Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee All he could have; I made him just and right, Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall. Such I created all th’ Ethereal PowersAnd Spirits, both them who stood and them who fail’d; Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. Not free, what proof could they have giv’n sincere Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love, Where only what they needs must do, appear’d, Not what they would? what praise could they receive? What pleasure I from such obedience paid, When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice) Useless and vain, of freedom both despoil’d, Made passive both, had served necessity, Not mee. They therefore as to right belong’d, So were created, nor can justly accuse Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate;As if Predestination over-rul’d Thir will, dispos’d by absolute DecreeOr high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed Thir own revolt, not I; if I foreknew Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, Which had no less prov’d certain unforeknown. So without least impulse or shadow of Fate, Or aught by me immutable foreseen, They trespass, Authors to themselves in all Both what they judge and what they choose; for so I form’d them free, and free they must remain, Till they enthrall themselves: I else must change Thir nature, and revoke the high DecreeUnchangeable, Eternal, which ordain’d Thir freedom: they themselves ordain’d thir fall. John Milton
About This Quote

The world's greatest poet wrote this verse about the source of our freedom. We are all free, not because of foreknowledge or predestination, but because we are the authors of our own actions. We choose to be free. We choose to act in certain ways, which allow us to enjoy the fruits of our own labor.

Source: The Complete Poems And Major Prose

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