free will, which possesses the judgment of reason, by which
they cannot indeed, without the divine aid, either begin or certainly
accomplish what is becoming in things relating to God; but only in
'outward' [Note 6] works of the present life, as well good as evil. In
good works, I say, which arise from our natural goodness, such as to
choose to labor in the field, to eat and drink, to choose to have a
friend, to have clothing, to build a house, to take a wife, to feed
cattle, to learn various and useful arts, or to do any good thing
relative to this life; all which things, however, do not exist without
the divine government; yea, they exist and begin to be from Him and
through Him. And in evil works (men have a free will), such as to choose
to worship an idol, to will to commit murder," &c.

It is not possible by the mere powers of nature, without the aid of the
Holy Spirit, to love God above all things, and to do his commands
according to their intrinsic design. For, although nature may be able,
after a certain manner, to perform external actions, such as to abstain
from theft, from murder, &c., yet it cannot perform the inner motions,
such as the fear of God, faith in God, chastity, patience, &c.

ARTICLE XIX. - OF THE AUTHOR OF SIN.

On this subject they teach, that, although God is the Creator and
Preserver of nature, the cause of sin must be sought in the depraved
will of the devil and of wicked men, which, when destitute of divine
aid, turns itself away from God: agreeably to the declaration of Christ,
"When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own." - JOHN viii. 44.

ARTICLE XX. - OF GOOD WORKS.

Our writers are falsely acccused [sic] of prohibiting good works. Their
publications on the ten commandments, and other similar subjects, show,
th