|
 "God's
Strategy in Human History," by R.T. Forster and V.P.
Marston, is a book of word studies, arguments, and quotations
from "church Fathers" on free will. The writers
present solution's to what most of our readers would not know as
problems — for we have long accepted the "free will"
of man. However, in recent digressions toward semi-Calvinistic
principles, some brethren are nibbling at the idea of "no
human implementation" and "imputed righteousness"
— apparently unaware of the relation of these concepts to a
denial of man's free will. We quote from pp. 244-f.
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The
doctrine of "free will" seems to have been universally
accepted in the early church. Not a single church figure in the
first 300 years rejected it and most of them stated it clearly
in works still extant.... The only ones to reject it were
heretics like the Gnostics, Marcion, Valentinus, Manes (and the
Manichees), etc. In fact, the early Fathers often state their
beliefs on "free will" in works attacking heretics.
Three recurrent ideas seem to be in their teaching: 1. The
rejection of free will is the view of heretics; 2. Free will is
a gift given to man by God- — for nothing can ultimately be
independent of God; 3. Man possesses free will because he is
made in God's image, and God has free will.…
JUSTIN
MARTYR (c. 100-165 A.D.) Dialogue CXLi: God, wishing men and
angels to follow His will, resolved to create them free to do
righteousness. But if the word of God foretells that some angels
and men shall certainly be punished, it did so because it
foreknew that they would be unchangeably (wicked), but not
because God created
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them so. So if they repent all
who wish for it can obtain mercy from God.
IRENAEUS (c. 130-200 A.D.)
Against
Heresies XXXVII: This expression, "Now often would I have
gathered thy children together, and thou wouldst not," set
forth the ancient law of human liberty, because God made man a
free (agent) from the beginning, possessing his own soul to obey
the behests of God voluntarily, and not by compulsion of God.
For there is no coercion with God, but a good will (toward us)
is present with Him continually. And therefore does He give good
counsel to all. And in man as well as in angels, He has placed
the power of choice (for angels are rational beings), so that
those who had yielded obedience might justly possess what is
good, given indeed by God, but preserved by themselves…
4)
If then it were not in our power to do or not to do these
things, what reason had the apostle, and much more the Lord
Himself, to give us counsel to do some things and to abstain
from others? But because man is possessed of free will from the
beginning, and God is possessed of free will in whose likeness
man was created, advice is always given to him to keep fast the
good, which thing is done by means of obedience to God."
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The
book quotes 17 "Fathers" up to Augustine, and his
"new theology" of depravity and no free will.
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