De natura et gratia libri III, cum Apologia contra Catharinum

First the holy Synod declares that, for the doctrine of justification to be rightly and sincerely understood, it is necessary that each person recognize and confess that, since all men lost innocence in the transgression of Adam and became unclean, and, as the Apostle says, children of wrath by nature, as was set out in the decree on original sin, they were so far servants of sin and under the power of the devil and of death that not only the Gentiles by the force of nature, but not even the Jews by the very letter of the law of Moses could be freed from it or rise, although free will in them was by no means extinguished, but was weakened and inclined in its powers.