creatoris Comment in Epist. fathered but falsely on Ambrose The virtutum semina are asserted equally by both See Aug. de grat Christi cap. 18. And Jansenius his Augustinus lib. 4. de heres Pelag. cap. 7. After all the claim put in by any to right Reason and Seeds of Vertue there was not one of them but still discern'd a darkness to have benighted the mind and a feebleness to have arrested the Soul with respect to all vertuous operations This Plato called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil in nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bad nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a natural evil c. It is true the source and real cause of this darkness of the Soul and its proneness to forbidden instances they rightly knew not and accordingly they generally imputed it to the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Body was the fountain of the Souls misery is a noted saying of Pythagoras's Plato tells us how that the Soul by being thrust down into the body suffered a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lost its wings both in his Phaed. in his Timaeus Hence nothing more common with them than to call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Body the Sepulchre of the Soul The very Poet hath it Hinc metuunt cupiuntque dolent gaudentque nec auras Respiciunt clausae tenebris Carcere caeco Virg. Who hath a mind to it may see more in Plotinus lib. 8. Enneadis Hierocles in aurea carmina vers 56. However though they were ignorant of the true cause of mans blindness and proclivity to evil yet the thing it self they were sensible of It is a remarkable passage of Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What the Eies of Owls and Bats are with respect to the meridian Light such are our minds and understandings with reference to those things which even by nature are most manifest lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nature hath brought us forth not as a Mother but as a step-Mother animo prono ad libidines with our Souls bent upon Lusts. Cicer. apud August cont jul lib. 4. Now against this they sought relief from Philosophy Other means by which they might be assisted to answer the end and Law of their Creation they knew not Moralis Philosophia caput est ut scias quibus ad vitam beatam perveniri rationibus possit The sum and scope of moral Philosophy is that we may know how to obtain and arrive at blessedness Apul. de Philosoph Thus the Pythagoreans made the chief end of moral Philosophy to be the curing the Soul of its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its sick diseased passions and to bring it to an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a healthy Complexion a perfect Temperament an athletick sound Constitution which consisted in vertuous Dispositions and Actions Socrates the great Author of moral Philosophy proposed to himself as its end the correcting and regulating of Manners and from him both the Stoicks and Platonists made the chief end of Philosophy to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to live according to Vertue Hence Seneca discoursing the fountains and causes of prevarication in manners and having reduced them to two Heads a natural proclivity in the mind to be tainted and led aside with false idea's and Images and a fixed aversation to Vertue contracted by false Opinions and corrupt Hypotheses He refer's us to Philosophy as that which can alone administer relief to us affirming that the Precepts of Philosophy do sufficiently assist us to cure and remedy both the former evils utrumque decreta Philosophiae faciunt Epist. 94. And a little after in the same Epistle he hath this expression Quid autem Philosophia nisi vitae lex What else is Philosophy but a law of Life Animae morbis medetur it cures the diseases of the Soul saith Apul. de Philosoph Facere docet Philosophia it teacheth us how to live Sen. Ep. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The end of Philosophy is assimilation to God Ammon on Arist. Categ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it advanceth the Soul into the Divine likeness Hierocl praefat in aurea Carmina 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosophy is the purification and perfection of Humanity Hierocl ibid. Hoc mihi Philosophia promittat ut me Deo parem faciat Let Philosophy minister this to me that it render me equal to God Sen. Ep. 48 See more to this purpose in him passim and in Plato in his Euthyd Accordingly they defined Practical Philosophy in contra-distinction from Theoretical to be effective of Vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus the whole designe of moral Philosophy was to arrive at Vertue and thereby to attain happiness Other means of compassing both they neither know nor look'd after How insufficient it was for either of those will be hereafter declared I shall onely intimate at present that through this Philosophy became a snare to them as to the generality of them they proved of all men the greatest enemies to the righteousness and grace of God by Christ for being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vessels filled with arrogancy self-estimation and presumption as Timon said of them Enmity and aversation to the means appointed of God for the healing renewing our natures the pardoning and forgiving of us our sins fixed their roots in their very minds What lies in greater opposition to a meetness and idoneity for the Kingdom of God than the description given by themselves of a Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The constitution and image of a Philosopher is to expect good as well as fear evil only from himself Epict. Enchir. cap. 72. You may see Seneca to the same purpose Epist 111. § 4. The signification of vertue so far as the first Authors of that Term instruct us concerning it being sufficiently laid open The next Word whose sense we are to fix is Moral a Term that hath bred perplexities and occasioned mistakes in whatsoever controversie it hath been used We meet with it in the controversy of the Sabbaths in the disputations about converting grace in the question of humane power to good in the doctrine concerning the causality and efficacy of the Sacraments and in this question which we have now under debate in all which it is liable to ambiguity and so apt to breed confusion darkness and prevarication Concerning the meaning of it in other controversies we are not concerned at present to enquire it will be enough for us if we can clearly settle the import of it as it takes up a room in the question before us The word Moral hath as little in footing the Scripture yea less than the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manners whence Moral is derived if I mistake not occurs not at all in the 70. Nor do we meet with it but once in the whole N. T. viz. 1 Cor. 15.33 And there it is plainly borrowed from Menander the whole sentence being an Iambick verse out of a Comedy of his It proceeded out of
Rationalis facultatis arguunt similiter c. that as the operations of Brutes how sagacious soever they be yet being compared with the operations of men do manifest a want of a faculty in them that we are endowed with so the sublimest actions of Natural men being compared with the operations of such as are born of God do as plainly argue the lack of a faculty in those which these have Thes. Salm Tom. 1. p. 139. 3. Their knowledg of divine truths is not transformative Their assent is accompanied with a disaffected heart to the things they assent to Under all the imbellishments of knowledg they are not attempered into the likeness of what they believe and profess Their hearts are not changed into the vital Image of truth but remain Animal and Brutish notwithstanding all the Notions their heads are fraught with They are not cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the form and moâ—ld of the doctrine they believe Their hearts and affections are not framed into the similitude and figure of it The Word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Ingrafted Word turning the whole stock into its own nature and likeness But they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hold or imprison the truth in unrighteousness Inest homini sanctâ— legis scientia nec â—amen sanatur vitiosa concupiscentia Aug. lib. de gest Pelag. cap. 7. see Rom. 7.8 Fourthly Because of Weakness through the loss of the Divine Image and because of Enmity through indwelling lust we are altogether unable in our selves savingly to comply with the terms of the Gospel There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a want of power in every one of us to those things No man can come to me except the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 To come is as much as to own Christ as the sealed and Anointed of God and to believe in him as the alone Mediatour and Surety Joh. 5.40 Joh. 6.35 37. And without the Fathers drawing i. e. without an efficacious work of God ingaging the Soul in a most sweet but powerful manner no one will be ever found in the practice and exercise of those things There is both that disproportion of faculty and that wicked aversation from the terms of the Gospel in every one which only the Divine Spirit can relieve and conquer Objective grace or the Moral Swasion of the word is not enough we need also subjective Grace and a new principle What a dead man is to vital operations that every one by Nature is to Spiritual acts The soul is not more necessary to the body for the functions of Life Sense and Reason than the Spirit of life in the New Birth is to all holy performances We not only need insinuations of Spiritual light to awaken our slumbring minds but to elevate and dispose them for the due perception of the things of God nor do we only need grace to court our perverse wills but to determine them to the choice of holiness An impotency is acknowledged by all who measure their conceptions about these things either by the declaration of the Word or the Universal experience of Mankind The Natural man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 The Carnal mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdom of the flesh i. e. the best thoughts affections inclinations and motions of the mind of a Natural man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being as much as homo corruptus Joh. 3.6 Gen. 6.3 is Enmity against God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the abstract For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.7 Fifthly How this impotency is now to be called is not of so great consequence as some men make it For on the one hand all are agreed that it consists not in a Deprivation of any Essential Power or Faculty of our Rational Being This Spanhemius as well as Amyrald Twiss as well as Truman are at an accord in And it is granted likewise on the other hand that it is not only Congenite with us and so in that sense Natural wherein we are said to be by Nature the Children of Wrath but farther that it implies both á want of concreated Rectitude and a connate pravity and aversation from God and that it is only God who can overcome our opposition and relieve our weakness and that secluding his work upon the soul we neither will nor can comply savingly with the terms of the Gospel so that whether it ought to be stiled a Moral or a Natural Impotency is for the most part but a strife about words There is a perfect harmony as to the sense and meaning the alone contest is about the manner of expressing and phrasing it Philosophy is only concerned in it not Divinity Nor is the question who speaks most truly but who speaks most properly It is the dispute of Divines not of Divinity The terms might have been avoided without prejudice to truth Nor do I know any reason for the use of them but to confound mens apprehensions I heartily wish that those Learned persons who have made so great a noise about Moral and Natural power would have been so ingenuous as to have told the World that they impeached no man of error but only of solecism and that their adversaries were as sound in the matter contended about as themselves only that they had not the luck of declaring it in so apt words as this would have contributed more to the peace of the Church so hereby private Christians would have judged their concern but small in these debates But seeing for Reasons that I think not fit to enquire into this needful Advertisement hath been neglected I hope it will not prove an unacceptable service that we have here suggested it presupposing then that Agreement in the Main which hath been intimated All that lies upon our hand is to enquire who express themselves most Philosophically in this matter And though I must confess that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dion Halicarn apt words are of great import to a clear apprehension of things yet I must withal add that I am no friend to a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a coâ—ning of new terms when old ones will serve the turn And I am so far from seeing any solid ground why in the matter and case before us we should wave the word Natural for the word Moral that I think there is a great deal of reason for the contrary 1. The most likely way of arriving at a distinctness of understanding our present inability is by considering what at first was communicated to us and for what ends and according to this method of proceed I would argue thus That impotency which consists in the want of a principle not only concreated with us but Naturally due to our undefiled Natures in order to our living acceptably to God may I think not unfitly be called a
live soberly to our selves righteously towards our neighbour or answerably to the dependance we have on or the relations we stand in unto God whence it naturally by a kind of necessity comes to pass that they are wholly estranged in their lives from that Sobriety Temperance Justice Equity Devotion Humility Gratitude Meekness c. they should be in the exercise of These men presume themselves into Salvation and claim happiness on the boldness of their belief nor do they apply themselves to conquer heaven otherwise than in the alone virtue of their imagination If they can but arrive at so much impudence as to vote themselves Saints they think that they are acquitted from all care of Vertue and Obedience These are the men who set vertue and grace at odds who frame to themselves a Religion not only empty of but inconsistent with real goodness the unhappy off-spring of those whom the Apostle James encounters Cap. 2. vers 14. to the end The Second is That some having obtained of themselves endeavour to prevail with others to renounce and seclude all infused principles commonly called grace with the subjective influences of the Spirit and to erect in the room thereof acquired habits natural dispositions innate abilities and moral vertues as the whole of that in the strength of which we may live acceptably to God and acquire a fitness and title to immortality and life Moral vertue saith a late Author is not onely the most material and useful part of all Religion but the ultimate end of all its other duties And all true Religion can consist in nothing else but either the practice of vertue it self or the use of those means and instruments that contribute to it Eccles. polit p. 69. All Religion is either vertue it self or some of its instruments and the whole duty of man consists in being vertuous ibid. p. 71. There is nothing beyond the bounds of moral vertue but Chimera's and flying Dragons illusions of fancy impostures of Enthusiasm Idem def continuat p. 338 339. Hence he challengeth any man to give him a notion of grace distinct from morality affirming that if grace be not included in morality that it is at best but a phantasm and an imaginary thing Eccles. polit p. 71. and again that the spirit of God and the grace of Christ when used as distinct from moral abilities performances signify nothing def continuat p. 343. Thus vertue grace are not only made co-incident morality and Religion in its utmost latitude made convertible terms but in the pursuance of these Notions men are acted to vent all manner of contempt against the Spirit of God deriding the inward operations quicknings and influences of the Holy Ghost as Enthusiastick dreams canting phrases the fumes of Religious madness To be born again and to have a new spiritual life is a phantastick jargon unless it only signify to become a new moral man saith the former Author def continuat p. 343 344. All the pretended intercourse betwixt Christ a believing soul in way of discoveries manifestations spiritual refreshments withdrawings dâ—sertions is nothing but the ebbs and tydes of the humours of the body and the meer results of a natural and mechanical Enthusiasm nor otherwise intelligible than by the laws of mechanism as the motion of the heart and the circulation of the blood are ibid. p. 339 340 341 342. Hence to describe conversion by our being united to Christ and ingrafted in him is called a rowling up and down in ambiguous phrases and canting in general expressions of Scripture without any concern for their true sense and meaning ibid. p. 343. The consideration of the inconsistency of these principles with truth the affront offered to the Gospel and dammage done to the souls of men by each of them hath led me to this undertaking On the one hand to separate grace from vertue and to set faith and morality at variance cannot but furnish men Atheistically and irreligiously disposed with occasion of Blaspheming that worthy name by which we are called it being too much the custom of prejudiced disingenuous persons to reflect the scandals which arise either from the doctrines or conversations of professors on that Holy and innocent Religion which they though but hypocritically do profess On the other hand to swallow up the whole of Religion in morality seems a plain renouncing of the Gospel and shapen particularly to befriend men in such a design For if the Gospel be nothing but a restitution of the Religion of Nature as the aforesaid Author affirms def continuat p. 316. And if the Christian institution doth not introduce any new duties distinct from the eternal rules of Morality as is alledged def continuat p. 305. I see not but that whoever would act consistently to these principles he must needs proceed to a plain renunciation of all the instituted duties of the Gospel which is to overturn the whole fabrick of Christianity confine himself to the Decalogue that being a plain and full system of the law of nature and a sufficient transcript of the duties we were obliged to by the rule of Creation Nor supposing that Martin Sidelius was not mistaken in his hypothesis that all Religion consists in morality alone The same opinion with that asserted by a late Author can I censure him for what he thereupon proceeded to namely the renouncing the Gospel Nor doth he deserve the character fastned upon him def continuat p. 313. of a foolish and half-witted fellow upon the account of his deductions they being neither streined nor absurd but clear and natural whatever he demerited upon the score of his premises These among other Considerations having swayed me to this undertaking I would hope that an endeavour of instructing the minds of Men and of contributing to the conduct of their Judgments and Consciences in those things may not be unacceptable and the rather because not onely of some difficulty in setting forth the due lines measures and bounds of Vertue and Grace the describing their mutual Relations and the subordination of the one to the other But because there is very little extant upon the subject at least with respect to the end and in the manner that it is here managed Nor indeed was any thing of this nature thought necessary in a Nation where the Gospel is embraced till the Debates and Discourses of some have of late made it so § 2. To avoid all Ambiguity Darkness and Prevarication it will be needful ere we make any further proceed that we fix the meaning and import of Vertue and Morality Grace and Religion these being the terms of the Question to be Discoursed and Decided nor without a setling the Notion and Conception of these can any thing of this Argument be duly understood Vertue is a term seldome occuring in the Scripture In the Old Testament we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chajil several times rendred by our
〈◊〉 previous Images of the moral Beauty â—nd congruity or deformity and inconâ—â—uity of things in the Soul The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rudimental Princiâ—les of the Rational Nature There are 〈◊〉 well indubitable maximes of Reason â—elating to Moral Practice as there are â—elating to Science and these not only stand â—pproved by the universal assent of manâ—ind but they demonstrate themselves 〈◊〉 their agreeableness to the Rational Faculty It is not more certain that one â—nd the same thing cannot at once be and â—ot be That if equals be substracted from equals what remains will be equal c. Than that of whomsoever we hold our Beings Him we ought to love and 〈◊〉 That God being Veracious is to be belâ—â—â—ved That we are to do by others as 〈◊〉 would be done by our selves c. And 〈◊〉 deny these is in effect to deny Man to 〈◊〉 Rational for as much as the faculty 〈◊〉 call Reason exists in us necessarily 〈◊〉 these Opinions Now these Deterâ—â—â—nations being the natural Issues of 〈◊〉 Souls in their rational exercise in coâ—â—paring Acts with their objects come to 〈◊〉 called ingraft-Notions and universal Câ—â—â—racters wrought into the essential Coâ—â—position of our Nature And besidâ— what we have already said to demonstraâ—â— that some things being compared 〈◊〉 the Holy Nature of God and the relâ—â—tion that we stand in to him are intriâ—â—secally Good and other things intrinsâ—â—cally Evil It is inconsistent with the peâ—â—fections of the Divine Being particâ—â—larly with his Sanctity Veracity anâ— Goodness to prepossess us with such conâ—ceptions of things as are not to bâ— found in the Nature of the things themâ—selves In a word the Effluvia of the ranâ—kest and worst-scented Body do not strikâ— more harshly upon the olfactory-Orgaâ— nor carry a greater incongruity to thâ— Nerves of that Sensatory than what we call moral Evil doth to the intellectual â—aculty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are some things â—hich all men think or wherein all Men agree and that is common Right or Inâ—ustice by Nature although Men be not â—ombined into Societies nor under any Covenants one to an other Arist. Rhet. â—ib 1. c. 14. Paul tells us that there are some â—hings which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ust and honest in all Mens esteem Rom. 12.17 The Third is this There being some â—hings so differenced in themselves with â—espect to the nature of God and our dependance on Him as hath been said and man being created capable of knowing what is so It is impossible that God should allow us to pursue what is contrary to his nature and the Relation we stand in to him or to neglect what is agreeable to it and the dependance we have on him God having made man with faculties necessarily judging so and so He is in truth the Author of those judgments by having created the faculties which necessarily make them Now what-ever judgment God makes a man with must needs be a Law from Goâ— given to man nor can he ever depart froâ— it without gainsaying and so offendiâ—â— Him that was the Author of it Whatevâ—â— judgment God makes a man with concerâ—â—ing either himself or other things it 〈◊〉 Gods judgment and whatsoever is his judgâ—ment is a law to man nor can he negleâ—â— or oppose it without sin being in his exiâ—stence made with a necessary subjection tâ— God Such and such dictates being the nâ—â—tural operations of our minds the Being 〈◊〉 essential Constitution of which in right reâ—â—soning we owe to God we cannot but esteeâ— them the voice of God within us and conseâ—quently his law to us saith Sr. Ch. Wolseley oâ— Scripture belief p. 32 33. And accorâ—dingly these dictates of right Reason witâ— the Superadded act of conscience are stileâ— by the Apostle the Law written in the heart◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when the Gentiles whicâ— have not the Law viz. in writing as the Iews had do by Nature natural light or the dictates of right Reason the things contained in the Law those things which the Moral Law of Moses enjoyned these having not a Law a written Law or a Law â—ade known to them by Revelation are a â—aw to themselves have the Law of naâ—â—re congenite with them Which shew the â—ork of the Law that which the Law inâ—â—â—ucts about and obligeth to Written in â—â—eir Hearts Rom. 2.14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ational Beings do in the light and through â—he conduct of Reason chuse and pursue â—â—ose very things which the law of God the Divine Law enjoyns saith Hierocles 〈◊〉 vers 29. Pythag. Sponte sua sine lege â—â—dem rectumque colebant as the Poet â—â—ith Hierocles in vers 63. 64 Pyâ—hag assigns this as the cause why men â—o not escape the entanglements of lust â—nd passion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they attend not â—o those common notions of Good and Evil which the Creator hath ingrafted in rational Beings for their conduct and Government It is of this Law that Austin speaks lib. 2. confess cap. 4. Lex Scripta in cordibus hominum quam ne ipsa delet iniquitas A Law written in our hearts which sin it self cannot expunge The Fourth and last is this that God for the securing the honour of his own wisdome and sanctity the maâ—â—â—taining his rectorship and the preserviâ—â— the dependance of his creature upon hiâ— annexed to this natural Law in case of meâ— failure a penalty The constituting of the â—â—â—ness of punishment on supposition of traâ—â—â—gression doth so necessarily belong 〈◊〉 Laws that without it they are but luâ—â—crous things Tacite permittitur quod 〈◊〉 ultione prohibetur what is forbidden witâ—â—out a Sanction is silently and implicitely aâ—â—lowed Tertul. Where there is no penalâ—â— denounced against disobedience Goverâ—â—ment is but an empty notion The fear 〈◊〉 punishment is the great medium of Moâ—â— Government coaction and force wouâ—â— overthrow obedience and leave neitheâ— room for Vertue nor Vice in the worlâ— The means of swaying us must be accomâ—modated to the nature of our Beings noâ— are rational Creatures to be otherwise inâ—fluenced than by fear and hope Thâ—â— Ruler governs at the courtesie of his Subâ—jects who permits them to rebel with imâ—punity Not only the Poets placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the throne with Jupiter for the punishment of disobedience but the Moralist makes Justice to wait on God to avenge him on those that Transgress his Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—lutarch As every law then must have penalty annexed to it so had this of which â—e are treating 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their conscience also bearing â—itness and their thoughts in the mean â—hile accusing or else excusing one another saith the Apostle Rom. 2.15 of those â—ho were under no other law than the law of Nature Conscience is properly nothing else but the soul reflectâ—ng on it self and actions and judging of both according to Law Now where there is no Law there â—an be no guilt