Augustine of Hippo: Selected Writings (continued)
INTRODUCTION
harmoniously unified and coordinated in a stable peace' A. That state will be realized when the mortal body will be vivified, 'when this corruptible flesh will put on incorruption, when this mortal flesh will put on immortality.'"58 This is the condition of the risen person. "But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then he who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will also bring to life your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who dwells in you.''5?
After having discussed this risen state Augustine described it as a state of freedom, the liberty of the childrén of God. He wrote: "But the text: 'Even the creature will be freed from the yoke of death and admitted to the liberty of the glory of the children of God,'©° seems to signify that we, we are not creatures, but children of God in whose liberty of glory the creature will be liberated from slavery. 'For we know that all creation groans and travails in pain until now.'"'! This freedom of the children of God also characterized Adam and Eve except that in Paradise there was the possibility of losing that liberty by the free choice of an apparent good that was incompatible with continued adherence to God, the Absolute Good.
Although Augustine did not mention paradisal freedom among the three stages described as prior to the Law, under the Law, under Grace, he often spoke of it during the Pelagian controversy as a graced liberty that was lost through personal sin. His frequent references to this lost liberty (/ibertas) led some of his hearers to conclude too hastily that he had eliminated free choice from human nature. On the contrary, he distinguished between free choice (iberum arbitrium) and freedom (/ibertas) as between a capacity for spiritual freedom and actual spiritual freedom.®? The capacity for free choice remained but the liberty to love God was lost through disobedience to God, and could be restored only by God himself. This restoration took place through Christ, who reformed the will of man, strengthening it with charity through the
57. Ibid. 66.7. 58. 1 Cor 15.54—-55.
59. Rom 8:11. 60. Rom 8:21.
61. Rom 8:22. 62. M. T. Clark, Augustine, Philosopher of Freedom (New York: Desclee, 1959).