imagination of the human heart is evil from youth?

70. By imagination, as I stated several times before (ch 6, para 148),
he means reason itself, together with the will and the understanding,
even when it dwells upon God, or occupies itself with most honorable
pursuits, be they those of State or Home. It is always contrary to
God's law, always in sin, always under God's wrath, and it cannot be
freed from this evil state by its own strength, as witness Christ's
words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed," Jn 8, 36.

71. If you wish a definition of the word "man" take it from this text
teaching that he is a rational being, with a heart given to
imagination. But what does he imagine? Moses answers, "Evil"; that is,
evil against God or God's Law, and against his fellow man. Thus holy
Scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always
imagines something. This imagination it calls evil, wicked,
sacrilegious, while the philosophers call it good, and the quibblers
say that the natural gifts are unimpaired.

72. Therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against
the caviling quibblers: Moses declares the imagination of the human
heart to be evil. And if it be evil, the conclusion is natural that
the natural gifts are not unimpaired, but corrupted: Inasmuch as God
did not create man evil, but perfect, sound, holy, knowing God, his
reason right and his will toward God good.

73. Seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and
turned away from God, who would be mad enough to say that the natural
gifts in man remain unimpaired? That would be practically saying that
man's nature is unimpaired and good even now, whereas we have
overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is
debased to the utmost.

74. From that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some
palpably wicked utterances, for instance, that when man does the best
in his power, God will unfailingly give his grace. By such teaching
they have driven man, as by a trumpet, to prayer, fasting,
self-torture, pilgrimages and similar performances. Thus the world was
taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted, they
would earn grace, if not the grace "de merito," at least that "de
congruo." A "meritum congrui" (title to reward based upon equity) they
attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in
accordance to the divine law, inasmuch as an