¶Of Free wyll.
Grace Precedes and Works in Us
We have no power to do good works acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ going before us to give us a good will and working in us when we have that will.
We don't have the power to do good works that are pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God going before us through Christ, so that we may have a good will, and working in us when we have that will.1
Read the original English
VUe haue no power to doo good works, pleasāt, and acceptable to God, without the Grace of God by Christ, preuenting vs, that we may haue a good wil: and working in vs when we haue that wille.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'preventing' here means prevenient grace: grace that goes before us to enable a good will (Latin praevenire), not grace that stops or hinders us.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit