The Council of Orange

The Council of Orange was an outgrowth of the controversy between Augustine and Pelagius. This controversy had to do with degree to which a human being is responsible for his or her own salvation, and the role of the grace of God in bringing about salvation. The Pelagians held that human beings are born in a state of innocence, i.e., that there is no such thing as a sinful nature or original sin.

As a result of this view, they held that a state of sinless perfection was achievable in this life, which is a theological blunder. The Council of Orange dealt with the Semi-Pelagian doctrine that the human race, though fallen and possessed of a sinful nature, is still "good" enough to able to lay hold of the grace of God through an act of unredeemed human will. The Council held to Augustine's view and repudiated Pelagius. The following canons greatly influenced the Reformed doctrine of Total Depravity.

CANON 1. If anyone denies that it is the whole man, that is, both body and soul, that was "changed for the worse" through the offense of Adam's sin, but believes that the freedom of the soul remains unimpaired and that only the body is subject to corruption, he is deceived by the error of Pelagius and contradicts the scripture which says, "The soul that sins shall die" (Ezek. 18:20); and, "Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey?" (Rom. 6:16); and, "For whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved" (2 Pet. 2:19).

CANON 2. If anyone asserts that Adam's sin affected him alone and not his descendants also, or at least if he declares that it is only the death of the body which is the punishment for sin, and not also that sin, which is the death of the soul, passed through one man to the whole human race, he does injustice to God and contradicts the Apostle, who says, "Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned" (Rom. 5:12).

CANON 3. If anyone says that the grace of God can be conferred as a result of human prayer, but that it is not grace itself which makes us pray to God, he contradicts the prophet Isaiah, or the Apostle who says the same thing, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me" (Rom 10:20, quoting Isa. 65:1).

CANON 4. If anyone maintains that God awaits our will to be cleansed from sin, but does not confess that even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit, he resists the Holy Spirit himself who says through Solomon, "The will is prepared by the Lord" (Prov. 8:35, LXX), and the salutary word of the Apostle, "For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

CANON 5. If anyone says that not only the increase of faith but also its beginning and the very desire for faith, by which we believe in Him who justifies the ungodly and comes to the regeneration of holy baptism -- if anyone says that this belongs to us by nature and not by a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness, it is proof that he is opposed to the teaching of the Apostles, for blessed Paul says, "And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). For those who state that the faith by which we believe in God is natural make all who are separated from the Church of Christ by definition in some measure believers.

CANON 6. If anyone says that God has mercy upon us when, apart from his grace, we believe, will, desire, strive, labor, pray, watch, study, seek, ask, or knock, but does not confess that it is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we have the faith, the will, or the strength to do all these things as we ought; or if anyone makes the assistance of grace depend on the humility or obedience of man and does not agree that it is a gift of grace itself that we are obedient and humble, he contradicts the Apostle who says, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7), and, "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).

CANON 7. If anyone affirms that we can form any right opinion or make any right choice which relates to the salvation of eternal life, as is expedient for us, or that we can be saved, that is, assent to the preaching of the gospel through our natural powers without the illumination and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who makes all men gladly assent to and believe in the truth, he is led astray by a heretical spirit, and does not understand the voice of God who says in the Gospel, "For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), and the word of the Apostle, "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God" (2 Cor. 3:5).

CANON 8. If anyone maintains that some are able to come to the grace of baptism by mercy but others through free will, which has manifestly been corrupted in all those who have been born after the transgression of the first man, it is proof that he has no place in the true faith. For he denies that the free will of all men has been weakened through the sin of the first man, or at least holds that it has been affected in such a way that they have still the ability to seek the mystery of eternal salvation by themselves without the revelation of God. The Lord himself shows how contradictory this is by declaring that no one is able to come to him "unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), as he also says to Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 16:17), and as the Apostle says, "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).

CANON 9. Concerning the succor of God. It is a mark of divine favor when we are of a right purpose and keep our feet from hypocrisy and unrighteousness; for as often as we do good, God is at work in us and with us, in order that we may do so.

CANON 10. Concerning the succor of God. The succor of God is to be ever sought by the regenerate and converted also, so that they may be able to come to a successful end or persevere in good works.

CANON 11. Concerning the duty to pray. None would make any true prayer to the Lord had he not received from him the object of his prayer, as it is written, "Of thy own have we given thee" (1 Chron. 29:14).

CANON 12. Of what sort we are whom God loves. God loves us for what we shall be by his gift, and not by our own deserving.

CANON 13. Concerning the restoration of free will. The freedom of will that was destroyed in the first man can be restored only by the grace of baptism, for what is lost can be returned only by the one who was able to give it. Hence the Truth itself declares: "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

CANON 14. No mean wretch is freed from his sorrowful state, however great it may be, save the one who is anticipated by the mercy of God, as the Psalmist says, "Let thy compassion come speedily to meet us" (Ps. 79:8), and again, "My God in his steadfast love will meet me" (Ps. 59:10).

CANON 15. Adam was changed, but for the worse, through his own iniquity from what God made him. Through the grace of God the believer is changed, but for the better, from what his iniquity has done for him. The one, therefore, was the change brought about by the first sinner; the other, according to the Psalmist, is the change of the right hand of the Most High (Ps. 77:10).

CANON 16. No man shall be honored by his seeming attainment, as though it were not a gift, or suppose that he has received it because a missive from without stated it in writing or in speech. For the Apostle speaks thus, "For if justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose" (Gal. 2:21); and "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men" (Eph. 4:8, quoting Ps. 68:18). It is from this source that any man has what he does; but whoever denies that he has it from this source either does not truly have it, or else "even what he has will be taken away" (Matt. 25:29).

CANON 17. Concerning Christian courage. The courage of the Gentiles is produced by simple greed, but the courage of Christians by the love of God which "has been poured into our hearts" not by freedom of will from our own side but "through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us" (Rom. 5:5).

CANON 18. That grace is not preceded by merit. Recompense is due to good works if they are performed; but grace, to which we have no claim, precedes them, to enable them to be done.

CANON 19. That a man can be saved only when God shows mercy. Human nature, even though it remained in that sound state in which it was created, could be no means save itself, without the assistance of the Creator; hence since man cannot safe- guard his salvation without the grace of God, which is a gift, how will he be able to restore what he has lost without the grace of God?

CANON 20. That a man can do no good without God. God does much that is good in a man that the man does not do; but a man does nothing good for which God is not responsible, so as to let him do it.

CANON 21. Concerning nature and grace. As the Apostle most truly says to those who would be justified by the law and have fallen from grace, "If justification were through the law, then Christ died to no purpose" (Gal. 2:21), so it is most truly declared to those who imagine that grace, which faith in Christ advocates and lays hold of, is nature: "If justification were through nature, then Christ died to no purpose." Now there was indeed the law, but it did not justify, and there was indeed nature, but it did not justify. Not in vain did Christ therefore die, so that the law might be fulfilled by him who said, "I have come not to abolish thembut to fulfil them" (Matt. 5:17), and that the nature which had been destroyed by Adam might be restored by him who said that he had come "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).

CANON 22. Concerning those things that belong to man. No man has anything of his own but untruth and sin. But if a man has any truth or righteousness, it from that fountain for which we must thirst in this desert, so that we may be refreshed from it as by drops of water and not faint on the way.

CANON 23. Concerning the will of God and of man. Men do their own will and not the will of God when they do what displeases him; but when they follow their own will and comply with the will of God, however willingly they do so, yet it is his will by which what they will is both prepared and instructed.

CANON 24. Concerning the branches of the vine. The branches on the vine do not give life to the vine, but receive life from it; thus the vine is related to its branches in such a way that it supplies them with what they need to live, and does not take this from them. Thus it is to the advantage of the disciples, not Christ, both to have Christ abiding in them and to abide in Christ. For if the vine is cut down another can shoot up from the live root; but one who is cut off from the vine cannot live without the root (John 15:5ff).

CANON 25. Concerning the love with which we love God. It is wholly a gift of God to love God. He who loves, even though he is not loved, allowed himself to be loved. We are loved, even when we displease him, so that we might have means to please him. For the Spirit, whom we love with the Father and the Son, has poured into our hearts the love of the Father and the Son (Rom. 5:5).

CONCLUSION. And thus according to the passages of holy scripture quoted above or the interpretations of the ancient Fathers we must, under the blessing of God, preach and believe as follows. The sin of the first man has so impaired and weakened free will that no one thereafter can either love God as he ought or believe in God or do good for God's sake, unless the grace of divine mercy has preceded him. We therefore believe that the glorious faith which was given to Abel the righteous, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and to all the saints of old, and which the Apostle Paul commends in extolling them (Heb. 11), was not given through natural goodness as it was before to Adam, but was bestowed by the grace of God. And we know and also believe that even after the coming of our Lord this grace is not to be found in the free will of all who desire to be baptized, but is bestowed by the kindness of Christ, as has already been frequently stated and as the Apostle Paul declares, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). And again, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and it is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). And as the Apostle says of himself, "I have obtained mercy to be faithful" (1 Cor. 7:25, cf. 1 Tim. 1:13). He did not say, "because I was faithful," but "to be faithful." And again, "What have you that you did not receive?" (1 Cor. 4:7). And again, "Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (Jas. 1:17). And again, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven" (John 3:27). There are innumerable passages of holy scripture which can be quoted to prove the case for grace, but they have been omitted for the sake of brevity, because further examples will not really be of use where few are deemed sufficient.

According to the catholic faith we also believe that after grace has been received through baptism, all baptized persons have the ability and responsibility, if they desire to labor faithfully, to perform with the aid and cooperation of Christ what is of essential importance in regard to the salvation of their soul. We not only do not believe that any are foreordained to evil by the power of God, but even state with utter abhorrence that if there are those who want to believe so evil a thing, they are anathema. We also believe and confess to our benefit that in every good work it is not we who take the initiative and are then assisted through the mercy of God, but God himself first inspires in us both faith in him and love for him without any previous good works of our own that deserve reward, so that we may both faithfully seek the sacrament of baptism, and after baptism be able by his help to do what is pleasing to him. We must therefore most evidently believe that the praiseworthy faith of the thief whom the Lord called to his home in paradise, and of Cornelius the centurion, to whom the angel of the Lord was sent, and of Zacchaeus, who was worthy to receive the Lord himself, was not a natural endowment but a gift of God's kindness

"Yes I understand that the Bible uses metaphors, but that is only a modern viewpoint. For many centuries people held the Bible to be the absolute truth on all matters, religious and scientific."

It is incorrect to say that the use of allegories in the Bible is only a modern viewpoint. Just not so. This understanding dates back centuries, at least, in both Judaism and Christianity. Further, the use of parables by Our Lord suggests that this was a common concept in His time.

While fallible men may have held the Bible to be the absolute truth on matters scientific, a brief glance should suffice to show that the Bible nowhere makes that claim for itself, and that claim is not, nor has it ever been, a part of doctrine.

If you were considering a scientific argument, you would not (I presume) take the very worst position to be found in the history of the Dark Ages and hold it to be the totality of the argument. And yet this kind of faulty reasoning seems to be the very foundation of your opposition to religion.

"Humans have existed for only a brief drop in the course of Time and from our earliest ancestors we have been able to prove(disprove) religious "truth" by scientific reason."

That is also incorrect. Science has disproved absolutely nothing that belongs, or ever has belonged, to the doctrines either of Judaism or Christianity.

"Good and Evil are only cultural constructs."

Good and evil are, among other things, unequivocal statements by God about His nature. It would be an error to say that they are as constant as the speed of light, because they are much more so. They predated the existence of photons, and will continue unchanged after the temporary construct we call the universe has ceased to exist.

"If there is a God his language and thus vehicle for communicating his plan is in the language of physics and science not bedtime stories"

If there is a God, His language for communicating is whatever He wants it to be, and mortal man is incapable of second-guessing how He "would" speak to man.

Looks to me like you're grounding your denial of "bed-time stories" in your presumed ability to second-guess what God "would" do, when by definition you would be unable to second-guess an omnipotent and omniscient God.

Scientifically speaking, there are no grounds for denying either the existence of God, or that He has spoken to men and women in a number of formats. In denying this, you are leaving science behind and basing your position on a religious tenet.

I say, "God spoke to me."
You say, "No he didn't."
"How do you know."
"Because there is no God."
"How do you know."
"Because if there were He would speak to us, and He doesn't speak to us."
"But he spoke to me."
"No he didn't."
"How do you know."
"Because there is no God."
"How do you know."
"Because he doesn't speak to us."
"But he spoke to me."
"No he didn't."
"How do you know."
"Because there is no God."
"How do you know."
"Because he doesn't speak to us."

You ain't got to be Einstein to see what's wrong with that picture.

Enstein called science "thinking God's thoughts after Him." Certainly physics and science deal with God's handiwork, and in that sense are a form of communication.

In structuring the laws of thermodynamics as He did, for instance, He tells us a great deal about the laws of spiritual dynamics (which predated and will outlive our universe).

But if there is an omnipotent, omniscient God, He would certainly have any number of resources at His command, wouldn't you think? And would be able to communicate in many different formats? Including some we would never be able to guess or imagine in a million years?

If a scientist were to apply the same intellectual rigor to religious questions that he applies to scientific questions, he would soon discover that his objections are either grounded in misconception (as I briefly discussed in my last post) or are completely unsupported assumptions.

Perhaps that's why so many scientists believe in God. More hard scientists than psychologists or sociologists, which seems suggestive to me.

Gee, I dunno. I'll confess I was tweaking you; I wasn't even familiar with the passage. I thought you were describing unfallen Adam in Eden, even though it struck me as a problemmatic description...

Do angels possess free will? That's a toughie. It's said in certain Catholic circumstances that "Satan rebelled." Doesn't that suggest free will? But I don't know the scriptural basis for that, and there are several other beliefs that do state that angels are at the command of Christ. And I think I recall that that was what set Man apart was that he *had* free will, so he could love God whereas the angels could only obey.

Gosh, angels are so wierd... There's no mnetion of God creating them, yet they must be created, because they are not creator. Or must only material things be created? OK, you got me... my knowledge about angels is almost zip, except some wierd medieval phylogeny of angels (angels, archangels, dominions, powers, thrones, cherubim and serpahim) and the biblican encounters with them.

From my understanding angels do not possess free will. They are ministering spirits (Heb 1:14) subject to God's command.

I do not know why you would say that "angels do not possess free will." Of course, the angels who still work for God are "ministering spirits subject to God's command." On the other hand, those angels who chose to follow satan follow his commands.

Revelation 12:
7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against
the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was
not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great
dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or
Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth,
and his angels with him.

Satan chose to be PROUD, and in that pride, pretended that he was equal to God:

Ezekiel 28:
1 .... " 'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god....

15 You were blameless in your ways
from the day you were created
till wickedness was found in you.
17 Your heart became proud
on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.

Isaiah 14:
12
"How you have fallen from heaven,
O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who have weakened the nations!
13
"But you said in your heart,
'I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14
'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.'

Since satan, being an angel, chose to rebel against God; it is reasonable to assume that the angels of satan also chose to rebel, along with satan.

Well, your right about 1/3 of the angels following Satan. Satan we know was proud. The Bible is unclear as to why the rest were booted out.

The reason I say there is no free will in heaven is that the angels could be booted out at any time-not just this one time occurrence. And clearly there is not anything in Heaven that could “tempt” an angel so what would be the point of “free will”?***

Of course, then we’ve come full circle. Since there is nothing in Heaven for Satan to have been tempted with, what caused him to sin? I certainly don’t believe it was “free will”. But even from a Calvinist perspective the text says “I created you blameless” makes it difficult to understand. I do believe that God knew that this would happen I has been it total control.

There is so little written about this. I looked it up last night in a number of commentaries and found they said there was little written about this.

Personally, I believe it relates somehow to mankind and God's salvation and while clues are there, we are not to know about it yet. But I have no scripture verses to back that up with. That's why I said this is one of those mysteries.

***Footnote: It’s interesting that great men of God where very humble men. And God commands us to be humble. This is the opposite of Satan who was “proud”. One has to think our Christian walk must be wrapped up in humility/pride issue – not doing "good" things. Doing good things is the result of humility.

Well, your right about 1/3 of the angels following Satan. Satan we know was proud. The Bible is unclear as to why the rest were booted out.

It wasn't merely that he was "proud." He entertained delusions that he was equal to God.

They were "booted out," because they "waged war." (rebelled):

Revelation 12:

7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging
war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,

8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place
found for them in heaven.

The reason I say there is no free will in heaven is that the angels could be booted out at any time-not just this one time occurrence.

Although the Bible does not mention any other such incident, I know of no passage which says this is impossible.

And clearly there is not anything in Heaven that could "tempt" an angel so what would be the point of "free will"?***

Clearly, there IS such a thing. For one, there are more exalted places, or positions, which satan wanted, and presumably his angels wanted. Presumably, there still exist exalted places, or positions, which the "good" angels might still covet?

Of course, then we've come full circle. Since there is nothing in Heaven for Satan to have been tempted with, what caused him to sin?

As we see, above, there was(is) "something" in heaven, for which satan lusted.

I certainly don't believe it was "free will".

Please permit me to say that I think that you may not see what is clearly stated in scripture, because you have already decided this issue. [Granted, I could be making the same error.]

But even from a Calvinist perspective the text says "I created you blameless" makes it difficult to understand.

Yes.

Personally, I believe it relates somehow to mankind and God's salvation...

Agreed.

***Footnote: It's interesting that great men of God where very humble men. And God commands us to be humble. This is the opposite of Satan who was "proud". One has to think our Christian walk must be wrapped up in humility/pride issue...

Agreed. I believe that this is a very important aspect of The Way, which is largely ignored in modern Christianity.

- not doing "good" things. Doing good things is the result of humility.

Although I, personally, would ascribe good deeds to (agape) love, humility and agape go hand in hand.

All God probably said was, "Bye". So much for the war. :O)I see by the "smiley" that you are saying this lightly, so I am unsure what you are intending to communicate.

Surely, you are aware that there has been, and continues to be, a WAR between the angels on the side of God, and the angels on the side of satan. This is an important issue. The followers of Yeshua (Greek=Jesus) are, right now, (supposed to be) engaged in that very war:

Ephesians 6
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of
this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly places.

This war between good and wicked is REAL, it is NOW, and it is taking place inside us, and outside of us.

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