Page 30

he would have always done good without any reason. And also
he would not have been be the cause of the good that he did. Rather,
it would have been caused by someone else who had perforce willed him
to and given him the desire. And the one by whose means he would do it would
deserve the reward, not him. For he deserves little who does service
because he is forced to by someone else. If someone put me in a strong
prison tomorrow against my will, even to do good, I would not consider him
wise. For he would have treated me unjustly. All the same, had it pleased Him,
our Lord was capable of making man such that he could not sin nor do any evil.
But in that case he would not, ever or at any time, deserve the good things and
merits that he does now.
And for that reason God endowed man with free will
to do good or evil, so that in doing good and leaving evil aside
he would have more merit. Indeed otherwise he would not have
much [merit] at all. Since God made the angels such that they could not commit
mortal sin or do evil, therefore they will not deserve as great or noble a gift as men do. And whoever would wish to deserve such high