But God made
him [Adam] by nature sinless, and endowed him with free will. By sinless, I
mean not that sin could find no place in him (for that is the case with Deity
alone), but that sin is the result of the free volition he enjoys rather than
an integral part of his nature; that is to say, he has the power to continue
and go forward in the path of goodness, by co-operating with the divine grace,
and likewise to turn from good and take to wickedness, for God has conceded
this by conferring freedom of will upon him. For there is no virtue in what is
the result of mere force. (An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book II,
Chapter XII [NPNF2 9:31])
