That you prove they were never cast out of the Church by any Councell reputed Orthodox till the Synod of Dort An. 1. It seems you have so much modesty conscience as to grant some other of your doctrins such as these here in your Preface that have been cast out by Councels reputâ—d Orthodox which indeed is true to set aside that at Carthage and that at Ierusalem where Pelagius was condemned we have seen the Mileviâ—ane and second Arausican formerly rejâ—cting them 2. For those two doctrins you are forced tâ— confesse that by the Synod of Dort they were rejâ—cted which was the greatest Protestant Synod that hath been held since the timeâ— of Reformation 3. What if they were not by any other nor had been by that Can you name no great Errors by your selfe confest so to be but what have been by some or other Councill reputed Orthodox by Orthodox men cast out 2. For those two doctrines you say they were taught by all Oâ—thodox antiquity and Calvin himselfe and who not this is the true spirit of your fore Fathers thus Iulian the Pelagian would have Iohn of Constantinople a teacher of the same doctrine with himselfe but doe you not read the detection of his falshood by Austin with all bringing upon him the whole streame of the Orthodox to refute him and do you not sadly resent your own danger least in time you may heare Haec verba tua quò proficiunt nisi ut appareat vel quomodo de hac causa scire neglexeris Catholicorum sententias Sermonesque doctorum vel si eos nosse curasti quâ— fraude coneris circumvenire nescientes Si nesciens hoc fecisti cur non miseram reâ—â—uis imperitiam si sciens cur non sacrilegam deponis audaciam Contrâ— Julian Pelagi lib. 1. Thus the Massylians or Semipelagians alleadged that what Austin taught about the call of the Elect according to the purpose of God in his writings against Pelagius was contrary to the doctrine of those most famous teachers in the Church which had been before him Prosp. in Epist. ad Augustinum but Augustines answer thereto quoting Cyprian Ambrose Nazianzine teaching the same doctrine with him and concluding the like of the rest generally you are not ignorant of lib de bono persev C. 19. 4. Object These discourses are ful of niceties c. One of your Answers is that for your selfe you go no further then you feel the ground firme under you but your firme ground we have sound bogs and quagmires more then once when you come to a soft place you say you tread lightly indeed you have your Reserves somtimes when you come to a knot I beeleeve this doctrine of divine influx or concourse is one of your â—oft places you are wont to Skin it over so fairely Another of your Answers is that your adversaries have occasioned these subtilties forsaking the grounds of reason c. whereas the truth is Men of corrupt judgements your friends have by opposing their reasonings to clear Scripture occasiond them 5. Object Some plead a Non-necessity of enquiring farther about this argument You answer to this purpose 1. That the treasure of divine wisedome is not exhausted but that we may make further discourses But I answer the truths by you opposed are so fully cleard long since that should an Angel from beaven teach your doctrines those that are taught of God would see ground enough to reject him 2. You boast of something done by you above all that went before you I know it not pray point us to your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then you proclaim the trophies of your party whereas indeed the church hath in divers ages triumphed in the ruine of your Errors and so she will doe to the end 6. Object That these opinions have been held by a lesse religious generation of Men. You answer that in such and such Chapters you have disproved the Objections Take the last word here for mee till those chapters be disproved 7. Object Armianisme Pelagianisme Socinianisme In answer whereto you are upon your old false string and would make us beleeve that Calvin himself the Synod of Dort and I know not who had sore fitts of Arminianisme I returne you here to my answer to your third Objection Now follows the fourth and last part of your Preface which is your Apology I had almost said for your Apostacy but let it passe in your owne words concerning your change of judgement but forasmuch as your Arguments are onely generall and upon a false supposition that you have changed from Error to truth and no other then what any Desertor of the faith might use I spare the fruitlesse paines of answering any thing at all to them FINIS De Gratiae Convertentis Irresistibilitate Thesis Exmii tum pietate tum eruditione Theologi D. D. Ioannis Praestoni Collegii Immanuelis in Academia Cantabrig quondam Praefecti 1. Gratiae convertens non est resistibilis 2. Decretum dei de permissione peccati non tollit libertatem in peccando MIHI in animo erat hanc secundam tractasse Sed ea paululùm mutaâ—â mutato etiam consilio nonnullas ob causas quas palam proferre non libet institui istam de irresistibilitate gratiae explicare dicendo confirmare Verum est quidem Arminium profiteri saepiuseulè tantum se gratiae tribuere quantum quisquam unquam fecit alius nihil à quoquam unquam dici de gratiae efficaciâ quod non ab ipso etiam dictuÌ„ sit immò quicquid fingi vel excogitari potest ad explicandas illustrandas gratiae vires id se agnoscere falsò igitur de eo spargi se in gratiam dei injurium esse libero arbitrio plus nimio tribuere Idem apud Augustinum Pelagium de se proâ—itentem reperietis Interim tamen illud verum Totam hanc efficaciam gratiae quam verbis extollit amplificat adeo Stante Arminii sententiâ pendere ab hominis voluntate quippe quae pro innatâ suâ libertate potest hanc gratiam recipere vel rejicere eâ uti vel non uti eam denique vel efficacem reddere vel irritam facere nec posse aliter fieri nisi abolere velimus libertatem Voluntatis ejusque naturae inseparabiles proprietates destruere Ne quis suspicetur me falsam illi affingere sententiam legantur ejus verba in tractatu qui inscribitur Declaratio sent Arm. pa. 181. Quae haec sunt Gratia inquit Arm. sic describitur in scriptura ut ei resisti possit ut in vanum accipi possit ut homo comittere possit quo minus ei assentiatur ut homo possit ei non cooperari ergo irresistibilis quaedam vis operatio gratiae tribuenda non est His verbis an non diruit Arminius id quod prioribus aedificarat id aliorum sit judicium Non ignoro quantum Arminiani cavillantur circa hoc vocabulum irresistibilis à Calvino aliisque nostris
walke in my Statutes and yee shall keep my Iudgements and doe them When he saith I will make you to doe what saith he else but that I will take from you the heart of stone whence yee did not and will give you an heart of flesh that you may doe And what is this but I will take away your hard heart whence ye did not and I will give you an obedient heart whence you may doe here we have both the renewing and acting of the will and this certainly and infallibly To the same purpose cap. 17. Speaking of Peter that he had no strong love when he denyed his Lord and yet he had a small and imperfect love when he said to the Lord I will lay downe my life for thee for hee thought he could doe what hee felt himselfe to will Hee addes And who had begun to give that though small love but he who prepares the will and perfects by working with us what he begins by working in us Because he as the authour works in us to will who as the finisher works with us when we will Whence saith the Apostle I am confident that he that hath begun a good worke in you will perfect it to the day of Iesus Christ. Phil. 1. 6. Therefore that wee may wil he works without us but when we will and so will as that we doe he works with us But without him either working that we may will or working with us when we will wee have no strength to the good workes of pietie Chap. 18. upon that text of Scripture Let us love one another for love is of God 1 Joh. 4. 7. Why is it said Let us love one another for love is of God but because by the Command free will is admonished to seeke the gift of God When it is said Let us love one another there is the Law when it is said for love is of God there is Grace Grace makes us lovers of the Law but the Law it selfe without Grace makes us only offenders Yee have not chosen me but I have chosen you If yee have not chosen doubtlesse yee have not loved for how should they chuse him whom they loved not And Chap. 19. In Iohn the light saith Behold what great love the Father hath given us In the Pelagians darknesse saith We have love of our selves which if they had true that is Christian love they would know whence they had it as the Apostle knew who said We have not received the spirit of this world but the Spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God Iohn saith God is love and the Pelagians say that they even have God himselfe nâ—â— of God but of themselves And when they confesse that we have the knowledge of the Law from God they will have love to be of our selves neither doe they heare the Apostle saying Knowledge puffesh up but charity or love edifies But I must take off my hand he is so abundant in all his Polemique Writings against Pelagius and his followers that the Quotations would be Voluminous which might be taken out of them I shall therefore conclude with the determination of the Milevitane Councell at which Austine himselfe was President and subscribed Can. 4. Whosoever shall say that the Grace of God by Jesus Christ our Lord helps against sinning in this regard only because by it the meaning of the Commands is revealed and opened to us that we might know what we ought to desire and what to eschew but that by it is not performed that what we know ought to be done we also love to doe and are enabled thereunto Let him be Anathema for when the Apostle saith Knowledge puffes up but charity edifies it is very wicked to beleeve that we have the grace of Christ for that which puffeth up but that we have it not for that which edifies when both is the gift of God both to know what we ought to doe and to love that we may doe it that charity edifying knowledge may not be able to puffe us up but as it is written of God That be teacheth man knowledge so is it written likewise that Love is of God Here we have the Doctrin of the Church in that age against the Hereticks in this point CHAP. VIII 3 LEt what Grace soever how true and genuine soever be acknowledged from God to man yet that Doctrine that teacheth that it is given according to mens merit in the sence of the Fathers against Pelagius is Pelagian but such is Mr. Goodwins Doctrine Evident it is that he makes faith and whatsoever he cals Grace so to depend upon the good use of the naturall understanding as upon that account it is given unto men how farre and in what sence soever it is given and as evident it is that no good use can be made of the understanding in order to Grace without some good use of the will for except a man will he shall not without the use of his will he cannot provoke and stirre up himselfe so much as to meditate of God and the things of God but whosoever teacheth Grace to be given upon or for the improvement of the Naturall will in any kinde or degree falls under that so famously damned Doctrine of Pelagius That Grace is given according to merits for clearing this let us briefly represent the Pelagian Heresie in its four-fold state and the Doctrine of Austin and other Fathers and in them the Doctrine of the Church there-against In the first place Pelagius denyed all ayde of supernaturall Grace which Mr. Goodwin denies at this day if he meane as he speakes affirming that the naturall strength of Free will was sufficient to fulfill the Commands of God and to obtaine eternall life denying Origin all sinne to the last In the second state he admitted the ayde of Grace but 1. He acknowledged this ayde only in the Law and externall Doctrine as also in the example of Christ. 2. He ascribed only this to it that by it man might more easily fulfill the Commands of God which without it he could fulfill He likewise by Grace understood remission of sins In the third state he at least seemed to admit inward illumination of the understanding and inward excitation of the will but this likewise that man might be able the more easily to fulfill the Commands of God which without it he might doe ever denying the infusion of grace into the will withall holding that this Grace was given according to merit that is upon the good use of Naturall power before hand against this Grace thus limited we have out of Austine and the Milevitan Councell newly spoken The fourth and last state was in the hands of certaine Pelagian Bishops who wrote two Epistles against Austins Doctrine which he answers in foure Bookes their Doctrine the Father layes downe in these words They will have the desire of good in man to begin from man that
THE Lightless-Starre OR Mr. IOHN GOODWIN discovered a Pelagio-Socinian And this by the Examination of his Preface to his Book entituled Redemption Redeemed Together with An Answer to his Letter entituled Confidence Dismounted By RICHARD RESBURY Minister of the Gospel at Oundle in Northampton-shire Hereunto is annexed a Thesis of that Reverend Pious and Judicious Divine Doctor Preston sometimes of Immanuel College in Cambridge concerning the Irresistibility of Converting Grace Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do these also resist the Truth Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith But they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be made manifest unto all as theirs also was 2 Tim. 3. 8. 9. London Printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings-Head in the Old-Bayly 1652. The Epistle to the Reader Reader I Shall not long detain thee in the pâ—rch only give we leave in a few words to acquaint thee with the Occasion and scope of this following discourse For the Occasion Mr. Goodwin having taken upon him to be a Champion in the Tents of most Anti-evangelieall and often-routed Errors and in a pompous Treatise by him published having thrown much defiance in the face of Truth and her Assertors many of them triumphing in glory after their Warfare others still in Conflict here below Upon perusall of this peece of his I found it a meer whiteâ— sepulchre specious in the style and pretense of holiness but made up for the substance of roiten Errors by broken Arguments and perverted Scriptures seemingly supported Whereupon I thought it very seasonable having by me a little Manuscript comprising certain main Truths opposite to his Errors to send it abroad if through the blessing of God it might help to establish some and prevent those snares of death which he had spread And I hope the Lord hath blest it unto divers The Title of that small piece and the Epistle reflecting upon Mr. Goodwin and his Book he found himself very angry and in great Indignation prints an invective Letter pen'd by him sitting in the scorners chair sends it to me requiring satisfaction for a charge of some particulars in mine Epistle against him The particulars charged upon him were sometimes Imperiall dictates instead of Arguments sometimes monstrous Conclusions sometimes wrested Quotations sometimes uncoth Philosophy sometimes consequential Blasphemy to these I may now adde frequently packing Sophistry And he will needs perswade himself that his book is so clear of these crimes as that I had not lookt into it when I put in this charge against it Now though I had no thoughts of writing any thing against his Book partly conscious of mine own weakness partly he having provoked so many of the ablest of men the University of Cambridge the Assembly of Divines and indeed the whole Orthodox name yet he pressing upon Me in his Letter after much scorn and high contempt to give instances of my charge against him I thought my self in equity obliged so to do for their satisfaction especially who have not read his Book for as for such as shall read it they if judicious and impartiall will easily observe the particulars over and over Hence Iovercame my self otherwise unwilling to think of such an answer to his Letter as wherein I might give him the instances he required but weighing withall how useless it would be to the publique onely to answer a taunting Letter and produce those particulars I thought it expedient to adde something further that might be of reall usefulness to Christianity and thereupon resolved the Examination of his Preface which abounding with two pernicious Errors Socinianism and Pelagianism was most necessary to be called to Account as likewise the examination of the four first Chapters of his Book wherein is the Foundation of his Building but a miserable sandy one The former through the good hand of God upon me I have dispatched and here present it to thee the latter I hope though in the midst of many employments and encumbrances by degrees to perform too if not happily prevented by some better furnished for the Work Thus for the Occasion now for the Scope It is partly to discover those dangerous Errors all along carryed on in his Preface against the Grace of God and the authoritie of Scripture against both which Mr. Goodvvin hath enormously ex alted the Reason and Will of man partly to lay before thee and clear up the main Doctrins of Gospel-Truth against those his Errors And forasmuch as the Doctrins of the Grace of God were with much strength clearness and evidence of the Spirit maintained by those famous Lights of the Church who lived in the time of Pelagius and the times immediately succeeding especially Augustine and Prosper and the Fathers assembled in the Milevitane Councill where Augustine was present and in the second Arausican Councill I have therefore distinctly layd downe the severall states of the Pelagian Heresie and the refutation thereof out of the forenamed Champions for the Truth of Christ not for their Authority but for their strength clearness elegancy and excellency of Spirit debasing Man exalting God and assigning their peculiar Privileges to the Elect of God In perusall whereof thou wilt find Mr. Goodwin a son of Error a disciple of Pelagius and easily find a wide difference between the spirit of his Pen and that of these renowned Antients the Assertors of the Churches Faith Reader I hope thou wilt think it worth thy labour when thou hast made tryall to take a view of the main Doctrines of Grace as by such excellent hands layd out against such dangerous and destructive Errors so many Ages since As for my charge against Mr. Goodwin thou shalt find it made good in the particulars in my Answer to his Letter wherein thou wilt find him guilty of absurdities enough and yet the particulars there produced are but some gleanings for Instancâ—s I have only One thing more to advertise thee of It is very likely Mr. Goodwin will make what hast he can to reply upon this my Essay against him My intention is the Lord assisting and as I may gain frâ—â— many employments and distractions leisure for the same to go through his four first Chapters before I will take any notice of what he shall reply thou shalt find him in this discovery that I have made a Star without Light in that which I hope to make a Builder without a Foundation For where as in those Chapters should be the Foundation of his after-discourse what a miserable One he hath there layd I hope God will in time discover and indeed I cannot still but expect that my further endeavours will be prevented by some more strenuous Undertaker raised up by the Lord in zeal to his Truth however till such a blessing shall appear I shall be moving though very slowly onwards Now the Lord command his blessing upon thy spirit in the perusall hereof sanctifying thee by his Truth Reader I am Thy servant for the Truth of
hand of the incompetency of mans reason not enlightened by the Word through the Spirit to judge of the things of the Spirit of God whilst you fall so wretchedly foule upon the maine Doctrines of Predestination Redemption Perseverance c. Now if in this sence Mr. Goodwin acknowledged that reason is to be laid aside why doth he raise a Controversie with those who in the other sence formerly specified not only grant but urge the use of it But that Master Goodwin in this sence denies the laying it aside and exalts it as the Judge of the VVord beside and above the word seemes in the first place not obscurely insinuated in the second place openly exprest by some passages of his Pen. For the first not obscurely insinuating it what shal we say to that Doctrine of his which he sayes is much to be observed Pag. 5. of this Preface That a man or woman who have for many yeares profest the Gospel may in processe of time come to discover vanity in some erroneous Principle or Tenet wherewith their judgements have been leavened for some considerable space formerly and so grow into a dis-approbation or contempt of it and yet may very possibly think the Gospell favoureth or countenanceth it and that otherwise they should never have owned nor approved it Hence it appeares that in your account errour may be discerned by reason which yet shall be thought by the Gospell to be owned so that the Gospell shall not be the rule by which to judge of truth and errour but reason shall be the rule by which to judge whether the Gospell it selfe to wit that sacred Writ which is received in the Church of God for the Gospell be true or false Then you goe on to the same purpose Now when a person shall be brought into the snare of such a conceit or imagination as this that the Gospell in some of the veins or carriages of it teacheth or asserteth things that are vaine But before you goe any further allowing the Divine authority of the Gospell it is unpossible that such a conceit should have place that the Gospell in any of the veines or carriages of it should assert any thing that is vaine He goes on Or if no good consistency with reason or truth here is your rule to judge of any opinion in matters of Faith and that whereby the Gospell it selfe must be called to an account the consistency or inconsistency of it with reason so farre it must be truth as vaine mans blind reason judgeth it consistent with it selfe You conclude He is in a ready posture to throw from his soule all credence of the Divine authority of the Gospell and to esteeme it no better then a Fable devised by men so farre then as you comprehend by reason the things taught in the Gospell to be agreeable to reason neither above it nor crosse thereto so farre you will embrace the Gospell if any thing you finde in it otherwise you are in a ready posture to esteeme it no better then a Fable I doubt you are so indeed by your discourse here and other-where for most certaine it is that there are many things in the Gospell both above your reason and crosse to it But Sir allowing the divine authority of the Gospell It is impossible that any man should discover an errour in matter of faith and religion but he therein discernes it to be dis-owned and condemned by the Gospell and the Gospell it selfe was the rule and the light whereby he discovered it and the fruit of his discovery will not be as you reason here the blame of the Gospell but of his owne former ignorance of the Gospell But if here you have not spoken openly enough you have discovered your selfe fully pag. 335. of your booke where disputing against a maine Gospel-truth namely the unchangeable love of God to the Saints your words are these Besides whether any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of the love of God to him that is godly as the objection speaks of can be effectually and upon sufficient grounds given unto men is very questionable yea I conceive there is more reason to judge otherwise then so But let us hear what you say next Yea that which is more it is indeedmore then enough I verily beleeve that in case any such assurance of the unchangeablenesse of Gods love were to be found in or could regularly bee deduced from the Scriptures it were a just ground to any intelligent and considering man to question their authority and whether they were from God or no. Now have you spoken out evident it is as the light of the sunne that you make mans reason blind and corrupt as it is a rule above the Scriptures whereby to try them and the only touch-stone of them for that which may be found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures must needs be the voyce of the Scripture in concordance with it self by what rule now shall we question it but that of our reason as above it Now Sir you must give me leave to tell you that your owne pen hath proclaimed you a very Socinian And now let us see whether this conclusion leads even to the utter overthrow of the Scriptures By the same reason that you may question this doctrine found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question any other and the authority of the Scriptures thereupon a ready way for all Hereticks and erroneous Teachers The Papists may question the authority of the Scripture if Gods hatred against Image-worship may bee found in or regularly deduced from the Scriptures you may question the authority of Scriptures if holinesse of life or whatsoever other truth as wel one as another may be found in or regularly deduced from them Let me advise you a more compendious way to maintain your errours against personall election and reprobation against the dominion of God therein exprest against the confinement of redemption to the elect against the perseverance of the Saints against the efficacious influence of grace upon the will of man and even this errour concerning the light and ability of the naturall man for discerning and applying the things of the spirit of God held forth in the Gospell trouble not your selfe to torture the Scriptures that they may seeme to witnesse for you but for as much as they speake so much against you question their authority and whether they be from God or not And why should you not doe as your elder brethren of the Socinian-family have done before you Let us first see their doctrines as like to yours as one egge is like another what saith Smalcius It is certaine that whatsoever is contrary to reason is neither extant in the holy Scriptures neither can it be gathered from them De Christo vero naturali Dei filio C. 6. What saith Ostorodius another head of that Tribe If reason or understanding expresly prove the Trinity of persons in God to be false how
Scriptures though they were enemies not the work of the same doctrine which whoso hear and read without the grace of God are made worse enemies thereof Whence the Lord Iesus distinguishing beleevers from unbeleevers that is the vessels of mercy from the vessels of wrath No man saith he can come to me except it be given him of my father and presently as he said this his disciples were offended at his doctrine who afterwards followed him no more let us not say therefore that Doctrine is Grace but let us acknowledge Grace which makes Doctrine profitable which Grace if it be wanting we see that doctrine is even hurtfull Lib. de praedest Sanct. c. 19. The Apostle gives thanks to God for those that believed not verily because the Gospell was preached to them but because they beleeved I saith he having heard of your faith in Christ Iesus and love to all the Saints cease not to give thanks for you c. Ephes. 1. their faith was new and lately begun by the preaching of the Gospell which faith being heard of the Apostle gives thanks to God for them if he should have given thanks to man for that which he either knew or thought was not performed by him it would have been rather flattery or mockery then giving of thankes Let us not be deceived God is not mocked faith even beginning is his gift that the Apostles thanksgiving be not deservedly judged false or of false glorying The like instance for thanksgiving he brings from 1 Thes. 2. Then for Prayer c. 20. That the beginning of faith is the gift of God the Apostle admonisheth us saying withall praying for us That God would open unto us the doore of his word to speake the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds that I may make it manifest as Iought to speake Col. 4. How is the doore of the word opened saith he but when the sence or understanding of the hearer is opened that he may beleeve and faith being begun he may admit those things which are preached and disputed for building up of wholesome doctrine least the heart being shut up by unbeleefe he may disallow and reject the things that are spoken whence to the Corinthians I will stay at Ephesus saith he till Pentecost for there a great doore and effectuall is opened unto me and there are many adversaries 1 Cor. 16. What may we here understand but that the Gospell being there first of all preached by him many beleeved and there were many adversaries of the same faith according to that of the Lord No man comes unto me except it be given him of the father and to you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven to them it is not given The doore then is open in them to whom it is given but there are many adversaries of them to whom it is not given More fully yet Epist. 107. to Vitalis wilt thou forbid the Church to pray for unbeleevers that they may be beleevers for those that will not beleeve that they may will to beleeve for those that dissent from his Law and doctrine that they may consent thereto that God may give unto them what he promised by his Prophet an heart to know him and hearing eares which they had certainly received of whom our Saviour saith he that hath eares to heare let him hear What wilt thou not when thou hearest the Minister exhorting the people to pray to God or himselfe with a loud voice praying that God would compell the unbeleeving Nations to his faith say Amen What wilt thou blame the Apostle Paul for having such desires for the unbeleeving Iewes Brethren saith hee my hearts desire and Prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved The same Apostle to the Thessalonians 2 Epist. 3. Finally brethren pray for us that the word of God may run and be glorified even as it is with you and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith How should the word of God run and be glorified but by the conversion of them to the faith to whom it is preached since he saith to beleevers as with you surely he knowes that this is done by him whom he will have prayed unto that he may doe it as likewise that hee may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men who should not beleeve notwithstanding their prayers wherefore he addes for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Because they were to beleeve who were ordained to eternall life but God makes such as doe not yet beleeve to beleeve by the prayers of beleevers that he may shew iâ— iâ— he that doth it In the same Epistle more towards the â—…ginning In vaine and for fashion sake rather then truely doe we poure out prayers to God for such speaking of Infidels if it belong not to his Grace to convert to his Faiâ—â— the Wills of men contrary to the Faith 〈◊〉 vaine and for fashion sake rather then truely doe we give thanks to God with grâ—â—â— representation of joy when any of them beleeve if he doe not worke this in them Wee pray not at all but make a feigned show of prayer if we beleeve that not he but we our selves doe the things we pray for we give noâ— thanks at all but make a feigned shew of thanks if we doe not think that he doth that for which we give thanks And whilst with men we â—…fend free-will with God we loose the benefit of prayer and wee doe not render trâ—â— praise whilst we do not ackowledge true grâ—â—â— If we will truly defend Free-will let us noâ— oppose that whereby it is made free for he that opposeth Grace by which our Will is freed to decline from evill and to doe good he will have his Will to be still captive A little after upon that Text who hath delivered from the power of darknesse So it comâ—â—â—o passe thâ—â— neither are they made beleevers but by freâ— Will and yet by hiâ— Grace are they made beleeâ—ers who from the power of darknesse freeed their Will So the grace of God is not denied but is shewed to be true without any humane merits fore-going and free Will is so defended as that it may be well settled with humility not by haughtinesse cast headlong and he that glories not in man whether any other or himselfe but in the Lord he may gloâ—… CHAP. XI To this lâ—st state of Pelagianisme in the hands of the Mâ—ssiliâ—ns we may subjoyn the Doctrine of a certain Abbot in his thirteenth Collation published by Cassâ—an against whom Prosper hath vindicated the truth according to the Doctrine of Austin in his bookâ— contra Collatorem we shall glean a little â—ere yet so much as shall state the error and refuâ—e it Collator THâ— beginning not onely of acts but even of good thoughts is from God who both inspires in us the beginningâ— of an holy Will and withall gives us the strength and