by his fall became like and in Scripture it is termed The flesh The old man The sinne that dwelleth in us The sinne of the world The law of sin The law in our members The body of death Concupiscence or Lust also The first death of the soule which Adam died immediately upon his sin in which death and separation of grace from the soule all Adams posterity remaine dead and rotten till they be quickned againe by Christ. Whereas then the soule being of a lively and active substance worketh altogether by and according to its inherent qualities where they are onely good all the actions thereof are regular where naught there all its operations must needs be crooked and incongruous as in men unregenerate of whom the Apostle gives this definitive sentence They that are in the flesh cannot please God And out of this roote growes that fruit which wee properly call mans aversion or turning from God to himselfe to Satan to any creature yeelding service and love to any but to God to whom onely he owes it 3. But there is yet a third estate wherein the habits of righteousnesse and sinne are not severed as in the former two but coupled both together and this is in the state of grace when holinesse is againe infused into our natures and corruption done away in part Which worke of the holy Ghost upon us is set forth by sundry appellations in Scriptures all signifying but divers circumstances of one and the same thing It s called the Spirit the new man the new creature our regeneration or begetting againe our renascentia or new birth our renovation or renewing the law of our minds viz. renewed the first resurrection from the dead our effectuall vocation our conversion and in one word which compriseth and expoundeth the extent of all the rest Our Sanctification which is nothing but that Image of God which we had lost in Adam restored unto us again by the supernaturall worke of Gods Spirit creating holinesse or grace in our unholy and gracelesse hearts For then only are we renewed being made new men and new creature then onely begot and borne againe by the Spirit then raised to life effectually called and turned from darknesse to light when we are sanctified throughout by this new quality of grace brought into us rectifying and repairing every part of our whole man In which state the operations of the soule are mixt neither simply good as in the first nor simply evill as in the second but partaking of both qualities according to the different habites of corruption and grace whereby the soule is depraved or perfected in her working Now the proper fruit of this renued grace is our Conversion or Turning unto God when upon the infusion of spirituall life and grace we begin again to acknowledge our Creator and forsaking our lusts Satan and the creature to fasten againe our love upon God that made our soules and best deserves our service But yet touching this our sanctification or inherent righteousnesse we are to enquire a little more distinctly and for the cleerer understanding of it to distinguish betweene 1. The Habit of Grace 2. The Operations proceeding from thence The sacred habite of grace is one supernaturall qualitie of holinesse universally infused into all the powers of the soule at once and spreading it selfe over all leaves no part unsanctified as corruption on the contrary leaves no part untainted And as this being one containes in it originally the seed of every sinne so doth the other of every gracious action It is bestowed on every elect person through the worke of the holy Ghost who when hee enters to take possession of the heart by his quickning and sanctifying vertue brings life holinesse not to one only part but to all at once I say to all at once in the habituall renovation of every part For grace comes into the soule like light into the aire which before darke is in all parts at once illuminated or as heate into cold water that spreads it selfe through the whole substance or as the soule into the body of Lazarus or the Shunamites childe not by degrees but all at once infused and giving life to every part So is our new man borne at once though he grow by degrees that is the soule in our conversion is at once reinvested with the Image of God in all its faculties so that howsoever the actions of grace doe not presently appeare in each one yet the habite the seede the roote of all divine vertues is firmely reimplanted in them and by the strength of this grace given they are constantly disposed to all sanctified operations The operations flowing from this blessed habite of renewed grace are many For Grace as in all parts it workes imperfectly during this life so in divers parts it workes diversly or rather because habits are not active per se thus Every faculty having proper operations belonging to it different from others which it produceth by the strength of its proper nature if it be perverted by corruption it doth the action ill if it be rectified by grace it performes it well As to know to assent to choose to desire to joy to love c. are naturall workes of the understanding and will or reasonable appetite But when they shall put themselves forth to action nothing will be done in a right manner nor directed to a right object unlesse the faculties be reindued with their Primitive perfection totally or in part For this rule is sure Nothing can worke as God would have it unlesse it be such as God made it Now by the restoring of grace or Gods image a man becomes in part like unto that he was in his first creation and consequently the motions of every faculty conformable to their first regularity Well then Grace like the Ocean is one Element but takes divers names according to the severall regions and parts of the soule which it washeth and sanctifieth according to the severall objects about which they are imployed and lastly according to the severall occasions that stirre them up to action As for instance Grace in the understanding is called spirituall wisedome in discerning of holy things Grace in the will is a rectified choice and embracing of its right object God and his goodnesse Grace in the affections are their pure and sanctified motions towards their proper objects Grace in the outward man is its prompt and ready obedience in doing the commands of a sanctified soule Now in all these parts albeit the seede of renewing grace bee so deepely sowne and rooted that as S. Iohn speakes 1. Ioh. 3. 9. it remaines within us the Image of God being though more imperfectly yet more firmely imprinted on the regenerate than on Adam himselfe yet the Actus secundi the actuall operations of this Grace appeare neither perfectly nor equally in every part but shew themselves sooner or later more strongly or weakely according as the strength of sinnefull corruption
that is not Before but a part of our sanctification nor yet a solitaty Habite infused alone by it selfe but together with the Actus primi or Habits of all supernaturall graces whatsoever T is true in some sense that before faith there is no life nor sanctity in the soule because faith is a part of our life of grace and of sanctity But there are other parts too Hope Charity c. and of these it may be said as well as of faith there 's no grace in the soule till hope charity be wrought in it All are parts of our spirituall life wrought together For as the corporall so the spirituall life is not one distinct but omnes actus primi of every faculty whereby it can worke regularly And though in the body some part may live alone and others bee dead yet in our spirituall life t is farre otherwise all powers are quickned and live together where the habit of one grace is there are all and as soone all as one every Faculty being rectified as well as any and all the operations of each faculty tending to all its objects renued as well as any one operation directed to some one object Wherefore I see not under correction of quicke eyes how Faith can bee accounted the roote whence spring all other fruits of righteousnesse the efficient cause of our sanctification the onely pipe through which the waters of life flow into the soule that first-borne grace in our spirituall regeneration so much that before its actuall operation there is no jot of spirituall life and sanctity in our hearts Many divine Elogies are given to faith in the Scriptures but none such as to cause us to make it the fountaine of all graces That the heart is regenerate before the act of beleeving and other graces wrought therein together with the habit of faith may appear by these reasons 1. It is the true and generall doctrine of all Divines that actuall faith is never wrought in the soule till besides the supernaturall illumination of the understanding the will bee also changed and freed in part from its naturall perversnesse For till this bee done t is utterly impossible it should ever embrace the promise Now the doing away of this ignorance and rebellion what is it but an effect of the grace of sanctification implanted in the soule by which it is sweetly and freely inclined to all heavenly things 2. To beleeve is an action of a man living by grace not dead in sinne The soule therefore is first endued with the life of grace before it can performe this living action 3. There can be no reason given why in our regeneration it should bee necessary first to have faith before we can have any other grace of sanctification no more than that it should be needfull to have some other grace before we can have faith or why we are more fit being unconverted to receive the grace of faith rather than any other grace as of repentance c. A man unregenerate having no preparations at all to any grace is alike disposed to receive every one and so there is no difference on mans part If any say that the Spirit which must worke other graces is not received till wee doe actually beleeve in so saying he confutes himselfe it being most apparant that the Spirit is given to men incredulous to the end to make them beleevers and no man should ever bee converted were not the holy Ghost given to him whilst he is unconverted to worke his conversion Now God that for Christs sake gives faith unto us when we had none without any predisposition in us to receive it can and doth for the same Christs sake give us all other graces as well at the same time 4. It cannot well bee shewne how faith produceth all other vertues in us seeing that all habites of grace are infused not acquired and one habite cannot produce another nor doth one habite bring forth the operations of another T is true that faith lends a hand to helpe forward all gracious actions and does much in their guidance and direction but t is like as the understanding guides the actions of the will and inferiour faculties or as prudence moderates the actions of all other morall vertues which actions notwithstanding come from their proper faculties and habites as their immediate principia and fountaines But of this point more at large when we come to shew the dependance that obedience hath upon faith Against this may be objected That we live by faith Gal. 2. 20. that by faith Christ dwells in our hearts Eph. 3. 17. that through faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2. 12. that by faith we receive the holy Ghost Ioh. 7. 38 39. Eph. 1. 13. So that we have no life till we be in Christ no being in him til we have faith to beleeve on him no sap from the vine no vertue from the body till we be united as branches as members which union is by faith onely no Spirit of grace to give us life till wee have faith to receive it In briefe thus Christ by his Spirit is the author of all our spirituall life sanctification But till we beleeve wee have no participation nor fellowship with Christ and his Spirit Therefore till wee beleeve wee have in us no life at all consequently by faith we are made partakers of all life and grace To which I answer We must carefully distinguish betweene a twofold Vnion and Communion we have with Christ. 1. By the Spirit on his part for Christ as by his Death he is the meritorious cause of life and grace unto the elect so by his Spirit he is the onely efficient of life and grace in the regenerate To whom whilst they are yet dead in sin and destitute of all grace so as they neyther doe nor possibly can beleeve Christ sends his Spirit which breathes life into them changes and purifies their nature by working all holy and rectified abilities in every part Now this first worke of the Spirit creating of grace in the soule doth most apparantly precede not onely the act of beleeving but the habite also for the habite it selfe is infused by this worke And therefore it is also manifest that before all faith we have and must have some participation with Christ even to this end that wee may have faith But this union with him is wrought meerely by the holy Spirit which is that band whereby Christ knits himselfe to us communicating all gracious and quickning vertue from himselfe to us and thereby making us living members of his body 2. By our faith on our parts when being quickned by infused grace wee actually apply our selves to embrace the promise and to relye upon Christ onely And here wee knit our selves to Christ resting upon him alone for all comfort By which uniting of our selves to Christ wee receive a greater increase and larger measure of grace from
actuall Concurrence yet we truly and properly ascribe such effects to their Visible apparant immediate causes But in this point concerning the replantation of Holinesse in a Sinfull man we affirme against Pelagians Semi-pelagians Papists Arminians or other sectaries however branded that as the Agent or Efficient of mans Sanctification is simply supernaturall viz. the Holy Hhost so is his manner of working altogether Divine beyond the power and without the helpe of any thing in man An assertion that layes nature flat on her backe and yet gives vnto her as much as Sinne hath left her and that 's just Nothing in matter of Grace And the truth hereof will easily appeare to any that will without pride and prejudice consult the Scriptures or common experience Me thinkes when we reade in the booke of God these and such like sayings that every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evill continually that of the children of men there is none that understands and seeks after God that they are become altogether filthy none that doth good no not one that the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit nor can he know them being spiritually discerned that wee are blinde till God Open our eyes that wee are deafe till God bore our Eares that wee are Darknesse vtterly destitute of Spirituall light that the Wissdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the flesh is enmity or hatred against God is not nor can be subiect to him that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit rebelling against the worke thereof even in the regenerate much more before regeneratiō that of our selves we are not sufficient to thinke a good thought as of our selves but that our sufficiency is of God that it is God which worketh in us both the will and the deed of his good pleasure that in our conversion wee are New begotten New borne New creatures created in Christ Iesus to good workes in fine to put all out of doubt That wee are Dead in trespasses and Sinnes and that our Sanctification is the first resurrection from death effected in us by the same Almighty power which God declared in raising Christ from the grave When I say wee consider of these and the like places were wee not too much in love with our selves and held some scorne to con God all the thankes for our salvation our hearts and tongues would presently bee filled with a sincere acknowledgement Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name wee give the glory for thy loving mercy and for thy truths sake Besides I wish wee would descend unto an unpartiall examination of our owne hearts to make discovery by the light of the Spirit of that body of Death wee be are about with us what strong rebellion there is of the Law in our members against the law of our mindes what secret and powerfull attractives the affections of Sinne have to pull us unto disobedience what violent and bitter opposition they make against Grace checking their disorderly motions how seldome any blessed resolution tending to sanctity rises up in our thoughts how vnwildy we are in the managing of any gracious motion from the Holy Ghost with what slacknesse and cumber wee prosecute such holy inspirations to action and full accomplishment in a word how passing slow our course towards heaven is when wee have all helpes of nature and Grace to carry us forward I am fully perswaded that whatsoever any man may conceive in abstract speculation there is no converted person if he make application to his owne particular but will confesse freely if he deale truly with his owne heart that not only if God had not done More for him than he could for himselfe but if God had not done All for him he had utterly perished in his sinnes And he will acknowledge that it is impossible there should be in and of himselfe such Preparations and forward dispositions to worke his owne Conversion who being Converted is hindered by none so much in the finishing of his salvation as by his owne perpetuall indisposition to goodnesse This our disabilitie whereof wee are convinced in our owne sense and by testimony of the Scripture will inforce us if our pride bee not as great as our povertie to confesse whence wee have our riches without stammering shifting and mineing of the matter as the fashion of too many is who by many prety scholasticall devices distinguish God out of all or the greatest part or at least some part of his Glory due unto him for our Conversion and thrust in the Abilities of their owne Free-will as co-workers with Gods Spirit joynt-purchasers of this inheritance of Grace But let God have glory and every man shame and let all whom grace hath taught to judge of their Corruption say with the Church Es. 26. 12. Thou O Lord hast wrought all our workes in us I will not prevent my selfe by larger explication of this point at this time but wrapp up all touching this first conclusion in a needfull distinction or two and so passe on Mans Concurrence in the worke of his sanctifications is double 1 Passive which is the Capacity or Aptnesse that is in mans nature for the Receiuing of Grace for being a Reasonable creature hee is naturally prepared and disposed with such a substance and faculties as are meet subjects to receive the Habit and instruments to performe the actions of Grace This Concurrence of man to his regeneration is most necessary nor doth God sanctifie senslesse or irrationall creatures nor is man in his conversion in such sort passive as is a stone blocke or brute beast as our adversaries absurdly cavill 2 Active which is some Strength or Power that man hath in the Vse of his faculties especially of his will for the Production of Grace This strength of man in doing good is to be distinguished in regard 1 Of the Beginning and first Act of our Conversion when Holinesse is at the first reimplanted in the Soule 2 Of the Progresse of our Conversion in the practise of Sanctification In this second respect none denies Mans actuall concurrence with the Spirit of God for being sanctified and inwardly inabled in his faculties by Spirituall life put into them he can Move himselfe in and towards the performance of all living actions of grace even as Lazarus of Nature Whereas yet you are to remember that even in these actions wee cannot worke alone we are but Fellow-workers with the Spirit of God and this not in an Equality but Subordination to him we indeed move our hands to write but like raw schollers wee shall draw mishapen charecters unlesse our heavenly Master guide our hands Neverthelesse these actions take their denominations from the next Agent and though performed by speciall assistance of the Spirit yet are rightly said to be mans actions so that when a regenerate person Beleeves Praies gives almes rejoyceth in God c. we doe not say that the Holy Ghost in us
They knew mans nature to be corrupt but never dreamt of any such Originall universall depravation of our nature as that we are dead in sinnefull infirmity utterly deprived of that Spirituall life and ability which sometime wee enjoyed They knew the Outward act of sinne and the grosser sort of Inward thoughts to be evill but they could not imagine that so high perfection of Spirituall obedience was required of man by any Law as to condemne him for every disorderly thought not consented unto To wish for our Neighbours House or Wife is a thought which allowed of with consent may by a Heathen upon the fundamentall notions of right and wrong bee condemned as repugnant to charity and equity But for the same thought to arise in the heart and passe away without all approbation and intention of practice yea haply with some dislike and yet to be esteemed as an offence was never thought of by the naturall man The discovery of the sinfulnesse of this first brood of Lust when by secret entisings it drawes away the heart and shootes forth onely in sudden motions arising and vanishing without notice and allowance this is a point of Divinity of a higher straine than ever any naturall man could reach unto Yea Paul himselfe though a Iew a learned Pharisee yet before his conversion understood it not Rom. 7. 7. and the Papist to this day will not bee perswaded t is so though Paul affirme it Now from hence wee shall learne in part to judge aright of the naturall mans vertue and goodnesse How farre ordinarily it goes and what worth is in it in regard of Gods approbation of it I will briefly set this downe in five Propositions 1. The Vertuous practice of the naturall man is more busied about the Outward act than the Inward affection in reforming the maners not amending the heart in restraining the externall action not resisting the inward desires and inclinations as the true Christian doth It is indeed not to be denied but the Heathen came so farre as to condemne the roote of sinne as well as the fruite and to judge them punishable as vitious persons not onely whose lewd practices testified them so to be but those also who in their affections and thoughts approved the like wickednesse And Philosophers have not a little laboured to finde out the true meanes of composing and settling that more distempered part of our mindes in our unruly passions and perturbations whence they easily perceived did issue originally the chiefe provocations to all evill And in this point they did rightly judge that it was of much greater difficulty to order the unruly motions of the mind than to restraine the outward actions of the body or to atchieve any hard adventure They well knew that the Soveraignty of the Will over the Appetite and Affections was but a civill perswasive authority which might be easily withstood by the stubbornnesse of the inferiour faculties onely over the outward parts the Will had a masterly and absolute command to move them as it pleased without gainsaying Now then although we may finde many among the Heathen of an excellent temper who either by a Naturall disposition or studious education and wise observation of themselves carried a singular command over some of their passions of Anger I ove and the rest yet in the generall wee may assuredly beleeve that all those precepts delivered by the wisest Philosophers touching the calmenesse of minde were farre too weake and heartlesse in their practice to bring the observers of them to true Tranquillity No t is onely the Spirit of Sanctification that commands our disordered soules and if we consider it even in the sanctified Christian having that Supernaturall helpe the longest combat and most doubtfull conflict is with these carnall affections and lusts This exceeding difficulty of mastering the affections did as it seems turne the Stoickes quite on the other side who truely perceiving how great enemies these Desires and Passions were unto Wisedome Tranquillity and Vertuous Endeavours judged them all utterly evill and not to neede reformation so much as abolishment whereby they did rather astonish than conquer them and such their peace might be termed the dull stupidity and unmoveablenesse of a blocke rather than the quiet calmenesse of a man Which thing did in many passages of their lives upon occasion of unexpected dangerous accidents discover it selfe to others laughter and their owne shame when their passions which were formerly stupified and charmed by Philosophicall discourses but not mortified did easily recover their strength and brake forth with unresistable violence So then the naturall man will utterly come short of that endeavour which Christians make their chiefe viz. the inward Reformation and Sanctity of the Soule if he strive about it t is but faintly and hee soone gives it over finding the contention laborious and the victory impossible Outward evill practices he may in part forbeare the grossenesse whereof make a deeper impression of dislike in the naturall conscience and also bring him in compasse of many Civill inconveniences but for the inward loathsome corruptions of the Soule he takes as little notice of them to amend them as the world doth to punish them As in Vice so t is in Vertue the naturall man will love and practise so much of it as may by its outward splendor winne praise honour and reward but to entertaine an entire and unchangeable love to vertue severed from all these by-respects hath beene seldome found in any but those alone in whom Grace hath prevailed more than Nature There have beene some among the Heathen that have held on in a vertuous course even when they have got disgrace and smart by so doing but this hath beene rather out of a kinde of surly Obstinacy and Stiffenesse of minde than any zealous affection to goodnesse it selfe T is one thing to Scorne an ill practice another thing to Hate it and so t is one thing to Love vertue and another to Practise it out of Greatnesse of minde and High Spirit when men having fallen upon some good course and continued long in it with commendations they now scorne so to submit themselves to other mens wills and wisdome as for their pleasure to alter their owne resolutions out of meere stomacke they 'le endure any thing rather than bee so base And in these high Conceits they pleased themselves much more than in the goodnesse of that vertue whereof they made profession For wee cannot beleeve that those cold discourses of Philosophers That vertue is to be loved for it owne sake could ever set so faire a glosse on Vertues face and so to represent her excellencie to the dull apprehension of naturall men as to make any of them so farre enamoured with her beautie that they would still follow her when praise or profit forsooke them Nay this is a point most hard for the best Christians to attaine unto few of whom those excepted whose more strong and lively faith
shew what he intendeth effectually to bring to passe But yet here they urge further How can God in justice command unto a man by his Word the Performance of that which cannot be done by him without the inward helpe of the Spirit and yet in the meane time God denies this inward grace unto him I answer Gods justice will herein be as free from accusation of tyranny as before his truth was from falshood and collusion God may without blemish to his justice Command man to performe his dutie although hee have now no strength to doe it because once hee had strength and he hath now lost it Yea will they say that were true did not two things hinder 1. Man indeed had strength and hath lost it but how himselfe did not decoquere wastefully spend his Patrimonie and by the Act of his sinning abolish the Image of God within him but God for a punishment of his fault did by an immediate act take away his originall abilities And it is then as great injustice in God to command us Conversion Faith and Repentance when himselfe hath taken away our abilities whereby wee should performe it as for a Iudge after he hath put out an offenders eyes yet to command him under paine of further punishment to read such a booke If hee had put out his owne eies the case had beene otherwise the Iudge being not bound to take notice of that his fact To which we answer that t is true God for our sinne hath deprived us of his image so that we cannot doe his will without new strength restored unto us yet we must remember though this deprivation be an act of God yet it happens through our merit by reason of our sinne and in this case how harsh soever it may seeme to us yet God the Iudge of the world doth not unjustly To command us the doing of that which wee cannot performe without those abilities restored which himselfe for our transgression hath taken from us and will not give us againe This is proved by that one instance beyond all exception The perfect obedience to the Morall Law is required of all and yet t is madnesse to affirme that God gives or is bound to give unto all that strength to doe it which they had in Adam without which it cannot bee done Further that God may justly command what man cannot performe is manifest by Gods commanding Pharaoh to let the Israelites goe which yet Pharaoh could not doe for God himselfe hardened his heart that hee should not be willing to let them depart 2. When God commands man to beleeve the Gospell here 's a duety injoyned that man never had strengh in Adam to performe And therefore if God doe require a new duety he is bound to afford new strength because by that which he had and lost he was never inabled to doe it To which we answer that it is an errour to affirme that Faith which is the condition of the new Covenant is not commanded in the Morall Law Legall and Evangelicall or the Faith of Adam in innocency and of man since his Fall is for the substance of the grace one and the same viz. Credence and Confidence of and in all things whatsoever that God shall reveale unto man The difference is onely in the Vse and in the particular object as we shall see in the handling of that point of Faith Now Adam being commanded in all things to beleeve his Creator whether revealed or to be revealed and having ability so to doe so that if God had told of him the mystery of the Gospell he would have beleeved it we also are bound by the Law of our Creation and so the Morall Law to beleeve in Christ as soone as God reveales vnto us this thing to be beleeved and God may require it of us because wee had power once to doe it and what is lost God is not bound to restore 2. Reason If the Word at any time be destitute of the quickning Spirit it will follow that the Word shall be of it selfe a dead letter and the â—avour of death because it is destitute of the Spirit which only puts life unto it But this is not to be affirmed for as much as it is only our fault that the Word proves the â—avour of death c. To this we answer That the Word is never of it selfe the â—avour of death no not then when it is without the vertue of the Spirit and we reject those assertions as utterly erroneous That the Word should bee preached unto some to damne them or with this intent to make them inexcusable The Gospell is not published with any such purpose at all for the judgement of our English Divines in the Synod is â—ound that those who being called refuse to convert should be made more inexcusable Neque enim ea singi potest homines reddere inexcusabiles per Verbum Spiritum vocatio quae eo tantum Fine exhibetur ut reddat inexcusabiles No there 's no such matter The end of the VVord preached is to shew unto man what is that good and that acceptable will of God which he requires man should performe and the declaration of the will of God to man is alwaies in it selfe most good and excellent nor doth it vary in its owne nature whether the vertue of the Spirit goe with it or no. For as I touched before the power of the Spirit doth not worke upon the VVord to put life into it but it workes upon our soules to put life into them So that whether our hearts be sanctified or not sanctified t is all one to the VVord it makes no alteration in the nature of that All the difference lies in the Effect where the heart is sanctified there the VVord is heard with obedience where t is not sanctified there t is heard and disobeyed But the cause of this difference is meerely in the disposition of mans heart not any jot from the VVord the preaching whereof is good and to a good intent but unto some it becomes hurtfull not because the VVord hurts them but they hurt themselves by their owne sinnefulnesse leaving themselves inexcusable in their fault and aggravating their damnation by wilfull disobedience The VVord is neither dead nor deadly in it selfe but wee are dead and by our sinnes against the VVord slay our selves 3. Reason If the preaching of the VVord be sometimes destitute of the vertue of the Spirit it will follow that men should bee condemned for not beleeving and being converted by that which hath no power to cause them to beleeve and convert as the VVord without the Spirit hath not But that were injustice so to doe c. Ergo. To this slight argument we answer that the default of mens not beleeving and converting is not through want of any thing in the VVord which is onely to tell them what God requires of them and this the VVord doth fully and sufficiently If they obey not
so with us that wee know not what these things meane if to our apprehension there appeare more terror in the angry words of a King than the most peremptory threatnings of God if a reproofe of a knowne fault will be rejected by us with contempt and gall if we sleight the sweetest exhortations and the Consolations of God seeme a small matter to us if wee can with a Confident scorne of all Gods counsells hold a resolution to goe on still in our owne courses let God and his Ministers say what they list if our Corruptions trouble us not and of all things in this life we take least notice of the sinfull estate of our soules or of all pleasures and studies wee finde least content in hearing reading meditating on the Word These things are infallible Symptomes of Spirituall death that hath seazed on us and that as yet wee have not so heard the Word the Voyce of the Sonne of God as to be made alive by the hearing of it This tryall is certaine and this Change that the Word and Spirit worke in our regeneration is very sensible if wee be not sensible of it we may be bold to Censure our selves that as yet wee have it not To conclude they only heare the Word as the word of God which finde in it Gods power working Sanctification in their hearts others heare it only as the word of man which goes no further than the naturall care and understanding Where this change of the heart is not all reformation in the life is but counterfeit and hypocriticall In the two former Questions wee have examined the pretended sufficiency of Grace universally bestowed on all whether within or without the Church and shewed you that all those gifts which are ordinarily given either to Christians or Heathens are utterly insufficient for to worke their true Conversion unlesse there bee a further aide of the speciall grace of the Holy Ghost working on the Soule to the sanctification thereof Wee are at this time to come unto our third and last Question whether or no supposing such grace to be given as is truly sufficient to convert it be notwithstanding in mans power freely to choose whether he will be converted or not converted by it The Arminian affirmes that it is so and that when God directly intends to Convert a man and for that purpose affords him all gracious helpes needfull to be given on his part then Man by the liberty of his Will may resist Gods will and worke so as they shall not worke his Conversion A desperate error which whosoever maintaines it is impossible that Christian Humilitie and thankfulnesse can have any place in that mans heart Wherefore it behooves us much to be rightly informed in a point of such consequence wherein it is so easie to become an enemy against the grace of God The Question then is this Whether it be in mans power so to resist the grace of God as finally to hinder his owne Conversion In the explication of this Controversie I shall with Gods helpe proceed in this order 1. To shew unto you in briefe the Opinion and Errours of our Adversaries in this point 2. To unfold and confirme that Truth which the orthodox Church defends as touching this matter 3. To answer such Arguments as are made against it The Opinion of the Arminians touching the power of Mans free Will in the worke of Conversion is most fully and freely expressed by that perverse Sectary Iohannes Arnoldi Corvinus in these words of his so often mentioned in the acts of the late Synod and which are most worthy to be had in everlasting detestation Positis saith he omnibus operationibus gratiae quibus ad Conversionem in nobis eâ—â—iciendam Deus utitur manet tamen ipsa Conversio it a in â—ostra Potestate libera ut possimus non converti id est nosmetipsos vel convertere vel non converters id est Suppose all the operations of Grace which God useth to worke conversion in us bee present yet Conversion it selfe remaines in that sort free in our power that wee may be not converted that is we may convert or not convert our selves This is plaine dealing without ambiguity and doubling When God hath done all that is to be done for his part 't is still on our free choyce whether wee will convert or not Their explication of this conclusion is as strange as the conclusion it selfe is hereticall It is thus there are two operations of Grace precedent to a mans Conversion 1. Illumination of the Vnderstanding in the cleere knowledge of the Law and Gospell Sinne and Grace Which illumination is not you must thinke wrought by any immediate worke of the Holy Ghost opening the understanding to discerne of Spirituall things but by the very plaine evidence of the things themselves so cleerely declared and represented to the Vnderstanding that every man having the use of reason aâ—d judgement and being attentive in the hearing or reading of the Word may by the help of his naturall reason without other Supernaturall light understand the sense of all things delivered in Scripture needfull to be knowne beleeved hoped for or practised This is the first worke of Grace upon the Vnderstanding the next is in the 2. Renovation of the Affections which are quickened and rectified with new motions towards spirituall things So that a man not yet converted may truly Sorrow for his offending of God Bewaile his spirituall death in sinne be inflamed with the love of the truth Desire Grace and the Spirit of regeneration hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and eternall life truly wish for deliverance out of his sinfull estate in briefe offer up to God the Sacrifice of a contrite and broken heart in Humilitie in Confession of sinne in Prayers for mercy in a Purpose and an Assay of amendment of life And thus farre the heart or affections may be changed and quickened when yet a man is not Converted Now this alteration which is wrought in affections is if you will beleeve them not any immediate effect of the Holy Ghost working this change in them but the proper cause of it is the Illumination of the understanding whereupon followes necessarily the stirring up of the affections in their right orderly motions which formerly were dead and disordered by reason of the darknesse of the minde misguiding them These two workes goe before mans Conversion and are wrought in all that heare the Word Vniversally and Irresistably the plainesse of Divine truth is such that men though they would cannot avoide the knowledge of it and the dependance of the affections on the Vnderstanding is such that their motions must needs bee conformable to the knowledge and apprehensions thereof When these two effects are wrought in a man hee is then furnished with sufficient strength to Beleeve and Convert if he will This power and strength is given him irresistably will he nill hee but for the Act of
them Yes there was and is still great need we should make this Prayer now the Gospell is revealed to the Church yet to pray for the Spirit of Revelation to reveale it to our hearts and to inlighten the eyes of our minde not only to understand the literall sense of the Word by the helpe of that Common light of the Spirit which shineth ordinarily in the Church but to comprehend with all Saints the height depth and largenesse of Gods love the riches of his glorious inheritance the pretiousnesse of the promises of Grace the power and saving vertue of the Gospell the rare excellencie and amiablenesse of all divine truth Which none can doe without the speciall worke of the Holy Ghost changing the Vnderstanding from Naturall to Spirituall by an immediat infusion of such a qualitie as inables it to discerne aright of Spirituall things I conclude this point with one reason more If to the understanding of spirituall things there bee no other illumination required but only the cleere evidence of the object plainely represented to the understanding without any further worke of the Spirit upon the Vnderstanding it selfe infusing into it a speciall strength to apprehend the things that are proposed to it then it would be knowne whether these men thinke that our intellective Facultie hath got any hurt and defect by Adams fall yea or no. It is manifest that they thinke that mans fall hath not brought any defect and weaknesse upon the power of mans understanding no not in Spiritualibâ—…s For marke it when Divine things are in a plaine and lively manner declared to the understanding is there any defect in the facultie that must be first amended by the Spirit before it can have the perfect knowledge of those things No say they so therebe the common assistance of the Spirit preserving unto us the right use of reason and judgement we may without any supernaturall worke of the Spirit understand spirituall things when they are plainly expounded unto us Why then here 's all the difference betweene Adam and Vs His Vnderstanding was perfect and happy because he had both the Power to conceive of things hee was yet ignorant of when they should be cleerely revealed to him and also the Actuall knowledge of wonderfull varietie in all things Our understanding is imperfect and unhappy because by our fall wee want the Actuall knowledge of almost all things especially Spirituall but yet we still retaine the same power that we had in Adam to understand any spirituall thing when it is once cleerely discovered unto us So that according to Arminius schoole the understanding of man since the Fall is like unto our Eyes in the darke the eye is well and without blemish needing no cure of any defect in it selfe yet it sees nought because the Object is not inlightened so soone as light shines on that causing a cleere discovery of it the eye without further adoe can easily perceive it But this is yet the very pride and gall of an Hereticall spirit secretly accusing the whole mystery of Gods revealed wisdome whether in the booke of nature or of Scripture as if it were wrapped up in Obscurity and Darknesse Wee forsooth have eyes and we need not that God should restore unto us the Faculty of Seeing only wee are in darknesse because things that are to be knowne are in darkenesse if God will take away obscuritie from them and make them evident to be knowne there 's no such infirmity in us but wee may know them if wee be attentive Let us from our hearts detest this odious popish imputation of obscurity laid upon Nature and Scripture as if the cause of all our ignorance were not now in the weaknesse of our Vnderstanding but in the darknesse of Gods revealing himselfe to us And let us detest that opinion which leads us upon this absurdity and learne we to confesse our blindenesse to pray that God will give us eyes and restore our understanding to its first perfection else though the light shine round about us making all things wherein God is to be knowne most appparant and visible yet wee may still lie in darkenesse and perish in our ignorance This is their first error touching the Vnderstanding of which I shall have occasion to speake more in handling the parts of Faith I now proceed to the second touching the affections which is this 2. That even in Divine things the motions of the Affections necessarily follow upon the illumination of the Vnderstanding So that when the understanding is rightly informed and thoroughly convinced the affections are presently excited in all motions conformable to the things knowne It is very strange that men of so deepe learning should yet professe so much ignorance in the estate of Mans corrupt nature as to dreame of a Correspondency and dutifull subjection of our Passions unto our Reason so that when this is rightly taught they will be truly affected even in Spirituall things Nothing more could be said of Adam in his innocency and to affirme this touching Man corrupted is to give the lie to Reason Authority and all Experience which speake the contrary The truth is this as wee are falne out with God so are we at oddes with our selves and our affections are not more often mis-led by our erroneous understanding than our understanding and right judgement is haled aside by our vitious affections What man in the world that knowes himselfe but will confesse that even in naturalibus and moralibus much more in spiritualibus he may often say with Medea Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor Wherefore we reject this Opinion that there is no vitious inclination properly inherent in the affections besides that which is brought upon them per tâ—nâ—bras mentis through the error of the understanding wee detest this assertion as a fond and false imagination and we confesse with the Apostle that even when we know allow of consent unto the goodnesse of the Law and delight in it in part yet then wee cannot alwayes doe what we would but through the Law of Sinne in our corrupt wills and affections are led captive to disobedience Their third error is this 3. That the affections may be excitati stirred up and quickened with true love of goodnesse and hatred of evill before such time as a man be converted The Arminians are wonderfull obscure in explicating unto us their new invented opinion concerning the Excitation of the Affections which they make the second worke of Grace preceding mans true Conversion They tell us not in plaine termes what affections they meane nor yet what kinde of Excitation and Vivification it is they would have Wherefore we are more particularly to enquire of both For Affections or Passions in man they are of two sorts 1. Sensuall belonging to the Sensitive Appetite and directed by the phantasie these are common to brute beasts with us and arise from one like temper and constitution in both The object of these
yet But that assertion of our Divines That the true desire of grace is from true grace and a part of true grace shall stand fast as founded on Scripture and sound Reason when all Arminianisme shall lie in the dust If these Motions in an unregenerate man bee not True but False Counterfeit then have they made much adoe to little purpose preparing a man to that Faith and Conversion which is true by counterfeit and hypocriticall meanes But they will say that these desires and affections though they are not Spirituall yet in their kinde they are true and not counterfeit because they are true Morall or Naturall desires To which I answer that the rule to judge of the truth of our desires is this Wee must compare our affections with the Nature of those things that wee doe affect if our affections towards them be such as the Quality of the things themselves require then are they right and good if not they are false and evill as to make it plaine by an instance or two When a husband loves his wife but only as his whoore to satisfie his lust this love though it may be very â—ervent and not dissembled yet t is a false love because it is not Matrimoniall agreeable to the qualitie of a Wife the object thereof When Balaam desired the death of the righteous no question but hee spake as he thought without dissembling but yet this his desire was false because he desired it not according to the true nature thereof as it requires a sanctified life to bring us to a happy end which Balaam would none of When a Turke hopes for heaven that there hee may live in carnall pleasures according to Mahomets beastly â—aw 't is true that hee hopes but 't is false that he hopes truly because he mistakes the qualitie of Heavenly joyes which are spirituall not carnall So in like manner generally when Spirituall things are affected spiritually in such a manner as is conformable to their nature and qualitie then are our affections rightly and well moved towards them as to love goodnesse because it is of God to hate sinne because 't is contrary to the holinesse of Gods nature and law to desire grace to the end that it may correct the corruption of nature to wish for heaven that we may have communion with God in the beholding of his glory and our constant worshipping of him These affections are true but they are such as never arise in the heart of man till it be purified and made Holy by the Spirit of Grace But on the contrary when Spirituall things are affected only as things that are Naturally or Morally good or evill such affections are false and of no worth as if a man desire grace because t is a commendable qualitie or redemption because t is good to be free from miserie or heaven because t is a pleasant thing to be at ease such affections are as farre from truth as the eye is from right seeing when it mistakes greene for yellow or a man for a post And such in a man unconverted are all his Affections about Spirituall things Wherefore when they tell us of a true Love of goodnesse a true Hatred of evill c. in a man unregenerate they speake strange paradoxes against reason and Scripture affirming that they who have not the Spirit are naturall men Iud. ver 19. and that the Naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit and cannot Spiritually discerne and therefore not Spiritually desire them 1 Cor. 3. and againe that whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. Albeit therefore we denie not but that there are ordinarily many Preparations whereby God brings a man to grace and that the Word workes many effects both upon the Heart and lives of men even whilest they are as yet destitute of true Grace yet as for those affections which our Adversaries place in mâ—n unregenerate we affirme that they are not antecedents but consequents and parts of true Conversion For can hee that is dead in sinne bewaile his Spirituall death Can he that is in the flesh and so an enemie to God yet greve for displeasing of him Can he truly desire the Spirit of regeneration that is of the world and cannot receive the Spirit because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Can a man thirst after righteousnesse and yet not be blessed nor satisfied Can a man hate evill who yet loves not the Lord Can hee love God that is not borne of him Can he be humble that hath not the sanctifying Spirit one fruite whereof is meeknesse and humblenesse of minde May a true prayer be made without the helpe of the Holy Ghost Will there ever be a true Confession in the mouth when there is not Faith and Repentance in the heart How can that heart be a new heart a contrite and broken heart sensible of sinne which is not yet changed out of stone into flesh Can hee have a full purpose of heart to amend his life and cleave unto the Lord whose heart is not yet touched with sanctifying Grace Whatsoever shadow of these things may appeare in an unregenerate man it is certaine none can be done in truth but by those only in whom the Holy Ghost hath begun the worke of true Sanctification I might stand upon the further proofe of every particular were it needfull but I passe on to their fourth Error which is concerning mans Will 4. That the Will of man is not capable of any Habituall qualities inherent in it whether of grace or corruption Only a meere liberty it hath to Will or Nill any thing and besides this liberty there never was is nor can be in it any other quality Whence it followes that the Will is not to be termed good or evill from any inward disposition of it selfe but onely from the actions of it according as it is lead or mis-led by the light or darkenesse of the understanding and by the rectitude or depravation of the affections Of all the issues of Arminius braines this is one of the most deformed that the Will of man hath not in it eyther grace or corruption any vertuous or vitious inclination of it selfe a bare liberty to choose or refuse that it hath and nothing else Against which strange noveltie we have to oppose these reasons 1. The Image of God consisting in righteousnesse and holinesse was in every part of mans soule and therefore in the Will as well as the Vnderstanding And if so then besides the liberty of the Will there was in it a righteous and holy inclination towards God and Goodnesse in the first creation of it Which Habituall disposition to goodnesse is corrupted and a perverse inclination to evill come in place thereof If they deny that righteousnesse and holinesse is in the whole soule it will trouble them much to tell unto what part it must be restrained 2. The constant tenour of Scriptures
ascribes unto mans Heart corruption and grace as much nay more than to any other part of man That the Heart of man is the root of all evill workes out of it come evill thoughts murders adulteries and such other things as defile a man Mat. 15. 18 19. That the Heart is deceitfull and wicked above all things Ier. 17. 9. That in regeneration the Heart must bee renued made cleane softened of stony made fleshy That the Heart is the seate of all Spirituall gifts as Vprightnesse Purity Goodnesse and Honesty Faith Lowlinesse and many more spoken of in every chapter of the Bible almost In which places by the Heart to understand our Sensuall and brutish affections were most absurd And if as it is the Soule of man be there meant it cannot be but a nice subtilty beyond the intention of Scriptures to exclude the Will from having any part in that good or evill which is attributed to the Heart as if by the Heart were meant only the understanding part of the Soule 3. Wee preferre the uniforme judgement of all the learned hitherto above the opinion of one Arminiâ—â— and his followers who as they make the Vnderstanding the seate of all speculative Habits so for all practicall Habits whether Morall or Theologicall they place them in the Will With whom agreeably to Scripture and sound reason we maintaine that there was in Adams will besides the liberty thereof an Habituall holy inclination to all that was good though with a possibility of embracing evill again there is in our wills since the Fall besides some kind of liberty an Habituall vitious quality making them averse and froward in choosing the good prone and inclinable to embrace the â—vill so that man now doth naturally drinke iniquity like water Iob 15 16. and make a pastime of doing evill Prov. 2. 14. And therefore as Adams will was truly good not onely in the actions but in the inward qualities thereof so our will is truely and properly corrupt not onely in its evill actions but also the inward vitious disposition thereof This is the fourth errour the fifth is but a consectary of the former namely 5. That the wll of a man Vnregenerate hath a naturall freedome to choose any Spirituall good thing as soone as it is made knowne vnto him For say they the Will of man hath no other property but onely liberty when man fell and lost other good qualities his will had no hurt but retained its liberty perfect and entire So that an Vnregenerate man after once hee knowes any Spirituall good thing offered unto him hath naturally as much freedome of will to embrace it even as Adam had in his Innocency or as any man can have after his Conversion But this opinion falls to the ground with the former upon which it is built presupposing that there is no vitious quality in the will drawing it to evill But we know that to be false and therefore we confesse that untill such time as God doe heale that disease and replant in our wills their primitive integrity they are utterly dead in sinne captives and bond-slaves of corruption So that however they have some liberty in Naturall Civill or Externall Spirituall things yet in regard of true Grace and Holinesse they have no liberty at all to will and choose that but are wholly enthralled unto sinne according to that of the Apostle Rom. 6 20. When yee were the servants of sinne yee were free from righteousnesse and Rom. 8. 7. The carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeede can bee Doe they not then manifestly give the Scripture the lie that affirme a man in the state of unregeneration who without doubt is if any be a servant of sinne and carnally minded is notwithstanding free unto righteousnesse and may be even of his owne naturall power subject to the Law of God commanding him faith and obedience There are yet other errors the sixth therefore is this 6. That mans Conversion begins in the Act of Beleeving not in the Habit of Faith infused I have heretofore touched upon this point in shewing the falshood of that assertion of theirs That Conversion begins in some worke that we do not in a worke that God first doth Here you are further to note whereto tends this opinion and that is to establish their other opinion of Falling away from grace For seeing Conversion is nothing but the Act of Beleeving this Act is freely in our power as not to do it at first so when it is once done not to repeat it often for the continuance of our Conversion it follows thence that as it was in our power not to become Converts by not doing that Act so being Converted t is in our power to relapse by not continuing to doe it For which purpose they deny that there is any such thing as the grace of Faith infused into the heart yea that there is any constant habit of Faith at all and that a man is not termed a Beleever from the Habit but from the Acts of Faith which being transient and vanishing Faith ceaseth when they cease So that belike when a godly man is asleepe he hath no faith when Noah and all his Family were asleepe in the Arke then Faith ceased in the Church and seeing by faith we please God men asleepe or dying in a Lethargy doe not please God T is wonder but these men will deny all other Habits too and say that David had no skill in Musicke but that his right hand had forgot her cunning as soone as he had layd his Harpe aside They may aswell denie the one as the other both are alike ridiculous There is yet one Error more and that is this 7. That mans Conversion is properly nothing but the Act of Beleeving the Promise of Grace This restraint of our Conversion unto so narrow a compasse as first to bring it from the Habit of Faith to the Act of Beleeving and then to appropriate it to that Act without so much as once mentioning any other graces this narrow conceit touching our Conversion is that which hath filled the writings of many learned about this point with much darknesse and confusion They so speake and write of Conversion as if it began in that one and only Action of mans will Consenting to the promise of mercy in Christ. But this is without all ground To convert is not only to beleeve but to repent to love God and our Neighbour to abstaine from every evill way to practise all duties of Piety and Goodnesse these acts are as proper and immediat parts of true Conversion as Faith Nor doth the Scripture so much as intimate any such limitation as to appropriate our Conversion to the Act of Faith nay t is manifest that the Scriptures when they speake of manâ— Turning unto God doe joyne repentance and other godly Acts together with Faith as appeares by that solemne invitation of
then will some say if it be so that the doing of every good duety is unto such a one an occasion of sinning hee ought not then to doe it because he is bound to avoide all things wherein he shall certainely sinne To which I answer that the inference were good if this avoiding the occasion of one sinne did not draw him upon another sinne that were worse But here see what a snare sinne hath laide to entrap a wicked man which way soever he turnes he falls is taken if he heare the Word he sins because he mingles it not with Faith if he hears not the Word he sins because he turnes away his eare from hearing the Law if he pray hee sins because he praies not in Faith if he pray not hee sins and is accursed because hee calls not upon the Name of the Lord. What shall he doe then I answer hee must doe his duety what God commandeth though hee cannot choose but commit a sinne in doing of it by reason of his corruption and infirmity Of two sins whereupon not God but Himselfe hath put himselfe inevitably to commit one of them Hee must choose the least rather sinning in the maner in not doing of it so well as he should than â—ailing in the matter and quite neglecting the duety it selfe For this is certaine when God commands a duety absolutely to be done it is a greater sin not to doe it at all than to doe it amisse because our disobedience is Totall in not doing but onely Partiall in doing it otherwise than we ought As for a man wilfully to refuse to heare the Word is a fouler fault than to heare it with a forgetfull and disobedient heart though this be a foule fault too but yet there is more hope of the latter than the former Wherefore we may not pretend our infirmity as a just excuse for the neglect of our duety I cannot doe it well therefore I will not doe it at all is no good collection unlesse I may be blamelesse in my omission of it which here I cannot be Ministers then are to urge upon all men indifferently the necessity of all Christian endeavours tending to their Conversion and hearers are not to balke Gods commands upon pretences of their owne sinfull disabilities God must bee obeyed as farre as we can goe if we sin t is our fault besides the intention of the commandement And who knowes whether our diligence in doing something may not be more beneficiall to us than our sinning in many things may prove hurtfull whilst God bestowes grace upon us in the use of those ordinances whereto in some sort we conforme our selves though with much sinfulnesse and infirmity This of our first position the second is this 2. That the Reprobate unregenerate in whom these preparations to grace are wrought may and doe wilfully neglect them thereby procuring their finall obduration in sin The third is this 3. That the Elect unregenerate may and doe for a time resist these preparations to Conversion thereby deserving this finall obduration but God by his speciall grace continues these beginnings unto their perfect Conversion I will handle both these positions together containing the maner how farre and by whom those meanes and preparations to Conversion may be resisted and made fruitlesse We affirme then that it is in the power of every unregenerate man whether Elect or Reprobate to neglect and oppose those gracious meanes whereby God calleth them unto Conversion This is apparant whether we respect the outward or inward meanes of Conversion For the outward in all Gods holy Ordinances they may every one of them be neglected Men have the command over their bodies to move them as they please and they may sit at home or travell abroad without worldly or wicked imployments when they should be at Church they may stop their eares talke with a companion reade some booke that pleaseth them while the Minister is in speaking they may set their thoughts aworke in their Chests in the Stewes in their Storehouses any where but where their bodyes are about any thing save the Sermon they may avoide the often use of the Sacrament and make such shift as not to appeare before the Lord scarce once a yeare men may choose whether they will sleepe or pray fast or surfet of fulnesse reade and study Gods word or mans writings Againe for the inward workes of grace all unregenerate men oppose the light of their knowledge resist the checkes of conscience by presumptuous sinnes strive to blot out the sense of sinne and to cast off the feare of the Almighties punishment they may stupifie all such motions of affections as tend to goodnesse by diverting them upon vaine delights These things and more they may doe yea and they doe also though some more some lesse For it is most certaine that no man thus ordinarily called unto grace by these meanes was ever so dutifully obedient to the voyce of Gods calling as to yeeld presently without striving and much opposition No let the best man living who hath well observed himselfe before and after his sound conversion bee brought to answer in this case and he will confesse that in all those meanes whereby God fairely woed him to convert unto him hee alwaies was strangely perverse carelesse scornfull and froward in every motion of grace till Gods spirit had thoroughly wrought upon his heart Wherefore wee affirme that Every one whatsoever doth carry himselfe so stubbornely against this Preparatory grace of his conversion as that he deserves thereby to be forsaken of God and left to finall impâ—nitency Nor can that bee the cause why God converts this man and not another quia hic novam opponit contumaciam â—llâ— non opponit as the Arminians falsly affirme for all are contumacious and rebellious against this grace of their vocation but the reason is because when both rebell God justly forsakes one in his rebellion and most mereifully followes the other with fresh supply of more powerfull grace till he have healed his rebellion and caused him to returne Thus then both the Elect and Reprobate resist but the Elect for a time the Reprobate finally The difference is from God The Reprobate neglect and cast off him wherefore in justice he neglects and casts off them leaving them to follow their owne wills and the counsells of their reprobate minde Being so forsaken their hearts become as hard as the â—â—ather milstone their consciences scared their affections dead all sense of grace or sinne worne out of the soule and â—…all obstinacy against God fixed therein And in this sense we grant there may bee a â—…all resistency against Grace namely in the reprobate opposing and wilfully neglecting all those outward meanes of Grace all those inward workes of grace whereby they were invited and prepared to Conversion Of this rebellion doe the Scriptures in every place complaine and accuse the ungodly that when God bids them walke in the good
way they say They will not walke therein when hee bids them harken to the sound of the Trumpet they say We will not barken that they say unto God Depart from 〈◊〉 wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes that God stretcheth forth his hands all the day long to a rebellioâ—s and gainesaying people that hee calleth and they refuse that they have eyes to see and will not see eares to heare and heare not that they resist the Holy Ghost that they Rebell and vexe his Holy Spirit that Christ would have gathered Ierusalem but shee woulld not that hee preached unto the Iewes to the end they might bee saved but they would not come unto him that they might have life with a thousand the like testimonies setting forth the stubbornnesse and hardnesse of mens hearts in rejecting this grace of God offered to them and despising the riches of his goodnesse that should lead them unto repentance All which places noting out unto us a sâ—all resistency are to be understood not of that Speciall grace whereby God intends to worke mans Conversion as our Adversaries pervert them but of that common grace in the ordinary Antecedents of mans Conversion whereby God calleth all unto himselfe Of which grace wee confesse that it may bee received in vaine that this talent may be hidden in the ground and become unprofitable as Scriptures together with lamentable experience testifie in three parts of â—oure that heare the Word unprofitably in those temporary outside seeming Christians who after illumination in the truth and much affection to goodnesse quite fallaway and after they have knowne the way of righteousnesse turne away from the holy Commandement given unto them So that by this fault all comes utterly to naught and they perish â—…ally in their naturall corruption But now the Elect albeit they are also disobedient and froward at the first yet God forsakes them not but in mercie goes on to perfect the worke that hee hath begun till Grace gâ—ts the victory over their Corruption Till that their outward fashionable sâ—vice of God bee turned into true spirituall worship their knowledge made effectuall to all holy practice their consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ and freed from legall terrours their worldly sorrow turnd into godly griefe their slight wishes and hope of mercy changed into zealous prayers for and firme beliefe of Pardon their partiall and halting reformation of life turned into perfect and sincere obedience And thus farre of the ordinary preparations to Grace and how farre they are resisted I come in the next place to our Conversion it selfe Which is to bee considered two wayes 1. In actu primo as it is the worke of Gods Spirit on us renuing our corrupt nature healing all vitions infusing all vertuous inclinations into each faculty by which Habituall infused qualities they are disposed to all Spirituall and Holy actions This is the worke of God by his preventing grace 2. In actu sicundo as it is our worke converting our selves to God in all holy operations of Faith Love and godly Obedience which Acts we doe by the help of Gods subsequent and assisting Grace Of Conversion in both senses we are to enquire how farre it may bee resisted and hindered touching the first namely our Habituall Conversion in the infusion of all gracious habits this conclusion is to be defended That in our first Conversion or Sanctification wee are meerely Passive and cannot by any Act of ours eyther worke it our selves or binder Gods working of it This is apparant by the Scriptures which testifie unto us what our state is before Conversion what the worke of God is in our Conversion namely That wee are dead in sins Ephes. 2. 1. Col. 2. 13. Matth. 8. 22. Ephes. 5. 14. That we are blinde and very darkenesse in regard of Spirituall knowledge Rev. 3. 18. Ephes. 4. 17. 5. 8. Matth. 6. 23. Luc. 4. 18. Iohn 1. 5. Act. 26. 18. 1. Cor. 2 14. That our hearts are stony destitute of all sense and motions of goodnesse Ezek. 36. 26. 11. 19. Againe that Gods worke in our Conversion is a raising from the dead Ephes. 2. 5. Col. 2. 12. Rev. 20. 6. Iohn 5. 21. 25. A restoring of sight to the blinde Luc. 4. 18. A new generation and birth of a man Ioh. 1. 13. Ioh. 3. 3. Another creation of him Ephes. 2 10. Psal. 51. 12. 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. The giving of a new heart of flesh and taking away of the old stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. Out of which and many the like places wee conclude that a man can doe no more in the effecting or hindering of his first Conversion than the Matter can do in regard of the Forme to receive or reject it no more than Adams body could resist the entrance of the soule into it or Lazarus carkasse and the dead bones in Ezekiel could refuse the spirit of life's comming into them no more than an infant can hinder its owne conception and birth or the world the creation of it selfe no more than the bodies of those sick persons whom Christ cured by his word could hinder the restitution of health when Christ commanded them to be whole or the eyes of the blinde could nill the restoring of their sight or the aire that is darke can refuse to bee illightned in briefe a mans heart can no more hinder the worke of Gods grace in changing it out of stone into flesh than the body of Lots wife could resist the force of his power in turning it out of flesh into a pillar of salt Against this Doctrine of mans Passivenesse in his first Conversion our adversaries object many things qualifying the rigour of those censures the Scriptures give touching our utter disability eluding their force by many subtile shifts all devised onely to this purpose that our Conversion may not be thought to be altogether of grace but shared betweene the grace of God and some power of our owne To alledge and answer every cavill were a businesse of more length than difficulty unto them all in generall I answer That hee that takes a mans judgement touching mans abilities he followes the sentence of a blinde corrupt Iudge and that in his owne cause It is the Lord that judgeth us and it becommeth us to submit to his censure not to extoll our selves when hee abaseth us lest wee bee found lyers like those hypocriticall Laodiceans boasting that we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing when in the meane God knowes though wee know not how that we are wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked standing in neede of all things Wherefore let this truth alwaies stand firme that as no man can prepare himselfe by any strength of his owne effectually to worke his Sanctification either alone by himselfe or as a coworker with the Spirit of grace so no man can hinder