The Smalcald Articles · Martin Luther
THE THIRD PART OF THE ARTICLES.
That since the fall of Adam the natural powers of man have remained entire and incorrupt, and that man by nature has a right reason and a good will; which things the philosophers teach. Again that man has a free will to do good and omit evil, and, conversely, to omit good and do evil. Again, that man by his natural powers can observe and keep [do] all the commands of God. Again, that, by his natural powers, man can love God above all things and his neighbor as himself. Again, if a man does as much as is in him, God certainly grants him His grace. Again, if he wishes to go to the Sacrament, there is no need of a good intention to do good, but it is sufficient if he has not a wicked purpose to commit sin; so entirely good is his nature and so efficacious the Sacrament. [Again,] that it is not founded upon Scripture that for a good work the Holy Ghost with His grace is necessary. Such and many similar things have arisen from want of understanding and ignorance as regards both this sin and Christ, our Savior and they are truly heathen dogmas, which we cannot endure. For if this teaching were right [approved], then Christ has died in vain, since there is in man no defect nor sin for which he should have died; or He would have died only for the body, not for the soul, inasmuch as the soul is [entirely] sound, and the body only is subject to death.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.