6. _Influence of Spiritual World on Liberty_--There are spiritual influences at work on man--the empire of the spiritual world upon liberty. There are certain changes, certain moral events which manifest themselves in man without his being able to refer their origin to an act of his will, or being able to recognize the author. Certain facts occur in the interior of the human soul which it does not refer to itself, which it does not recognize as the work of its own will. There are certain days, certain moments in which it finds itself in a different moral state from that which it was last conscious of under the operations of its own will. In other words, the moral man does not wholly create himself; he is conscious that causes, that powers {233} external to himself act upon and modify him imperceptibly[20]--this fact has been called the grace of God which helps the will of man, while others see in it the evidences of predestination. 3. The Pelagian View.--From these facts men arrive at different conclusions. Some regarding only the power of man to deliberate on any proposed course of conduct, and his ability to decide for himself what course he will pursue, ignoring the spiritual influences which operate on him, and taking no account of the aid which comes to man through prayer--believe that man's conduct depends entirely upon his will. "Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus," say they; and hence reject the fact of the grace of God and the influence it exerts on human conduct. Such was the conclusion arrived at by Pelagius who flourished early in the fifth century. He asserted that human nature is not fallen--that there is no hereditary corruption, and that man having the power to do good has only to will in order to perform. His doctrine has been revised several times, and has drawn to it not a few believers. 4. Catholic View.--Others regarding all the facts elsewhere enumerated--man's power to deliberate, his ability to decide upon his course, his failure to do all that his reason teaches him it is his duty to do, his need of help from a source external to himself, the assistance he can and does obtain through prayer and, lastly, the influence of spiritual forces upon man--leads them to the conclusion that it is through a union of the grace of God and the free will of man that men arrive at last at righteousness. Such was the teaching of the Roman Catholic church. 5. Protestant View.--Others still, looking only upon the influence of the spiritual world on man, and noting how very far short he comes of doing all his reason teaches him it is his {234} duty to do, conclude that man has no power whatsoever to do good of himself, that he can exercise no will to work righteousness until after the grace of God makes him righteous, and that it is that grace altogether which causes him both to will and to do good works.