Here we must confess, as Paul says in Rom. 5, 11, that sin
originated [and entered the world] from one man Adam, by whose
disobedience all men were made sinners, [and] subject to death
and the devil. This is called original or capital sin.
The fruits of this sin are afterwards the evil deeds which are
forbidden in the Ten Commandments, such as [distrust]
unbelief, false faith, idolatry, to be without the fear of
God, presumption [recklessness], despair, blindness [or
complete loss of sight], and, in short not to know or regard
God; furthermore to lie, to swear by [to abuse] God's name [to
swear falsely], not to pray, not to call upon God, not to
regard [to despise or neglect] God's Word, to be disobedient
to parents, to murder, to be unchaste, to steal, to deceive,
etc.
This hereditary sin is so deep and [horrible] a corruption of
nature that no reason can understand it, but it must be
[learned and] believed from the revelation of Scriptures, Ps.
51, 5; Rom. 6, 12 ff.; Ex. 33, 3; Gen. 3, 7 ff. Hence, it is
nothing but error and blindness in regard to this article what
the scholastic doctors have taught, namely:
That since the fall of Adam the natural powers of man have
remained entire and incorrupt, and that man by nature has a
right reason and a good will; which things the philosophers
teach.
Again that man has a free will to do good and omit evil, and,
conversely, to omit good and do evil.
Again, that man by his natural powers can observe and keep
[do] all the commands of God.
Again, that, by his natural powers, man can love God above all
things and his neighbor as himself.
Again, if a man does as much as is in him, God certainly
grants him His grace.
Again, if he wishes to go to the Sacrament, there is no need
of a good intention to do good, but it is sufficient if he has
not a wicked purpose to commit sin; so entirely good is his
nature and so efficacious the Sacrament.
[Again,] that it is not founded upon Scripture that for a good
work the Holy Ghost with His grace is necessary.
Such and many similar things have arisen from want of
understanding and ignorance as regards both this sin and
Christ, our Savior and they are truly heathen dogmas, which we
cannot endure. For if this teaching were right [approved],
then Christ has died in vain, since there is in man no defect
nor sin for which he should have died; or He would have died
only for the body, not for the soul, inasmuch as the soul is
[entirely] sound, and the body only is subject to death.