Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs: Rejection of the Errors III

The Canons of Dordrecht 

The Third and Fourth Main Points of Doctrine: 

Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs

Rejection of the Errors:

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

III. Who teach that in spiritual death the spiritual gifts have not been separated from man’s will, since the will in itself has never been corrupted but only hindered by the darkness of the mind and the unruliness of the emotions, and since the will is able to exercise its innate free capacity once these hindrances are removed, which is to say, it is able of itself to will or choose whatever good is set before it– or else not to will or choose it. This is a novel idea and an error and has the effect of elevating the power of free choice, contrary to the words of Jeremiah the prophet: The heart itself is deceitful above all things and wicked (Jer. 17:9); and of the words of the apostle: All of us also lived among them (the sons of disobedience) at one time in the passions of our flesh, following the will of our flesh and thoughts (Eph. 2:3).